How important is a cue joint.

T

TheBook

Ret Professional Goof Off
Silver Member
Just got home from playing in a 8 ball partner league. We were up next. I took off the JP's and assembled my cues in the case and then took the case by the table with the cues in it. I broke and made one ball of each group. Ran out the balls and then made the 8 to win. My partner broke to start the next game and came up dry. When I got back to the table I twisted to cue to make sure it was tight as I usually do when starting a new game and was surprised that the joint needed about a 1/8 of a turn. I must have thought that the cue was tight because I just assembled it and didn't check before shooting in the first game. This got me thinking about all of the hype and talk about cue feedback and how a joint affects the feel and play. Apparently I am missing something because when I was shooting I could not feel or hear (doesn't help with the JB playing) that the cue was loose. So now I feel that all of this talk about different joints being better and making you play better is just a lot of talk and hype. The cue has a flat face 3/8 pin.

Just want to get some other opinions on this and wondering if this has happened to anyone else?
 
TheBook said:
Just got home from playing in a 8 ball partner league. We were up next. I took off the JP's and assembled my cues in the case and then took the case by the table with the cues in it. I broke and made one ball of each group. Ran out the balls and then made the 8 to win. My partner broke to start the next game and came up dry. When I got back to the table I twisted to cue to make sure it was tight as I usually do when starting a new game and was surprised that the joint needed about a 1/8 of a turn. I must have thought that the cue was tight because I just assembled it and didn't check before shooting in the first game. This got me thinking about all of the hype and talk about cue feedback and how a joint affects the feel and play. Apparently I am missing something because when I was shooting I could not feel or hear (doesn't help with the JB playing) that the cue was loose. So now I feel that all of this talk about different joints being better and making you play better is just a lot of talk and hype. The cue has a flat face 3/8 pin.

Just want to get some other opinions on this and wondering if this has happened to anyone else?
Click to expand...


Unless you're using a tight joint (like wood to wood can be), this is occasionally going to happen. I do it almost subconsciously now but I check my joint rather routinely.

Considering a significant portion of professionals now are using Predators with Unilocs, I would have to argue that the ramifications of using a joint that can come undone are trivial.
 
Ed, was this on your Jensen player, did you also break with it or did you break with your Stinger. I would think breaking with a cue that is not all the way screwed together tight would harm the cue, but I am not an expert.
 
I've accidentally shot a few with a slightly loose joint and notice the sound immediately. Both cues I've done this with had brass pins into wood. This didn't seem to affect the shot but the sound wasn't very pleasing to the ear.
 
I am partial to 3/8 radial myself.
I don't know how any other screw can be better for cues.
Tight, no inserts and threads stay true and tight for a long time.
 
poolandpokerman said:
Ed, was this on your Jensen player, did you also break with it or did you break with your Stinger. I would think breaking with a cue that is not all the way screwed together tight would harm the cue, but I am not an expert.
Click to expand...

I was using my RC3. If it was my Stinger I am sure that their would be some damage because of the hard hit when breaking.
 
JoeyInCali said:
I am partial to 3/8 radial myself.
I don't know how any other screw can be better for cues.
Tight, no inserts and threads stay true and tight for a long time.
Click to expand...

Plus it's for flat flat faced joints, is plenty strong , and has only one single part. There are just less things that can go wrong. It gives the cue maker a lot of options in selecting joint collar materials, etc.


Chris
 
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On some of the 3/8 X 10 joints where the screw goes into the shaft and it does not have an insert and goes directly into wood, tend to lossen up over time.

A trick I learned here on A-Z is to take the shaft and pour water into the thread hole, let is soak in for a few minutes, then dump the water out and leave the shaft out overnight to dry.

The next day it will be a nice snug joint again that won't come loose during play.

Depending on how much wear it has and how often you use it, you have to repeat the process at some point in time.

You can also have an insert installed for around $30.00 to $40.00.
 
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