Pool Cue?

[Nija]

The girl is thinking about getting me a pool cue. I've occasionally play with non-house provided pool cues. I'd probably shoot better with them if I played with them with any consistency. Anyways, she is looking on-line, moslty at amazon.com, and is wondering which to get me.

The problem is: I don't know anything about pool cues. I know I like the shortest, lightest house cue at my bar. =\. I've been told that fiberglass ones are good. So, I was wondering if anyone could give me a little help. Budget is less than $100. I was looking for ones that "break" in two pieces and come with a carrying case (they seem to mostly come with free ones, yay!) Here is the amazon link (http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/103-9631253-1060652?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=3397221&keywords=&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pct-off=&price=&brand=&rh=a%3A3397221&emi=&material=) to all the pool cues.

This one (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00066QHIM/sr=1-24/qid=1131693651/ref=sr_1_24/103-9631253-1060652?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=3397321&s=sporting-goods&v=glance) caught my eye, but I don't know. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Hoser]

Check this site out: http://www.beadsandbilliards.com/cues.html

At the bottom of the page there are links so that you can shop by price. There's also a link where you can win $100 to be used for buying merchandise from the site. Who knows, you might get lucky and win.

[johnnymk]

I joined a team two months ago and was wondering the same thing. One of the guys on my team was a pro years ago. He told me there is little difference between an expensive and a cheap stick. Appearance is what separates the two.

Believe it or not, WalMart sells cuesticks for $8 to $15. He recommended them for me.

I found a nice one for $25 at a yard sale last week, but I am sure that the WalMart would have performed just as well.

There are two factors in selecting cuesticks: the length and the weight of the cuestick. The taller you are, the longer and heavier the cuestick. It has something to do with where you hold the stick with your right hand and the balance point, which affects the arc of your arm as you shoot the ball.

[zero2dash]

I would highly recommend you try one in person somewhere so you can see how it feels and how you like the weight (especially).

Cues come in different weights and that's one of the biggest variables that you should get a "feel" for before buying one. The length/height is a factor, sure, but the weight is probably the larger of the two.

I shoot excellent with my cue (dad bought it for my birthday about 7 years ago or so) but if I have to play with house cues I don't do as well. :) I definitely wouldn't buy a cheap cue; mine was $50 and that was the lowest I'd pay for one...the cheaper ones (under $50, like if you're seeing them at Walmart) probably are made with really poor wood that will warp/bend and could break or split...

If you're set on that one from Amazon, I'd go to a sporting goods store and try a few different cues to see what weight you like, and then come back home and order the Amazon one. That's the best advice I can give you. :) I know my cue is fairly light...I don't remember the weight on it but I'm sure it's either an 18 or a 19.

Good luck :thumb:

[mechmike0034]

<croce>
Yeah, big Jim got his hat
Find out where it's at
And it's not hustlin' people strange to you
Even if you do got a two-piece custom-made pool cue</croce>

Pool cues are a matter of feel. I would think it'd be tough to buy one without first holding it or trying it out.

[johnnymk]

Height...........Cue Length.............. Maximum Weight

5'1 to 5'4.............. 55" ....................... 17 oz.

5'4 to 5'7.............. 56" ....................... 17.5 oz.

5'7 to 5'10............. 57" ....................... 18.5 oz.

5'10 to 6'1............... 58" ...................... 19.5 oz.

6'1 to 6'4............... 59" ....................... 20.5 oz.

Over 6'4...................60" ....................... 21.5 oz.

[guiseppewv]

I don't agree with your "weight" chart above. I like a heavy cue (20 oz) for breaking and an 18 oz the rest of the time. It all depends on you.

I have a couple of cues and my cheap cue is as good as my "nicer" cue but the nicier cue is beautiful.

[ArkiStan]

I don't agree with your "weight" chart above. I like a heavy cue (20 oz) for breaking and an 18 oz the rest of the time. It all depends on you.


As you said, it all depends on the player, but if you want to increase the power of your break, I believe lighter cues are more recommended. Speed has a much greater impact on momentum that the weight. At least that's how I learned and played. But I could be confused. It's been years since the last time I played.

As for brands, I shopped a lot of cues back in college when I was a total pool junkie. I wanted a decent cue, but was a poor student. Cuetec was a great professional brand that was also generally affordable($100-200). It was used by many professionals (although their cues are probably custom made). And the designs are mostly black, simple and minimal.

http://cuetec.net/

[IceDaJuevos]

NO CUETEC.

Go with McDermott--all you need is to ask some billards enthusiasts, read some billiards forum material, (if you have the chance to, shoot with both cues), etc, etc, and you will find more than enough reasons to convince you. (Visit their site too, while you're at it.)

Unless the tables you're playing on cost as much as cars (not the used variety), there's no need for all the fancy inlays. That being said, a quality butt, shaft, and tip are essential--it comes as a unwrap-and-play setup with the above brand and others (although others will not give you the same bang for buck performance.) This means no walmart, no big5, no regular sporting goods store. If you plan on shooting with any english, you will quickly realize this. Case in point, how do you plan on striking the cue ball off-center for mere milliseconds and expect that the ball will shoot straight with the desired spin, if 1)the tip slips off the ball and 2)the shaft bends upon impact? (Both of which will happen if you pick up that Walmart cue stick.)

Have fun!

[ArkiStan]

Yeah, McDermott was another brand I seriously considered. As IceDaJuevos said, try to test them and use what feels best for you.

[guiseppewv]

As you said, it all depends on the player, but if you want to increase the power of your break, I believe lighter cues are more recommended. Speed has a much greater impact on momentum that the weight. At least that's how I learned and played. But I could be confused. It's been years since the last time I played.


http://cuetec.net/

Sorry, but I must disagree, again. Weight has the same affect on momentum as velocity. p = mv. Increase the mass or increase the velocity and they both have the same proportionate affect. I also think that trying to whack the balls as fast as you can when you are breaking is less controlable than breaking the balls with a heavier stick and using a smooth, controlled motion.

[ArkiStan]

Well, maybe I worded it wrong. It really doesn't have anything to do with "momentum," but rather "kinetic energy" which is 1/2 x mass x velocity^2. You get a a much more significant gain in energy by increasing your speed. And it's hard to achieve a significant gain in weight when the general set of cues only range between 17-21 oz. But it's easy to stroke faster. That is assuming you have decent control over your cue. As I said before, it all depends on the player level. If you are less consistent at faster stroke speeds, by all means use a heavier cue and stroke smoothly.

Of course you don't always need a powerful break, but in 9-ball it's generally considered advantageous to spread the balls out as much as possible on the break (while keeping the cueball near the middle). Just watch how people break in matches on ESPN. But it get's sort of meaningless if you can't clear the table in one run.