The Ultimate Guide to Buying The Best Pool Cue Stick

What is a pool cue?

The pool cue or cue stick is our tool with which we drive the cue ball to pocket object balls or make caroms depending on the type of game we are practicing.

Most cues are made of hard maple of Canadian origin, but occasionally the wood is covered or joined with other materials such as carbon fiber, fiberglass or graphite.

Parts of a pool cue

What material are the pool cues made of?

They are made of maple and ash. These woods absorb impacts well, are very rigid and very resistant.

Maple is more commonly used for pool cues, while ash is more expensive and is usually found in snooker cues.

Many cues are made of other types of wood such as amaranth, hornbeam, cocobolo, ebony, olive, rosewood or snakewood.

Longoni is one of the best brands in the world for its high quality in the manufacture of cues, its cues are made with the above mentioned woods.

There are other manufacturers that use materials other than wood such as aluminum or fiber, these are found in Cuetec cues.

How are pool cues classified?

Lumber is still graded on several scales, from AA to D, according to how tight the grain of the wood is and how many visible lines there are.

This is primarily for appearance rather than performance.

The important thing to remember about an arrow is that, if it was properly seasoned, it will probably remain straight regardless of the grade of the wood.

The only way to know if a cue is right for you is to know the reputation of the manufacturer or brand.

If that brand has a reputation for pool cues that warp, then you should stay away.

If the manufacturer’s cues stay straight most of the time, then you’re probably fine. And if there is a warranty against warping, so much the better.

Main aspects when selecting a cue stick

Now, these are the main things I look for when selecting a pool cue.

Then I feel the balance and spin it a little to see if the weight distribution feels smooth.

Sometimes a cue can weigh in strange ways, so a 19-ounce cue will be uncomfortable if its weight is poorly distributed, while another 19-ounce cue might feel effortless and like it’s an extension of your arm.

And the only way to know if a cue is right for you is to play with it.

Choosing the right cue by quality and type of wood

My uncle has taught me all about pool.

He has played pool since he was a kid and has tried every cue from the cheapest under $20 to over $2500 custom cue.

He has worked together with his best friend in a pool business for a long time, so he is a person I always ask whenever I want to know about cues of any modality.

Nowadays it is difficult to buy a bad cue, even if it is cheap because most brands make them well and last long enough.

In the past this was different, it was not easy to buy a quality cue.

Now pool cues have a very good reputation and even better that many pool cue distributors are on Amazon which will get them to your house in a couple of days.

It is now possible to buy a good pool cue for less than $200 dollars and an excellent pool cue for $1000 dollars and pool cue made with exotic inlays are a little more expensive.

From PoolDawg

How to buy a pool cue without seeing it, touching it and without being able to play it first?

These days, there are thousands of pool cues available to the buyer over the Internet.

The first thing you should consider is the reputation of the dealer – how long have they been in business, what is their return policy, what kind of warranties do the cues come with?

Next, how well do they present the arrows, are the photos clear and large so you can see the details?

Keep in mind that the arrow shown is probably not the arrow you will get unless it is a small custom manufacturer.

But the people who take the time and care to show you the information in high resolution detail have nothing to hide and are trying to let you see the quality of the cue as best they can over the internet.

People who use small, low resolution images should be avoided.

On the Internet, the general premise is that the customer can get tons of information and, if the seller is not willing to take the time to provide you with clear descriptions and large images, then it is best to find another seller.

As I said earlier, it’s hard to buy a “bad” cue, but you should definitely limit your online shopping to retailers that stand behind their products with 100% satisfaction guarantees.

This ensures that when you get your cue if it simply isn’t a good fit, you can return it and try again.

Remember that a pool cue is a precision instrument.

Modern pool cues have become well designed tools to allow you maximum control over the cue ball.

Not all cues will look the same to you, but almost every cue sold by a reputable store is good enough to win world championships.

Finally, once you understand something, there are many things you can do to tweak it further to your liking.

What type of cue are you interested in?

According to the modality you play, choose among the different types of cues.

There are pool cues, carom cues, snooker cues, massé cues, brake cues, jump cues, brake-jump cues, mechanical bridges, one-piece cues, Sneaky Pete cues, cues for girls, cues for kids.

Select the cue to access inside the category

 

 

How do you know which is the best pool cue just by the way it looks?

Let’s try to answer this question.

A short answer will be difficult for a beginner and easier to understand for an experienced player. So let’s summarize some options first:

Overall quality:

• When you run your hand over the assembled cue, it is smooth to the touch.
• There are no protruding edges.
• You can lightly run your fingernail over the cue without it binding.
• It has a smooth finish with no visible scratches.
• There are no defects.
• If you see any with the opposite I tell you about here, it is not a quality cue.

Ferrule and tip:

• The ferrule should be flush with the shaft and the tip should be flush with the ferrule with no glue showing.
• The tip should be tightly attached and you should not be able to pull it out with your finger.
• The tip should be shaped like an even dome.
• If you see that the tip is sloppy do not trust the cue.

Joint:

• The cue joint should be aligned with the wood and join when screwed together.
• There should be no gaps at any point between the shaft and the butt when they are screwed together.
• The dowel should be perfectly centered in the back.
• If it is not, it could mean that the wood was cut at an angle to force it into shape, which may mean that it is in a stressed state rather than at rest.
• The parts should go together easily and snugly.
• There should be no pieces of wood or glue anywhere in this area.

The wrap:

• The wrap should be smooth and level with the cue.
• If it is a rope wrap, such as Irish Linen, it should be pressed smoothly with no knots or raised areas. No loose threads.
• If leather, then the stitching should be smooth and almost invisible.
• If rubber, then it should be clean and not greasy or sticky, as some rubbers degrade faster than others and will constantly ooze.
• Higher grade rubber and silicone will feel slightly cool and dry.

Straight:

• The cue should roll firm on a flat surface with no skips.
• However, a shaft may be straight but not perfectly round due to hand sanding during the finishing stage. The best way to tell if it is straight is to see it.

The shaft:

For a long time people have been under the impression that only a clear maple shaft with no grain is good and everything else is bad.

This all came about because of the marketing of a particular cue maker who was in the practice of bleaching the wood of his shaft to make it “white” and clear.

In fact, this practice breaks down the cellular structure of the wood and makes it more susceptible to warping.

Bleaching was simply a way to make lower grade shaft wood appear to have a higher grade.

From PoolDawg

Different types of pool cues and their specifications

Several years ago I went to a random bar to play pool with my friends, we rented a table and I went to look for a pool cue.

I have always noticed that there is a collection of cues in bad shape and different sizes, the short one, the skinny one, the fat one, I took the one that more or less looked the best and I found out that it was a little dented.

I remember a tip on how to take the dent out of a cue with a glass cup.

The ideal pool cue

The following specifications should be followed:

• Make it two-piece only.
• It must not have a screw-on tip.
• That the ferrule is not metallic.
• That the shaft is not varnished or wrapped in gummed paper.
• It should not have exaggerated drawings or painted decorations.
• Cylindrical profile.
• Thread or metal joint.
• 58 to 59 inches long.
• Weight between 18 to 21 ounces.
• Tip diameter: 12.5 to 13.5 mm
• And most importantly, verify that it is straight.

If you comply with these recommendations you have a pool cue to beat any opponent.

The 3-Cuchion cues

• 56 inches long.
• The weight should be between 15 to 18 ounces.
• The tapering or conical profile.
• Tip diameter: 10 to 12.5 mm.
• Wooden thread or joint.

The Snooker cues

• You can choose from 54 to 60.5 inches in length.
• Its weight is from 16 to 24 ounces.
• Tip between 7 to 10 mm.
• The butt is flattened

How to change the cue tip?

It starts with changing the tip.

Many people don’t realize that this simple change can be the difference between a good stroke and a bad one.

Then you can replace the ferrule, the weight, the wrap and even the joint if you really wanted to.

In other words, the basic reference is already going to be pretty good and, like any good relationship, it grows over time.

I hope this has helped you understand a little more about pool cues and make the right decision.

From Dr. Dave

Types of cue tips according to density and hardness

Article by Keven Engelke from PoolDawg

The main characteristics to look at when choosing a pool cue tip is density and hardness.

Tips vary in hardness from “super soft” to being as hard as the cue ball itself (phenolic).

The hardness of the pool cue tip that you choose will depend on your style of play and whether it is for a playing cue or a breaking pool cue.

Soft tips will absorb more impact causing the tip to stay on the cue ball for a split second longer than harder tips.

This will result in more cue ball spin, commonly referred to as “English”, when struck off the center of the cue ball.

Softer tips tend to get misshaped faster and will require more maintenance to keep a nice rounded shape and to fix any mushrooming when the tip bulges out over the side of the ferrule.

Because of the additional maintenance, softer tips end up needing to be replaced more frequently.