Hello, I really want to start going to a league

blacktop37

blacktop37

Member
Hello I bought my Brunswick pool table in 1985 and never played on it till three years ago. I bought it for family and guests and three years ago I decided I was going to learn the game or get rid of it. Well three years later I realized how hard a journey it was. I'm 67 years old and have struggled all the way but I'm almost ready for primetime. At this point I need to have a breakdown cue to take with me to the pool hall. What I've learned is a microscopic Miss hit on the cue ball causes a terrible shot on the long ones. All my expensive wood cues have hairline warps in them and I can't help but think it makes a big difference. So my question is why wouldn't everyone want a carbon fiber shaft to keep it from warping? Is there something I don't understand? Thanks for everyone's help.

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Just buy a higher quality wood two piece cue stick. $300 and up will get you where you need to fly the plane.

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CF has a few advantages but definitely not necessary. CF has a slightly firmer hit. As you stated they don't warp but good shaft properly cared for shouldn't warp either. CF is easier to keep clean and is not smoother and doesn't stick to the hand as much (bigger deal in high humidity). Because of the way they are built with a low end mass they tend to have very low deflection. The biggest advantage to me personally is they don't ding and those little dings drive me crazy.
But in the end it all comes down to feel. I personally had only tried Revo's for quite a while and didn't understand why anyone would shout with one. I didn't understand why anyone would shoot with them because I didn't like the feel of the hit. The one night a buddy talked we into shooting with his Cuetec Cynergy shaft. I bought one that week. I know people who feel the exact opposite and neither of us are right or wrong it's all about what feels right to you. So if you are interested makes sure you try them out feel is everything you may even like wood better.
 
blacktop37 said:
Hello I bought my Brunswick pool table in 1985 and never played on it till three years ago. I bought it for family and guests and three years ago I decided I was going to learn the game or get rid of it. Well three years later I realized how hard a journey it was. I'm 67 years old and have struggled all the way but I'm almost ready for primetime. At this point I need to have a breakdown cue to take with me to the pool hall. What I've learned is a microscopic Miss hit on the cue ball causes a terrible shot on the long ones. All my expensive wood cues have hairline warps in them and I can't help but think it makes a big difference. So my question is why wouldn't everyone want a carbon fiber shaft to keep it from warping? Is there something I don't understand? Thanks for everyone's help.

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Mezz ignite united joint no need to worry about cue just play.
Can’t go back to wood not the same anymore.
 
I came back to pool at age 65 after a 44 year hiatus. Joined a league after half year of practice. Used production cues like Viking and Mcdermott maple as they were cheap online.

Two years in, I got a deal on a Becue. Great on 8'+ practice table, but 60" cue could not hit a shot of the tail. So, I started acquiring cf shafts looking for what matched best with butts I owned. It worked.

If you are still learning, cf works. Just find a combination that works for you.

Good luck at league.
 
docgpmiller said:
Just buy a higher quality wood two piece cue stick. $300 and up will get you where you need to fly the plane.
Click to expand...
Agreed except that you can get good full wood cue options starting more around $150, and good full carbon fiber cues start around $300.
 
Buy whatever makes you want to play and enjoy the game. Just know that there is not a tier system where wood shafts are at the bottom and carbon on top. It's not even true for deflection, as there are high deflection carbon cues, as well as ld ones. Carbon and wood both come in good and bad quality cues. Your wooden cues shouldn't warp if you store them right, upright in a rigid case is the best way.

Generally, people are way too focused on cues. I've played pool for 20 years now. I've never seen anyone improve in a lasting way from getting a new cue. I need to qualify that statement with: unless they had a cue that was too short or way too heavy/light for them. I've seen a couple of times how very tall players benefitted from getting cues that fit their frames. Even those were marginal, though they did say that the feel was dramatically better for them, so they enjoyed the game more. I have, however, never seen a normally built player improve from getting a comically long cue, as is the fashion now. Realistically, in a pool hall, people are varying in ability all the time, in a minor way, it's a cyclic thing. Lasting improvement usually happen in the first years, and at that time many people are experimenting with cues, anyway. Usually, once they've played 5 or more years, they've found their place on the totem pole and generally do not make dramatic improvements relative to the other players in the pool hall. Improvements after that are usually slow. Did you ever see an established B-player suddenly become an A after getting a new cue? Yeah, me neither.
 
My cue is a Viking B2001. Straight as an arrow, slick as glas, fantastic balance and nice solid hits all for 220. It’s plain Jane looks wise but pockets balls really well
 
Thanks guys I'm really enjoying the journey. The game is easy unless you want to be good and I found it to be very difficult.

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You referred to a more than 30 years sabbatical from pool, at least on the Brunswick you bought in ‘85.

If this also applies to pool in general, then get a CF shaft. Your connection with the overall sight picture
and aiming with deflection isn’t an issue and switching to CF should be pretty easy. It’s usually old habits
that tend to get in the way for players that stick with original maple shafts. CF shafts are just better & yet
I don’t have a single one. Trying to change after decades of playing pool with maple shafts has no appeal.
 
Gdub1717 said:
My cue is a Viking B2001. Straight as an arrow, slick as glas, fantastic balance and nice solid hits all for 220. It’s plain Jane looks wise but pockets balls really well
Click to expand...
I have used Viking cues for almost 49 years. I purchased my latest last September. It helped me some because I should have replaced the one I used for 48 years sooner.

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blacktop37 said:
Thanks guys I'm really enjoying the journey. The game is easy unless you want to be good and I found it to be very difficult.

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I would like to share my experience with you and then give my opinion based on my experience.

I started playing league at age 53 and am now 67. I have played in 5 major leagues ....apa , bcapl , napa , tap and usapl , plus a couple local money leagues. I once played in 3 different leagues a week.

When i joined my first league i bought a viking and broke with a cue off the wall. Over the years i have bought more cues than i can remember. Everything from cheap asian imports to a high dollar custom loaded with ivory ...silver stitch rings ..and abalone shell. It had 16 points ...8 up and 8 down with ivory in every point.

I have played apa for 12 years and have been a captain for 11 of those.

With that said here is my opinion. A cue is a personal choice and the only thing i would recommend is to buy a cue that feels good in your hand and looks good to you. It does not matter the brand or whether wood or carbon shaft.

Aside from how the cue ferls in your hand the next most important thing is the tip. Changing a tip can make all the difference in the world on how a cue plays. Experimenting with tips is a lot cheaper than purchacing different cues looking for your magic wand.

As for leagues. Again a personal choice for what type of league. Personally i will never play in a money league again. Too much drama from guys taking the game too seriously. I am not a pro so i dont see the need to play for money.pool i clasify pool as a hobby.

To really enjoy your league experience you should pick a team that has like minded objectives and play pool for the same reasons you do.

My fun meter has shot up 100 % after kicking 3 drama queens off my team at the start of this session.

Not really advice for you but rather my opinion on this subject .
 
After about a 10 year hiatus from pool. I decided to come back. Age 59. When I left I was burned out. With everything shut down and working from home I was lonely and missing people. I contacted the LO and found out when the session started (APA). I went team to team and found one that needed a player that was perfect. I previously was a captain and it is nice to not have to focus on that aspect. Our captain is super chill and the team is very cohesive and well balanced. As a 6/7 playing double jeopardy I usually play one match 8 or 9 ball and the captain plays the other flavor. It seems to be working. I am who I am and at this point I want to play well but pool is a hobby. Previous teams at the end had a much harder edge and there was a fair amount of gambling that took place. At this point I am just having fun. Enough stress in work/life. I do not need that at the pool hall.
 
Welcome to the world of pool, it's never too late ;)

Not sure what your budget is but here are a few names for inexpensive cues if you're looking for new:

Schmelke

SchmelkeCue - Custom Pool Cues | Pool & Billiard Supply Store

Schmelke family has been in business of making custom pool & billiard cues for over 50 years in Northwest Wisconsin. Schmelke Cue sells both one and two-piece billiard cues, cases and accessories throughout the United States, Europe & Canada.
www.schmelkecue.com www.schmelkecue.com

Viking

Pool Cues and Shafts | Made Exclusively in the USA | Viking Custom Cues | Valhalla Cues

Pure Performance Pool Cues and Shafts | Made Exclusively in the USA | Viking Custom Cues | Valhalla Cues
www.vikingcue.com www.vikingcue.com

McDermott

www.mcdermottcue.com

McDermott Handcrafted Pool Cues & Shafts

Maker of handcrafted billiard cues that blend groundbreaking technology with quality materials and exquisite artistry. Started by a cue-making legend in 1975.
www.mcdermottcue.com www.mcdermottcue.com

Lucasi



And here are some reputable places to purchase online:

www.seyberts.com

Seybert's Billiards Supply - Break Away From The Competition

Huge inventory of Pool Cues, Pool Tables, Cue Shafts, Cue Cases and Accessories. #1 Predator Dealer. Free Shipping over $99. 110%. Price Match Guarantee
www.seyberts.com www.seyberts.com

www.billiards.com

Billiards Supplies, Pool Cues & Tables, Billiard Balls | billiards.com

Orders Over $75 Ship Free. Billiards.com Rated #1 By Pool Players. Shop Today! Shop Billiards.com Online Today For The Best In Cues, Balls, Cases, Accessories, & More! Same Day Shipping. Free Case with Most Cues. Brands: Predator, Joss, Vector, Players, Lucasi.
www.billiards.com www.billiards.com

www.ozonebilliards.com

Ozone Billiards

Ozone Billiards has over 20 years experience in delivering quality products at the best price, with outstanding customer service.
www.ozonebilliards.com www.ozonebilliards.com

Pool Cues and Billiard Supplies at PoolDawg.com

We offer over 3,000 high-quality pool cue sticks and billiard supplies designed to elevate your game! Buy pool cues, pool balls, & accessories from PoolDawg.com.
www.pooldawg.com www.pooldawg.com

Mueller's Billiard & Dart Supplies

Muellers has the BEST Prices on Billiard and Dart Supplies! We are the largest wholesale direct to public of billiard dart and indoor gameroom. Pool cues, pool cue cases, billiard balls FREE shipping on orders over $75!
www.muellers.com www.muellers.com

You can also go check out the AZB for sale forum located here:

For Sale Items

Please post your items for sale here.
forums.azbilliards.com


Good luck in your endeavor.

Oh, and don't forget to go here and post a picture of your table, if you haven't already

Show us your HOME ROOMS !!

Hey guys looking to see pics of home rooms. Lets see what you guys have !!
forums.azbilliards.com
 
blacktop37 said:
Hello I bought my Brunswick pool table in 1985 and never played on it till three years ago. I bought it for family and guests and three years ago I decided I was going to learn the game or get rid of it. Well three years later I realized how hard a journey it was. I'm 67 years old and have struggled all the way but I'm almost ready for primetime. At this point I need to have a breakdown cue to take with me to the pool hall. What I've learned is a microscopic Miss hit on the cue ball causes a terrible shot on the long ones. All my expensive wood cues have hairline warps in them and I can't help but think it makes a big difference. So my question is why wouldn't everyone want a carbon fiber shaft to keep it from warping? Is there something I don't understand? Thanks for everyone's help.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I played with a cue that wobbled like crazy against CJ Wiley not long ago, still made him rack for me several times ;) Many shafts have a bit of a wobble to them, tough to find something dead straight. I've had several shafts I thought were very straight that a cuemaker showed me were still warped when he put them on the lathe.

Are you just asking what cue you should buy? You said you "need to have a breakdown cue" but then said "All my expensive wood cues" which contradict each-other unless for some reason you have "expensive" one piece cues which I can't think of any. For joining a league, listing your area would help, I strongly recommend BCA or USAPL if those are where you are, they are more suited to better players and from what I have seen have a lot less sandbagging than APA or TAP.

For a player starting to learn, get a low deflection shaft, will make it a lot of easier to learn to play with side-spin. For wood vs carbon fiber, that is as much personal preference and cost as for technical differences for many of the shafts. From playing with a lot of different shafts, the only two CF shafts I think are different from any wood shaft out there is the Revo and Ignite. The rest have a hit feel and deflection properties like a standard wood LD shaft.

Best way to find out what works for you is to find some friends at the pool hall that have a bunch of shafts/cues and try them out yourself. I have yet to meet anyone at a pool hall that was not happy to be asked about what they play with and have not seen anyone deny a request to try it for a bit.
 
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