How to pick the right pool cue can significantly enhance your game, but it’s not just about aesthetics. With a multitude of options available, understanding the nuances is crucial to finding the perfect cue that complements your playing style and proficiency.
How to pick the right pool cue is not something you will know by instinct. So visit us and be clear on what makes a pool cue a good choice. Read and learn
A pool cue is your weapon against your opponent in a game of pool. Just as opponents and games vary, the needs of a player from his pool cue vary as well. There is no one for all general pool cues that suits the needs of all players. So it becomes compulsory to ensure that your pool cue is perfectly suited to your needs.
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How To Pick The Right Pool Cue?
Choosing the right pool cue for you will all depend on the type of game you wish to use the cue for, a friend of yours can have a cue stick that’s perfect for them but it may seem hard for you to use and you may even wonder why it feels so uncomfortable in your hands.
Truth be told everyone plays a different game strategy, so what’s fitting for one may not be as fitting for the other. Bellow my team and I have narrowed down some of the main characters on how to choose the right pool cue stick for you.
What tip should I be using?
I am not sure if most people take into recognition that the tip of the cue stick is the most important part of the cue, the tip manages the amount of control and power of the cue ball on the table. There are three types of tips, hard, medium and soft tip on the cues, a hard tip gives the most powerful hit to the cue ball, and hard tips are especially great for breaking, the downside to hard tips is poor ball control.
Soft tips are the best when it comes to ball control if you’re a player that uses English in most of your shots, this is the tip for you, the downside to using this tip is pool power hits to the cue ball due to the soft tip on the cue hitting the cue ball softly.
The medium tip gives a little bit of both power and control, most people tend to choose a medium-hard tip on their cue to gain the power and control of the cue ball. The medium-hard tip is also a beginner-friendly tip choice likewise a professional choice as well, you can also choose a medium-soft tip giving low power but greater control to the cue ball.
What size tip should I use?
There’s a large number of tip sizes to choose from, the different size cue balls would sometimes require a different size cue tip for better control. The overall tip sizes are from 8mm-14mm, The best-recommended snooker tip would be choosing a tip from 8mm-10mm on your cue, and for a pool cue, you would choose from 11.5-13mm tip, and yes, pool and snooker are two different gameplays.
What size pool cue stick should I choose?
A standard one-piece cue still will be 57 inches long and the two-piece would be 58 inches long if you are an average-height person as tall as 6ft4, am sure this length cue stick will be right for you however if you are taller than the 6ft4 your gonna need a taller custom cue stick which would be a 61inches cue stick to be using.
The most commonly used cue weights are from 18-21 ounces, however, they do have below 18oz for selected cues out there. The most player-friendly recommended size would be to use a 19 ounces cue stick, most professionals tend to stick to that size, but as a beginner, we would recommend starting off with that ounce as well.
How To Choose Between Wraps?
The wrap is the thick end part of the cue stick that you’re going to be having the most skin contact with your striking hand. There are a variety of wraps out there to choose from but for now, I am going to just list the 4 main types of wraps that are on the cues.
- Irish Linen Wrap – The most common with the least grip handling to it.
- Leather Wrap – comes in the stack and standard leather type has good designs and average grip.
- No-Wrap – gives the true feeling with every strike u take, also good for sweaty palms person.
- Rubber Wrap – gives supreme grip control, also good for sweaty hands persons.
How To Test the Cues Straightness?
Testing your cue stick should be done at least once per month, even if your cue has just arrived and is brand new, you should test to see if it’s bent or damaged in any way possible. Most cues are made by the manufacturer and will be most likely shipped from the manufacturer to the customer so it is gonna most likely be straight but it doesn’t hurt to check, mishaps do happen at times.
A simple and easy way to do this on the spot would be to, hold the butt/wrap of the cue at your eye level then, your gonna stare straight down to the tip, slowly spinning the cue to see around the whole surface, on doing that your gonna make sure to be aware of any fault or abnormalities the cue may have.
If you’ve recognized even a slight bend to the cue stick, you should return the cue stick to the manufacturer as damaged, your cue stick should be 100% straight or else it’s gonna reflect on your game when lining up a shot to execute it.
Here are a few tips we have listed out that will help you select the perfect pool cue:
- The tip and ferrule should be well attached and there should be no gaps or cracks in either of them.
- The tip should be smooth and not hardened or glazed. A hard tip will result in a number of miscues as the tip will not be able to grip the ball well.
- The cue should be perfectly straight. To test that, roll the cue along the table. If it rolls along smoothly and does not wobble too much, you can be sure it is straight.
- The cue you choose should be comfortable enough to hold. You should be able to handle and manipulate it with ease.
- Also ensure that the length of extension that comes along with the pool cue complements your height.
- The pivot length provided by the pool cue should match your bridge length, making things easier.
- Also, keep the CB deflection in mind. Though you must learn how to shoot with multiple cues, it helps to have one with a CB deflection comfortable to you.
Having stated the above points, one should also keep in mind a few more facts:
- If you have recently purchased a pool cue and are finding only minor issues with it, you should try to stick with it.
- An expensive pool cue will not make you a better player.
Closing Thoughts On How To Pick The Right Pool Cue: The Perfect Pool Cue Awaits
How to pick the right pool cue is a game-changer. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, investing time in understanding the cue that best suits your technique and preferences will elevate your performance and enjoyment of the game. With the right cue in hand, you’re poised to master the table and enhance your playing experience.
A vital part of making the right decision is going to all fall down to the amount of cash you wish to be spending on buying a pool cue stick. Your budget will play a big part in finding the type of cue stick your gonna be able to buy, if it’s below 100 you should go check out our list of the best under $100 if it is over you should go check out the best cues for an intermediate player or beginners best.
We do hope you have enjoyed our article on how to pick the right pool cue stick, be sure to check out our recommended listed pool cues on the market for beginners, intermediate and pro-players as well. We hope reading this article helps you to choose the right cue stick much easier than before, giving you much more detailed knowledge on the type of cue stick you would wish to use.
Choosing a pool cue stick will be hard but with the right knowledge on how to pick the right pool cue , I am sure it will be much easier, thanks for reading.
You can also check:
- Pool Cues Under 500
- Amazing Pool Cues For Professional Players
- Set of 5 Pool Cues
- Checkout more related gifts related to pool cues on goodgifts.com
