Buying Your First Pool Cue

For pool players of any caliber, there is nothing quite like the feeling you get when you purchase your first pool cue. You are finally free from the house cues that everyone else uses, and now you really feel like a pool player. Choosing the right cue can be a complex task for even the most seasoned shooter, and many beginning players waste their money on their first pool stick because they simply don’t know what to look for. Here are some basics that should help you out before you make that first purchase.

     While there are exceptions to every rule, generally speaking this is one area where price does dictate value. In other words, you get what you pay for – and higher priced pool cues are made better and are made of better materials than less expensive models. If you are like most of us you have played pool for awhile, become somewhat adept at the game, and decided that you want your own stick. Not knowing a whole lot about what you want to buy or even where to buy it you wander off to your local billiard hall or sports store. At the sports store you probably won’t see anything over $100, so you assume this is a good price range. If you find yourself at a pool/billiard establishment you might see slightly higher prices, but the cues look so much cooler than what you’ve seen before. In both cases you have sold yourself short by not doing any research.

     Rule #1 – a cheap cue is a cheap cue no matter how you look at it! I don’t care what it looks like, if you only spend $60 - $100 on a stick you might as well keep shooting with house cues. As a matter of fact, in this price range what you’ll end up with will probably shoot worse than what you’ll find in most pool halls! Remember – you get what you pay for and this price range is the absolute lowest on the scale.

     Rule #2 – appearance will not dictate value, or quality. In the “cheap” price range you will get soft wood with a sloppy grain pattern, loose crappy joints, and a really cool picture or design that has been painted onto the wood. If you’re just in to this for the art then go ahead and buy it, but don’t blame me when your game drops. As you work your way upwards in price you may find yourself paying extra for things that make your cue look better, but these are actually integral parts of your stick, not painted on graphics. These may include points (real points, not the painted on ones), inlays with exotic hardwood or semi-precious stones, or custom made designs or wraps.

     So how do you actually know which one is right for you, now that you’re not paying for a cheap cue? Here’s where it gets tricky, but this is an essential step that cannot be skipped – don’t buy it before you shoot with it! Sounds easy, right? Sure, any proprietor might let you hit a few balls with a lower priced cue, but the majority of the time no one is going to let you chalk up a nice, new stick and hit balls with it. What are you to do now? ASK! Most pool players are fairly cool people, so simply walk up to one (hopefully they have seen you shoot before), explain that you’re in the market for a new cue and would like to try out different brands before buying. Some may turn you down, but you’d be surprised how helpful most experienced players become. Another important thing to do would be to try out several different brands, they all play differently so practicing with a variety is a good thing.

     These are the most basic of suggestions; hopefully I got you thinking a bit more before you lay out your hard earned cash for something that you won’t be happy with.  In my next article we will look a little closer at pool cues, their construction, materials, weights, and brands.

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