Buying a Cue - what to look for when purchasing a cue
Vložit
- čas přidán 18. 12. 2017
- Great places to order cues:
www.seyberts.com/
www.pooldawg.com/
www.ozonebilliards.com/
Tips on what to look for when purchasing a pool cue (gives advice for all price ranges). Explains details on the cue taper, cue wrap, joint type, joint collar, shaft, weight, and brand of cue. Seyberts billiards is a great place to order pool cues and other pool equipment online. If you order online, you will get cheaper price than purchasing at a local store.
Related videos:
1) Cue Weight & Length: • Cue weight and length
2) Revo Shaft Review: • Predator Revo Shaft Re...
3) Cue Tips: • Cue tips - discussion ...
4) Billiards Gloves: • Should you buy a Billi...
5) How to Shape & Maintain Your Cue Tip: • How to shape and maint...
Man if my hospital had a break room like that, I would never leave. People would think I'm a chemo patient or something.
This video helped me alot and I used your recommendations to buy my first cue, needless to say, I am really happy.
Enjoyed your video. It's content was well-informative. I'm just retiring in a few months and will get back into billards.
Grew up with a pool table and shot a lot as a teen, 45 years ago. I intend to use my old cue, but your advice will be great for my next cue.
Thanks Brother, I appreciate your time on this!
thanks this video was very helpful in purchasing a cue. lots of info i did not know.
Good video, TheBilliardsDoctor. As a newbie, I bought a table which came with a set of cue sticks. My game is slowly improving, and your thoughts on grips has been very helpful. The cues that came with the table have the cheap grips which have a tendency to slip in the hand if not gripped tightly. This is accentuated by the fact that I have dry hands. I put on a latex glove to see if there was a difference, and it's a big difference. I can ease up on my grip and the cue doesn't move in my hand. I may have to break down and buy a cue with a leather grip.
Follow Up - I just spent a couple hours shopping for a cue with leather wrap on the net. Tack on a $100 for the leather wrap. It seems that linen wrap is the most popular, which is what I meant by "cheap wrap" in my original response in this string. Didn't buy a cue. Will continue looking for a deal.
I'm personally not a big fan of linen wraps, but I have some friends who absoltely love the linen wrap. Leather wraps will only be on very expensive cues, but the "golf" grip is also a great wrap that I highly recommend. It is like a rubbery material and it grips much better than linen in my opinion.
@@TheBilliardsDoctor
I picked up a Lucasi LH10, with rubber grips, at a deep discount price. I enjoy the feeling of a non-slip grip. My potting percentage went up, noticeably, and that tells me that a slippery grip was one of my problems. I shaped the tip to a dime radius, which accentuated another issue, which is the accuracy where the cue strikes the cue ball. I like the balance compared to the beginner cue I was using, I notice a slightly different vibration in the Lucasi cue as well as a different sound. With a flashlight and a magnifying glass, I can tell that the shaft is not one piece of maple. I've found out it is 8 piece radial construction. Very happy with the Lucasi LH10.
Excellent info, it pays to watch many videos, I learned something today :) I love to learn. Now... Rack em up :D
You should do a complete video on cases and accessories
Sounds like a good idea to me! My plan is to have a few of my friends who are also very experienced pool players do a "What's in the bag" for their equipment to give you an idea of the accessories as well as particualar types of playing, jump, and break cue they use. Then I will add in my own comments on other accessories I recommend, too! Great idea, Colby - thank you for your comment!
I am new to your channel can you please make a how to control the Cue Ball video sir...
I recommend getting a cheap cue like players and experiment with the weight of the cue. Once you get comfortable, order a custom cue with the specs you like. For example, Bob Danielson makes custom cue butt starting at 400 dollars and sell a low deflection shaft for 200 dollars. I heard his LD shafts are one of the best and is better than predator 314 shafts, which are almost double the price. There are other cue makers, who make cues for that amount, but shaft is indeed more important. However, I do not recommend uniloc joint. I like old school radial joints. For 600 dollars, you can get your own custom cue. Obviously, if you want points and inlays, it might cost a little more.
I double his point.
20.30 oz weight...PERFECT
Hey .. would a 8k1 with a revo 12.4 be a good match? nice black look.. price not to bad. only 225 more over the 314 3 shaft..
leather grip and steel uni lock .. all the good stuff..
If you are already getting a 314-3, you might as well just boost it up to the Revo (or just wait until you have the money to buy the revo instead). 314-3 is a great shaft, but in my opinion, it cannot compare to the revo, so my suggestion is to just go straight to revo and not get 314-3 since you will likely get revo later anyways. I think that Revo shaft looks cool on pretty much any cue since the black color of revo is so unique yet black goes with pretty much any cue. Personally, I always like the natural wood color (reason why I got original Throne 3), but it is all personal preference! The way I see it, if you are going to be putting down 800 dollars on an expensive predator cue, you will likely never get another cue again as this cue will be your baby for your entire career. So whichever cue you decide to get, just be sure you are happy with its quality and just as important, its looks! Everyone has their own personal preferences, but just pick the one you like!
Hey, question about pool rules, I know on the breaks the cue ball can be placed anywhere behind the line but during mid game when the other player fouls, so sinks the cue ball in the pocket accidentally, do you play it by placing the cue ball anywhere on the table or is it anywhere behind the line, but you cant hit backwards? Also when hitting the other players coloured balls before you hit your group of coloured balls or you dont hit any balls at all do you get two goes or cue ball in hand or cue ball in hand behind the line? Which one is more commonly played?
Thanks
For US 8 ball rules - the rules used in any major tourney around the world basically - if you scratch at any point in the game besides on the break shot, your opponent gets ball in hand and can place the ball anywhere on the table. If you scratch during the break shot, your opponent must place the ball behind the line (the head string, also called the kitchen) and can only shoot the ball outwards (so cannot hit a ball that is behind the line unless the cue ball first is shot out and then reenters - such as if you did a full table bank shot where you hit the cue ball against the far rail and it came all the way back to the other end of the table in the same shot). So during the break shot, must be behind the line and shot outwards, any other time you foul, your opponent has ball in hand and can place the cue ball anywhere.
So the foul rule you are talking about with two shots in a row is what is used in English black ball - basically England's version of pool where a foul allows for the opponent to have two shots in a row. All US rules and all the major tournaments even those outside the US usually, will use the ball in hand rules
US 8 ball rules = BCA? (Billiard Congress of America), our league is affiliated, that being said, yes the "Ball-in-hand" rule applies to 'BCA' rules and the 'APA' as well I believe, however, a lot of bars'\pubs etc, will have their own 'House Rules' (including shooting from 'behind-the-line' on a foul) which I strongly suggest you investigate prior to playing.
Is it possible to install wrap for a wrapless cue?
In theory it is, but this will make the cue really fat around where your hand is gripping, so I do not recommend doing this.
Have you tried or heard of the digicue from OB? It would be great to see a video on it from you. Looks interesting but there aren't many video reviews with it.
I have never tried the digicue. I personally prefer to videotape my form and make sure it is good that way. The digicue is very expensive, so I have never tried it. I have heard good things about it, but none of the pros that I know of have ever tried it. So for me personally, I feel like it might be a fad. It is just too expensive for me to invest in that when I can just film my stroke to find imperfections that way. Plus, I feel the weight balance of the cue would be messed up with the large bulky digicue at the end of the cue.
TheBilliardsDoctor I ended up getting one for 150 Cad and the results were interesting. I found out I've been gripping the cue a bit too tightly during follow through and that I have a very slight tip steer to the left and a hybrid pendulum/piston stroke. My stroke is a bit better now for making longer shots and I'm noticing I can get more spin as well. Video taping is probably the best option but it's a bit tough to do in a busy pool hall without a decent tripod. Jason Shaw apparently uses the digicue but that could just be marketing. At any rate, it could still make an interesting video. Cheers!
Any thoughts on fiberglass cues? found a 20oz sportscraft fiberglass cue at goodwill for $4.00. great shape. had one of those push on cue tips which I hate. popped it off and found a nice ferrel underneath.
Hmm I have never used a fiber glass cue before. I am not sure what to think of it as no professional I have heard of uses a fiber glass cue
toscodav A Fiberglass cue its not going to help your game, high deflection a very unnatural feel etc
I've got a fiberglass/ wood cue its a nice cue but its not a nice as a wood cue to use. i found my game was a bit worse due to having a bit more weight in the handle than my wood cue which is balanced near the join in the middle.
I started off with one of these cues. It was black i got it walmart for $20. Its good to use a breakcue but i wouldnt make it my main player.
I picked a Lucasi LZ2004NB Zero Flexpoint Pool Cue as my main choice, I haven't ordered it yet. The only thing holding me back is the shaft, for a cue that price should I worry about getting the low deflection shaft or is the zero flex solid good enough? Also, can you order a soft and hard tip and change them during games on a stick like this, and if so, which tips do you recommend. If not, what soft tip should I pick?
Zero flex point solid is actually a low deflection shaft. When I say low deflection, there is actually a range of quality. A Lucasi Zero flexpoint is not as good, for example, as Revo shaft, but it is still an amazing shaft. Either way, any type of shaft that is labeled as low deflection will be eons better than a non low deflection shaft. If you are paying more than like 200 or so for your cue, make sure the shaft is low deflection.
When talking about ques, what do they mean about rings?
Hmm I am not sure what you are talking about. Was it when I talked about the Lucasi shafts having rings on them? Lucasi shafts are known to have these silver lines that looks like rings around the base of the Lucasi shafts. It is sort of like their signature they put on their cues
What is the brand of the cue butt you are using in this video? Looks great!!
Thank you! I think the cue looks pretty cool, too! It is a Predator original Throne 3 butt with the Revo 12.4 shaft and the Predator QR2 extension which I keep on the cue at all times when playing. I like it because of the black, tan, black, tan, black pattern it makes across the length of the cue. Similar to Shane's playing cue which is tan, white, black, white, black!
Great info that I had been thinking about
what tip is best for draw shots? soft medium or hard?
Theoretically, a soft tip will give the most backspin. This is because the tip can compress a small amount during the shot which allows the cue tip to "grip" the cue ball better. If you have ever used a soft tip, you will know what I mean by this. Because of this phenomenon, you can hit lower on the cue ball and not miscue. If you use a hard tip and you strike that low, you will miscue much more often and will not get as much draw. That being said, the draw stroke is much more about your form and experience rather than cue tip, but the cue tip will make a decently large difference for an advanced player doing a draw shot.
im using a kamui soft tip..the spins good but the hit isnt as crisp as the hard tip.
5:50 Son Goku is entering the room
Lim Hendrawan Dragonball sucks tho. Superman can beat him easy so can any psychic.
nahh..whats up doc?.hey is the jaws of the pockets width different..like a 7 ft valley bar box to a 9ft diamond table? also can you do a video of comparison of different low deflection shafts like a Viking LD shaft to a Jacoby LD shaft,i know different cue manufacters technology is differant
Hi Eric, that is a great question. The answer is that if you buy a pool table of a certain brand such as Diamond, the width of the jaws of the pocket should be the same for every Diamond table you buy regardless of how big the table is (7ft, 8ft, or 9ft). If you buy a different brand of table, such as Brunswick, the jaws of the pocket for any of these Brunswick tables 7ft, 8ft, or 9ft will be the same as any other Brunswick table. Note that brunswick pockets are larger than the pockets of any of the diamond tables (note that diamond tables are known to have the tightest pockets).
Also note that some tables will have a customized width of jaws of pocket - such as one table at Steinway billiards that Earl Strickland had personalized such that the pocket width is even smaller than Diamond tables. He does this to give him extra practice at potting each ball perfectly in the center of the pocket
Hi Eric, That is a great idea for a video. Unfortunately, I have never used a Viking or Jacoby LD shaft, so I will need to wait until I hear testimony from other players who have used these shafts. Once I hear what they think, hopefully I can get a discussion video where me and the other player will both talk about what we like in our own prospective shafts and how they compare to others. The ones I have used before are Lucasi, OB, 314-3 and revo.
I️ like Schön the best so far, but I️ haven’t tried predator yet
I've had two Schons over the years. When word got out in the early 90's that they were going to make more than two a day (mass produce), the prices shot way up. In 85 I bought my last Schon for $185 brand new! I sold it in 92 for $1150. It was the most basic model I had ever seen. I turned right around and bought (and kept) my first Joss for $495. It feels like a club! Nothing like a Schon. I made a few car payments with what I had left over. I don't have a pool table at my house. I work for a coin-op vendor and have 45 pool tables around the valley that I play for free on. (It's good to be king!) This is my 34th year at this job. Don't bother with any other stick. I loved my Schons, but then again, I can play with a broom.
Hello... I am a beginner, I would like to purchase my own pool cue. Going off looks alone the McDermott SP11 catches my eye. Being a beginner, would this be a good starting point or should I be looking at cheaper options? Also what would be the better cue weight you’d recommend starting with? Thanks!
When I tell people to buy a cheap cue if you are a beginner, I am mostly referring to that I do not want you to buy an expensive cue until you know that you really love playing pool. Some people will buy an expensive cue at the beginner and later realize they prefer to play other sports. If you play a ton of pool and really love the game, then nothing should stop you from buying a more expensive cue if you want to. I absoletly love pool, so for me, my cue was a great investment even though it is insanely expensive
I didnt like predator but I think they are great cues, dont get me wrong but I play soft, love to just roll the balls in with lots of english and let the english do the work getting a lot of kinetic energy.
Peter I play the exact same way. I use pocket speed on a vast majority of my shots. You should try an OB cue. They have a very soft feel and great balance.
Are Meucci cues overrated? They seem like it to me. People like the name more than anything else I feel. Like they it in with Gucci.
Also, what is the purpose for rings? Are they just there for aesthetic purposes?
to be honest, I do not know much about meucci cues. I have heard really good things about them, but I have never shot with one personally. Ill check in with some of my buddies and see what they think and if i hear anything, Ill get back to you. The rings are purely for looks. its like their signature on their cues
Do not buy Meucci cues. I won't name the professional player, but one of the sponsored player said it feels like it's made out of plastic. Never tried it so I wouldn't know, but pros can play with a broomstick so it doesn't matter to them. FYI, this pro is playing too well these days beating great players.
Can someone give me a Link to the website he recommends I cant find it
Sorry I just posted it above in the video description!
Roman nhhy
What do you think about titanium or graphite cues?
I unfortunately do not know much about those types of cues. However, I do not know of any pro who uses a full titanium or graphite cue, so maybe that means something? But like I said, I have no experience for those so it is hard for me to say
Note: when referring to graphite or titanium cues, I assume you are talking about the cues that are entirely graphite or titanium, not just the shaft. Since I have the Revo shaft which is graphite, I can tell you that it is phenomenal because it is stiff allowing for long straight shots but also has extremely low deflection which allows me to do spin shots with less compensation. As for the cues that are entirely graphite or entirely titatnium, from what I understand, they are usaully lower end cues so they do not have the same technolgoy and low deflection quality that Predator Revo shaft has, so these are in a totally different category. But like I said, I haven't used these before so I am unsure if they are good, but no pros use the full graphite or aluminum cues, which makes a powerful statement.
what cue are those shown in this video?
That is my Predator Original Throne 3 with a Revo 12.4 shaft and a QR2 predator extension on the butt of the cue. I absolutely love it. Had if for almost 3 years now.
link on where i could buy the Original Throne 3 with a Revo 12.4 shaft
You won't be able to buy it anywhere. They stopped making the original throne series many years ago
I disagree with the unilock joint I think a threaded joint has tremendously better feel I would recommend a joss for anyone looking to take a step up from a beginner cue
Some people have commented on how there is sometimes more feel for threaded joint. I personally am unable to tell the difference, but the reason why I personally like the uni loc joint is that it is so common among pretty much all shaft types and all shaft brands that it can easily be switched with many other types of shafts such as Revo, OB, or break shafts, etc. That being said, it is all personal preference and each player may have particular reasons for choosing thread or uniloc joint!
I disagree with the unilock joint as well, at least the quick release type. I get that it has the advantage that you can find pretty much every shaft out there with that joint but I'm beginning to not trust the joint that much. I have a poison cue with the unilock bullet joint (which is basically the same exact thing with the quick release type) and I have had the joint randomly come loose on 5-6 shots in the last 2 years. I get that this is a percentage of around 0.05% of this happening, but compare it to a flat 0% of other joints... It's enough for me to actually check if my shaft is still screwed in about once every 4 shots. if I personally could choose what joint my cue would have I would choose unilock radial. You get the confidence that you'll find shafts that are compatible, and a tight secure fit.
I cannot disagree with you. I would say that every 300 or so shots, the shaft may come a little loose (and you definitely feel it in the following shot). Interestingly, this mostly happens when you twist your wrist during the shot (tighten the wrist for example causes it to twist). However, like you mentioned, the nice thing about uni loc is that it is compatible with all shaft types. One thing I need to mention is that Uni loc is nice though because it does have a perfect fit which is flush to the shaft and tight, however the downside is that it will come loose about 1/300 shots. The only issue I had with uniloc not being perfectly flush joint to the cue was my buddy who had a custom OB shaft that had uniloc joint put in manually by a cue maker. This shaft ended up not being perfectly flush. But besides that all the rest of the Uni loc shafts I have ever used (lucasi, predaotr, OB) have all fit perfectly tight.
I like sneaky Pete's, I have a Player's.
um... you forgot Meucci
Whoops yeah I forgot that one! There are probably a few others too! So many cue brands out there today!
A fellow team member recommended to get a Meucci
Pretty sticks with very nice joints from what I remember. Don't break with them. Almost every one I had seen had eventually cracked. Our vendor stopped carrying them for that reason.
Meucci I think has a very high deflection, maybe it's the reason why they crack a lot.
would you be interested in affiliate marketing? I could really use your expertise. thx!
Lol I am not sure what you are talking about. But as a broke med student, if I can sponsor some of my favorite cue products and make some money to buy my raman soup dinners then that would be cool hahah
I tried the revo 12.9 and 12.4 and I didn't like it. I like a wooden shaft
That is totally understandable! Revo shaft is not for everyone. It is definitely a stiffer shaft and some people say it does not have the same feel as a wooden shaft!
Sounds echoy but good other than that thanx