Cue Sport Group

Archive for January, 2010

Whether you are on a cheap budget or not, you can find pool balls according to your needs. Though the components differ from one purchased an expensive pool ball than the typical ones, these balls can still be used for a great game. Higher priced balls are made of phenolic resin that is harder, more resistant to temperature and has higher durability. The cheaper balls are usually made of polyester. In the market, the highest quality balls and built with aesthetic designs are Aramith Super Pro’s and Brunswick Centennials.

Aside from prices, the build quality of pool balls also varies. Some balls are just painted or inlaid with the colors and numbers while others are engraved with a solid core. The disadvantage with painted balls lies on the possibility that it might fall off after some games.

Last but not the least pool balls have differences in its characteristics like roundness, diameter and weight. What a player wants is that every ball in the bed would unite and match each other to come up with great results. It would make a shot predictable on its effects from one ball to another thus making a trick shot highly possible.

Don’t get surprised if you have seen several cue sticks when you attend a trick shot tournament. These equipments are used mainly to complete a difficult shot with its unique characteristics and components. If you already read the previous articles about the cues for pool and jump shot, then masse cues would not be unfamiliar to you. Among the trick shots, masse shot seems a bit more complex and thus its cue is quite hard to find.

Masse cues are rarely mass produced unlike other cues. One prominent mass cue manufacturer is Crown Cues. To distinguish this special cue amongst others, it is shorter than the regular playing cues but longer than the jump cues. Aside from the length, masse cues are heavier and stiffer than the others. Having a typical weight of 24-25 ounces, it would aid a player to make a good stroke for a masse shot. Of course, being fancy with the shot would not be feasible if you lack practice.

Do you know where to grip a cue stick? Here is an easy way for anyone to determine exactly where to grip the butt of the cue.

1. Place the cue ball on or near either one of the spots on the pool table. The spots should be marked. There will be dots at either end of the table, halfway in from the sides.

2. Hold your cue stick with the tip about 6 inches from the cue ball. It doesn’t matter how you hold it there right now, just hold it there.

3. Let the butt end of the pool stick rest on the rail while you stand at the side of the table as if you were shooting.

4. Grip the cue where it touches your hip or leg. Within a few inches, this is where you should be gripping the cue every time you shoot.

There will be circumstances when you may need to adjust your grip forward or back on the cue – but it is extremely rare to ever need to grip the very end of the pool stick.

The Closed Bridge

1) First, place your hand flat on the table. Turn your hand so that your fingers are pointing toward one o’clock. (These photos were taken from the side. Your view will be different.)

2) Lay the stick across your thumb knuckle, and across the second knuckle of your middle finger.

3) Now try to curl your index finger around the shaft, and spread your fingers. This may be the most difficult part since some people find that their joints are too stiff. But, keep trying. It may take a little practice, but in time you will be able to do it.

4) Now, simply slide your thumb up to the tip of your index finger, creating a complete circle around the shaft. Keep the cue stick as level as possible to the surface of the table. Now, straighten your arm as much as possible. Try to lock your elbow. Your hand will have to turn counter clockwise. This will tighten the grip around the shaft, so be prepared to loosen the grip by adjusting your index finger.

The stick should slide easily through your fingers, but still be held firmly. If the shaft does not slide smoothly, you might need hand chalk, or try a pool glove.

Bottom english is applied by spreading the fingers out and as flat as possible on the table.

To shoot a center cue hit, cup your palm by pulling the fingers toward the heel of your hand.

First of all, some quick tips:
- Never take the shot if you’re off balance. You will certainly miss that shot.
- Never shoot behind your back. This is nothing but a cool way of missing a shot.
- Never try too hard to reach to get a shot. If you’re not comfortable with your position, choose a different position or use the rake
So, how do you use the rake then?
1. Place the head of the rake exactly where you would have put your bridge hand if you could use it.
2. Pull the rake 2-3 inches away from your cue ball. If the rake is too close, it will hit the top of the cue ball when you take your shot.
3. Place your pool stick on top of the rake. Find the comfortable angle you want to take.
4. Place the handle (or butt) of the rake on the table and hold it there with your free hand. Most people totally screw this up and try to hold the rake with one hand and shoot with their cue with the other hand. The only time that the handle of the rake should be off of the table is when there is no place to set it down, due to ball placement.
5. Bend down and take the shot from your chin.
6. Aim to strike the cue ball as close to center as you can, this is a bad time to worry about using english or making a draw shot. Finish lining up your shot, take your shot, grab the rake off of the table, and watch your object ball drop in to the pocket!

The key to using the proper grip is simple: relax. The grip is something few players give a second thought to but it affects even the top pros in big matches. The tendency , especially on tough shots or in critical points of a match , is to consciously squeeze the cue a little tighter. The greater the tension, the more he smoothness and fluidity in your stroke will suffer. Your back hand must remain loose and relaxed. Get into the habit of checking your grip in tough situations. This practice will help you slow down, re-check the basics, and calm yourself before the big shot. All that is really required for a proper grip is your thumb, index and middle finger. There should be a little space between the palm of your hand and the cue. Remember, your grip is simply guiding the cue in a forward motion. Practice by looking back at your grip hand while stroking. You should notice a little more space open up between your palm and the cue on the backswing. On the follow-through, your palm should come down onto the cue but don’t tighten your grip.

Chalk, dirt, and other foreign substances can build up on the ferrule and over time, will embed on your pool cue like tar. Cleaning the ferrule and tip of your pool cue regularly, by simply wiping it down (ensuring that you fully dry it off) can help prevent this build-up from occurring. This will make it smoother, cleaner, for a better playing shaft, which can only serve to improve your game, and extend the pool cue’s life span. It’s very important to keep your cue tip clean. It will affect backspin, accuracy, touch, smoothness of stroke, and precision of each and every shot that you take. When the pool cue is not in use, it should be maintained by protecting the cue’s tip from any foreign dings, scrapes, gouges, or anything else that may otherwise be of potential danger. This can be achieved by placing it in a cue case, or ensuring its safe return to the pool cue rack. Finally, you must remember that the tip itself should always be covered when not in play.

If you want to have a good jump shot to show off on your friends, a jump cue stick would aid you to have one. This special pool stick is commonly found on regular games that can be distinguished by its shorter length and lighter weight that the normal playing cues. Whether you want the ball to jump over the obstruction bar or triangle, this jump cues would help you out.

The tip of this jump cue is composed of the material for pool balls, that is, phenolic resin. This is a substance that makes the cue tip harder and flatter than the others. Most jump cues in the market are effective but the shots still depend on the player. One might adjust strokes from one jump cue to another. These jump cues can also be used for some break cues where hard break is important.

If you only aim for the regular pool shots, you do not need to invest to a special kind of cue stick. But if you do want to practice and master difficult trick shots, better save some money on a regular 19 oz. McDermott M43D pool cue stick or the like to be able to make this possible. Upgrading your cue stick is a good idea and just makes sure to keep it in good shape. You do not want for sure to waste your money on a trash.

The only thing that comes in contact with the cue ball is your stick’s cue. The shape and the chalk affect its contact and power in every shot. A mushroom-shaped or flat cue is not ideal and most probably won’t hold enough chalk. Purchase good quality chalks such as Silver Cup and Master that could sustain your practice needs for quite some time.

To stop the hop, level your cue out where the shaft is now parallel to the bed cloth.Set up a simple shot in the corner, almost straight in, very slight cut. Put the OB one foot out from the pocket and the CB one foot from the OB. Now place a dime between the CB & OB, half way. Place a 2nd dime beyond the OB, half way to the pocket. Aim one tip up, one tip right on the cue ball to hit a force follow shot. Now shoot jacked up as usual and watch the OB go in and neither dime moves.

Why, you did a double jump that happens so fast the eye can’t see it but the dimes prove it. You jumped the cue ball over the dime to land on the OB, which jumps it over the dime to go in the pocket in the air never touching the cloth. This also explain why now and then you fire a ball into the center of the pocket and it comes right back out. You jumped the OB in high and it rebounded back off the hard top of the pocket.