the cheapest LD shaft i found and bought to use as a replacement for my warped wd700 is the players hxt shaft(a hundo on the bay). if youre looking for a good starter cue, get a players cue with that shaft....sneaky, merry widow, points...it doesnt matter...get what you like bro...i have a joss butt for sale if youre interested that you could pair with whatever LD shaft you decide to get...lmk, i can send you some pictures of it
I'm a beginner who wants to get serious. Need help with buying...
- Thread starter itzzjason
- Start date
the cheapest LD shaft i found and bought to use as a replacement for my warped wd700 is the players hxt shaft(a hundo on the bay). if youre looking for a good starter cue, get a players cue with that shaft....sneaky, merry widow, points...it doesnt matter...get what you like bro...i have a joss butt for sale if youre interested that you could pair with whatever LD shaft you decide to get...lmk, i can send you some pictures of it
Again, thank you all!
More questions:
I was interested in buying the HXT4
What's the difference between the Players Pure X HXT cues?
For example HXT4 vs HXT99. If it's just a different look then I would just buy the cheapest HXT
For cue cases,
-is it better to get 1 with the inside molded to the cue and doesn't have room to knock into each other? something like this http://ozonebilliards.com/enlarge.html?http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/ozonepark_2303_3862654517
-or like this http://ozonebilliards.com/enlarge.html?http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/ozonepark_2303_3860455470 the inside has room for the cue to roll around and knock into each other is still ok and doesn't matter?
Does anyone know if this site is trustworthy/legit?
How is their return policy?
Will there be a difference if I used an actual HXT playing cue vs the above jump/break cue's butt and use the promotional free shaft?
More questions:
I was interested in buying the HXT4
What's the difference between the Players Pure X HXT cues?
For example HXT4 vs HXT99. If it's just a different look then I would just buy the cheapest HXT
For cue cases,
-is it better to get 1 with the inside molded to the cue and doesn't have room to knock into each other? something like this http://ozonebilliards.com/enlarge.html?http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/ozonepark_2303_3862654517
-or like this http://ozonebilliards.com/enlarge.html?http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/ozonepark_2303_3860455470 the inside has room for the cue to roll around and knock into each other is still ok and doesn't matter?
I might just buy from here since I was leaning towards an HXT
Does anyone know if this site is trustworthy/legit?
How is their return policy?
Will there be a difference if I used an actual HXT playing cue vs the above jump/break cue's butt and use the promotional free shaft?
Check these cues out McDermott has THE BEST lifetime warranty (it includes warp). They also have lower end cues that are very good! Never heard anyone said soemething bad about MD all the contrary.
http://www.mcdermottcue.com/index.php
This is a great tip tool you can buy and prob wont need anything else!
http://www.ozonebilliards.com/wicuetipshdi.html
After this buy a case and you are ready to play! McDermott also has nice cases.
http://www.mcdermottcue.com/index.php
This is a great tip tool you can buy and prob wont need anything else!
http://www.ozonebilliards.com/wicuetipshdi.html
After this buy a case and you are ready to play! McDermott also has nice cases.
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Welcome to AZ. There's some GREAT advice around here from very knowledgeable folks. My take on the first cue: In my opinion if you spend say $100.00 on a cue that looks pretty you're paying for that prettiness, inlay, wraps and a half-assed shaft. vs. paying $100.00 for a Sneaky Pete. House cue looking like butt with a terrific shaft, ferrule and tip. Basically, to get started that's all you really need. Once you get that under your belt you can start experimenting with different tips, weights, shafts, etc. I'd go to a local poolroom and ask around. You'll need a case and joint protectors if you don't want dust and chalk getting in and around the pin and maybe cause the shaft to bind up as you screw or unscrew it. Chalk? I always take some along. Can't stand going into a place and having a piece of chalk that has a hole in it. Plus improper chalking with a piece that has that huge hole in it can yank the tip off. You can actually pick up the cue with just that piece of chalk so I'd take some along. Personally preference.......Master. Also, personally.....don't clean the shaft with any chemicals whatsoever. Over time the oils from your hand, chalk, dust etc will permeate the wood and seal it unlike anything artificial you could wipe on or spray on. A dry cotton towel is really all you need I believe to burnish the shaft and make it feel like a sheet of glass. In a humid room touching your fingertips to some powder and wiping the shaft with it can help at times but JUST your fingertips. You don't need 2 pounds of powder and dust clouds. Scuffer? Yes. Used to be poolrooms had a file in the corner for scuffing up the tip. Personally I prefer something that won't abrade the tip as sandpaper would so I used a Tip Tapper. I'd gently roll the tip on the tapper to raise a bit of a nap and no more. Hope this helps a bit..........
Vince.
p.s. Inlays never pocketed balls.
Vince.
p.s. Inlays never pocketed balls.
Chess_Jerk
Registered
If your planning to start playing a lot of 9ball/10ball jump break cue is great and important IMO. A lucasi or a cheap schon "if there is such a thing" is a great first playing cue.
Some people say....
Looks like some people really like a Players Cue for drawing a ball on a nine foot table.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=359033
:sorry:
Looks like some people really like a Players Cue for drawing a ball on a nine foot table.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=359033
:sorry:
Pool is a game of percentages and consistency.
1. Cue
Buy the $40 McDermott Lucky. It comes with a water buffalo which is good enough for breaking and playing. Don't get a soft tip or you will need a separate break cue and have to constantly shape your tip which takes away from consistency. If you can't get much English with the hard tip, it is your stroke, not the tip.
2. Case
Either buy the cheapest one that will hold this cue and a seperate one for your girlfriend, or buy the JB rugged 3x4 for $100 from Seyberts. The JB will hold both your cues and leave room for more if you want. It is also smaller than most 2x4 cases. Also, if you end up upgrading your cues, you won't need a new case. Just wipe the chalk off your tips before you put them away so you don't get the inside of the case all chalked up. This is the only reason I carry a towel on my case.
3. Tip tool
Get one that shapes the tip to the radius you like. A tip pik is nice to have too.
That's all you need to start. J&J makes a good cheap jump cue if you want one, I think $25-40.
Break cues aren't necessary but buy one if you want.
Don't buy a glove unless you have a medical condition that requires you to.
Joint protectors are nice for keeping the threads clean and almost a necessity for pulling your cues out of some cases. I would only get them for the $40 cue if you need it to take it out of your case.
Don't believe any of the hype people will tell you about $30 chalk, ld shafts, etc. They may have their merits but are definitely not needed.
I carry about $3000 worth of stuff into the bar for league every week but that's just because I like it, I could play just as well with the setup I recommended above.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
1. Cue
Buy the $40 McDermott Lucky. It comes with a water buffalo which is good enough for breaking and playing. Don't get a soft tip or you will need a separate break cue and have to constantly shape your tip which takes away from consistency. If you can't get much English with the hard tip, it is your stroke, not the tip.
2. Case
Either buy the cheapest one that will hold this cue and a seperate one for your girlfriend, or buy the JB rugged 3x4 for $100 from Seyberts. The JB will hold both your cues and leave room for more if you want. It is also smaller than most 2x4 cases. Also, if you end up upgrading your cues, you won't need a new case. Just wipe the chalk off your tips before you put them away so you don't get the inside of the case all chalked up. This is the only reason I carry a towel on my case.
3. Tip tool
Get one that shapes the tip to the radius you like. A tip pik is nice to have too.
That's all you need to start. J&J makes a good cheap jump cue if you want one, I think $25-40.
Break cues aren't necessary but buy one if you want.
Don't buy a glove unless you have a medical condition that requires you to.
Joint protectors are nice for keeping the threads clean and almost a necessity for pulling your cues out of some cases. I would only get them for the $40 cue if you need it to take it out of your case.
Don't believe any of the hype people will tell you about $30 chalk, ld shafts, etc. They may have their merits but are definitely not needed.
I carry about $3000 worth of stuff into the bar for league every week but that's just because I like it, I could play just as well with the setup I recommended above.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Got a bunch of answers already so I'll keep this short. Well, not the first answer,
but the rest of them.
• Playing cue: most of how a cue plays is in the shaft, the half above the joint.
If you don't care about looks, focus on the shaft.
There are 2 major categories of shaft. "Low-deflection" and "standard".
The difference between them is how they affect the cue ball when you apply sidespin.
If you hit the cue ball on the left, it doesn't quite go perfectly straight where you aimed.
It deflects a hair to the right (or vice versa, with right english).
LD shafts are built to minimize this deflection so it travels straighter.
Some people love 'em and some hate 'em. Some pros use them and some don't.
Some even say they're all marketing hype. I think they're great, and they work as advertised.
It takes five minutes to test for yourself.
If I could go back in time and buy my first cue again, I'd get an LD shaft with it.
IMO, since the butt hardly matters, you can screw an LD shaft onto any cheap cue,
and you will have a stick that is just as good as what the pros use.
You still need your cue to meet a bare minimum standard of quality.
$50 sticks might not cut it.
Plenty of $200 cues do though. And an LD shaft (just the shaft, not the whole stick) is $200.
So for maybe $400 or less you can have a stick that plays as well as anything in the world.
For the expensive sticks, you're paying for the name brand and artwork,
there's no 1000-dollar cue technology that makes you shoot better.
• Break/jump cue: Jump cue is absolutely necessary to jump effectively.
Jumping with a full sized cue is 10x harder. The main secret is they are shorter,
and have a rock-hard tip. The harder the tip, the easier it is to get airborne.
If you don't get a jump cue, you are handicapping yourself so much that you might as well
not jump at all. But most pros and semipros jump, and use a jump cue to do it.
A combination break/jump makes sense and will save you money and it will save space in your case.
I think break cues are great but many players (including pros) break with their playing cue.
If you decide to get a jump cue anyway, you might as well get the jump/break combo
so you at least have the option.
• Cue length: just start with the standard length.
• Chalk: Plain master is fine, don't overthink this.
• Glove: Ditto. Get any $10 nylon glove. The $50 gloves are overkill and actually less comfortable.
• Joint protector: unnecessary, a good case will protect it. Maybe use 'em if your cue is worth thousands.
• Tip tools: nice to have, but you can usually just borrow someone else's.
• Special cloths: I personally have it cleaned by a guy with a lathe, gives it the full treatment for a low price.
Only need to do this every other month. If you wanna save money get micro-grit sandpaper to clean,
cue silk to seal and sort of 'lubricate' the shaft, and plain paper towels to wipe off excess.
• Ozone is awesome! Used them for many things with great results and customer service.
Price-wise, almost all the sites are the same for most products. To save money on the cue,
talk to a dealer. A predator dealer can get you a predator shaft cheaper, for example.
but the rest of them.
• Playing cue: most of how a cue plays is in the shaft, the half above the joint.
If you don't care about looks, focus on the shaft.
There are 2 major categories of shaft. "Low-deflection" and "standard".
The difference between them is how they affect the cue ball when you apply sidespin.
If you hit the cue ball on the left, it doesn't quite go perfectly straight where you aimed.
It deflects a hair to the right (or vice versa, with right english).
LD shafts are built to minimize this deflection so it travels straighter.
Some people love 'em and some hate 'em. Some pros use them and some don't.
Some even say they're all marketing hype. I think they're great, and they work as advertised.
It takes five minutes to test for yourself.
If I could go back in time and buy my first cue again, I'd get an LD shaft with it.
IMO, since the butt hardly matters, you can screw an LD shaft onto any cheap cue,
and you will have a stick that is just as good as what the pros use.
You still need your cue to meet a bare minimum standard of quality.
$50 sticks might not cut it.
Plenty of $200 cues do though. And an LD shaft (just the shaft, not the whole stick) is $200.
So for maybe $400 or less you can have a stick that plays as well as anything in the world.
For the expensive sticks, you're paying for the name brand and artwork,
there's no 1000-dollar cue technology that makes you shoot better.
• Break/jump cue: Jump cue is absolutely necessary to jump effectively.
Jumping with a full sized cue is 10x harder. The main secret is they are shorter,
and have a rock-hard tip. The harder the tip, the easier it is to get airborne.
If you don't get a jump cue, you are handicapping yourself so much that you might as well
not jump at all. But most pros and semipros jump, and use a jump cue to do it.
A combination break/jump makes sense and will save you money and it will save space in your case.
I think break cues are great but many players (including pros) break with their playing cue.
If you decide to get a jump cue anyway, you might as well get the jump/break combo
so you at least have the option.
• Cue length: just start with the standard length.
• Chalk: Plain master is fine, don't overthink this.
• Glove: Ditto. Get any $10 nylon glove. The $50 gloves are overkill and actually less comfortable.
• Joint protector: unnecessary, a good case will protect it. Maybe use 'em if your cue is worth thousands.
• Tip tools: nice to have, but you can usually just borrow someone else's.
• Special cloths: I personally have it cleaned by a guy with a lathe, gives it the full treatment for a low price.
Only need to do this every other month. If you wanna save money get micro-grit sandpaper to clean,
cue silk to seal and sort of 'lubricate' the shaft, and plain paper towels to wipe off excess.
• Ozone is awesome! Used them for many things with great results and customer service.
Price-wise, almost all the sites are the same for most products. To save money on the cue,
talk to a dealer. A predator dealer can get you a predator shaft cheaper, for example.
Buy a players cue, couple pieces of chalk, a tip tool, cheap case and spend the $70 on Mark Wilson's new book; play great pool. Once you get through that you can then decide on what kind of cue you want. Try to hit with as many different ones as you can so he can decide what you like and what you don't like. Remember most of pool is all about mechanics not necessarily equipment. Do whatever you can to develop your mechanics; buy the book; watch all the youtube stuff and Tor Lowery's stuff on youtube etc. If you have a good instructor close take lessons. You will find that what you think is important now isn't necessarily the way you're going to feel after you get into it. Check the pawn shops might find a good deal there as well; just make sure the stick rolls straight. Good luck !
I agree with Dave M on the break/jump cue thing. You don't need one especially as a beginner. Learn the rails, learn to kick at balls and learn the diamonds. In the long run (no pun intended) you'll be better off for the knowledge vs. sailing uncontrollably over a ball. Unfortunately, as you progress into more serious events if you can be beaten by someone who jumps then you have to have that tool in your arsenal too, just not yet.