Question about jump-cues

supergreenman said:
This sort of brings me back to my devils advocate point. pocket billiards had to evolve at some point in order to come up with straight pool in the first place. At the rate straight pool is going (stagnant) the only people playing in 20 years will be the old guys down at the retirement home that don't have alzhiemers.

Change is good.
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I play with the old guys down at the local Senoir center here is St.Pete FL.
retirement central, and not a one of them plays straight pool, and these are guys in there 70's, 80's & 90's. They play 8 ball, scratch gives you cue ball behind the line, and if you make a ball & scratch it gets spotted. Some of them have been playing since there teen's and they grew up playing 8 ball, then 9 ball. They say straight pool was there dad's & grandads game.

By the time my generation hits the retirement home we will be playing
texas express 9 ball.:D
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
You're right. Change is good. I will certainly change whichever projectile I choose to heave, as well. Thanks for the advice.

BTW, have you noticed the number of people playing straight pool in Europe lately? Maybe it's just a fad.
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Actually, no I haven't noticed, last time I was there (if you count the UK as part of europe) all I was able to find was 8 ball players playing with a silly 2 shot foul rule with red and yellow balls that was a lot of fun.

I'm glad that Straight pool has a big following in Europe. I'd be hard pressed to find someone who knows what straight pool is, let alone plays it in my city. I may not live in NY, but we have a million plus here in Edmonton and suburbs so it's not like it's a small place.

I'm not disputing you that using a jump cue in straight pool is silly, untraditional, and unorthadox. But like I said times change and so do rules and games.
 
Jump cue

Ok a lot of people have be gunning for this and I will be the controversy starter. I can jump with a house cue, I can jump with a predator shafted cue, I can jump with a brass ferrule, phenolic tipped cue. But I am a fan of the jump cue. You use what you can in what is considered legal in the game. Unless the game specifies that it does not allow a cue short than 58 inches to be used, then I say sit down, shut up, let em use the jump cue, you should have played a tighter safe. Some people can't jump with out a jump cue. Some people can't play pool. It's the way it goes. Enjoy the game. I say it comes to personal preference. Next time I go golfing, I can't wait to tell the guy he can't use a pitching a wedge when he is half ball in the sand with a 4 foot incline to go. They were created for a reason, let it be.
 
The Piper said:
Ok a lot of people have be gunning for this and I will be the controversy starter. I can jump with a house cue, I can jump with a predator shafted cue, I can jump with a brass ferrule, phenolic tipped cue. But I am a fan of the jump cue. You use what you can in what is considered legal in the game. Unless the game specifies that it does not allow a cue short than 58 inches to be used, then I say sit down, shut up, let em use the jump cue, you should have played a tighter safe. Some people can't jump with out a jump cue. Some people can't play pool. It's the way it goes. Enjoy the game. I say it comes to personal preference. Next time I go golfing, I can't wait to tell the guy he can't use a pitching a wedge when he is half ball in the sand with a 4 foot incline to go. They were created for a reason, let it be.
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Tap, tap, tap.

Yesterday I shot straight pool with an old timer, he's 85 or so. In his younger days, he told me, he'd run 75 balls or so, today he has trouble running a full rack. Has an awesome amount of knowledge, love playing against him as I always learn so much, and he teaches as we go along.

Yesterday, I pulled out my home made jump cue, it's longer than 40 inches, VERY light, jumps balls with ease, an obstructing ball that is 2 ball widths away I don't even think about not getting over, very easy. During our match, I jumped three times, each time potting the object ball. He had nothing but praise for my jumping skills, and liked it when I did it. Is he an old fogey? Not in my book! A real gentleman, always a joy to play. By the way, he beat me too, by about 35 balls.

My kind of guy!

Flex
 
I wonder if this controversy will have the legs to surpass the smoking controversy. Probably not. Well, I'm with you, Jude (and Earl Strickland). I think jump cues have been a plus for cuemakers (and case makers too) but a minus for the game. I guess they're here to stay, but I hate to hear of their spreading into beautiful subtle games like straight pool and one pocket.
Rich
 
if jump cues have been a plus for cuemakers but a minus for the game than i supose a good batting glove and catching glove is good for Bary bonds and Jerry Rice but bad for thier respective sports, right? not trying to piss anyone off, rather making an analagy....thoughts?
 
Interesting that you would mention Barry Bonds in the context of technological advances improving play. See, I'm going to get this controversy going yet.

I'm not sure a better batting or catching glove is a good analogy to a jump cue. Maybe a better analogy would be an aluminum bat or a Sammy Sosa corked bat. Hey, I think billiard gloves are A-OK.

Rich
 
i realized the same after i posted it...did not edit to see some responces. but yes you are right. call me stupid (im relativley new to billiards...never played straight pool) but whats the big deal with using jump cues. being introduced into billiards i know it as a common cue...i was never around when it didnt exist. thanks
Jay
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
When we start playing Dungeons & Dragons, you can go get your mace. Weirdo.
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Don't you know your billiards history? Before the cue as we know it was developed the players played with a curved wooden stick called a mace. Kind of like the dice rake at a casino. Try playing pool with one of those next time you long for the good old wonderful nostalgic years full of unsurpassed talent without 'gimmicky' equipment. God I hate those leather tips and that chalk stuff. Any idiot can make the ball spin with that - where's the skill in that. Spin your ball with no tip and no chalk and then you'll be a player.

John
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
That's an awesome idea! I think you just answered my original question.
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Did you have an original question? I thought it was a rant and of course anyone who agrees is going to get a big hoorah.

I say if someone wants to use a jump cue in one-pocket, 14.1 or any other game more power to them. If the guy is a bad player then his shot will be low percentage and probably sell out anyway. If he is a good player then the shot will still be a fairly low percentage and I like my side of it.

If I am playing someone that can jump the stack and bank balls to their hole while controlling the rock consistently then I am paying up and taking them on the road.

I guarantee you that if Ronnie Allen had started using a phenolic tipped jump cue while playing one pocket thrity years ago then NOT ONE PERSON on this board would have anything to say about it. It would just be part of the game and we'd be discussing the great Ronnie Allen one pocket jump moves.

John
 
Rich93 said:
I wonder if this controversy will have the legs to surpass the smoking controversy. Probably not. Well, I'm with you, Jude (and Earl Strickland). I think jump cues have been a plus for cuemakers (and case makers too) but a minus for the game. I guess they're here to stay, but I hate to hear of their spreading into beautiful subtle games like straight pool and one pocket.
Rich
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Um, Earl Strickland is a hypocrite when it comes to the jump cue. He has a shorter cue that he uses to jump certain shots with. It is 54-56" in length and he will use it instead of his playing cue on some jump shots.

This is a jump cue in every sense of the term. Just because it's not the same as the most prevalent jump cues on the market doesn't change the fact that Strickland is using a cue whose properties enhance the jump shot.

John
 
Mr. Rosenstock and Mr. Lipsky,

How ironic that both of you guys coming from New York City would consider what you might want to haul in the direction of a player in a straight pool match using a jump cue. I do agree that it goes against tradition but times have indeed changed. This past year during the 2005 NJ Straight Pool Championships held at Comet Billiards, Parsippany, NJ the Ginkster himself pulled out the old jump cue during one of his matches and we all know how well he plays. I'd pay to see either one of you throw anything aside from praise in his direction.

Jim
 
Jim,

This may have been in his match with me. I remember something like it, where I was going to call the TD over to ask about the legality, but then I looked at the position. I actually thought there was no way he was going to make the jump shot, and felt he had better defensive options. I certainly didn't want to get in the way of him playing what I felt was a sell-out shot, lol.

If he made it, I might have thrown something at him :).

Kidding aside, if not in competition (where I wouldn't want to shark someone), I don't care who you are - if you are my friend, and you pull out a jump cue during a game of straight pool, I am going to tell you you are lame.

- Steve
 
Steve Lipsky said:
Jim,

I don't care who you are - if you are my friend, and you pull out a jump cue during a game of straight pool, I am going to tell you you are lame.

- Steve
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Tap, Tap, Tap.

Thanks Steve.

If there has to be a jump cue in pocket billiards at least keep it out of 14.1

At Hardtimes in Sacramento, JUMP Cues are NOT allowed. I've never had a complaint from any player about this rule. I usually get some "here, here" comments in agreement.
 
Steve Lipsky said:
Jim,

This may have been in his match with me. I remember something like it, where I was going to call the TD over to ask about the legality, but then I looked at the position. I actually thought there was no way he was going to make the jump shot, and felt he had better defensive options. I certainly didn't want to get in the way of him playing what I felt was a sell-out shot, lol.

If he made it, I might have thrown something at him :).

Kidding aside, if not in competition (where I wouldn't want to shark someone), I don't care who you are - if you are my friend, and you pull out a jump cue during a game of straight pool, I am going to tell you you are lame.

- Steve
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Steve,
It was either in his match against you or Santos, and I have to say that although I am a friend of Ginky, (as well as I know you are, unless something went sour that I am not aware of), I cringed when I saw him pull out the jump cue.

Again, times have changed, and I realize you have to adapt to stay competitive, I would really like to see jump cues banned in straight pool competitions and to remain true to the tradition of the game.

I had to call you and Jude on this one, even knowing you wouldn't really throw anything at anyone but, I do respect both of your views.

I will introduce myself to you when we happen to be at the same venue, as I respect both your input to this forum and your game of straight pool.

See ya somewhere, sometime!
Jim
 
ive seen jump shots very well done in one pocket. also seen the cue ball shot into the rail and jumped off of the rail to make a ball,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and that was with a full cue
 
Tom In Cincy said:
Tap, Tap, Tap.

Thanks Steve.

If there has to be a jump cue in pocket billiards at least keep it out of 14.1

At Hardtimes in Sacramento, JUMP Cues are NOT allowed. I've never had a complaint from any player about this rule. I usually get some "here, here" comments in agreement.
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I bet no one goes up to Efren or any of the top pros and road players and tells them they can't use jump cues when they are playing some high stakes pool at Hard Times.

John
 
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