Cue Sport Group

Archive for the ‘Equipments’ Category

We often see pool and billiard players rub a green, blue and sometimes brown little cube on the tip of their cue after every shot. Well, that thing we see is called a Cue chalk and they are available in many colors. The chalk is placed on the tip of cue before and after the player makes a shot to provide a better grip which prevents miscuing.

The tip of a cue is made up of different flexible materials. A typical example is leather which becomes hard and compress after being used subsequently. Frequent usage of the cue stick makes the tip deteriorated and looses its good grip of the cue ball. This causes mishap to most of the pool players in giving a good hit on the ball. Pool Chalk or snooker chalk prevents the tip of cue from slipping off the cue ball. And it is therefore necessary to keep that chalk in every game. It helps to save that shot from losing the competition.

(Photo via drakeliesure.co.nz)

Looking for a world class billiard or pool table that can match your amateur or professional playing skills? Browsing the Internet will certainly give you plethora of results but only a few are known for quality and excellence. Review most of the Classic World Pool Competitions in the past and you’ll notice that there’s a common brand of pool table being used.  May it be a vintage or modern design, Brunswick is reputed by most professional players for quality, accuracy, and unsurpassed playability.

Brunswick is made of quality slate inspected and certified to provide lifetime playability; it has superb performance Nut plate and hardened dome washer compared to other brands. The Super speed cushion rubber is composed of thin layer of cotton canvas for better accuracy in rebounding and consistent accurate nose height for superior banking.

Being the top brand for excellent performance, and most sought for game room furnishings since 1845, Brunswick Competition table is a result of refine engineering for more than 160 years.

(Photo via exoticexcess.com)

Playing the games of professional pool, snooker and billiards is not for an average joe, it takes talent, skills, knowledge and a good cue stick.

Most pool players believed that if they have the right cue stick, they would shoot better and that gives them an ace up in their sleeve. Every cue artist is in search of a perfect cue and they can tell whether it feels right by weight, balance, leather and shaft characteristics. An experienced billiard player can determine by the stick’s vibration if the stick flexes too much or not. The way the stick feels is important and the sound of the hit is likewise essential. Some players play for keeps that will pay more just to find the cue that feels superior, it’s an investment of high yield for a competition. For them it’s like a wand that gives magic to every game. And if this is the case, Efren “BATA” Reyes one of the world’s best pool players must have found the right wand for it makes him the magician.  But every player should know that it’s always the skill and mastery of the sport that means a lot and the cue stick will be as much use as a chocolate teapot.

So what’s so special with the cue ball? As a player, you know that this ball is the only ball on the bed that really touches with your cue stick and the most important for you is to control its movement, direction and impact. If you are aiming for a shot, you can apply different speed and spins on the cue ball to produce a desired effect. The Aramith Pro Cup Cue Ball is one of the most famous in the market because of its measles or six red dots that stand out among others. The dots will help the players to determine the kind of spin and how long it would probably last as well as for the audience to clearly see the spin.

The factors that influence the cue balls are the playing table, cue ball’s weight and magnet center. If the cue ball weighs more than the standard, it would be more difficult to give it a spin. The low-quality magnet centers on the other hand can make the cue ball wobbles. These variables would push you to use your own on your next game.

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.

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!

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.