Will A Heavy Break Cue Help an old man?
- Thread starter Johnnyt
- Start date
I bought a 20 oz J&J J/B cue with a phenolic tip from the pawn shop for $25. The guy said it was a 3-piece cue made in Japan. He said they don't have much room for pool table there and need a short cue a lot. He was not Pawn Stars material. Seems to break them better than my regular cues with less power. I'll know more in the morning when I try to get out of bed. Thanks all. Johnnyt
I love mine. I put a Samsara tip on it and added 4 oz of lead. For me heavier is better. Light aint bad...just like the extra weight since I am not swinging full speed.
Didn't read any threads, but go to a pool room with house cues, try out a 21oz, and see how it goes, won't cost ya much. You also might find someone there who's got a heavier cue and ask if you could try it out.
As to the gentleman who started this thread:: I, too, am an older cus (59) with problems in my hip and shoulder that are agrevated by hitting the cue ball too hard especially at/durring the break. I happen to use a light cue (18 oz).
Push through the ball means to follow through fully--a full 6 inches beyond the CB starting point. This is going to require you to drop your elbow so that the hand can continue forward. And yes, this takes some abuse OFF the hips and shoulder because they are not being used (so) improperly--stopping immediately when the hand hits the chest. Surprisingly, it also takes some abuse off you left foot as this foot is no longer trying to stop the perverbial train in 1 inch.
How do I know? Well only 3 months ago did I figure this out (push it through), and my shoulder and hip as not giving me as much grief now as they were then.
Push through the ball means to follow through fully--a full 6 inches beyond the CB starting point. This is going to require you to drop your elbow so that the hand can continue forward. And yes, this takes some abuse OFF the hips and shoulder because they are not being used (so) improperly--stopping immediately when the hand hits the chest. Surprisingly, it also takes some abuse off you left foot as this foot is no longer trying to stop the perverbial train in 1 inch.
How do I know? Well only 3 months ago did I figure this out (push it through), and my shoulder and hip as not giving me as much grief now as they were then.
I got a Player's J/B (similar if not the same as a J&J) and added an additional weight bolt to it on top of the existing one. It's at roughly 24oz now... I can break at a comfortable speed accurately instead of trying to swing for the fence, and I like the results. It gets a little heavy after 10 hours or so, but my petite lady-friend gets a reasonable break with it at a (seriously) roughly 8 MPH break speed. If you can't or don't want to generate the power through stroke speed, weight can get you there.
Great deal!
Hard to beat the J&J at its normal retail price, but $25?? That's downright criminal! Congrats! I agree with Okie: LOVE the Samsara tip on these cues. Lastly, not sure what about the break is causing you pain, but I sympathize (4 back surgeries for me). If it's from putting your body into the break, you can learn to generate PLENTY of power with only arm and wrist action and a smooth stroke. You really don't even have to swing that hard, but you do have to get your stroking hand through the shot. As someone else mentioned here, it's more the quality of hit than anything else, not just a full hit on the 1 ball, but a nice clean hit on the cue ball with minimal spin.
Lastly, on the light vs. heavy cue debate: different strokes for different folks. The current conventional wisdom favors lighter break cues, but the late Steve Mizerak had a terrific break using just his stroke, very little body movement, and a 24 oz. break cue. Use what works for your particular timing. Best of luck!
I bought a 20 oz J&J J/B cue with a phenolic tip from the pawn shop for $25. The guy said it was a 3-piece cue made in Japan. He said they don't have much room for pool table there and need a short cue a lot
Hard to beat the J&J at its normal retail price, but $25?? That's downright criminal! Congrats! I agree with Okie: LOVE the Samsara tip on these cues. Lastly, not sure what about the break is causing you pain, but I sympathize (4 back surgeries for me). If it's from putting your body into the break, you can learn to generate PLENTY of power with only arm and wrist action and a smooth stroke. You really don't even have to swing that hard, but you do have to get your stroking hand through the shot. As someone else mentioned here, it's more the quality of hit than anything else, not just a full hit on the 1 ball, but a nice clean hit on the cue ball with minimal spin.
Lastly, on the light vs. heavy cue debate: different strokes for different folks. The current conventional wisdom favors lighter break cues, but the late Steve Mizerak had a terrific break using just his stroke, very little body movement, and a 24 oz. break cue. Use what works for your particular timing. Best of luck!