What Good Is A Jump Cue?

Jude Rosenstock

Jude Rosenstock

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
After watching a set between two solid players and seeing them pull out their jump-cues several times, I really became amazed by the impact the jump-cue has had on the game of 9-ball. A shot that was never even considered is now the correct shot and creative kicking is no longer as necessary or even considered.

Now that the jump cue has been around for a while, do you think pool is better for it? Do Jump Cues Make Pool More/Less challenging? Exciting? Do you carry one?
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
....

Now that the jump cue has been around for a while, do you think pool is better for it? Do Jump Cues Make Pool More/Less challenging? Exciting? Do you carry one?
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I think the game of pool is NOT better off for the jump cue, but maybe more entertaining for the general public to watch.
Jump cues make pool less challenging IMO. Even a hack like me can jump now. Maybe I could learn to jump with a playing cue, but why bother with the jump cues available.
Yes, I'd carry one, but only because you have to if others are. If there was a way to make them illegal I'd be all for it. Trying to make them illegal would have about the same success as prohibition did.
 
yea i jump good wit a full cue but since everyone else got im not gonna let myself be in a disadvantage so i got one also.
 
Im never going to get a jump cue unless i go on the pro tour. Personally, i remember before jumping was so easy (with jump cues and phenolic tips) people had to have a decent amount of skill. With so many people jumping, beginners think that jumping is required in the game when it really isnt. And because they are beginners, they just scoop the ball, not do real jumps. I can jump find with a full length cue, but i would rather go for a kick instead.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
After watching a set between two solid players and seeing them pull out their jump-cues several times, I really became amazed by the impact the jump-cue has had on the game of 9-ball. A shot that was never even considered is now the correct shot and creative kicking is no longer as necessary or even considered.

Now that the jump cue has been around for a while, do you think pool is better for it? Do Jump Cues Make Pool More/Less challenging? Exciting? Do you carry one?
Click to expand...


i do carry one, and i'm very proficient with it. that doesn't mean i can't kick. i play the percentages.

sometimes jumping is the better option, sometimes kicking is the better option. sometimes you don't have a choice and you HAVE to do one or the other to hit the ball.

as far as making the game easier???? well that depends.

it may seem easier for you to get out of a safe..........but on the other hand, it makes it harder to play a safe if you're the person shooting the safety.

i think that in the long run, it will make the game more skillful..........no i'm not crazy...........but now more than every, you HAVE to freeze the cue to an object ball, or you risk the chance of leaving an jump shot.

i think you'll start seeing better lock up safeties in the future as a result of the player adapting to the opponent being able to jump the ball.

i also think that you have to be stupid to refuse to carry a jump cue. its not going to change anything, and if you're in this game to win, you have to keep up with everyone. if you think they should be illegal, fine, but you better be able to take advantage of them even so.......or you'll find yourself on the wrong end..........IMO.

thanks

VAP
 
I have a jump/break cue with the phenollic tip but almost never use it. I can jump pretty good with my regular cue and usually prefer to kick or masse'. I don't see anything wrong with using a jump cue if that's your preference. As to whether it hurts the game or not, time will tell.

There are players out there that want to ban the jump cue but I think that instead of banning the cue, it would probably be better to just ban the shot instead. If that shot is outlawed, whether to have the cue or not is academic.
 
i think i heard allen hopkins suggest this, and i agree:

you shouldn't be allowed to use a jump cue if you snooker yourself. but if your opponent snookers you, you can.

i tend to agree, because i've seen people(done it myself) leave a jump shot on a runout or push out to a jump shot. i don't think that should be allowed. although, as long as it is, if i see a shot that i would have some trouble getting shap on and i can get a fairly easy jump shot shape easier, i will.

VAP
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
After watching a set between two solid players and seeing them pull out their jump-cues several times, I really became amazed by the impact the jump-cue has had on the game of 9-ball. A shot that was never even considered is now the correct shot and creative kicking is no longer as necessary or even considered.

Now that the jump cue has been around for a while, do you think pool is better for it? Do Jump Cues Make Pool More/Less challenging? Exciting? Do you carry one?
Click to expand...

It's just another shot. In most cases, a kick or slight masse is better, because they are more controllable.

A jump shot is good when the kick routes aren't open or are risky or if the ball is fairly close to the hole to be pocketed. Jumping with a jump cue is a lot easier to get height but it's harder to aim than with a regular cue.

Chris
 
vapoolplayer said:
i think i heard allen hopkins suggest this, and i agree:

you shouldn't be allowed to use a jump cue if you snooker yourself. but if your opponent snookers you, you can.

i tend to agree, because i've seen people(done it myself) leave a jump shot on a runout or push out to a jump shot. i don't think that should be allowed. although, as long as it is, if i see a shot that i would have some trouble getting shap on and i can get a fairly easy jump shot shape easier, i will.

VAP
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What makes a jump cue jump?what is the basic construction of a jump cue that helps it jump so easy?I see you have placed Phenolic ferrels as a factor.What is the basic construction of a jump cue?I have always used my regular cue to do this and a bit of skill.It sounds like you guys are saying that the jump cues make it very easy to jump a ball .
 
Two aspects,

Find a rail or tighten up your safteys, if you saftey is jumpable then is was not a exucuted saftey. Freeze Em.
 
excessknowledge said:
What makes a jump cue jump?what is the basic construction of a jump cue that helps it jump so easy?I see you have placed Phenolic ferrels as a factor.What is the basic construction of a jump cue?I have always used my regular cue to do this and a bit of skill.It sounds like you guys are saying that the jump cues make it very easy to jump a ball .
Click to expand...

Have you tried a short jump cue yet? It's much easier to get height because of the short cue and the light weight, even with a conventional (as opposed to a dart) stroke. I'm not sure why the light weight helps but I think it bounces the tip out of the way instead of trapping the cueball. The short cue allows you to grab the end of the cue and easily use a steeper angle. The phenolic tip helps get the cueball up fast too. It's easy to control the short cue on a steep angle, which makes it easier to tag the part of the cueball you need to get the right elevation.

It's difficult to get a full ball jump with a regular cue when the object ball is close, particularly if it has a soft tip or a predator shaft, but it's pretty easy with a jump cue. Some regular cues jump better than others. My regular cue is a terrible jump cue.

I would say that a jump cue is a lot more effective at short range than a regular cue, but if you can jump with a regular cue at long range, it's easier to aim the shot.

That being said, I rarely use a jump cue. I prefer to kick safe when I can, and I'm pretty good at masse. The most effective thing about jump cues is being able to push out to a jump shot if there's no other push available.

Chris
 
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I think it makes the game easier. In that it takes emphasis off of banks and kicks and sometimes (maybe more than that) doesn't pay off the more skilled player who can employ the more complicated banks and kicks. I also think that it makes strategies less effective in playing safes. Yes, you have to tighten them up, but it just seems to make simple safeties a non-factor.
 
vapoolplayer said:
i think i heard allen hopkins suggest this, and i agree:

you shouldn't be allowed to use a jump cue if you snooker yourself. but if your opponent snookers you, you can.

i tend to agree, because i've seen people(done it myself) leave a jump shot on a runout or push out to a jump shot. i don't think that should be allowed. although, as long as it is, if i see a shot that i would have some trouble getting shap on and i can get a fairly easy jump shot shape easier, i will.

VAP
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Allen makes a great point, because:

NOTHING IN POOL IS MORE SACRED THAN POSITION PLAY

The jump cues of today have reduced the penalty for poor position play, and that's really a shame, devaluing this great game because of it, not to mention making comparison of today's players with the old masters more difficult, maybe even impossible.

Another big problem I have with jump cues is that the great game of pool has never been one of situational equipment (with the obvious and logical exception of the break cue, which, by causing the tip of one's main playing cue to last longer, probably reduces the cost of playing pool over the long haul.)

I play with a 12mm tip, a shaft that isn't stiff, and a long ferrule. When a long, straight shot comes up, I might prefer to switch to a cue with a 13 1/2mm tip. When a masse comes up, I might prefer to switch to a cue with a shorter ferrule. And on some shots, it would be nice to be able to switch to a cue with a stiffer shaft. I'm not allowed to make these equipment changes, however, as pool has always required that I master all the shots with one cue. It's a rule that not only makes the game more compelling and challenging, but ensures that the cost of playing doesn't get out of control, increasing the likelihood that pool will remain accessible to people at all income levels.

With apologies to those who enjoy jump shots and to those who make money by selling them, for me personally, I'd rather miss every kick for the remainder of my life than ever buy a jump cue.
 
I think I would like a Jump Butt Attachment for my Playing Shaft, but can do a Pretty good Jump Shot with Consistency, and accuracy with a house Q that weight in the 15-17 OZ Range...
 
First of all I own a jump cue and I like to Jump.
I have spend a lot of practise at the table jumping balls.
For me the Jump shot is another shot you must know in 9 Ball in the levels that the game have reached.
If you like to kick instead of jumping hey no problem but if you don't want your opponent to jump thats your problem.
As about Alen Hopkins that you shouldn't alow to jump when you lost position why should you be allowed to kick or masse?
 
ApoDra said:
...As about Alen Hopkins that you shouldn't alow to jump when you lost position why should you be allowed to kick or masse?...
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Well, I can't speak for Allen, but my best guess is that he'd note that the kick and masse shot have been around ever since cuesports came into existence, making them as much a part of the game's tradition and history as pocketing balls.
 
I've always liked to kick balls, either to make them or just to make a good hit and hopefully leave the other guy bad. I brought a jump cue a few months ago, because I was having problems making jump shots with the cue I was shooting with. I had a joss before that cue that I could jump well with, and never needed a special cue to make jump shots. I personally just jump balls when its a shot I think I can make and get position on the next ball. I rarely jump a ball just to make a good hit, would much rather kick if thats my goal because I feel like I have more control over the cue ball when kicking.

Just my two cents

btw I have a lucasi lc2000 jump cue and it does the job just fine for me.
 
New shafts and tips will continue to be developed and be used to improve a players chances of winning. That's evolution.

Let's ban the Predator! Let's ban layered tips! Let's ban wrapped butts!

The game will survive and grow with the new technology. Change is the only constant.
 
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