New player here, questions about buying a cue

S

SedateMe

Registered
Im just breaking into the whole pool game, and I enjoy playing immensely. I'm looking to purchase my first cue, and have sought advice from friends who have been shooting for a while. The advice has ranged from "don't worry about spending too much just get something decent" (I would lean towards a competitor series McDermott for that) to "it's all in the shaft buy a cheap players cue and slap a 314 shaft on it."

I've done lots of browsing, looking at pool cues, reading various forums, and advice for new people seems to vary just as wildly as the advice I've gotten in person. I don't shoot in a league or in tournaments, but if I continue to enjoy playing as much as I do now, I'm going to take it a little more seriously than something I do to "pass the time."

My question is this: Which way should I go? Is either point inaccurate? Should I worry about buying a low-deflection shaft right now? There is merit to the thought that if I'm going to do something, might as well do it right. If spending $200+ on a shaft is going to pay off down the road, I'm willing to do it. I just don't want to get too far ahead of myself at this point.

Right now I have a couple options. Buy something like this: http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/players/players-g-series-pool-cues.htm and then put a low deflection shaft on it. Following the advice that the hit is in the shaft.

Or buy a McDermott http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/mcdermott/mcderm_competition_series-pg1.htm and just go with that for now. McDermott has their own line of low deflection shafts http://www.mcdermottcue.com/IShaftHome.asp which could be something I look into a little later.

I'm coming you guys (and girls) for advice. What do you think would be the best route? Maybe neither would be better and there's other options I should be considering?
 
SedateMe said:
Im just breaking into the whole pool game, and I enjoy playing immensely. I'm looking to purchase my first cue, and have sought advice from friends who have been shooting for a while. The advice has ranged from "don't worry about spending too much just get something decent" (I would lean towards a competitor series McDermott for that) to "it's all in the shaft buy a cheap players cue and slap a 314 shaft on it."

I've done lots of browsing, looking at pool cues, reading various forums, and advice for new people seems to vary just as wildly as the advice I've gotten in person. I don't shoot in a league or in tournaments, but if I continue to enjoy playing as much as I do now, I'm going to take it a little more seriously than something I do to "pass the time."

My question is this: Which way should I go? Is either point inaccurate? Should I worry about buying a low-deflection shaft right now? There is merit to the thought that if I'm going to do something, might as well do it right. If spending $200+ on a shaft is going to pay off down the road, I'm willing to do it. I just don't want to get too far ahead of myself at this point.

Right now I have a couple options. Buy something like this: http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/players/players-g-series-pool-cues.htm and then put a low deflection shaft on it. Following the advice that the hit is in the shaft.

Or buy a McDermott http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/mcdermott/mcderm_competition_series-pg1.htm and just go with that for now. McDermott has their own line of low deflection shafts http://www.mcdermottcue.com/IShaftHome.asp which could be something I look into a little later.

I'm coming you guys (and girls) for advice. What do you think would be the best route? Maybe neither would be better and there's other options I should be considering?
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call me I can hook you up with a brand new low deflection shaft nand a new cue with a lifetime warrenty for dealer pricing! 734-693-3177 bill
 
The low-deflection shaft topic is probably the most talked about subject on this whole forum. I personally don't play with one and never have. But some people swear by them and will never switch. All I can really say is if you start with one now, it will probably be difficult to adjust down the road, and vice versa.

I would stay away from a cheap cue ala Players. I owned one and the wrap started to unravel after about 6 mos. Invest in a quality cue, there are some good deals on the forum and there are good production cues out there.

Also, I think that those who feel "it's all in the shaft" haven't played with many cues. People talk about "feel" being a big factor in a cue and to me there is certainly plenty of feel in the back half of the stick.
 
Hello, and welcome. First if you are just playing to "pass the time", then you might want to start with something cheap that still gets the job done like a Players Sneaky Pete which are about $50 I believe. Stick with something like that until you decide whether or not you will stick with this game(I'm sure you will soon be addicted if not already so,lol).

Now if you have some cash you could also start out somewhere around $200, but I wouldn't spend that on a shaft just yet. Anything over $200 is going to be a result of mostly brand,cuemaker,inlays,etc. Just remember that a certain cue or shaft is not going to make you a better player. You have to put the time in at the tables. Good Luck!
 
Get the Right cue for you ...

Try before you buy , feel the cue , the hit, the balance , the taper ... Bring a seasoned friend with you to offer advice and get something of quality as it is an investment as well as a tool ... some cues increase in value as most do not ... It's personal preference and budget ... Don't pay for art , pay for performance , because if the balls don't go in you don't get paid ... You should want a stiffer cue with solid hit and shaft taper is paramount and quality of the shaft wood , so when buying pay close attention to the shaft , length of ferrel and it's material composition ... If you don't have the experience trust someone who does ... I like full splice conversions , especially if they're from 60 yr. old or more cues ... you know the wood is well seasoned and stable ... Good luck and spend you're hard earned dough wisely ... Few Cue Pics 148.jpg

Few Cue Pics 157.jpg

Few Cue Pics 184.jpg

Few Cue Pics 185.jpg
 
SedateMe said:
Im just breaking into the whole pool game, and I enjoy playing immensely. I'm looking to purchase my first cue, and have sought advice from friends who have been shooting for a while. The advice has ranged from "don't worry about spending too much just get something decent" (I would lean towards a competitor series McDermott for that) to "it's all in the shaft buy a cheap players cue and slap a 314 shaft on it."

I've done lots of browsing, looking at pool cues, reading various forums, and advice for new people seems to vary just as wildly as the advice I've gotten in person. I don't shoot in a league or in tournaments, but if I continue to enjoy playing as much as I do now, I'm going to take it a little more seriously than something I do to "pass the time."

My question is this: Which way should I go? Is either point inaccurate? Should I worry about buying a low-deflection shaft right now? There is merit to the thought that if I'm going to do something, might as well do it right. If spending $200+ on a shaft is going to pay off down the road, I'm willing to do it. I just don't want to get too far ahead of myself at this point.

Right now I have a couple options. Buy something like this: http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/players/players-g-series-pool-cues.htm and then put a low deflection shaft on it. Following the advice that the hit is in the shaft.

Or buy a McDermott http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/mcdermott/mcderm_competition_series-pg1.htm and just go with that for now. McDermott has their own line of low deflection shafts http://www.mcdermottcue.com/IShaftHome.asp which could be something I look into a little later.

I'm coming you guys (and girls) for advice. What do you think would be the best route? Maybe neither would be better and there's other options I should be considering?
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Hello partner, I understand your frustration and I also understand that you have done some research which is the right way to go before making a cue purchase.

This would be my advice, now I am a Pool Room owner and a billiards retailer / custom cue maker. I have owned my current business for 4 year's and I personally deal with customers like yourself daily. I have 6 APA Teams and 5 BCA teams playing out of my establishment, so as I said above I am always dealing with new people who only want to get whats best for them.

First remember, know one can tell you what is best for you. Now that may seam a little strange, however, what other people can offer you is only opinions. This is also all that you will get on-line doing research and there is only one way to separate all this information into useful categories that you can use.

I would recommend that you who ever you buy your first cue or shaft from should be local. Good local dealers will let you try many cues and shaft combinations until you find what feels good to you. REMEMBER NO TO CUES WILL FEEL THE SAME, so if you like your friends cue, do not think if you buy a similar model that it will play or feel exactly like the cue you used. Many factors make a cue, feel and hit the way that particular cues feels and hits. The construction, the tip, the weight, the ferrule and the cues balance will all greatly effect all of the above.

The only way to bring this together for you is by testing cues, and this more than any other information will help you find the right cue for you. Another factor when starting to play pool that I would recommend you keep in mind is the price of your first cue. There really is no reason to spend more then around $200 on your first cue. With this price in mind you can purchase a good quality cue, and also get a warranty for your product. The warranty is a very good idea, nothing is perfect, and things certainly go wrong. McDermott stands behind their products, if the shaft warps they will replace it, if the wrap comes loose they will replace it, and you can send the cue back to them twice a year for the cost of shipping for free maintenance. They will replace your tip, clean the shaft, buff the finish if necessary, repress the wrap and completely inspect the cue.

If you really get into pool you can always add a non-deflection shaft later, I do not think it is necessary to start with. But this is for certain, do buy your first cue on-line because you can not test and even if they tell you that can, you still will not get the diversity you will get from a good local dealer.

I hope this helps and that is my only intent here!!!
 
manwon said:
Hello partner, I understand your frustration and I also understand that you have done some research which is the right way to go before making a cue purchase.

This would be my advice, now I am a Pool Room owner and a billiards retailer / custom cue maker. I have owned my current business for 4 year's and I personally deal with customers like yourself daily. I have 6 APA Teams and 5 BCA teams playing out of my establishment, so as I said above I am always dealing with new people who only want to get whats best for them.

First remember, know one can tell you what is best for you. Now that may seam a little strange, however, what other people can offer you is only opinions. This is also all that you will get on-line doing research and there is only one way to separate all this information into useful categories that you can use.

I would recommend that you who ever you buy your first cue or shaft from should be local. Good local dealers will let you try many cues and shaft combinations until you find what feels good to you. REMEMBER NO TO CUES WILL FEEL THE SAME, so if you like your friends cue, do not think if you buy a similar model that it will play or feel exactly like the cue you used. Many factors make a cue, feel and hit the way that particular cues feels and hits. The construction, the tip, the weight, the ferrule and the cues balance will all greatly effect all of the above.

The only way to bring this together for you is by testing cues, and this more than any other information will help you find the right cue for you. Another factor when starting to play pool that I would recommend you keep in mind is the price of your first cue. There really is no reason to spend more then around $200 on your first cue. With this price in mind you can purchase a good quality cue, and also get a warranty for your product. The warranty is a very good idea, nothing is perfect, and things certainly go wrong. McDermott stands behind their products, if the shaft warps they will replace it, if the wrap comes loose they will replace it, and you can send the cue back to them twice a year for the cost of shipping for free maintenance. They will replace your tip, clean the shaft, buff the finish if necessary, repress the wrap and completely inspect the cue.

If you really get into pool you can always add a non-deflection shaft later, I do not think it is necessary to start with. But this is for certain, do buy your first cue on-line because you can not test and even if they tell you that can, you still will not get the diversity you will get from a good local dealer.

I hope this helps and that is my only intent here!!!
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I agree,well said.I also believe spending $200 on one of these specialty shafts is foolish if your just getting into the game.For $200 or less you can find a good cue,if you see something on Ebay then post a link here and we can all let you know if its a good buy and how it plays.No matter what cue it is there is someone on here who has played with one.Currently i am playing with a cheap $150 Stealth cue and Fury JB,i am playing some of the best pool of my life with this setup and i have owned all types of cues all the way up to the $2000 mark.I believe some stuff is psychological and alot of things tend to be over rated when people talk about what a good cue is,if a certain name is on the cue people tend to think that it either hits great or hits like crap,alot of cues can be made by the same maker or company and have a very different hit.Good luck in your search and keep us updated on what you get.
 
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Stick with AZB sellers, the best deals on the planet are right here, and most people are very careful about what they sell. If you buy a new McDermott I would get a higher end one. My first cue when I got back into pool was a low end McDermott and it just wasn't a very good cue, butt heavy, not great balance.

I wish that I knew about AZB back then
 
I'd personally skip on the after market shaft, but thats just me.

For my 200 I'd buy a joss, mcdermott, or perhaps a custom sneaky in the used market.

By all means try out as many cues as you can before you buy.
 
manwon said:
Hello partner, I understand your frustration and I also understand that you have done some research which is the right way to go before making a cue purchase.

This would be my advice, now I am a Pool Room owner and a billiards retailer / custom cue maker. I have owned my current business for 4 year's and I personally deal with customers like yourself daily. I have 6 APA Teams and 5 BCA teams playing out of my establishment, so as I said above I am always dealing with new people who only want to get whats best for them.

First remember, know one can tell you what is best for you. Now that may seam a little strange, however, what other people can offer you is only opinions. This is also all that you will get on-line doing research and there is only one way to separate all this information into useful categories that you can use.

I would recommend that you who ever you buy your first cue or shaft from should be local. Good local dealers will let you try many cues and shaft combinations until you find what feels good to you. REMEMBER NO TO CUES WILL FEEL THE SAME, so if you like your friends cue, do not think if you buy a similar model that it will play or feel exactly like the cue you used. Many factors make a cue, feel and hit the way that particular cues feels and hits. The construction, the tip, the weight, the ferrule and the cues balance will all greatly effect all of the above.

The only way to bring this together for you is by testing cues, and this more than any other information will help you find the right cue for you. Another factor when starting to play pool that I would recommend you keep in mind is the price of your first cue. There really is no reason to spend more then around $200 on your first cue. With this price in mind you can purchase a good quality cue, and also get a warranty for your product. The warranty is a very good idea, nothing is perfect, and things certainly go wrong. McDermott stands behind their products, if the shaft warps they will replace it, if the wrap comes loose they will replace it, and you can send the cue back to them twice a year for the cost of shipping for free maintenance. They will replace your tip, clean the shaft, buff the finish if necessary, repress the wrap and completely inspect the cue.

If you really get into pool you can always add a non-deflection shaft later, I do not think it is necessary to start with. But this is for certain, do buy your first cue on-line because you can not test and even if they tell you that can, you still will not get the diversity you will get from a good local dealer.

I hope this helps and that is my only intent here!!!
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Hello and welcome to the wonderful and frustrating world of billiards!
Very well said. I agree 100%. I have been playing pool on and off for 23 years. Since 2002, I have been playing APA and TAP leagues, as well as local tournaments. My suggestion would be as said earlier, take an educated friend with you and try as many cues in the $150-$200 range. See what feels the most natural to you. Once you learn the basics, such as angles, english & cue ball control, then if your are still hooked on the game...upgrade! As for me, I own (3) Lucasi cues. After playing for awhile, I decided to have a pro taper done to my regular cue and added a white diamond to my jump/break. For a medium end production cue, I would suggest either Lucasi or McDermott. It sounds like these guys are giving good advice.

My 2 cents,

Joe
 
Wow!

I just want to say the responses have been INCREDIBLE so far! I've been a member of a few forums but never have I seen such quick friendly knowledgeable responses to a question. Between the posts here, the pm's, even a few phone numbers that came with open offers to talk about cues or pool in general, I have to say thank you. To everyone!

This is truly a great place with great people!

Anyway, back on topic. I live in a small area with very limited access to pool cues. There is one pool hall here (I live in Bismarck North Dakota) and a shop that supplys dart and pool supplies. I have been to the pool hall and the cues there seemed a bit overpriced, so I didn't linger too long. I will go back to both and see what I can get away with as far as trying out different cues. I will let you all know how it goes. I will keep checking this thread for further advice so keep it coming!!
 
If you are going for a 314 shaft, buy the cue from the company that makes them. It will be a more balanced package. I shoot a predator and love it . You can get some good deals on a predator sneaky pete on this site.
 
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Also when you pick up a new cue, make sure it's straight... roll the stick and see if its wobbly or not and when you hit the ball you don't hear a high pitch noise but a solid low pitch meaning its not cracked somewhere or the connection is off. Picking a cue is what kind of taste you like... something fancy, or something like what pool halls are using "sneaky pete."

I say the best average stick for any beginner is the Players Cue. But you have ALOT of options.

EX...
AZBMembers, show him what he can get for a good price!!!:D

My first stick was straight from Academy Sports and Outdoors a Viper Cue, than Ebay. LOL Now HERE!!!
 
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I think a for around 200 Mcdermott, Joss or a lucasi/players are O.K. options. Probably in that order. Skip the aftermarket shafts, spend about 1/4 the money and get joe tuckers workout book/video as well as byrne's standard book of pool and billiards. You will then know more than 80% of the people in the local pool room, and with consistant practice( tuckers drills), in a short time you can outplay the same amount. If you want to step up just a bit in cues, buy a Bob Fry sneaky pete(3-350 range) you can always get almost all your money back and it will play darn good. The next step up would be an Olney player (4-500). You can keep going up, however, you won't get much ,if any, better in terms of playability. Just my .02 worth.
good luck-jeff
 
lucasi with a predator shaft is good. that's was my first cue. i would not recommend a player's cue. but that's just my opinion. u gotta try to feel some cues that suits u good so u will have an idea of what kind of cue u want. meaning how the cue hits..
 
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I would also.....

gmcole said:
I think a for around 200 Mcdermott, Joss or a lucasi/players are O.K. options. Probably in that order. Skip the aftermarket shafts, spend about 1/4 the money and get joe tuckers workout book/video as well as byrne's standard book of pool and billiards. You will then know more than 80% of the people in the local pool room, and with consistant practice( tuckers drills), in a short time you can outplay the same amount. If you want to step up just a bit in cues, buy a Bob Fry sneaky pete(3-350 range) you can always get almost all your money back and it will play darn good. The next step up would be an Olney player (4-500). You can keep going up, however, you won't get much ,if any, better in terms of playability. Just my .02 worth.
good luck-jeff
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.......recommend a sneaky from one of the master cue builders. Not only will it bring out the best in your stroke,but appreciate over time.
 
Hi there,

I would recommend one of two ways to go. Hangemhigh made a great point. If you buy a sneaky from a known maker, you usually get a similiar cue to their higher end stuff without the expense, and they are usually very easy to move if you should decide to move into a fancier or different cue later on.

The other way is to buy a two piece Dufferin (a Canadian maker), which is very reasonable. In the old days, almost all poolhalls seemed to have a few Dufferins around, if not all their house sticks. They are a quality stick as far as production sneakies go. They have a nice assortment of woods available and some of them are very nice looking as well as good shooters. The poolhall I go to used to have all Dufferins and then they changed to Cuetecs. Bad mistake for players (but probably better for the typical customer who likes to bang his stick around on everything in sight)...

Good luck however you go!

Steve
 
Your profile doesn't say where you are from but there is probably a cue maker not too far from you and I'll bet that cue maker will be able to fix you up with a nice sneaky pete that is right for you and your game. And... you have bought him along with the cue. He'll be there to answer questions and to help you trade up.

Your cue wants/needs will change over the next few years and you can expect to change weight, length, wrap/nowrap, tip diameter, shaft profile, etc.

Develop a relationship with your local guy. You'll be money ahead. If you change your profile to include the area you are in then you can expect some personal attention.
 
JimS said:
Your profile doesn't say where you are from but there is probably a cue maker not too far from you and I'll bet that cue maker will be able to fix you up with a nice sneaky pete that is right for you and your game. And... you have bought him along with the cue. He'll be there to answer questions and to help you trade up.

Your cue wants/needs will change over the next few years and you can expect to change weight, length, wrap/nowrap, tip diameter, shaft profile, etc.

Develop a relationship with your local guy. You'll be money ahead. If you change your profile to include the area you are in then you can expect some personal attention.
Click to expand...


That is something I haven't thought of. I live in Bismarck, North Dakota. A quick search has brought up 1 and only 1 cuemaker in the state, Samsara Cues. Their site is here www.samsaracues.com. Has anyone heard of them or played with one of their cues?

Edit- After doing a little bit of looking I realize my previous question was quite silly. Samsara may not be one of the "hot" cuemakers right now but they certainly do seem to be highly regarded here, both in workmanship and playability of their cues. They are only a few hours away from where I live (they are in Rugby ND... let's hear it for the geographical center of North America!) Their Bar Cue seems to be a solid choice, just a bit much for my first cue!
 
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