Selecting a Pool Cue

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Selecting a pool cue, like the pool table itself, is important if you are a serious pool player or you wish to enter tournaments. Length, material, and girth matters when you are lining up your shot or in the process of using the cue.

Why Can’t You Just Use a Cheap Cue?

Some people just want to play pool casually, with no motivations for competition or making money. Using a cheap pool cue for this reason is fine. While some believe that using the right cue can improve their game, it’s also just as common to think that using a poorly constructed cue will hurt your game. Spending $15 on a pool cue from Walmart is perfectly fine if your only desire is to just play the game to play the game. An inexpensive cue does have one decent purpose: practice. You can take your frustration out on a cheap cue or be assured that any careless movements will scratch the cheaper cue and not the nicer, professional cue. Serious competitors, thought, should research local sport shops in the area to find better made pool cues. A couple of chain stores you can check out are:

Dick’s Sporting Goods
MC Sports
Cabella’s

Selecting a Pool Cue With Good Flexibility

One of the first things you should look at is flexibility. On most cues, the top third of the stick—called the shaft—will bend. All shafts bend, it’s just a matter of how much. The reason a player wants a stick that bends well is because it is detrimental to aiming and creating English. If the pool stick bends at an awkward angle or at the wrong moment or with not enough strength, then the spin of the ball is will inadequate and send the cue ball for the wrong part of the target. This will cause the target to go in directions you didn’t want it to go.

Material

No matter what material the stick made from, selecting a pool cue should involve the finish on the cue. The best way to figure out what has a good finish is to test it out. Use the cue how you would in a normal game. It should slide through your hand easily. If it doesn’t at first, chalk you hands slightly…you should have to load your hand up with chalk because too much chalk will cause the stick to slide and shift uncontrollably in your hands.

Different types of wood are used to make pool cue. Whatever material is used, the balance should still be good. Using your index finger and middle finger, place the pool cue stick horizontally near the fatter end. The stick should balance nicely without too much wavering. If not, the wood has not been properly treated and balanced.

Some players argue about grip wraps. Most sticks directly from the store won’t have a wrap on the bottom of the stick, but you can add one, just like you can with tennis rackets. Why would you need a grip? Some players think it gives them more control while others think it’s a waste of time. The grip tape will be a preference, but if you wanted to add it to your stick, try it on an inexpensive pool cue first to see if you like the material and the fit. Otherwise, it could make your play awkward.

Level of Play

What should you get as a beginner? To start, probably nothing more than that pool cue from Walmart. You don’t want to ruin a nice pool cue by jamming it into the table or scratching it against the balls. Still, you should make sure the material and balance suits you.

Once you get better and are able to enter tournaments, start purchasing more expensive cue that offer better balance and control and flexibility. Then, when you hit that big tournament and win a lot of money, you can then go and get a custom-made stick.

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