Hey guys,

I consider myself a fairly good pool player and play in a league but have never really owned my own cues. I typically use house cues in my league but would really like to have my own cue.

What are some suggestions of places to look and what should I be looking for in terms of a break cue, regular shot, jump cue, etc.?

I know by feel what I like for weight and all that stuff but are there certain qualities/differences that I should be looking for between different types of cues?

Excalibur is quality reasonably priced cue

Take a look at cue-tec. They make some of the best, reasonably priced cues out there.

I would suggest looking into a Predator, largely because most players use a predator shaft or similar low-deflection one anyway so it just gets you started out with something you'll hold on to. Predator makes some very nice stuff that is reasonably priced. It's better to pay a bit more to get a decent cue now than to buy 5 cheap cues and not be happy with them.

For what it's worth, I play with a very old Schon and love it.

If you are an avid player, I recommended purchasing a better quality cue (investing $200+). You do get what you pay for. I agree with Cueball on getting a Predator, they make the best shafts for their price IMO. And the shaft can be custom fit to almost any butt-end. Just google cue distributors like; Predator, Lucasi, Schon, Meucci, Cue-tech and check out their webpages for the different styles and prices.

Me being an avid player,the first time I shot with a friends Predator, I was amazed and instantly bought a shaft for my cue a couple weeks later.

I personally shoot with a Lucasi Quick-release with a custom quick-release Predator shaft.

Depends entirely on how much you want to spend. What's your price range?

Yeah, price range is key here.

I got a cheap Players cue, a nice case, and accessories off of Ozonebilliards.com for a very good price. For the amount I play, this was perfect for me.

Good link

I bought a Scorpion cue about 11 years ago and have had much success with it (I just shoot in pool leagues but have had only one losing session in 4 years). I don't know what model number it was anymore but this one is fairly close to it: http://www.scorpionpoolcues.com/ja06.html

They have a nice balance to them and are coated in fiberglass over the wood. Mine is still nice a straight even after years of standing against walls in numerous bars.

If you are looking to get a high quality cue cheaply, a basic Cuetec is the way to go.

If you are willing to spend a bit more, getting anything other than a Predator or Predator shafted cue would be silly.

Also, keep your eyes open for a good deal on a second hand cue. Pool players are notorious degenerates as a whole, and are often willing to unload their stuff overly cheaply.

Edit: I also wouldn't look for a jumper until you're more experienced and have had a chance to use a bunch and see what suits you.

As for a breaker, I wouldn't bother. I've been playing for 20+ years, putting in 40hrs/week for some of those years, and I've never used a separate break cue. Your tip might need to be replaced and reshaped very slightly more this way, but it's definitely worth not having to pack around more junk imo. I've never damaged a cue by breaking with it.

From the link:

Recommending a combo jump-break? Just no. Either get a dedicated jumper, or not, but the combo jump-breaks just don't work.

Here he gives away that he really doesn't know what he's talking about. Get thread protectors so you don't look like an amateur? Limb savers? Gmafb. Gimmicks both. You don't need thread protectors, and you really really don't need limb savers.

The dude is a huckster, and his opinions should be severely discounted.

Can't really add much here. I personally also play with a Schon with a predator shaft, I don't think you can do much better than that combination. I think the cue cost me about $300 back in the day and the shaft another $150. I've had it about 14 years. However, cues are all about personal preference.

That said, you should be able to find just about anything you want at this forum...

http://forums.azbilliards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5

They have listings for cues as cheap as a few hundred bucks, and as expensive as a few thousand.

Agree with jumper advice, disagree with breaker thoughts tho. Every time you break you put stress on the shaft. To each their own.

I agree that his tp and limb saver advice is bad, but I thought his cue advice(the subject of this thread) was solid.

I'd agree with this if he was using an old school Meucci or something like that as his shooter, but if he takes the advice in this thread he'll either be using a predator, or a cheapo cuetec or equivalent.

If he's using a cheapo cue, it's just that, essentially disosable and not worth taking costly measures to protect. If he's using a Predator, he's using a seriously engineered piece of equipment that's well able to withstand the stresses of breaking. I'd be amazed if anyone anywhere has damaged a predator shaft just from breaking and playing with it. Any damage I've ever seen has been from obvious misuse, temper tantrums etc..

The real benefit of a breaker is that it saves the shape of your shooter's tip. I'd rather spend $25/year on tips and a bit of extra time shaping than have to pack extra equipment around, but I could definitely understand why someone would want a dedicated breaker.

OP seems fairly new, and I just didn't want to see him saddled with equipment he might not need or want. For the time being, I think a one cue setup is what he should go with until he better knows what's going to suit him long term.

I might just be bitter because when I first got into pool, I got steered into some bad purchases by a room manager that was just trying to unload a bunch of crap on me and my team, all new gullible players. We dropped 3 or 4 thousand collectively on stuff that we didn't need, and was overpriced junk like upper end Falcons, etc.

You could also take a look at McDermott cues. They're pretty good for their price and they offer a lifetime warranty (most big cue companies do this though).

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Ideally I'd want to spend around $200 but if that's not reasonable for a quality cue, I am willing to spend more. I've played pool for a really long time but am new in terms of the "competitive" side of things.

I like the idea of 1 cue and I used to be able to jump really well when I was younger and had a pool table in my basement and played/practiced everyday, but now whenever I have an opportunity I definitely kick rather than jump. I've used some jump cues recently and they've definitely helped and wouldn't mind getting one of those.

You should be able to get a cuetec for around $150.

I have a lower end falcon butt and a predator shaft. I break with it and haven't even changed the tip in years. I use a medium hard tip anyways.

If you want to spend a bunch to get fancy inlays and stuff, go for it, but the shaft and tip and joint is all that really matters. I agree with those above that say get something that takes a predator shaft. Spend a bit on a good tip too.

I use a Scorpion regular cue and an Action jump/breaker. Both could be bought for around $200 total and that's pretty much my reason for buying them. That and Johnny Archer endorses Scorpions. But if you have the money, definitely go for a Predator.

how much does a cue like this go for?
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=373420

$1450.

I think that's just about the nicest cue I've ever seen. A bit outside what I'd be willing to spend on a cue, but it looks like a gooder.

it looks real nice. I guess if you were playing in alot of tourneys you might be able to pay it off.. Of course you would have to place in the money in quite a few

Its possible to spend $50,000 on a cue. That's more of a collectable piece of art at that level.

I been playing pool for almost 30 years, i'd say the average "good" cue for a person who has been playing for the first couple years is $250. after that long and playing with other cues you start to figure out what you really like/want/need and then the average price for a person who is been playing longer than 2 years is $1000-$1500. Cues in the 1-1.5K range will do 100% for 99% of the people who play pool 5+ days a week.

The cue you choose is what should bring out the best in you, Scorpion Cues are great for the price.

Really depends on what you want in a cue. You said you're pretty good. A lot of ppl think that but they have no clue what a performance shaft does compared to a stock shaft. If you plan to play competitively you should certainly look into a high performance shaft either from Predator or OB Cues. I personally prefer the OB Classic Pro shaft. Just outperforms Predator for me. I say buy any old cue that you like and then replace the shaft on it with an OB or a predator. Buy a $100-$150 Lucasi or Cuetec or similar and then replace the stock shaft. Those high performance shafts will cost you $200-$250 all by themslelves but they are the real deal and make a huge difference.

If you aren't all that serious about playing competitively just buy what you like the looks and feel of. ALWAYS hit the cue before you buy it to make sure it feels the way you like. Each company's shaft will play differently and each will feel different as well.

Picked up a $300 McDermott and couldn't be happier with it. Before that had a $120 Griffin that now seems like child's play in comparison. A big consideration is fiberglass vs. maple. Some are about the former cause it won't warp, but to me it's like shooting with a sandpaper-wrapped shaft in comparison to a traditional maple. Also, the McDermott I have is more tapered than the $120 Griffin, which seems thicker than James Deen when I bring that thing out. Birka.

look around your friends for a used cue. this way you get to shoot with it and find out what you like.
best buy will be a sneaky pete made by a custom cue maker.
learn how to put a tip on and shape it. it is easy to do.