Best Jump cues?

Johnnyt

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
How important is the brand or price of a jump cue that's easy to jump with? I bought a cheap one a few months ago and although I can jump with it, I can’t get the cue ball up in the air enough to clear a full ball very often or keep it in the air much more than 3 or 4 feet. Is it all me or are there jumpers that are very easy to jump with? Thank you. Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
How important is the brand or price of a jump cue that's easy to jump with? I bought a cheap one a few months ago and although I can jump with it, I can’t get the cue ball up in the air enough to clear a full ball very often or keep it in the air much more than 3 or 4 feet. Is it all me or are there jumpers that are very easy to jump with? Thank you. Johnnyt
Click to expand...
Hey Johnny.

I have used a few different jump cues.

The two that I have had the most success with are the Stealth AT-1 ($80) with a white diamond tip and the J&J jump break ($70) with a phenolic tip.

Right now I just carry the jump butt and shaft of the J&J. I had to use it about 4-5 times the other night in a tourney and I made them all but one. The one I missed was a mishit by me and I hit the ball straight into the ball I was supposed to jump. Some were long and some were short but they all stayed on the table and cleared the particular ball I was jumping.

If I had my preference I wish I had my Stealth AT-1 back. It is super light and gets the job done easily.

Hope this helps.

BVal
 
Funny thing is about Jump Q's is if you go up to Sin City in May at the Riviera (BCA 8 Ball Thing) , several people are selling Jump Cues, and doing Products.

IMHO it is the person who hands the tool is in, that makes all BRANDS being demos in Sin City work so well.

Practice is the ingredient IMHO that make a Jump Cue work so well IMHO.
 
Jumpin'............

Johnnyt said:
How important is the brand or price of a jump cue that's easy to jump with? I bought a cheap one a few months ago and although I can jump with it, I can’t get the cue ball up in the air enough to clear a full ball very often or keep it in the air much more than 3 or 4 feet. Is it all me or are there jumpers that are very easy to jump with? Thank you. Johnnyt
Click to expand...
It sounds like ya just need a lil lesson in jumpin. The best thing I learned from Robin Dodson was "don't drop your elbow". It's all in the downward stroke of your forearm and keepin your wrist loose helps also. Hope this helps ya.
Who knows, maybe a old dog can learn a new trick after all lol.;)
 
Johnnyt...I also prefer the Stealth Air Jumper. Like someone else said, it looks more like a technique problem. If you're going to VF, stop by the Stealth booth, and get a free lesson. You'll be jumping a full ball in no time!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Johnnyt said:
How important is the brand or price of a jump cue that's easy to jump with? I bought a cheap one a few months ago and although I can jump with it, I can’t get the cue ball up in the air enough to clear a full ball very often or keep it in the air much more than 3 or 4 feet. Is it all me or are there jumpers that are very easy to jump with? Thank you. Johnnyt
Click to expand...
 
Johnnyt said:
How important is the brand or price of a jump cue that's easy to jump with? I bought a cheap one a few months ago and although I can jump with it, I can’t get the cue ball up in the air enough to clear a full ball very often or keep it in the air much more than 3 or 4 feet. Is it all me or are there jumpers that are very easy to jump with? Thank you. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

Just jumping over a ball is not very hard with most jump cues once you learn the proper technique for shooting a jump shot. I have had problems with certain jump cues causing the cue ball to squirt more right or left causing me to cut the object ball too much or not hit it at all, while I haven't had this problem near as much with a more expensive Predator Air Jump Cue.
 
Thank you all for the good advice. It's probably mostly me like Scott and others have said. I'll pick up one of the jumpers you mentioned on here. That way if I learn how to jump well in the meantime I can still tell myself it wasn't me it was the bad jump cue. Thanks all again. Johnnyt
 
I'm not going to Valley Forge. In case anyone is wondering how someone can play for over 50 years and not be able to jump? When I played a lot on the big tables it was before jump cues. I played mostly in bars on bar boxes where you never see a jump cue on my level or down, but now you do.

When they came out (jump cues) I wouldn't match up with anybody my speed that had one. Most of the time they would go along with my no jump cue rule. It gave me an advantage over most as I had played a lot of 3 cushion and could kick 2 and 3 rails pretty good.

Now when I tell someone no jump cues they look at me like I'm from outer space. So if I want to compete with them I need to learn how to jump well. I still think it's wrong for one player to play a good safe that's hard to hit with a kick, so they take their jumper out and BAM, no problem. OK, I'm through *****ing...for non:wink:. Johnnyt
 
Last edited:
Most of todays jump cues are all about the same. An ultralight will jump easier but you lose some control. It's more about technique than cue at this point - assuming that your jump cue is suited to jumping - most are these days.

I have taught a lot of players to jump who were like you - accomplished players who never really needed to learn to jump and so were having a hard time learning now.

I will see if I can find time to make a small instructional video - it's easier than telling you what to do here.
 
I still think my Varney is the best I have ever used for accuracy and control you can get over a ball with any jump cue but control is the key.

Ron O
 
Johnnyt said:
I'm not going to Valley Forge. In case anyone is wondering how someone can play for over 50 years and not be able to jump? When I played a lot on the big tables it was before jump cues. I played mostly in bars on bar boxes where you never see a jump cue on my level or down, but now you do.

When they came out (jump cues) I wouldn't match up with anybody my speed that had one. Most of the time they would go along with my no jump cue rule. It gave me an advantage over most as I had played a lot of 3 cushion and could kick 2 and 3 rails pretty good.

Now when I tell someone no jump cues they look at me like I'm from outer space. So if I want to compete with them I need to learn how to jump well. I still think it's wrong for one player to play a good safe that's hard to hit with a kick, so they take their jumper out and BAM, no problem. OK, I'm through *****ing...for non:wink:. Johnnyt
Click to expand...


On youtube there are some good instructional videos from Tom Simpson on jumping balls. Just punch in Tom Simpson pool and there are two videos of him showing you how to jump pendulum method and dart method.
 
steve lomax. period. do a search on here and read the raves. a friend of mine has one he's let me use and it's my next purchase for sure. it's the quality of construction, type of tip and ferrule and yes stroke that make one better than another (sorry - the best cue with a bad stroke is always useless). steve posts on here as stevel i think.
 
the best and easiest jump cue to use is a Bishop jump cue made of dymond wood, i have a weak stroke when i elevate my cue so this cue is like a damn hammer to the cue ball it makes it hop but with accuracy. ive made about 40 % i have jumped and in my opinion thats really good.
 
I love to practice jump shots everyday,but I hate to have to use them in a game. I have used quite a few production j/b cue's,all were owned by someone other than I. I use a J&J j/b cue with little effort and no problems. I did like two/three of about 13 or so jump cues I've tried, one was a Robin Dodsen frog/tadpole(green one) that was no effort and very accurate,the Mike G. Sledgehammer(older one) and the other my favorite so far was the Jerico Stinger and will be my next purchase when I have the fund's. The only one I didn't care for is the Predator Air,it was hard to keep it stable on my bridge being so lite . Only my opinion but I'd rather use my J&J. IMO only....Ron
 
by FAR the best jump cue i've ever used is a Mystic with a glass tip. It's outrageous.
 
There are two classes of jump cues. One is those with a seemingly normal taper, a phenolic or treated leather tip, a normal shaft and weighs about 8-9oz.

This is a "standard" jump cue and the standard was pretty much set by Jump cues like the Joss jumper, the Happy Hopped, the Frog, and the Bunjee. The Bunjee is probably the most recognizable of these as it is the most copied.

The second type of jump cue is the "Ultralite" type which are characterized by the weight being around 6oz or less. A cue ball weighs about 6oz. A shaft typically weighs about 3-5-4oz and it is very easy to make the cue ball hop using just a shaft. An Ultralite jump cue at 6oz or less also makes it very easy to make the cue ball jump.

It is a little harder with the Standard jump cues because it's heavier than the cue ball. But JUST A LITTLE harder as it comes down to control of the cue ball.

With the proper stroke technique you can jump 99% of the shots with a standard jump cue as you can with an ultralight. The difference will be that when you have shots where you MUST control the cue ball it will be easier with the standard cue due to the extra weight. Using the ultralight you have to make up for the lack in weight with more stroke.

Both types of cues work well and the variances between them have more to do with each individual person's stroke technique than in real differences in performance.

Having said that there are some tip materials which are harder than others and that of course will make a difference in the perfomance. Not all phenolics and mixtures are the same. But by and large the differences are truly minimal and again most jump cues are going to have a performance range that is very close to each other.

One person is going to be in love with this brand and the next will hate it. Same reason why different cues cause different reactions.

My basis for saying all this: I brought the Bunjee to the USA and have done countless exhibitions and clinics while demonstrating the Bunjee Jumper jump cue. At one time I owned over 30 different jump cues from various makers so that I could test them out against the Bunjee.

If you have a good jump cue now then work on your stroke and I guarantee you that you will then be in a much better position to evaluate the various brands and find the one that you like best.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top