Two Piece vs Three Piece Jump Cues

L

lute

New member
I am brand spanking new to pool (only played it in a couple of bars with pool tables while growing up - probably played less than a couple dozen games in my entire life - not necessarily because of lack of bar time:smile:). Anyway the "pool bug" has bitten me.

I plan on joining a pool league (first meeting this Wednesday) who state they welcome beginners. I just bought a cue stick. I have lessons planned with one of the local pro's. I have bought about five books (deemed "pool classics") and I plan to practice about six hours a week (plus league play). So that is my plan for going from a probable embarrassment (my current state) to a team mate who can at least hang in there (my goal).

While reading about caring for my cue, I took note that many players use special cues for breaking (harder tip) which prevents their regular cue from "mushrooming" due to the violent force of breaking. That makes sense. Further reading stated some players use a special cue for jumping (not sure why) and also that some special cues are a combo of both break & jump.

Anyway, for now, I will use a house cue for breaking. Gotta save some $ if I am ever going to buy a special cue. I looked at the same manufacturer that made the cue I bought - Viking - they had a break cue V175 and a break/jump cue V176. I reviewed the spec's on both of them. As far as I can make out they are the exact same thing (tip, shadt, etc.) except the break cue is two piece and the break/jump cue is three piece. Plus the break/jump cue costs a little more.

So my question is "what are the differences betwwen pure break cues and pure jump cues and the hybrid break/jump cues or are they all the same?" Also "does having three pieces matter?"

John
My apologies about rambling and not getting to the point - I guess I am trying to deal with my new addiction - and what better way than to join a forum:smile:
 
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no cue does everything great. It can do a range of shots great and another range not so great. That said a jump break is not going to break as well as a stand alone breaker and will not jump as well as a stand alone jump cue.

Just like a dragster....it can do 300mph in 4 seconds but it sure as hell isn't going to take a curve lol. When you gain one thing "generally" you will lose some ground somewhere else that is just basic mechanical function in everything.

best wishes,
Grey ghost
 
First off welcome to the forum and the great game of pool.

Ghost said it well in that break jump cues normally do both things pretty well, just not as well as individual cues designed for each purpose. That being said, especially as a beginner a break jump cue would serve you well for a long time. It would perform just fine on the majority of shots and by using one you may learn what you really want in just a jump (or break) cue.

There are many lower priced jump break cues on the market that are great buys for the money. One name that comes up often for a low priced cue that performs well is J&J. They can be had on ebay for around $60, and if you watch the for sale forum here you can find them even cheaper. I would recommend you pick up one of these when you have a little extra cash and try it out for a while. Then you will know what you may want to look for in the future if you decide to upgrade. But you may also decide you don't need to upgrade at all.

Woody
 
Forgot to explain why they make jump cues. Jump cues are used because they are much lighter than a full cue. The lighter weight makes it easy to get the cue ball in the air much faster.

There is much debate on if they are good or bad for the game, but they are here to stay. Not having and learning how to use one is a huge disadvantage. Jumping used to be done with a full cue and was not easy to control. Now just about anyone can buy a jump cue and learn to jump pretty well in a very short amount of time.

Woody
 
You can buy a cheap Bunjee jump cue on ebay for around $50, and it will jump a ball better than most break/jumps. In my honest opinion though, being so new to the game, I wouldn't even worry about it. Get your fundamentals down solid, work on your shotmaking skills and pattern play, and don't even sweat jumping balls right now. You need to build yourself a solid foundation before you start worrying about the second floor of your house.
 
Agree with the other posters that a separate jump and break cues will perform better, although there are many great jump/break cues out there that do the job fine.
Poison makes a solid jump/break cue that does both very well in my opinion.

Since you are new to the game, though, I would recommend holding off on using jump cues and learn how to kick at ball using rails. I see too many new players come into the game trying to jump at everything and never learn how to use the rails properly.

Good luck!
 
Welcome to the game. As others stated wait till you have some more time under your belt before dooming the jump cue route. Learning how to kick is a skill that will serve you well.

Besides I have no idea as what game your league is playing. If you pull out a jump cue in a straight pool league you might give someone a heart attack.

As far as what is better a jump-break vs. a dedicated jump stick all the above posters are correct. I have used a jump-break for many years. It works well enough for me. If I played this game for a living, I would get a dedicated jump cue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
 
Thank you to everyone who replied.

Yep, the question was really for later down the road. Now, I am just going to concentrate on the fundamentals and I am going to try to drill about 10 hours a week.

Sincerely,
John
 
In my opinion the jump break is never going to be an optimal choice. You want a thick(er) solid shaft on your break cue to deliver the energy. Whereas, you want a light somewhat flexible shaft on the jump cue for lightness and to have the shaft deflect out fo the way of the rising cue ball. Thus, you fundamentally want a different shaft on these two cues.
 
welcome to the forum and the sport of pool. as far as jump cues, do not EVER ask earl Strickland for his opinion on that subject! :eek:
 
I have a 3-piece Predator Air Jump & it's great...

Good Piece of equipment. I heard that Predator has another Jump Cue headed to the market.
 
2 or 3 piece? Ha!

lute said:
I am brand spanking new to pool (only played it in a couple of bars with pool tables while growing up - probably played less than a couple dozen games in my entire life - not necessarily because of lack of bar time:smile:). Anyway the "pool bug" has bitten me.

I plan on joining a pool league (first meeting this Wednesday) who state they welcome beginners. I just bought a cue stick. I have lessons planned with one of the local pro's. I have bought about five books (deemed "pool classics") and I plan to practice about six hours a week (plus league play). So that is my plan for going from a probable embarrassment (my current state) to a team mate who can at least hang in there (my goal).

While reading about caring for my cue, I took note that many players use special cues for breaking (harder tip) which prevents their regular cue from "mushrooming" due to the violent force of breaking. That makes sense. Further reading stated some players use a special cue for jumping (not sure why) and also that some special cues are a combo of both break & jump.

Anyway, for now, I will use a house cue for breaking. Gotta save some $ if I am ever going to buy a special cue. I looked at the same manufacturer that made the cue I bought - Viking - they had a break cue V175 and a break/jump cue V176. I reviewed the spec's on both of them. As far as I can make out they are the exact same thing (tip, shadt, etc.) except the break cue is two piece and the break/jump cue is three piece. Plus the break/jump cue costs a little more.

So my question is "what are the differences betwwen pure break cues and pure jump cues and the hybrid break/jump cues or are they all the same?" Also "does having three pieces matter?"

John
My apologies about rambling and not getting to the point - I guess I am trying to deal with my new addiction - and what better way than to join a forum:smile:
Click to expand...

I purchased a 4-piece jump cue last year from Mike Gulyassey! No, not a jump/break, just a jumper. Called the "Reaper", it's jumps OK, and I actually use it sometimes to break with at 54". It's for sale, as are all my cues...
 
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