What exactly are they wiping off???

Maniac

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
Once again, my curiosity has gotten to me.

It has become a frequent sight to see the pro players wiping down their cues before they break, between shots DURING a run, etc.

What the heck are they wiping off of their cue?

My personal opinion is that it's just become a "thing" similar to wiping the palm of your hand on top of the rail before shooting or running your bridge hand out in a circular, closed ring from near the joint to the tip immediately after chalking. Kind of like a pre-shot routine.

I can't imagine there is any sweat or carbon fiber residue on their cue. It's not possible for carbon fiber to accumulate a powdery residue THAT often, and I cannot fathom that the venues they are playing in would have temperatures that would cause sweaty hands. That, and they are almost exclusively wearing gloves on their bridge hands anyway.

I have also opined that maybe they do this as a means to slow themselves down and/or calm their nerves and/or collect their thoughts. There cannot possibly be anything on their cues that needs to be wiped off, right?

What's your take on this?
 
The crap from the pockets. It happens on both GC's and Diamonds. Especially if I use my playing cue as my break cue (which I do).
 
Yeah, I had going down for a shot and seeing chalk dust on my carbon shaft. Never noticed it on wood shafts but it's really noticeable against the black carbon shaft.

Now the tables I play are, sadly, not the cleanest. I wouldn't think they'd have the same problem at some of these big tournaments with fresh cloth....at which point I agree it's probably partly just a nervous tick and something they've started doing in places where it's needed and has just become part of their process now so they do it all the time regardless of need
 
Just a way of psyching themselves up, getting their head in the game, like grinding the chalk and walking around the table sometimes even when there’s only one or two balls left
 
probably mostly habits from dirtier days. i watched an episode of stephen hendry's cue tips the other day, where a snooker pro is to take on a tough layout. stephen standing there, his only job is to put color balls back up and chat, but he's habitually chalking his cue..
 
It's clown show.

They clean the TV tables constantly along with the balls, they also wipe down their cues every time they sit.
 
Laminate shafts over a short time tend to pick up dirt/dust. I notice it and will wipe down my cueshaft, (yes, I sed cueshaft 4 all da perverts),usually once or twice during a match or tourney. Even with a glove you can feel that minor rough spot. Dunno bout others, but when I feel that, I wipe b/c I fear it may alter my speed a little. <---- You know, like just enough to shadow whitey behind a blocker b/c it stopped an inch or two short.
 
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