Which
Pool Cue Is Right For You
How do you select your next pool cue?
Do you choose one by the way it looks, or because your buddy bought one like it,
or because someone on the internet said that this pool cue was good?
The 4 Types Of Pool Cues
There are 4 basic types of pool cues.
These cues run the gauntlet from very cheap to ultra expensive.
Production Cues
These cues are made just as their
name suggests, on a production basis. They are made fast without a any
thought to how they play or if they will stay straight. The wood is turned
a minimum number of times with very little time for the wood to cure between
turnings. The cue starts to taper right at the ferrule and is a cone.
These cues have a super hard tip, maybe a nylon wrap instead of linen, are cheap and do not play very well.
You find these cues at the department store or in some of the cheap play sets
that are packaged with entry level pool tables.
Custom Production Cues
These cues are still made on a
production basis but more time and thought goes into their manufacturing.
These cues are imitation cues. They imitate the custom cue by having
a Pro Taper, an Irish Linen wrap, and
a better quality cue tip. The fancy work on the cues are usually decals
not real inlays. They have not done the research to understand how the cue
plays but they copy what companies like Predator and Viking do.
Custom Cue
The
custom pool cue is built one at a time. Better quality and/or exotic woods and used.
Real inlays are hand fitted, and each cue is hand stained and finished. Each
shaft has been selected for it's quality and rechecked many times before it is
finished. Viking turns and checks each shaft 9 different times before it
is finished. These companies have done their own research to get the kind
of play that they want. These are great cues that will play terrific and
with a little care could last you a lifetime.
Full Custom Cues
Full custom cues are actually one of
a kind works of art that happen to be pool cues. Cues from JossWest or Tim
Scruggs or Richard Black or any of the other specialty cuemakers are incredibly
beautiful and unique. These cues, because of their beauty and uniqueness
are usually more money and some are just collector's items. You'd be crazy
to play with a $10,000 cue, but you may be surprised to find out how many
players have a pool cue that is worth $2000 to $3000.
We get a lot of customers through the
door here that want a new pool cue but don't know a lot about them. We try
to help each customer get a pool cue that's right for them.
Here are some basic questions that
help us get an idea of the type of cue you may be looking for.
Where Are You Going To Use The
Cue?
If you are just using the cue at home
you may not need a 2 piece cue. Maybe a one piece cue would do you and
save you some money. If you are ever going to take the cue out of your
house then a 2 piece cue is a necessity. A 2 piece cue tends to resist
warping better than a 1 piece cue, and the better 2 piece cues will play better
than their 1 piece brothers.
What Size Cue Tip Do You Want?
Thirty years ago, if you walked into
a pool hall in this area and said you wanted to play 8 ball everyone looked at
you like you were an 8 ball. You must be from another planet. The
place I learned to play had 10 foot snooker tables and one 12 foot table. There
was one smaller table with weird looking pockets in the back that guys played
poker on.
Now, if you walk into a pool hall and
say that you want to play snooker nobody knows what you are talking about.
Oh yeah, that game with all those red balls. What's that called again?
We get people come into the store
that are looking for a very light snooker cue with a small tip but they have a
pool table with the bigger, heavier balls and bigger pockets.
Traditionally, snooker cues are lighter (16 - 19 oz.) with smaller tips (10 mm)
and pool cues are heavier (18 - 21 oz.) with a larger tip (13 mm). With a
lighter, small tipped snooker cue you will probably have a harder time moving
the bigger, heavier cue ball around a pool table.
Do You Leave Your Cue In Your Car?
If you plan on leaving your cue in
your car all the time you are really limiting the type of cue that you should
purchase. A fiberglass or graphite cue is the way to go if the cue is
going to be subjected to the changes in temperature that your car's trunk sees.
Because they are sealed with the outer shell of material they are very warp
resistant. A regular wood cue would be more prone to warping under these
conditions.
Do You Play In A League? At
What Level?
A league player will need a better
quality pool cue than someone that just plays at home. The pool cue will
have to be able to withstand the level of use. A lot of beginning league
players start out with a cheap cue to see if they like playing pool in a league.
They quickly realize that their pool cue will just not work for them. Then
the come back and purchase a custom production cue. This cue will be good
for them for a while but as they get better they will need a another new cue.
As you get better you will want to
get a new cue. You will know what the cue you have now can and cannot do
and will want to improve your game.
Do You Tend To Hit The Ball Hard Or Soft?
If you hit the balls harder but don't
use a lot of spin you may need a cue with a stiffer taper or a harder tip.
If you play a softer game you may want a softer cue tip and a more forgiving
shaft on your pool cue.
Do You Play A Lot Of English?
A player that plays with a lot of
spin or English would get a lot of spin without the deflection by using a more
flexible cue or one of the low deflection shafts that are on the market.
The Predator and Viking cues are two of the best low deflection pool cues on the
market today.
What Cue Weight Do You Like?
Pool cues usually range from 18 to 21
ounces. The weight does not affect how the cue plays but is a player's
preference. If I carried around a 21 ounce pool cue for a couple of hours
I would feel like my knuckles were touching the ground. On the other hand
my friend can't imagine how I can play with such a light cue. Most good
quality cues can have the weight adjusted to suit the individual player.
We are pleased to be Windsor and Essex County's authorized dealer for Predator
Cues and Viking Cues.
These pool cues feature great quality, beautiful inlays and a great hit.
Billiards Plus also sells pool cues from Player's, Action, and Brunswick. These
pool cues are terrific cues at an excellent price point.
Stop in and let our staff help you today.
Go Ahead, Pick Your Next Pool Cue
