Recommended Cue for League Play

K

Kjackxon

Member
Someone asked this question on social media -
There’s many options available to one who might be considering a move from casual to league play. First - Stop looking at all those videos that pitch the next cure. Get an inexpensive cue and put your $$$ into getting a good reliable cue tip - A tip of 80-85 degree hardness is ideal and won’t break down with repeated break shots.
Second - Forget about needing a cue for playing and another for breaking. That’ll come later as you improve.
Third - Make a plan then replicate it.
I started with an inexpensive Players cue and put a Samsara Laminated (M) tip on it. I’ve found that this tip has both the hardness and control once you’ve prepared it for play.
Your own comments are welcome!
https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/recommend-cue-first-league.547107/
 
I must admit, being an older member, that I don’t even click on a topic such as this typically. I’m bored with the football game tonight, so I’m watching/surfing.

League or not, you’ll use the cue at least a few times a week if you like playing.

Determine your budget or your ballpark budget.

If your place of residence is too small to offer the selection you would like, travel. Remember, you’ll use the cue at least a few times a week, maybe more.

I’ll bet that most places have a location within 200 miles that offers a decent selection of production cues. Travel there. Play with the cues until something clicks. (If they know you are a serious buyer, they really don’t mind). Buy the cue. (From them. They stocked the cue and let you figure out what you wanted. Screw saving a $1 online.)

Don’t worry about a dang tip. If you’re “moving up to league play”, you ain’t got a clue, anyway. Play a few hundred hours against people better than you. After that, you’ll have an opinion about what works for you, and it will likely be a valid observation.

Don’t miss the Forest for the trees.
 
Something inexpensive. League play can be sort of a mix of drunks, dummies, great players and everthing else combined. You will see sticks knocked over just about every time you play.. It can be lots of fun and quite entertaining as well.. It is what you make it, IMO!
 
Get an Ozone brand cue for under $100. Comes with a 5/16x14 joint, semi-low deflection shaft and hits great.
I own a basic gray one for "seedy bar adventures", but my primary cues are Joss/Schons with Predator Vantage shafts.
Btw, I've played with the Ozone shaft on my Joss and Schons and I gotta tell you, it plays real similar to my $350 Vantage shaft, even has a conical pro taper lol. The shaft alone is worth the cost of the cue, by a lot imo. Fits Joss/Schon joints perfectly, even has the silver ring to match Schon.
Anyways, there's my two cents
 
Go with something that has a brand name so that when you quit pool or upgrade you can recoup some of your money back
 
If players had to build their own cue it would change league play into a drag show. I recommend BYOC.
 
Kjackxon said:
Someone asked this question on social media -
There’s many options available to one who might be considering a move from casual to league play. First - Stop looking at all those videos that pitch the next cure. Get an inexpensive cue and put your $$$ into getting a good reliable cue tip - A tip of 80-85 degree hardness is ideal and won’t break down with repeated break shots.
Second - Forget about needing a cue for playing and another for breaking. That’ll come later as you improve.
Third - Make a plan then replicate it.
I started with an inexpensive Players cue and put a Samsara Laminated (M) tip on it. I’ve found that this tip has both the hardness and control once you’ve prepared it for play.
Your own comments are welcome!
https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/recommend-cue-first-league.547107/
Click to expand...

This all depends on the level of player, how much they are dedicated to the game and how much money they have. "League play" is a very broad and open term. There is also the huge factor of shaft technology, no two players will play the same with a single shaft. Before talking about what cue someone should get, I explain how shafts work and then we go from there. 90% of the time after I explain and demonstrate deflection and how it affects aiming the person wants to get an LD shaft. I also try to get people into buying something with a fairly common pin type that more shafts would be available on the used market.
 
jasonlaus said:
I've played with house cue, meucci, Scruggs, Richard black, Ted Harris, Showman, Searing, you get the idea. Just keep it in your hand at all times, yes, that means the bathroom too, never set it down
Click to expand...
If you think he is kidding, he is not! Don't let it leave your hands. I too take mine to the bathroom if I need to go there if I am not at a table with people I know very well I can trust to watch my cue. It is especially a problem with Sneaky Pete cues that look like house cues anyone can use.
There are a lot of good quality production cues out there that are not TOO expensive. Decide on your budget, get one that you like and go from there. Down the road you may have more specs to look for in a cue and you also may own several! All these years later, I regret having sold any of the cues I did sell but I'll live...
 
ive never had a problem with anyone picking up one of my cues by accident or otherwise

but just this week a team mate of mine thought my sneaky was a house cue and thankfully i caught her putting it on the rack lol
 
Quesports said:
Something inexpensive. League play can be sort of a mix of drunks, dummies, great players and everthing else combined. You will see sticks knocked over just about every time you play.. It can be lots of fun and quite entertaining as well.. It is what you make it, IMO!
Click to expand...
When I played league it was a concern over cue safety.
I always played with the cheapest cue I owned at the time.
 
measureman said:
When I played league it was a concern over cue safety.
I always played with the cheapest cue I owned at the time.
Click to expand...
When I was playing in an ACS league in the suburbs of Chicago I played with a six thousand dollar cue with all ivory. Brad Simpson was playing with an ivory inlaid SW at the time also. There were a lot of cues in that league that ran high dollars but it was not your average league. Many SW cues. Chicago RJ and I became friends in that league. Hope he is happy these days!
 
hurricane145 said:
It is especially a problem with Sneaky Pete cues that look like house cues anyone can use.
Click to expand...

Was playing the other day and a guy came up to where my cues were sitting and picked up my BK Rush and proceeded to leave with it.
He thought it was just another cue he could use.
That told me although to us house cues and sneakies are most likely to be confused, anyone coming of the street may think a cue is just a cue and they can just grab whatever is there, they don't distinguish.
Weird.
Always keep your eyes open.
 
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