What kind of pool cue should i buy

Lucasi Hybrid Technology - These wraps are textured to give you extra grip and have shock absorbent foam underneath for a really cushy grip that will help your game too. Players Technology Mz Multi-Zone - This is a super comfortable grip with three distinct traction zones to give you the hit you want. Predator Sport - This is an ultra-tacky wrap with two traction zones for varied play.

Predator UL Leather Luxe - This wrap is made out of polyurethane with a cushion for increased comfort. This is not a leather wrap. Rubber - Rubber or PU or polyurethane wraps give you good grip but can feel a little plasticky in the hand.

Simulated or Wrapless - A slick feel. You're getting nothing but wood here, so there is nothing getting in the way between your hand and the cue. If you select a cue with a wrap as opposed to a wrapless model, some brands have models with back-end loaded wraps.

A back-end loaded wrap is for people who like to grip the cue farther back than where a regular wrap covers. If this is where you like to hold your cue, you might want to consider a back-end loaded wrap or a cue that is wrapped fully in a material like leather or leatherette. Any leather tip will work just fine for a beginning pool player. Other popular tips makers include Kamui, Moori and Tiger Products.

Not at all. There are a number of cue lines these days specifically aimed at women Players Flirt and Athena being the best examples , but you do not have to buy one of these cues to be a good player. Not necessarily. Go with your gut. Do you have trouble playing with a bar cue? Have you played with a friend's cue and it wasn't comfortable?

Then go with a kids cue. If you're an experienced player who is ready to make some changes to their game, a technology cue is a great way to go. The key here is to know what you want out of your technology cue.

Do you want just a technology shaft? Predator mounts its joint inserts into a solid core of phenolic for increased surface contact, better stability and a more solid hit when you play; Lucasi Hybrid uses a special polymer, lightweight core and radial construction for an extended sweet spot, better stability and a more solid hit; OB gives you lightweight technology with the same hit of a traditional shaft; Tiger shafts give you flex with a solid hit; and McDermott I Shafts give stability and vibration dampening.

Do you want a technology shaft with a little extra? The general consensus about buying a graphite cue over a wood cue would be to not bother. Graphite cues tend to be of lower quality, and can be very hard to clean. They can also be very flimsy and may not last as long as you would like. There are exceptions to the rule, however, most notably the brand Cuetec. Cuetec coats its wooden cues in graphite or fiberglass to provide increased ding protection, so they're wood cues at heart.

Some people claim graphite, fiberglass, aluminum, titanium or acrylic cues are better than wood cues because they do not warp. This isn't necessarily accurate. Many non-wood materials can be very temperature sensitive and can bend over time especially aluminum. A good quality wooden cue should never warp, unless it is subjected to large temperature variations i.

If you take care of your cue, your cue will take care of you. Have a question that wasn't answered above? Feel free to give us a call at Ultimate Pool Cue Buyers Guide. What is the difference? Two-piece cues Two-piece cues are almost always a step up from a one-piece cue. One-piece cues One-piece cues are primarily used in bars and pool halls because they are too big to just walk out with.

Why do I need a break cue? How can I tell if a cue is good quality? A few things to look for Shaft diameters typically range from 12 mm to 13 mm. The most important factor to take into consideration when choosing your pool cue shaft diameter as a new player is your hand size. If you have small hands, then you want a smaller shaft diameter so your hand doesn't experience discomfort as it slides down the shaft when you make those shots.

The best way to ensure that you choose a cue stick with the right shaft diameter is to try a variety of them at a billiards supply shop and see which one works best for you. The shaft of a pool cue is tapered, meaning it is thicker near the base often called the butt of the pool cue and thinner near the tip. There are three main styles of shaft tapers: standard tapers, pro tapers and double tapers.

Standard tapers gradually decrease in diameter from butt to tip in an even and continuous fashion. A cue stick with a pro taper maintains an even diameter for the first twelve inches of the stick near the butt before it begins tapering near the cue tip.

A cue stick with a double taper is thickest near the cue butt and tip and thinnest in the middle of the shaft. New pool players typically play best with pool cues that have standard tapers, which provide the most stable stroke. Since this is the part of the cue that you have the most skin contact with, you want to be comfortable. Wrap options include leather and linen, but some cues may not have a wrap at all. If you tend to have sweaty hands when you shoot pool, you want a grip rather than bare wood or fiberglass.

Your best options are Irish linen or leather which are both good for absorption. Rubber grips are also available but you want to make sure that the rubber is of high quality and feels smooth and dry without any stickiness. Rubber wraps might deteriorate faster than leather or linen wraps. This is not something you can choose just by looking at it. You need to hold the cue in your hand and choose a wrap that feels best to you.

Look down the length of the cue to judge its straightness. Hold the butt of the cue at eye level and stare down its length. Slowly spin the cue to see around the whole surface. Look for any abnormalities in the cue. Only buy a cue that is perfectly straight. Choose a tip. Tips come in soft, medium and hard. Each tip type offers a slight difference in play. Soft tips are great if you put a lot of spin on the cue ball. Hard tips tend to last longer but are less capable of ball spin.

Medium tips are fairly standard on new cues. Hard tips are more prone to glance off of the cue ball when you strike it off-center. If you typically shoot more toward the outside of the ball, a hard tip is not your best option. Take practice shots on a pool table. If you are buying from a store that has tables set up, you should test the cue you choose before you buy it.

Get into a proper shooting position and take four or five shots with the cue. Opt for the stick with the least vibration within your price range. Listen to the sound the cue makes hitting the ball, and feel the vibration in your hand. If you hear a loud click when you strike the ball, you will probably also feel a strong vibration. A softer pop sound means less vibration. Higher end cues will make more of a soft pop sound when they hit the ball and this corresponds to less vibration running through the stick into your hand.

Vibration affects the smoothness of your shot, so you want to find a stick with low vibration. What should I expect to spend for a quality, low vibration first cue? And how do I choose one? Your best bet is to look online or at a store at low vibration options and then read reviews from users on those specific cues.

Not Helpful 5 Helpful Snooker cues have a smaller diameter tip typically around 9 mm , whilst standard pool cues have larger tip diameters typically mm.

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 9. A pool cue typically should be as tall as the bridge of your nose. This enables you to be able to stroke through your shots and get the most out of your stroke. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 4. I have a 4.