Best Beginner Equipment?

I've been playing in 8-ball league pool for nearly a year; 3 seasons.
For my first season, I bought a $35 Ontario, looks exactly like a dufferin phantom and $15 softcase. A sneaky pete is a full splice cue with no wrap, no adornments. Cue a house stick in half, and put in a screw and thats a sneaky pete. Researching online here and other places, Sneaky Petes are the best bang for the buck, especially from established custom cue makers. Also, $50 wouldn't hurt much if I quit after one season.

After taking a pool clinic, I was given the advice to budget $150-$250 for a first quality cue. There are probably good cues for less, but unless you have experience and know what you're buying it could be hit or miss proposition.

Second season came around, and I invested in $225 Huebler sneaky pete. It played noticeably better than my first cue. That season I played well enough that my team made it into the money at the playoffs, and the league operator raised my handicap for this past season.

This past season I sold the Ontario sneaky pete to a walk on teammate. It was his first season and he didn't have his own cue. He has been playing more consistent and better with my old cue.

I still break and play wiith my cue, or grab a house cue for breaking.

BTW, get magic eraser, alcohol, and 8000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. This will keep your shaft clean.

RollOver said:
My budget is going to be $150 for cue + case MAX. I just can't see myself paying anything more for my FIRST cue. I plan on breaking AND playing with this cue. I'm 6' tall with medium length arms. Any recommendations based off that?
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While I certainly can't argue with those who propose beginning with good instruction, I'm sure the compulsion to get a decent starter cue is overwhelming, so I'll add one more vote for the McDemott. You're sure to find some dealers in or near Wichita, so you'll have the opportunity to see, feel and hit one before you write the check. Patronizing a good local dealer is always preferable to buying online IMO. Discounts of 20-25% are common, so you'll be starting around $100 including McD's lifetime warranty. McD's have a 3/8-10 wood-to-wood joint, which is one of the common joints among custom cuemakers, so there could be some interchangeability of shafts down the road if and when you upgrade. You'll probably have to go with a cheaper case to stay under budget, and that too is easier to choose if you can see it in person before you buy. Some of the cheaper cases have only partial-length tubes, or rough edges inside, so they're worthless for protection. I also agree with the J&J J/B cue as a good bang for the buck, but I'd defer that purchase and break with a house cue rather than go too cheap with my playing cue. McDermott also has an inexpensive line of import cues. They're probably OK for the price, but I'd definitely spend the extra bucks to get the real thing. Good luck! But do get some good instruction!
Bill
 
You can get a great cue for $150 to $200....check the for sale forum, and it wouldn't hurt to see what is on sale at a local billiard shop.....

First of all, you picked the right site to learn.....research, read posts of all types, and get a feel for what you like.....

Second, get a couple of books....again, research threads on here, there are recommendations for great books and dvd's....

Third, get a bangers case....some $20 cheapie when you get your cue.....this will also come in handy later when you graduate :grin:

Fourth, play......try to invest a few hours a week and even play in local small tourneys.....one HUGE way to learn is just by watching better players....pay attention to their stroke, tendencies, patterns....

Fifth, learn all the games.....straight, one pocket, 10-ball, 8, banks.....get a well-rounded education....

Sixth, once you've put in some time and hit a plateau, get a lesson.....always good to see things from a different perspective....

For $300, you can easily get a cue, case, books/dvds, chald, tip shaper, and maybe even a pool husler shirt :grin:

Good luck and welcome...
 
I agree with the benefit of instruction and competition etc., but I also do believe it is a good idea to invest in your own cue stick when starting out. Your improvement will be faster if you have the same stick every time you play. This provides the consistency of feel, the same weight, the same feel of the balance and shaft smoothness, the same tip, etc. Plus I think the tip on even a $100 cue will probably be better than a house cue and on your own stick you can make sure it is properly shaped. You can also upgrade the tip for very little money.

I would use the bowling analogy. It's hard to improve when every time you go to the alley the whole experience feels different because you are always using a different ball.

As I mentioned earlier, for $100 don't over think it. Settle on the weight you want, and one you like the looks of, and go buy one. The main thing is that it is straight. Check this with any stick you buy before you chalk it up. If it's straight, go have some fun! :cool:
 
On a $150 maximum for cue and case, I would look no further than this:

http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/dufferin/dufferin_dc-5.htm

This $80 cue is solidly built and has a solid feel to it (Dufferin has a good reputation for this, despite their cheap cost). The butt and joint will last as long as you take care of them. You can order it in any weight you want.

I suspect that as you become a better player you will grow out of the shaft, and you will want to replace it with an aftermarket shaft such as Predator or OB-1. But in that event, your cost of upgrading your cue from beginner-level to competition-level will only be another $150 to $200 (see example on ebay), which is very cheap for the level of performance and build quality you'll have at that point.

There are affordable cases and accessories on the same page, and doing some quick math, you could end up very well stocked and still be way under your $150 limit.

Also, I agree with others that you should not break with your playing cue. Use a house cue for breaking, until such time as you decide to buy a dedicated break cue.

-Andrew
 
If you have a $150 set your cue budget for $100 which will get you a good playing yet simple Mcdermot, Viking, Players, or Fury. Then take the $50 left over and look on the BCA website and find a BCA certified or recognized instructor either will be more than competent to get you started on your way to a good stroke with solid fundamentals.
My 2 cents
 
hackerda said:
...It may not be the fanciest cue out there, but it will be a great cue. Cue makers may not have something to place in your hands within a week, but what you will get will be worth the wait.,,,,,
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Crown Cues have some already finished and ready to buy. PLUS, the prices were recently dropped to help raise the money to rebuild the workshop that was destroyed by the tornado, in December. http://www.crowncues.biz/new.html

Good luck building your "game."
 
A lot of good suggestions from some knowledgable people already. My advise is take a look on this site. http://www.michaeljscues.com. He has a lot of package deals in your budget which include cases. Mcdermotts, Vikings or Lucasi. Also Mali cues are unfortunatly not made in the USA but I think for a beginner cue they are very very good for the money and the quality is good from what I have seen as well. You can find Mali cues here. http://www.billiardwarehouse.com. I have dealt with both of these places and have had good dealings with them both. Good luck to you.
 
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