New Player With Questions

W

weezymagic

New member
Hey AZB,
Just like to start off by saying that ive been playin pool for about 4 years. Im 18 right now and id like to get more into the game. Here's a few questions i have and a bit more info about me...

1) I have owned my own cue for about 2 years but it is a bit below par. it like to upgrade cues and upgrade my game. i know its more the player than the cue but it cant hurt. I have a novice amount of knowledge about diferent cues. If im not mistaken, there are 2 basic cues;the break/jump cue and the shooting cue. id like a decent cue for around or under $100.00. the cue id like will be my shooting cue so that i dont mess up my first investment by using it for breaking too. if anyone can point me in the right direction of some good cues in my price range, i would be very appreciative.

1a) id also like a good cue case to protect my cues. if theres nothing special to this answer, you don't need to reply. i figure its mostly whatever you like.

*edited*1b) you might as well point me in a good direction for breaking cues. nothing too expensive like the previous but yeah.

2) Id like to know a few basic tips to becoming a better pool player. i mostly play 9-ball and 10-ball with friends. i spend atleast 6 (depending on money) hours a week shooting. i try to read and watch what seems to be good information to practice and use. same as before, if theres nothing special, i dont need an answer.

3) I might be moving out soon with a few friends and i would love to own a pool table so that i could play more. can anyone point me in the direction of some cheap but good pool tables?

4) Where can a meet more pool players around my area. id assume that this site would be a good start and just talking to people at the local halls.

p.s. Its 2:15am. my grammer and puncuation may not be the best. im sorry if it bothers anyone

*edited*p.s.s. Lastly, this is my first post. i have been trolling the forum for about a week and am very satisfied so far. :)
 
Last edited:
weezymagic said:
Hey AZB,
Just like to start off by saying that ive been playin pool for about 4 years. Im 18 right now and id like to get more into the game. Here's a few questions i have and a bit more info about me...

1) I have owned my own cue for about 2 years but it is a bit below par. it like to upgrade cues and upgrade my game. i know its more the player than the cue but it cant hurt. I have a novice amount of knowledge about diferent cues. If im not mistaken, there are 2 basic cues;the break/jump cue and the shooting cue. id like a decent cue for around or under $100.00. the cue id like will be my shooting cue so that i dont mess up my first investment by using it for breaking too. if anyone can point me in the right direction of some good cues in my price range, i would be very appreciative.

1a) id also like a good cue case to protect my cues. if theres nothing special to this answer, you don't need to reply. i figure its mostly whatever you like.

2) Id like to know a few basic tips to becoming a better pool player. i mostly play 9-ball and 10-ball with friends. i spend atleast 6 (depending on money) hours a week shooting. i try to read and watch what seems to be good information to practice and use. same as before, if theres nothing special, i dont need an answer.

3) I might be moving out soon with a few friends and i would love to own a pool table so that i could play more. can anyone point me in the direction of some cheap but good pool tables?

4) Where can a meet more pool players around my area. id assume that this site would be a good start and just talking to people at the local halls.

p.s. Its 2:15am. my grammer and puncuation may not be the best. im sorry if it bothers anyone
Click to expand...

First
Welcome to AZB.

1) I'd suggest looking around at used cues and see if you can't pick up a good player. Outside of that I would suggest saving up a little bit more money and buying one that you will truly like. In a lot of cases you get what you pay for and you won't be getting much for $100 or less in a playing cue. For the break/jump cue I would suggest a J&J j/b which you can get for around $60. You can't beat the price and it breaks and jumps great.

1a) For the case I would suggest a hard case ofcourse. You can find a variety of different styles using different materials in a range of prices. Again I will add that you get what you pay for in terms of quality and materials. You won't find a leather 2x4 hard case for $20.

2) Watch pool every chance you get on ESPN. YouTube has a wealth of instructional information on pool as well. Try practicing with good players at the pool hall and never be embarrassed to ask questions while you play. You have to learn to crawl before you learn to walk so don't get frustrated if the going is slow.

3) If you have your heart set on a cheap table I would suggest checking out Craigslist. I would also suggest that you buy the table yourself instead of sharing in the costs because that could open up a can of worms.

4) You can obviously meet em at the pool hall ;)
You can also check around here for tournaments in your area. If you see a tour coming around where you are I would suggest going there to watch. Watching tournament play will teach you a lot as well.

If being a student of the game is your aim then you should spend ten times as much time watching as you do shooting. This includes watching other players around you, watching on tv and even while you are shooting. Watch what happens to the CB after each shot.
 
weezymagic said:
Hey AZB,

2) Id like to know a few basic tips to becoming a better pool player.
Click to expand...

the most basic of all tip's is make sure you are hitting the cueball where you are trying to hit it ( sounds simple but a lot of players don't)

and you practice it with the most basic of all drills..

cue ball on the head spot... shoot to the far rail and hold in shooting position and see if the cue ball comes back and hits your tip..

best done with a numbered ball instead of a cue ball set the number dead center and aligned to the middle diamond on the far rail...

chalk well and try to hit a specific place on the number.. after the shot look at the chalk dot and see how close you came to your target.

good luck
 
Cues:
Don't buy 2 of them; you only need one. Take your break cue money and apply it toward your player, now you have $200 which is more than enough to buy a decent cue.:thumbup::thumbup:

Don't buy it new...prices are too inflated. Check the pawn shops, hit the pool rooms, check craigslist, ebay, etc...somebody somewhere is selling your future cue. Best advice I can give you: don't buy anything until you've hit a few balls.

Keep an eye out in the Wanted/For Sale section as there may be something in there you like. Guaranteed, anything in that section is decent enough to play with...typically you don't have to be worried about the condition of cues on AZB, just make sure you're buying it from a reputable seller.

Tables:
Check craigslist and your local classifieds. Any bar that's going out of business is bound to be selling a few tables too. You should be able to pick up a decent Valley bar table for $500. As an added bonus, there's enough knowledge on this forum for you to be able to build your own table...buy it cheap, fix it up!!

People:
You gotta go out. Nobody new is ever going to walk into your basement. Find the pool rooms, grab a table, and start firing away. I'd suggest calling them first to make sure they don't throw you out for being too young...most don't. Also, tell us where you live. This is AZB and we know every room that has a table in the whole country (exaggeration). We also know who hangs out in them. Some more free advice: if somebody walks up to you and wants to gamble, it means you can't win. That doesn't mean you shouldn't still play; the lesson might be worth the $20 you lose. Remember, you'll never get any better by playing the same bangers all day.

Welcome to AZ and get started on collecting that rep.

Edit: Just noticed you're from KC. Are you aware the Olathe, KS has a very famous room that routinely holds huge tournaments? You might want to take a trip out there to check out some solid players.
 
Last edited:
Welcome to AZ. Please, find Mark Wilson and take a lesson from him, the rest is gravy....SPF=randyg
 
1) I think a Player brand sneaky pete hits pretty nice for the money. Get one of those tools to slick the shaft.
http://www.ozonebilliards.com/plcuesnpecow.html
http://www.ozonebilliards.com/porshaf.html

You already seem to know this but I'll say it anyway. Be careful about falling into the trap of thinking the cue matters more than it does. I've seen a lot of guys who obsess over cues when they're frankly not good enough to tell the difference. They think a new cue will bring up their game or that the current one is somehow holding them back, when really it's just knowledge and practice they need.

2) It doesn't work for everyone, but if you're already a reader then get a good pool book. I think the 99 Critical Shots by Ray Martin is the nuts. I see a copy here for like 11 bucks... it can give your game a huge jump.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_g...rds=99+critical+shots+in+pool&sprefix=99+crit
There are plenty of others, don't be scared to spend a few bucks in this department. Video instruction is also good.

Other tips:

- Always have a plan. Even if you don't quite know how to make it happen, always think of where you'd like to leave the cue ball (pick out a dime-sized area), and then try to hit the CB with the right speed and english make it happen. You won't always be able to do what you're imagining... but at least come up with something. Don't just shoot and hope the cue ball ends up somewhere good. MAKE it go somewhere good.

- Be humble - after 2 years, most players know SOME stuff, but not nearly as much as they think, and some of it is wrong. If you can find a much better player who is willing to give you advice... trust it. You can ask that player why he thinks such-and-such is the right shot, but try not to argue with them and don't give in to the urge to shoot only the shots you're comfortable with. Be prepared to try shots you don't like using english you don't know, and don't sweat it if you miss. The right shot is the right shot even if you miss it, and the wrong shot will still be the wrong one even if you make it.

There are no 'styles' in pool.

- Attitude matters more than anyone wants to admit. Be serious about pool and don't play for fun too much... but at the same time don't be Angry Pool Guy™ who bítches about every single miss. There's a time to be upset with yourself (when you gave less than 100% and got punished for screwing around) and a time to let it go (when you miss a difficult shot). Be realistic about what you're supposed to be able to make and what you're not.

- Don't bank or kick a ball unless there's a gun to your head.

- Don't just roll all the balls out and shoot 'em in when you're practicing alone. A good way to practice is to figure out your skill level as a number (like your local league might use) and roll that number of balls out onto the table. Then start with ball in hand, and come up with an exact plan for sinking them. Three or four balls is a good start. Your thought process should sound something like.. "I will shoot the 4 in the side and follow forward a little bit for the 2. I shoot the 2 and stop for the 3 in the corner. Then I use low left to sink the 3 and go two rails for the 7 in the side". Sink the balls following your plan, and if you screw up position badly (so you'd have to change the plan, shoot into a different pocket, etc) then stop and reset all the balls and try again. This isn't about shooting balls in, it's about coming up with the absolute easiest possible plan to run the balls and then executing it without screwups. If you keep screwing up, look at your plan and see if there's something even easier. The idea is to make the cue ball move as little as possible. If it's moving 4 feet or more, you're probably planning wrong.

3) I think you get what you pay for on pool tables. I don't know of any tables that play like $1000 bucks better than their retail price. The high-end name brands that people like are Diamond and Gold Crown. If those are out of your price range, I'm not sure what to suggest. Think hard about this purchase because there are countless pool tables that end up being used for folding laundry and propping up the mail. You have to ask yourself if you enjoy pool strictly for pool itself or if you also like the social stuff, hanging out with friends at the pool hall and hearing the jukebox and eating greasy pizza. You might find that you buy a table then end up going to the pool hall all the time anyway because you miss the atmosphere.

4) If you see a dude playing alone, ask him if he'd like to shoot a little. Don't be shy. Ask even if there's a big age difference between you and it's not someone you could imagine being 'pool buddies' with, you'd be surprised.
 
 
Welcome to AZ

Check with your local pool rooms about disounted rates. I play at one that offers $1 an hour pool on Mon and Wed and $5 for all day Sun. They're out there, you just have to do some leg work.

Find out about leagues in your area (try to avoid the APA if you are really serious about improving your game) A good in-house league is the way to go, it is also a great way to meet other players.

As long as the cue is straight and has a good tip the rest does not matter as much. (Didn't Efren win a major event with a $14 cue? I might be mistaken)

Good luck, practice hard and with a purpse, and fall in love with it.
 
I would look for a SneakiestPete. They're regularly sold in the F/S section, and are nice sneaky petes for around 120 or so with stock shaft and a Kamui/Moori tip.

Occasionally the guy selling them will have a good deal for everyone and offer one with a high performance or low deflection shaft (Like the I-3 Shaft) for about 200.

But seriously, what you need is a killer stroke- those you can't buy :D
 
And I know that in St. Louis there's the Cue and Cushion which offers all sorts of discounts depending on what day you play.
 
save yourself time and buy a cheap predator.314-2 shaft,in a year try the z shaft happy shooting.I TRADED IN MY 2500 DOLLAR STICK.for a 500 dollar predator the day i first hit balls with a predator,no not even up lol.sold the custom bought the predator.some people have a transition period here,I was lucky didnt notice much but it felt more consistent.and you dont have to compensate for deflection.aim and fire with the proper english and speed applied.good luck it is the best game in the world.I wish it would get bigger soon.what a grind.
 
Last edited:
gunzby said:
I have the 2731 model and it breaks and jumps great. My buddy has a normal sneaky pete model and it also does great.

I actually had a Fury J/B before that. After trying my buddy's J&J j/b I quickly sold the Fury and bought the J&J.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Gunzby. What weight did you get? For my current J/B I went heavy (21 oz.) but I'm thinking of going light for my next one (17 or 18 oz.).
 
weezymagic said:
Hey AZB,
Just like to start off by saying that ive been playin pool for about 4 years. Im 18 right now and id like to get more into the game. Here's a few questions i have and a bit more info about me...

1) I have owned my own cue for about 2 years but it is a bit below par.

1a) id also like a good cue case to protect my cues.

*edited*1b) you might as well point me in a good direction for breaking cues. nothing too expensive like the previous but yeah.

2) Id like to know a few basic tips to becoming a better pool player. i mostly play 9-ball and 10-ball with friends.

3) I might be moving out soon with a few friends and i would love to own a pool table so that i could play more. can anyone point me in the direction of some cheap but good pool tables?

4) Where can a meet more pool players around my area. id assume that this site would be a good start and just talking to people at the local halls.

p.s. Its 2:15am. my grammer and puncuation may not be the best. im sorry if it bothers anyone

*edited*p.s.s. Lastly, this is my first post. i have been trolling the forum for about a week and am very satisfied so far. :)
Click to expand...

First, stop apologizing.....don't worry about grammar or knowing anything, most of us here don't know near as much as we pretend to :D

Regarding cues, save up, shop around and drop $2-$300 on a nice playing cue you can keep for a long time....look around locally, hit a few different types of cues, and find something you really like.....it's really tough to buy over the net when you don't know what you really want...you do not need a jump-break, use a house cue and learn to jump first with a full cue....

Any case will do, just do not store your cue in your car on a hot day....try to keep it somewhere at room temp when you can...there are tons of good options for less than $100...

You can find plenty of drills here and in books....99 critical shots, Lessons in 9-ball by David Sapolis (search here, the download is like $6)....work on the basics....cue control, solid break with control, good cuts with control, and don't forget to work on your banks....less is more, control the cue ball...

Have fun and keep playing.....
 
I'll second the pawn shop suggestion. I recently picked up a nice playing McDermott cue and a Porper case at a local pawn shop for $100...
 
I will second the opinion that you should just save the j/b money and get a nice player. Honestly most people can break just about as well with a mushroomed, warped, dirty old house cue as long as they have a good stroke. If you feel that you still have significant strides to make in your game than I'd advise you against buying a j/b for a while. If you really want one though, you can't go wrong with a J&J for the money - I especially like the giant wood pin models.

I'd buy a used custom sneaky pete if I were you. Great value - especially in this economy - and it'll retain it's value far better than production cues. The range of cues going in the $200-$300 range right now are about as good as you can get as far as playability goes. Before buying though I would highly encourage you to try as many different cues as you can.

I guess the biggest difference for me (some may disagree) is the feel you get from piloted joint cues versus wood to wood joint cues. This is coming from someone who has always HATED piloted joint cues. I'd say this preference is largely shaped by whatever you're using now - but I've also heard of people converting and some don't care at all.

Whatever you decide to go with, I wish you good luck and welcome to AzB!

-Alan
 
hey guys. thanks for the warm welcoming.

i live in stl, missouri and i play mostly at ride the rail on telegraph. ive visited few other pool halls but no hall is as good as ride the rail mostly because of the distance.

i think im going to save up a bit and look around and play with a few cues until i find one that fits me well.

the pool table advise was good but it will be atleast a few months til im serious about buying one so im not worrying about it.
 
weezymagic said:
Hey AZB,. . .Lastly, this is my first post.
Click to expand...

Congratulations on taking this seriously.
1) Avoid the cue trap until you a) know what you want and b) can afford it. Initially, I would maybe focus my playing cue efforts on a sneaky pete.($200 ish) If a wrap is a must, you might look at some of the low end linen wrapped custom cues without points, rings etc.($300 - $450) Those will probably be your 2 best deals. There are also other cheaper sneaky petes and production wrapped cues which will do. One of the best players I ever knew played with a house cue or sneaky all through college.

Most importantly, try some different tips. Wizard M is my current favorite. I also have really liked Triumph. I'm completely unhappy with Lepro. That said, YMMV. Try a few before settling. Yes, it is a waste to cut a tip off which is new, but it is worth it to find one you like. This will mean as much or more than a better cue at this point.

Forget the jump break. Use a house cue until you really find the right player for you.

Porper cases are great and reasonably priced.

2) Let me give you simple advice. I think, broadly, there are 2 kinds of players. People beating balls around for fun(type 1) and people who are really working on their game(type 2). You sound like you have made the type 2 commitment. Avoid games with type 1's. Seriously. Nothing hurts your game or a friendship like beating a guy 100 racks in a row and everytime he or she comes to table they have no shot! Trust me. Type 2's are harder to find, but by always playing a type 2 and playing higher skilled type 2's, your game will grow quick. Avoid money games until you are running tables. I use to make a living off people who could run 3 balls max! It was a waste of my time and theirs!

Also, books: I like Mosconi's book for fundamentals advice. I like Byrne for technical details. I like "the Monk" for ment al side stuff. You tube is a great place to play the game mentally with the best.

3) Cheap, but good. . .Well, used pool tables can be a good deal. Look for slate tops, 1 - 3 piece and a stable base. If a pool table has a big scratch or ding in it, it's value is minimal, so look for those things. That should get you under $1000, I would think. Plan on paying a table mechanic to recover your new purchase in the price. Also, plan on moving it in the price.

4) Look for guys practicing alone on the cheapest hour time available. Go to places where you pay by the hour. Ask them to play and split the hour rate.
 
I have a suggestion....Good shaft with a great tip....The deadliest combination for your opponents...=)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top