Top 5 Essential Pool Cues for Beginners: Master the Game

Our list of amazing pool cues for beginners will save you a ton of money. Leave the research to us and relax while we suggest cues that are just right for you.

For beginners, selecting the right cue is pivotal. It’s not just about getting any cue; it’s about finding the one that suits your style, enhances your gameplay, and grows with your skills.

A Short History Of Pool Cues

Pool cues didn’t always look the way they do today.  As we all know, the French began the trend of playing billiards, which eventually led to the birth of the pool.

It is assumed that billiards was a variation of croquet which is a European, outdoor sport.  That is probably the reason that the felt is a green colour to replicate the grass that croquet was played on.

In those days, cues were known as maces with a kind of appendage at the end of them.  Players were expected to sweep the balls into their pockets using these devices.

As time passed, people began preferring to use the thinner end of the mace as it was easier to handle and more efficient at pocketing balls.  This is where the modern day pool cue was born and thick pool cues transitioned to the slimmer versions we see today.

The Birth Of The Pool Cue Tip

There was a Frenchman by the name of Francois Mingaud.  He was a keen player and spent some time in a French prison.  While in prison he began to experiment with playing the game with a leather tip attached to the fine end of his cue.  He realized that his shots improved and when he was released, he was able to display his prowess to others.  This is how the trend of pool cue tips began.  Of Course, leather tips were used, to begin with, but later on, wood and other materials came into the picture.

Growth Of The Pool Cue Industry

This began somewhere around the 19th century.  Manufacturers realized that scores of people were taking up the game. There was a hole in the market that was picked up by keen entrepreneurs and soon enough, pool cue manufacturing factories began to mushroom, all over Europe.

As a beginner of the cuesport pool, it may seem somewhat confusing when looking to buy your first pool cue stick for yourself. The true confusion is whether it is good to buy a high-value pool cue or just stick to a cheap model for the time then upgrade. No need to stress the factor or worry that you are now in the right place, the listing below will be the selections with the perfect Pool Cues for Beginners.

New to the sport or to choosing your first pool cue stick there will be a few things to take into consideration when picking out a pool cue. My personal; advice would be to choose a medium-hard tip not a fully soft or hard tip, the hard or soft tip will not give the good playing experience for a beginner.

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Our Handpicked Collection Of 5 Awesome Pool Cues for Beginners

Pool CuesRatingsPrice
Viking Valhalla 200 Series Pool CueEditors ChoiceCheck Price
Players C-945 Classic Best Pool Cue For BeginnersCheck Price
TaiBA 2-Piece Pool Stick + Hard CaseMost InexpensiveCheck Price
CUESOUL SOOCOO Series 58″ 19oz Pool CueCanadian MapleCheck Price
McDermott Pro Pool Cue KitThe McDermott BundleCheck Price

1. Viking Valhalla 200 Series Pool Cue – Editor’s Choice

viking valhala

The Viking Valhalla pool cue has to be the most beginner-friendly pool cue stick that’s on the market, it gives smooth plays and the price is way within budget.

This pool cue comes in standard ounces 18-21oz and is very colour friendly with over ten different colours and pattern designs.

The shaft of this pool cue was crafted from North American Hard Rock Maple wood, so it’s pretty sturdy and good it’s even somewhat surprising to be on cheap graded pol cue as this. It carries a  Nylon wrap with an Ultra-violet Urethane finishing touch.

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All in all this cue is a good choice for any beginner of the game that is looking to buy a pool cue stick for the very first time, the tip size is also great it features a 13mm leather tip as well.

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Pros

  • Hard Rock Maple Wood built shaft
  • Premium Leather Tip
  • Over 10 different colors to choose from
  • Ultra-violet Urethane
  • Rubber Bumper
  • High Impact Resin
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Cons

  • May arrive in the wrong color

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2. Players C-945 Classic Smoke Stained Birds Eye Maple Pool Cue – Perfect Pool Cue For Beginners

Best Pool Cues for BeginnersNext is the Players C-945, this pool cue is a magnificent cue and packs numerous amount of features but at the same time, it is also a beginner’s friendly cue, very easy to handle.

I personally know a few people who had bought this exact cue stick on buying their first cue and now these guys are playing at a high level of the game so I will definitely recommend this as your first and perfect choice.

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Let’s jump into a few more details about this cue, most of the shafts in this brand are high-impact ferrule providing smoother plays. Like some pool cue that is on the market this cue was coated with a  high gloss super UV coating so the cue won’t lose its colour while protecting the body from easy scratches.

If I was to continue on the features of this cue it would not end here so I am going to just hop into the main details about it.

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Pros

  • Treated with Nelsonite
  • Wrap less handle
  • Atmospheric changes protection
  • Special French cue wax
  • High-impact ferrule
  • High gloss super UV coating
  • Sleek wrap less handle
  • Le Pro tip
  • Good design
  • Durable
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Cons

  • Only available in one colour

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3.TaiBA 2-Piece Pool Stick + Hard Case – Most Inexpensive

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07B1PT31K&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=poolcueexpert 20&language=en USThis two-piece also carries over ten different colours and designs and on top of the varies in colours it comes with a hard pool cue case as well.

So you basically get a cue and a case master for this budget, it’s really remarkable I can say truly a great buy for any beginners of the sport.

The shaft was crafted from hard Canadian maple wood and also has a pro-tapper, most of them are weight adjustable just open the rubber bumper at the opposite end for the tip of the cue and you will see where the adjustments are been done.

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Pros

  • Multilayer Leather Tip
  • Quality Canadian maple wood
  • Pro-taper
  • Over 10 different color selections
  • Joint protectors
  • Rubber bumper
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Cons

  • Make sure to store properly, a simple temperature chance will warp the cue if not stored well

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4. CUESOUL SOOCOO Series 58″ 19oz Pool Cue – Canadian Maple

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01KJJEQVU&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=poolcueexpert 20&language=en USAnother well-fitted pool cue for beginners is the Cuesoul Soocoo, this the next inexpensive pool cue that will surely get the job done and will execute plays very smoothly. Everything you see in the displayed image is everything you will be getting, a crystal cue joint protector likewise shaft protector, and a cleaning towel, especially for the cleaning of your pool cue stick.

The tip size is variant from 11.5mm or 12.75, my personal recommendation would be the 12,75 tip size range for beginners. This cue has 4 different colour types to choose from.

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However, the different colours will give different accessories with the stick and the price may go up or down depending on what it’s giving you rest assured they are all within a friendly budget.

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Pros

  • ‘ROCKET’ PIN, Quick release
  • Comes with additional accessories
  • 58 inch, 19oz cue stick
  • Treated Canadian Maple
  • Pearl Paint Finished
  • Good design
  • Two different tip size to choose from
  • Stainless Steel Collar
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Cons

  • One of the free accessories added at times is missing upon delivery

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5. McDermott Pro Pool Cue Kit – The McDermott Bundle

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B006120RP4&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=poolcueexpert 20&language=en USWith this super deal, you will be getting the official rule book, a 1 by-1 pool cue case to protect your cue, two pieces of chalk, a tip suffer and a shaper joint protector.  As a beginner of the game, you are all set and ready to go with all that the McDermott pool cue kt set has to offer.

This brand is a worldwide famous all-American pool brand, I am betting from the moment you start off using this brand you feel the brand’s image and want to keep using their cue sticks.

Pool sticks in this brand can get really expensive due to the fact that they are popular for building high-end and quality pool cue sticks that are said to be some of the most durable around.

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Pros

  • The official rule book will be added
  • Tip Scuffer
  • Shaper Joint Protectors
  • A case master will be added
  • Two free chalks
  • Warranty
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Cons

  • Does not keeps the chalk on the tip for very long

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What To Consider When Buying Pool Cue For Beginners – Buying Guide

As a beginner to the game and choosing your first pool cue stick, it’s good to keep the budget line minimal because there are a lot of selections out there and you are not gonna know at first-hand what suits you the best. However, if you can afford to start off using the high-end pool cue sticks you can also do that but I would recommend trying out the basics first or Low Budget Quality Pool Cues to get a field of what you would like.

When buying a pool cue stick for the very first time there are a few things you are going to want to keep in mind, every cue stick has a different type of tip density and will all give different gameplay. To simplify things the tip density will come in soft, medium and hard. A soft tip will give the most control with the white cue ball on the table but will also provide a minimal amount of power to your strikes.

A medium tip which would be the most recommended tip density for all beginners to the game will give both control and power at the same time making it easier to learn the different types of shots in the game. Then we have now the hard tip which would provide the maximum amount of power but less to no control over the cue ball on the table, hard tips are best for the breaking of the game or for special shots in the game.

Other Factors beginners Should Keep In Mind

If you are at an average height of 5ft7 to the hight of 6ft4 the 58inch in length pool cue stick will do you just fine however if you are below 5ft7 to 5ft flat it would be perfect to recommend using or trying out the 52inches in length cue stick. If you are also shorter than the height of 5ft we would then recommend using a 48-inch pool stick, no matter the height you are at am sure you will find the perfect length for you.

Material Built

The three main types of cue sticks build are wood, fibreglass, and graphite. The most popular and common as you may have thought already would be the wood-built type of cues. 80% of players in the world are using a wood-built cue which provides the best in power and accuracy, most of the high-end cues are made from Hard Rock Maple Wood.

Next is the fibreglass/graphite, the main advantages that this type carries are the main fact that it will not warp and a wooden cue will, even if it’s over time.  You will get better-looking designs in these types than you would in wood, making it more eye-catching to a newcomer, graphite is even the cheapest of them all.

Another factor which you can take into consideration is the wrap type, the wrap is the thick part of the stick and that’s where your hand holding provides the power and grip on the cue stick. Common wraps are leather, Irish linen, Rubber grip or no wrap at all however the cheaper pool cues will tend to feature a nylon wrap as well.

Sadly I will not be getting into the specific details of the wrap types and their pros and cons to them but you are still in the right place you can go check out how to pick the right pool cue in the main menu above in the informational guide section. All that and more were covered in that specific article am sure it will most definitely point you in the right direction as a beginner.

Pool Tips For Beginners (7 Useful Tips)

Here are some pool tips that will help you as you are trying to get better at the game:

  1. Stance is often overlooked by beginners, so make sure you perfect yours.   It is always sensible to stand tall and share weight between the legs with a wide stance.
  2. Follow through every shot.  Translate your weight from the back foot to the forward as the shot progresses.  This adds a bit of momentum.
  3. Chalking before every shot helps to avoid miscues.
  4.  Use a ghost ball to act as your guide.  A ghost ball is one that you imagine in front of the ball you actually want to hit.
  5. Practice aiming.  It is a technique that gets better with time.
  6. When breaking, aim at the dead centre of the centre ball.  This should set the tempo of the game for you.
  7. Give the game your time.  Keep practising and you are sure to see improvements.

7 Useful Tips To Take Care Of Pool Cues

  1. Keep your cues away from direct sunlight, UV rays and moisture.  All of these are highly detrimental to the wood structure of your pool cues.
  2. Never lean on your pool cue as that will destroy the structure of the wood.
  3. Make sure that you always store your pool cues properly, either in an upright position or flat on the ground.
  4. Do not use oily substances or liquids to clean your pool cues.  Regularly rubbing with a soft cloth should be enough.
  5. If you are transporting your pool cues, make sure that you transport them in a case with the shaft and butt separated.
  6. Inspect your pool cue shaft for fissures or cracks from time to time.
  7. Also, ensure that the pool cue tip hasn’t got smoothened out due to repeated usage.

With proper care, pool cues can last a while.

Master Your Game with the Best Pool Cues for Beginners

Finding the ideal pool cue as a beginner sets the stage for your journey in mastering this game. Whether it’s about improving your accuracy, learning control, or simply enjoying the game more, the right cue makes all the difference. Dive into the pool of choices and find the one that resonates with your style and helps you evolve as a player.

Thanks again for reading our article on the amazing Pool Cues for Beginners, we do hope you check out a few more related articles in the main menu section. This was done specially for beginners with a friendly budget line in which we all feel comfortable with all pool cues listed above are good and the best of quality for its Priceline.

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