What is a good break cue?

Really depends what you want to spend.

When I started I used the Rage Jump Break which is fairly cheap. Now I use the Mezz Power Break Kai which is fairly expensive.

In all honesty, if I didn't have the BK Rush, I would be using the Meucci breaker. Think they are $267. A couple of my friends have them and they hit like a truck. I too am on disability and haven't hit a ball in about a year now but have many new toys to try when I feel up enough to play again.

I've been using the Pure X J/B for about a year & like it a lot. I got it for just over $200 w/ a free play shaft at the holidays last year. Even less expensive options I've heard good things about include the house brand at Billiards Warehouse, J&J, & Schmelke.

I bought a Action Cues Break Heavy Chaos off of Ozone billiards for like a $100.00 about two years ago. No complaints what so ever. It's heavy and hits like a truck, really scatters the balls.

Get the Predator break speed app for your phone, you will find there is little difference in break cues. It's technique, not the cue. No need to spend a lot.

I highly recommend a Mezz Power Break Kai. You might want to look into the used market when you're ready to purchase if you want to save a little.

TNT breaker
Under 200


laminated shafts, g10 ferrule with white diamond tip= good night rack

First decision is do you want a light Brake Cue, or heavy Brake Cue. Believe BCAPL rules say 25 OZ is MAXIUM weight, if you do the BCAPL thing.

So the thing is try some house Cues, to find weather you like heavy, or light for breaking. Then when you accomplishes that.

A price point Sneak Pete with a Break Tip will get job done. Player SP are price point under $75.00.

Not the Arrow, the Indian. Tiger Products use to make an "Ice Breaker Tip", it work well for me on my 16.5 Oz Break Cue.

Many choice in Break Tip, buy one you think you will like, get it installed, and practice 500 Breaks with it, practice is key to getting profincy. NO MAGIC PILLS for Pool available.

I like light because I have should problems, torn rotator cuff.

Cuewood98 said:

Ok guys, i can't really afford a break cue right now due to me being disabled and only income i have is disability and whatever i make selling pool cue wood. Also just bought a new shaft for my playing cue and a case so really on budget now. I was wondering though for when I can afford it, what would be a good break cue to get?

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Any house cue is good to use as a break cue. Failing that, any other cue you own that is not your main playing cue. A $30 used Players is fine. Or if you want a dedicated break cue the J&J and others at like $70 are fine to use, and again you can find those used for cheap.

J&J j/b with a White Diamond Ultra tip. Inexpensive and blasts the shit out of the balls.

Dymondwood jump break
They jump better than anything imo

Best break cue I've ever used is an old Pechaur pro series playing cue with a shaved down tip.

I'm currently using an old Huebler playing cue with a shaft I built from a Schmelke blank, I left it at 13.25mm. Works pretty good but going to try a phenolic tip.

Point being, there are MANY options for a break cue. The J&J, Action, Elite, (the cheap options) are very common and seem to perform just fine.

As previously mentioned, try as many as you can. If you see someone in a pool hall with a break cue ask them what kind, how do they like it, is it heavy/light, phenolic/leather tip, and ask if you can break a few racks with it. Grab a few sticks from the wall to try different weights.

You won't know what works for you until you try as many different variances as you can.

This is one of the best break cues I ever had.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/J-J-Natura...518583&hash=item1ce8e1f900:g:gQsAAMXQ~6VQ5eeV

In case link goes dead, it's a plain maple J&J jump/break. I made some sick jumpshots with that cue too, the best jump of my life on hill/hill in a big event. Cut a ball all the way down the rail from the side pocket, drew the cueball with outside spin for perfect position. For sure there are better jump/break cues to be had, but not at that price, and maybe not even at 5x the price when it comes to performance. Looks and quality of build is another matter.

hang-the-9 said:

Any house cue is good to use as a break cue. Failing that, any other cue you own that is not your main playing cue. A $30 used Players is fine. Or if you want a dedicated break cue the J&J and others at like $70 are fine to use, and again you can find those used for cheap.

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This...^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Use a house cue...costs nothing!

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour

Scott Lee said:

This...^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Use a house cue...costs nothing!

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour

Click to expand...

agree..or a cheap carom cue with a hard tip

This is just my own experience.

I have yet to find a mass-produced "break" cue I liked. Crazy heavy or light,uncomfortably thick diameter or taper gets zero play. Same goes for synthetic tips like the phenolics I've tried. I was also not a fan of the feel from the Alex Brick/Chilton style Dymondwood shaft breakers.

I haven't tried any of what I consider "high end" breakers like the Predator stuff,but have seen enough to know a normal wood Predator shaft wouldn't have held up to my break at 300 a pop.

I feel like it needs to hit good as a basic cue. I also like flat tips on my breaker.

When I was first getting serious about pool,Mike Sigel was the man as far as the pop/squat break before Shane perfected it. When executed right physically,the shaft bends because there is still weight and muscle holding your bridge to the table. Because I wanted the same result,I did all I could to reproduce it.

Of all the cues I tried,the one that I wish I had wound up with was a 19oz Espiritu sneaky that a buddy brought directly from Russ for 150.00 with 2 shafts.

It felt like a thinned down Meucci SP in the butt,straight grain maple and Pau Ferro best I can remember.

It had a nice dark brown phenolic joint collar,and was piloted like you see on his steel jointed cues,Tascarella style. It was quite snug at the bottom.

One shaft was 12.75,and tapered much like a new unsanded 314.

The other was 13.25,and was tapered like the old-school Meucci,15" or so straight back,and maybe .040 growth from there before it moved up to a straight section that went on to an .840 diameter at the joint.

Both shafts had a tough,nice looking white linen phenolic/melamine ferrule and particularly amazing examples of what a Le Pro can do.

The bigger of the 2 shafts had a thinner/harder tip,and had the best results as a breaker.

If I executed the stroke,the squat was automatic. I tried to buy it before he moved,he declined. Supposedly,when he did sell it it got broke in a bar fight almost immediately.

I used a cocobolo Joss SP for 15 years,eventually going thru 3 shafts.

My late dad knew about this and on a whim bought me a Schon STL-1 EB in 2011. I've only had to replace the tip on it a few times,and has had a Samsara J/B on it for years now.

I never found a break/jump cue I thought did both equally well,but like the looks of the Treadway's I've seen. Same goes for Andy Gilbert.

I'm on my way to making it's eventual replacement :wink:. Tommy D.

Break Cue

I like the predator BK3 & I have had for a long time. It has good balance & a great feel. It works for me...

Dufferin Hi-Run House Cue -- you choose your own weight to break with. Dufferin house cues were also my favorite to play with (after the break that is) back in the day (whenever I did not have access to my own 2-piece cues).