Beginners cue?
- Thread starter SmokinJoe46
- Start date
Not really. My butt weighed 9 ounces and the shaft was right at 4 oz. To get it to 19 ounces mine had to have a 6 ounce weight bolt. IMO a 4 ounce weight bolt is too heavy and that is what it would have to have to get it to 17 ounces.
Poison cues, which is Predator's lower price line of cues, offer as low deflection a shaft as you can get in that price range (under $300). Unfortunately, they discontinued their Sneaky Pete line, which was by far the simplest and nicest looking of their line of cues. None of the Poison cues they now offer appeal to me as far as looks, but I'm sure they hit well. Also, Pechauer sneaky pete models are in the $300 neighborhood and would also be an excellent choice as a playing cue for anyone.
Last edited:
The funny thing is...a "beginner's" cue - works well for GREAT players.
When I lived in Richmond, VA one of the best players in the area for 40 years and played championship level plays with a cue that's under $150. If you ask him about buying/using an expensive cue he will look at your like you're crazy. He could care less. And he's not really an anomaly. I've met one of the better players in the St. Louis area who uses nothing but inexpensive Chinese made cues. What do both have in common? They keep their shafts/tips in excellent shape.
So - for a beginner who can't play and is still learning I would advise $150 or less on a cue. A good cue won't make you play better. Start with a 19 oz. 13mm shaft. From there as your game grows you will adjust and find the specs that really work for you. Nick Varner makes great, high quality cues at this entry level.
I would NOT explore low deflection until you understand how to play using center ball and begin to understand applying English and adjusting for deflection.
Where you might spend some money is experimenting and seeing what tip you like, but I would start off with whatever comes on the cue and learn how to take care of it, shape it, etc.
Good luck.
When I lived in Richmond, VA one of the best players in the area for 40 years and played championship level plays with a cue that's under $150. If you ask him about buying/using an expensive cue he will look at your like you're crazy. He could care less. And he's not really an anomaly. I've met one of the better players in the St. Louis area who uses nothing but inexpensive Chinese made cues. What do both have in common? They keep their shafts/tips in excellent shape.
So - for a beginner who can't play and is still learning I would advise $150 or less on a cue. A good cue won't make you play better. Start with a 19 oz. 13mm shaft. From there as your game grows you will adjust and find the specs that really work for you. Nick Varner makes great, high quality cues at this entry level.
I would NOT explore low deflection until you understand how to play using center ball and begin to understand applying English and adjusting for deflection.
Where you might spend some money is experimenting and seeing what tip you like, but I would start off with whatever comes on the cue and learn how to take care of it, shape it, etc.
Good luck.
Ohhhh good pick!
Several locals around here went that route. I have to say, good cues all around on the Ebay Dale Perry's
I didnt suggest peach hour because of the connection
Get something woth 3/8-10 and you can try different shafts when your ready easily
Get something woth 3/8-10 and you can try different shafts when your ready easily
Just to provide another point of view here: I would agree with that 25 years ago, but most people today play with narrower shafts and low-deflection cues, so why not start with where you’re probably going to end up, rather than needing to adjust more later?
For example, these are around $150, are 12.75 so not unusually narrow, and I believe would be considered moderately low deflection: https://www.seyberts.com/pure-x-play-cues/
Not all. Many of the best players don't. And ALL of the best players today started with maple shafts and could go back. If you start with LD you don't have to develop the stroke that one requires to effectively use a standard shaft IMO.
I'm not sure exactly what you're saying here, but to get a lot of action on the cue ball I have found that you need to have a powerful, accurate stroke with either kind of cue. Are you claiming that's not true?
As far as changing types of shafts, I suppose it can be done but it is not as easy as you seem to be saying. If a player rarely uses lots of side spin then it will be easier as he can just cut out the spin shots and play something else. If a player is used to playing spin shots like Efren, then he's going to need a lot more adjustment time.
Yes, I'm saying it's easier to move the cue ball for an amateur with an LD shaft (at least with a Predator 314 back in the day) than a standard pro-tapered 13 mm shaft. I knew a guy with bad fundamentals and no stroke who could barely "poke" the ball and he's drawing his rock 3 feet. With a normal shaft it might draw 6 inches.
I didn't say it was easy to go back and forth -- but it's not the end of the world to do so. You're exactly right regarding the use of English and a lot of spin. I remember when Efren switched to a Meucci in the 90s. He started off dogging it....but before long he's beating Earl in that big race in Japan. (Yeah, he used a Meucci for that) When you have those level of fundamentals it's simply a matter of readjusting your aim. As you well know, ever shaft aims a little or a lot different. Even between LD shafts.
I didn't say it was easy to go back and forth -- but it's not the end of the world to do so. You're exactly right regarding the use of English and a lot of spin. I remember when Efren switched to a Meucci in the 90s. He started off dogging it....but before long he's beating Earl in that big race in Japan. (Yeah, he used a Meucci for that) When you have those level of fundamentals it's simply a matter of readjusting your aim. As you well know, ever shaft aims a little or a lot different. Even between LD shafts.
I love the looks of that HXT4 model and the fact that it's wrapless.
Lots of good choices in this thread. I'm sure glad I'm not the one to try and choose a cue based on member's recommendations.
Maniac
you said a mouthful there! lol
But all the help & suggestions are steering me in the right direction. Thanks ALL!
For me, the best deal for a beginner is actually a cue+case+scuffer kit from McDermott for about $80 delivered or two kits for $130 total (because then shipping is free).
http://www.mcdermottcue.com/mcdermott_pool_cue_kits.php
The reason I say this is because a beginning student of mine wanted to get two cues for the two places he plays so he wouldn't have to remember to carry the cue back and forth (different states). I went down to a local supply store that allowed me to test hit cues. It turned out that the only cue they had two of exactly the same was the Kit-5. It was also, in my opinion, the best-hitting cue they had in stock. It looks like Kit-4 is identical except for the design.
It is not a fancy, inlaid, collectible cue. The design is decals or paint. The shaft is maple but has surprisingly low squirt. It has no wrap which is what I think you should start with. It comes with an inexpensive zipper case.
If it was ME, buying today. Starting with low end on your money ~
$ - Schmelke
$$ - McDermott
$$$ - Pechauer
$ - Schmelke
$$ - McDermott
$$$ - Pechauer
.
Well my beginner's cue was an Adam but that's only because I didn't know about Meucci.
I started using a Meucci in the early 1980's and now today I still use a Meucci.
So with $300 to buy a beginner's cue, why not just buy something good from the start.
A cue you can use for a lifetime....
.
Well my beginner's cue was an Adam but that's only because I didn't know about Meucci.
I started using a Meucci in the early 1980's and now today I still use a Meucci.
So with $300 to buy a beginner's cue, why not just buy something good from the start.
A cue you can use for a lifetime....
.
Roger, that makes sense then, that's some light wood.