How common are break cues amongst avid amateur players in the US?

[dardusm]

I think most that play in the states use a break cue. With the advent of the racking templates, using power isn't needed. Most tournaments and leagues that I play we still use a standard rack so hitting the break with power is sometimes needed. It's good to have the right tool for the right job. As others haves stated, using a break cue saves extra wear and tear on your playing cue and tip. I have a teammate on my APA team who is a skill level 3 that plays with a 50 dollar players cue but wants to buy a 400 dollar break cue

 

[justadub]

I'm a league bar banger. I have a $50 J&J jump/break cue that I use all the time. Not a lot invested, and I don't need to worry about the tip on my playing cue. Not that I was really worried about it, but its a complete non issue now. And I use it to jump upon occasion.

 

[mrpiper]

I own and use a Lucasi Big Beulah 2 break cue that was gifted to me by my family several years ago. I had never used a dedicated cue specifically made for the break shot. My method was to just dedicate one of my old cues with a hard tip for breaking. I destroyed the tip doing this and it needed replacing regularly. Still, I didn't think I was missing anything until I got this break cue.. The soft grip adds to strength, control and comfort. I have had it for several years and the tip that came on it is still as good as new. My breaks are SIGNIFICANTLY more powerful. I have used the old cue and the new break cue back to back to evaluate the difference and there is DEFINITELY more power with the Lucase Breaker. It's great for 8 ball especially.

 

[jasonlaus]

I own and use a Lucasi Big Beulah 2 break cue that was gifted to me by my family several years ago. I had never used a dedicated cue specifically made for the break shot. My method was to just dedicate one of my old cues with a hard tip for breaking. I destroyed the tip doing this and it needed replacing regularly. Still, I didn't think I was missing anything until I got this break cue.. The soft grip adds to strength, control and comfort. I have had it for several years and the tip that came on it is still as good as new. My breaks are SIGNIFICANTLY more powerful. I have used the old cue and the new break cue back to back to evaluate the difference and there is DEFINITELY more power with the Lucase Breaker. It's great for 8 ball especially.

I have the same one but leave it at home, no idea why I bought it in the first place.

 

[pwd72s]

I'm an old retired goat who can't play for beans...but I can afford good equipment, so I bought a break cue. Why not?

 

[hang-the-9]

Many people in my area use a break cue quite often, and more importantly quite a few of those are break/jump cues which is probably as important to have handy as a dedicated break cue. The jump part makes a lot more difference in the game than just having a break cue. To prevent damage to the playing cue tip/ferrule/whatever you can use a house cue, but for being about to take down the breaker into a jump cue, nothing will take the place of that. While not really the question, IMHO a plain break cue is maybe a 10% added value, a jump/break cue is near 100% value since you just can't replace a jump cue with something else that will be almost as good.

A "fancy" break cue does not add anything to the breaking ability or success, it's more of a good feel of the break hit, like a $4 latte with a cute heart and a $1 plain coffee at the core will inject you with the same caffeine, the main difference is the flavor and experience you get from it not the hard scientific facts of what it does. I love how my son's $600 Predator break cue breaks, but I don't think it actually helps with a better break result, I get the same spread when using a house cue or my cheaper break/jump cues. However for the balance and hit feel, it's over what I have.

 

[Biloxi Boy]

Time was it was possible to pull a good house cue off the wall. Nowadays, you can hunt and still not find one. Then, the J/Bs killed two birds with one stone. My theory is that folks have turned to dedicated break cues for two reasons: lack of decent wall cues and combination J/B cues.

 

[pw98]

There's no reason to use a break cue unless you have an uncontrollable compulsion to obliterate the stack. I have a breaker but I leave the back half at home and break with whatever I'm playing with. The shaft (phenolic tip) is for jumps.

What about when you have a jump that needs a full cue?

 

[HNTFSH]

Deformation of playing cue tip is to be avoided, is my reasoning for using a dedicated popper.

That's essentially my excuse as well. And the rubberized grip on the break stick versus the linen wrap on the player. Several different grips and slips on the player but the break is a consistent grip. Add that I agree with the comment on house cues, anymore they mostly suck. Growing up in bars and halls playing with a sneaky, leaving that against a chair or wall while using a house cue to break was a good way to lose the sneaky to an honest idiot.

 

[lfigueroa]

Here in Ireland, I have never seen anyone carry a dedicated break cue for pool. I'd say the vast majority of players here break off with their playing cue, or else grab a rack cue with the thickest tip they can find. Some players care about a finessed cut break than having to drive the cue ball with as much power as they can, hoping for a nice split and maybe a few balls potted. I personally don't use one. I did consider investing in one when switching from using a snooker cue to my current English pool cue. At my intervarsity event a few years ago, one of my friends was using a ~13mm American pool cue for blackball, but we all used it to break off. He didn't seem to mind.

I've also included a poll to gauge answers. Be great to get some opinions.

In my part of the US every swinging dick has a break cue (except me).

I occasionally play a guy 9ball sets and basically spot him the break cue.

Lou Figueroa

 

[straightline]

What about when you have a jump that needs a full cue?

You mean the full 40" ? I only use the shaft freehand. The half butt from the break cue is a little heavy (the extra joint insert probably) and I can only use it from the rail anyway.

 

[Cornerman]

I’ve got 4 or 5 break cues. I didn’t see that answer on the poll.

 

[alstl]

i use one because i don't want to f^*k-up my good playing tip.

First cue I paid money for was a cheap Crest cue with decals. I then bought a Schon and the Crest became my break cue. I discovered it had a screw on ferrule/tip when I was breaking with it once and it shattered into dozens of pieces. All that was left was then shaft with the threaded end.

Then I graduated to a cheap J & J break cue.

 

[Chili Palmer]

i use one because i don't want to f^*k-up my good playing tip.

This. I don't mind breaking with my cue but would prefer my break cue (which is just a regular cue with a thicker shaft and harder tip) or something off the wall.

 

[EddieBme]

I use one when breaking hard. Helps preserve the tip and ferrule. With that said, I think the $700 + break cues are a scam. I feel a stiff $100-$150 well made cue will work just as well.

I agree with that ^. I have an old white, w/brown colored handle 'Winston' cue that's as good a break cue as any IMO, bar none.
P.S. I would like to have it painted solid black, so I could take it into establishments, other than a hole in the wall bar.

 

[SSDiver2112]

I'm in the have one camp and prefer to use it. I put a Black Ice shaft on an existing butt. I break much better with it then I do with a house cue or one of those heavy battering rams.

 

[pw98]

You mean the full 40" ? I only use the shaft freehand. The half butt from the break cue is a little heavy (the extra joint insert probably) and I can only use it from the rail anyway.

No the full 58"

 

[straightline]

No the full 58"

If something's jumpable with a playing cue then that's what I'll use. More often than not, the reflex is to kick anyway.

 

[ceebee]

I agree with ChrisinNC.... depending on the game played, whether a Break Cue is used. BUT, I always carry one... just in case

 

[galipeau]

I break with my player. I only own playing cues. Don't understand grabbing off the wall. That's just another variable you have to adjust for. Dedicated break cues will give you more power on the break by virtue of design and materials. I had a jump cue once as well, made escapes super easy. Don't have one any longer.