teaching my girlfriend to play, cue weight matter?

scottycoyote

scottycoyote

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
so my gf has gotten the pool bug recently and we've been goin to play and im teaching her the basics. Its really cool to watch her progress, i dont know if im just a great teacher or shes got natural talent but she at least looks like a pool player now. So ive been letting her use one of my cues, and after she dinged it, Im thinking its time for me to get her one lol. Would a heavier cue be better to learn with? Im thinkin it might help he keep her arm in line and her wrist straight. Dont say whatever feels best to her cuz she has no idea. Heavy or lite?
 
fairly light

As soon as she starts trying to move the cueball around she will find a heavy stick frustrating I believe. I suggest an 18 or 19. I do suggest a nickle tip that is a full 13mm or a bit larger to start with.

Hu



scottycoyote said:
so my gf has gotten the pool bug recently and we've been goin to play and im teaching her the basics. Its really cool to watch her progress, i dont know if im just a great teacher or shes got natural talent but she at least looks like a pool player now. So ive been letting her use one of my cues, and after she dinged it, Im thinking its time for me to get her one lol. Would a heavier cue be better to learn with? Im thinkin it might help he keep her arm in line and her wrist straight. Dont say whatever feels best to her cuz she has no idea. Heavy or lite?
Click to expand...
 
i suggest a heavyer cue.. i let the weight of my cue do the stroke if that makes since.. only time i put somthing into it is to get way down table.
 
scottycoyote said:
so my gf has gotten the pool bug recently and we've been goin to play and im teaching her the basics. Its really cool to watch her progress, i dont know if im just a great teacher or shes got natural talent but she at least looks like a pool player now. So ive been letting her use one of my cues, and after she dinged it, Im thinking its time for me to get her one lol. Would a heavier cue be better to learn with? Im thinkin it might help he keep her arm in line and her wrist straight. Dont say whatever feels best to her cuz she has no idea. Heavy or lite?
Click to expand...
I would say something average, between 19 or 20. Yes with a full 13mm shaft. If you are looking for something in the $80 to $120 range I am sure I can help you out. Give me a PM.:)
 
Scott...I would stick with 19oz. Most production cues have a weight bolt that can be changed later if she wants...but I would start her out there. The great majority of players seem to prefer something in the 19 ounce range. Heavier isn't going to make learning any easier. Get her something she likes and is comfortable with. Consistancy applys to the cue as well as the stroke.
Steve
 
in my opinnion i don't think it matters. just show her what you can. i think it's important you get her to play other players (not gamble) its important to learn from different people especially when you're just starting
 
If you both are very serious (she about pool, you about helping her out), why not do this;

Refrain from trying to find out from a bunch of dudes on an internet message board think would be best for her, and let her find out for herself what she likes.

Here is how;

Allow her to shoot with various weight cues, and then let her decide what she likes best.

Good luck!
 
good input from everybody, thanks. Her stroke is basically nonexistent, ive only gotten her open bridge right the last time we played and still working on her backhand and stance. I really dont think leaving it up to her as to what feels best is right at this time, cuz she has no clue what anything is supposed to feel like. Ive heard different people talk about pool cue weights, heavy helps keep their stroke fluid, light lets them move the cueball better........i was just wondering if there was a consensus on that, start her heavier and end her up light was what i was thinking, ill have to rethink it now.

oh yeah i forgot to ask, which model cuetec would be right? lol
 
scottycoyote said:
good input from everybody, thanks. Her stroke is basically nonexistent, ive only gotten her open bridge right the last time we played and still working on her backhand and stance. I really dont think leaving it up to her as to what feels best is right at this time, cuz she has no clue what anything is supposed to feel like. Ive heard different people talk about pool cue weights, heavy helps keep their stroke fluid, light lets them move the cueball better........i was just wondering if there was a consensus on that, start her heavier and end her up light was what i was thinking, ill have to rethink it now.

oh yeah i forgot to ask, which model cuetec would be right? lol
Click to expand...

Get the Cutecs on clearance with the "Earl Strickland" signature stamped on. That way when you put that burgundy graphite shaft out if its misery by breaking over your knee, you too can imitate Earl, for the budget minded!
 
If she is short then she also needs a shorter cue. I see a lot of short players trying to use a 58 inch cue and their hand is too far forward toward the balance point. If they place their hand where it should be on the grip than their forearm is not perpendicular to the floor.

I don't think she needs a heavier cue. 19 0z should be fine.
 
IMHO, wouldn't steer her too far from a 19 oz cue. As she gets better she may show a preference for something different. As suggested above a cue w/weight bolt for adjustment would be great.

Maybe the biggest benefit to her having her own cue would be that it gives her consistent feel/weight/balance/tip and it's all hers! Almost anything beats grabbing a different house cue and weight each time you play.
 
Jigger said:
IMHO, wouldn't steer her too far from a 19 oz cue. As she gets better she may show a preference for something different. As suggested above a cue w/weight bolt for adjustment would be great.

Maybe the biggest benefit to her having her own cue would be that it gives her consistent feel/weight/balance/tip and it's all hers! Almost anything beats grabbing a different house cue and weight each time you play.
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she aint grabbing a different cue each time, shes grabbin my cue and she dinged it, which is what started me looking for one for her in the first place lol.
 
I would get her a 19 ounce or there about in weight with a 13mm tip. Make sure the tip is not too hard. Many imports come with Buffalo tip which is too hard for normal play. Decide what is the budget you want to spend? That would help you know which is the best way to go. If you want out cheap, you can get a pretty fancy decal import for well under $100. But like I said have the tip changed before giving it to her. If you want to spend a few hundred you can get a nice USA production cue or a plain jane custom. Or you can get a used cue and get more bang for the buck. Check out my used cues on my site if used is a consideration.
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
scottycoyote said:
Ive heard different people talk about pool cue weights, heavy helps keep their stroke fluid, light lets them move the cueball better........i was just wondering if there was a consensus on that, start her heavier and end her up light was what i was thinking, ill have to rethink it now.
Click to expand...

When I started out, unfortunately I listened to somebody suggesting lighter was better, that with a lighter cue, say 17 or 18 ounces, it was easier to draw the cueball, easier to move it around, and so on. I heard that if you had a stroke, the lighter cue was the nuts. So I imagined I had a stroke and had some weight taken out of the cue to make it lighter, and thus, supposedly, easier to move the cue ball around, yada yada yada.

Can't say as I really believe all that anymore.

To some people, my 19.2 ounce cue is butt heavy, to others it's too light, yada yada.

To me, it's just right. Lighter than this or more than just a tad lighter doesn't play as well for me. Heavier might be fine, but lighter? Nah...

As for moving the ball around and so on, I really think it's in the stroke and the cue tip. Even a great big heavy thick shaft will move the cue ball easily enough if the stroke is there, and the tip is a good one, that imparts enough juice.

In my case, much lighter than 19 ounces lets my stroke go off more easily. Perhaps someone with lighter arms and so on might just prefer a lighter cue. Not sure if a person's weight has anything at all to do with it, though.

One thing to try with her though are soft shots with a minimum stroke. See how short she can shoot the cue ball. If she has a lot of trouble and is always shooting the cue ball too far, perhaps a bit lighter cue will help.

Flex
 
Flex said:
When I started out, unfortunately I listened to somebody suggesting lighter was better, that with a lighter cue, say 17 or 18 ounces, it was easier to draw the cueball, easier to move it around, and so on. I heard that if you had a stroke, the lighter cue was the nuts. So I imagined I had a stroke and had some weight taken out of the cue to make it lighter, and thus, supposedly, easier to move the cue ball around, yada yada yada.

Can't say as I really believe all that anymore.

To some people, my 19.2 ounce cue is butt heavy, to others it's too light, yada yada.

To me, it's just right. Lighter than this or more than just a tad lighter doesn't play as well for me. Heavier might be fine, but lighter? Nah...

As for moving the ball around and so on, I really think it's in the stroke and the cue tip. Even a great big heavy thick shaft will move the cue ball easily enough if the stroke is there, and the tip is a good one, that imparts enough juice.

In my case, much lighter than 19 ounces lets my stroke go off more easily. Perhaps someone with lighter arms and so on might just prefer a lighter cue. Not sure if a person's weight has anything at all to do with it, though.

One thing to try with her though are soft shots with a minimum stroke. See how short she can shoot the cue ball. If she has a lot of trouble and is always shooting the cue ball too far, perhaps a bit lighter cue will help.

Flex
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good points. Well she tends to hit way too hard......im trying to get across to her to "let the cue do the work", and her backhand grip tends to revert back to just fingertips holding it, rather than hand and fingers wrapped around it, that was what had me leaning towards a 20 or 21 oz cue. Shes using a 19oz richard masters of mine right now. Shes tall, so a regular size cue is definitely in order. I was going to get her something cheap, just a sneaky or something for now.
 
scottycoyote said:
good points. Well she tends to hit way too hard......im trying to get across to her to "let the cue do the work", and her backhand grip tends to revert back to just fingertips holding it, rather than hand and fingers wrapped around it,.
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Scott,
Send her down to me in Charlotte for a couple of days. Save Your Relationship!!!
(You can come down and chaperone if you think it's necessary!!) :D :D
Steve
 
pooltchr said:
Scott,
Send her down to me in Charlotte for a couple of days. Save Your Relationship!!!
(You can come down and chaperone if you think it's necessary!!) :D :D
Steve
Click to expand...

lol steve........i was actually pondering that but she needs alot of table time first. Shes actually doing really well, im kind of teaching her like you guys taught me and i have to say after only two 3 hour sessions ive already seen a huge improvement in her game, but i guess when you got nowhere to go but up it comes quick lol. Its challenging because it still has to be fun for her, shes not hardcore enough to just want to do drills, so im teaching her as we play games of 8ball, setting up new shots, just kind of piecemealing a lesson together. Its super cool for me cuz in the past when id say lets go shoot pool (which is rare) shed always say yeah but i felt like she only did it for me. Now shes like.......lets go shoot pool!!!! lol
 
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