Guide to Picking a Pool Cue 🤔 

Very informative video. I'm old school player from the 1970s and I was able to meet and visit a HOF Ballard Congress inductee, Bert Schrager. He made many custom cues and I was fortunate to buy three Schrager cues from him. Very talented individual with many inlays, linen wraps or simulated leather and all maple shafts. Bert used a filament type of plastic for his joints as to eliminate a bounce or shaft click by not using a metal insert. Bert's original shop was in North Hollywood, CA when I met him. Later years he and his wife Pat, moved to Lake Isabella. Both are now deceased for many years. A truly wonderful man.

You don't pick the cue, the cue picks you!!!!

Great video! It was cool to hear others opinions on such an individual decision. One thing I would add for someone buying their first cue is make sure you like the look of the cue. While that doesn’t really affect playability if you like the way it looks you’ll want to use it more. Since you don’t really know what you like feel wise if it looks good you’ll play more and figure it out. Again great video, I’m looking forward to seeing more from this channel!

You guys did a great job on this. Very thorough and I appreciate the production value. I hope you guys keep up the good work, and continue making content. I really like your channel. Pool is on the ascension!

Watched the whole thing…what a helpful video!

Awesome videos guys!! This channel WILL blow up!! Top quality and one of a kind guys keep it up!!!

very good video. very informative.

Great video. I've owned many cues including Southwest, Schon and more. I'm thinking of going back to a more simple Joss in the 600. range with a medium tip.

I brought a pool table that came with 2 very light cue sticks so I went to Watson's my son found a carbon fiber one for 40 and I brought me a viking Vahalia cue for 113 dollars which comes with a lifetime warranty I'm a beginner so right now I can't tell the difference thanks so much for making this video I have a lot to learn

A decent player can use any cue to be fair, I recently bought a Cuetec Florian Kohler Avid series, was completely different to my previous cue but after a few games there was no difference

Great video! The advice you guys gave in this video is tremendous and very helpful! I think everyone that is buying a new cue should watch this video and buy a cue straightness tester. We had a 7’ Brunswick pool tab covered by stuff in our basement for the past 15 years. We finally got around to cleaning up the basement and we uncovered the table. This was a 3 year process. I started playing again, really enjoyed it, and I wanted to get a nice cue. With your advice and prayer, I purchased the Predator 4 Point Sneaky Pete Black / Blue Points Linen Wrap Pool Cue and the REVO 12.4 shafts. Based on all of my homework, I thought this was the best route to go and the advice that was given about using a carbon fiber shaft from the get go is great advice. I do love it and I think I saw improvement in my game right away. We also upgraded our table to a Brunswick 9’ table. Thank you for making the video and for all of your great advice!

My Joss west 68 / 72 awesome hit...what a sweet sound it has

This video is fascinating. And I agree about the price-point you're discussing around the 19 minute mark. My setup is a Lucasi Custom (which I know is still a production cue, though limited, numbered production). Let's just say it's high-quality produced. $425 retail at the time I bought it, but it was comped down some because it was the closest to what had been over-sold which I initially wanted. LZC-28 butt. I have a custom shaft that is purple heart core wood with a carbon fiber sleeve overlay, custom-fitted to the Lucasi butt. So when all is said and done, about $725 - $800.

Great

Great 👍🏿 Video!!!

Great content!

I think that once you get over $600-$800 you're paying more for decorative crafting like more intricate inlays, exotic materials for those inlays and other non-functional aspects of the cue. I just priced out McDermott's current COTM (G210C3) which started at $450 with a standard G-Core shaft (already an outstanding shaft), then upgraded to an iProSlim shaft with the carbon fiber core over maple. It's a really good-looking cue which comes standard with a linen wrap and with the upgrade came out to $600 with shipping. I suspect it will play just as well as $3,000 cue.

*DEFINITELY AGREE THERE ARE "SELLING MISTAKES" NOT BUYING MISTAKES. EVERY CUE I SOLD, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND AGAIN, EVEN ON EBAY. WISH I NEVER SOLD THEM. CANNOT FIND THE CUES I HAVE PURCHSED, ALOT OF CUSTOM CUEMAKERS HAVE PASSED ON AND CURRENT MAKERS ARE GROSSLY OVER PRICED*

*THE SHAFT CHANGES EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CUE. TRY A DIFFERENT TAPER AND TIP DIAMETER AND WILL BE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CUE*

I like this "round-table" of ideas . ....Thank you..... A good addition would have identified the skill leavel of each participant , ( with equal weight to each ) . I assume the moderator is the higher S/L but the opinion of lesser S/L players is interesting also.

Predator icon 4-5, cuetec 11.8 carbon with a sniper tip,18.4 weight, balanced 19 from the butt. That's what my journey has brought me to so far. Love the game

I’ll pick up any cue with a okay tip, fairly straight, and be able to play with it.

My personal opinion, the most underrated carbon fiber low squirt shaft on the market is the Jacoby BlaCk V4.0 (pick your favorite soft tip) which blows everything else I’ve extensively played with. But, totally my opinion. I love their 19” pro taper and the Kamui Clear Black Soft tip that comes standard on the shaft wouldn’t have been my first choice (I like HOW TITAN soft tips better) but I’ll be damned it plays perfect as is! I play the BlaCk V4.0 with my Predator 3.1 Throne uni-loc joint and with my Jacoby HB5 radial joint and both feel incredible which makes it the best shaft on the market for me

41:19 "I don't mess with my butt any more, I just play with Shawn's" pure gold 😂

I started with a Viking Valhalla, an entry level maple cue. As I did more research I was impressed with Predator's story of developing the 314 and eventually the Revo shafts. As a life-time machinist, patents mean something. So if Predator came up with L/D in the 1st place...why buy someone else's imitation? I tried a 314 on the Valhalla n loved it. Took the Plunge on a Curly Maple Grey P3 12.4 Revo not too long after n never looked back! Love the solid feel of that cue in my hands and I know that when I miss...It ain't the cue. Added an 11.8 Revo to the mix n the accuracy of that shaft is phenomenal! I've only cried the day I paid the cash out, but been smilin ever since!😁

Appreciate the informative video. Really like the topics as I haven’t came across other videos with the same discussion. Im also curious as to what the midrange cue was and setup, that your group liked in the test. Is this something that can be shared?

It's so cool when you can go to a store with 1,000 cues and try to play with them. When you live in a city with 100 thousand people, you can only go to a European or American manufacturer's website, choose a cue and wait 3 months for it to arrive and hope that it won't be crooked, it won't be broken, it won't be scratched, and there will be a tool with which you can adjust it to your own feelings

What I do when recommending to new players, is when deciding on your first cue, pay no attention to appearance. You really want to find the cue that feels right. That will help you narrow down to what make of cue you want. Then decide how much you want to spend on appearance. For me the biggest decision is joint type - steel is the most solid, Implex/Delrin in the mid, and wood to wood joint is the softest hit. That and shaft type will have the most impact on your game.

If you're new to pool and you like the game buy an inexpensive two piece cue. In time ,as you become more skilled, retire that cue and purchase a high quality cue. You might have to experiment with different cue tips but once you've worked that out you'll have a cue that will potentially last forever. My cue is over 20 years old. Still looks new and plays exceptionally well.

I'm a long time pool player and my main playing cue is a Joss custom sneaky pete I had made in 03. I used the standard maple shaft for it for about a year then moved to gen one predator 314. I honestly loved how the 314 felt but ultimately moved to a gen one OB1 shaft because I came across an incredible deal of snagging it for only $100. I've now been shooting with the same OB1 shaft and Joss but combo for 13 years now but have found myself tempted to move to kielwood. I've shot with some friends carbon fiber shafts and ultimately it just felt like shooting with a slightly better fiberglass shaft. My main question though is this, is Kielwood a solid jump from an OB1 shaft or negligible?

Predator low deflection shaft with a Kamui tip

Please show us each cue or a whats in the bag video

In shooting cues 3 McDermott, 1 Balabushka, 1 Joss, 1 Predator, 1 JFlowers, 1Bull, 1 Viking, 1 Cue-tec SVB. All have 2 wood and 2 fiber shafts. JI Jane 1 is none 2 is one and I got carried away. 3 break cues 2 McDermott, 1 predator. Also deluxe cue smith lathe, I do repairs and re-tipping. All have How Titan tips medium

What would be the best cue tip for a beginner or intermediate level player? Medium so not to much spin is accidentally transferred

Mine is just over 14, so I'm sure I could guess it.

are there normal carbon fiber shafts without low deflection ? i want to buy one but i am used to play shitty house cues.

What's the cheapest?

Well you have to buy a playing cue and a break cue and then a jump cue too

It has been said that pros don't use low deflection cues.

The butt doesn't matter its the shaft that's important and if you have 300-500 dollars and you want a good performing cue from a top brand then get a jflowers or a cuetec avid. Both of those cues are around 300-500 and low deflection. The Cuetec avid is a wood line of cues but my friend has one and it shoots smooth and jflowers is basically a budget carbon fiber cues and lots of people love their cue line and if you want a carbon cue but don't have the money for a top line predator line like the ikon series then I suggest you get jflowers. Now another brand of Carbon cues that are around 300 are Konllen cues they're not so well known but my friend has one and it feels good too. Predator does have some cheaper line cues but if you want a nice butt design too then get jflowers. My new cue costed 1700 because it's a peri break butt that of course comes with the break shaft so Jayson Shaw's break cue but I use it as a playing cue so I got the 12.4 revo shaft in there and I definitely shoot way better with my 1700 cue then the first starter budget cue I have.

if you want to improve your game, play money game with your own $. and ofcourse cue matters.❤

Magical thinking run wild. Get a Dufferin and good elkmaster tip and practice.

Where in the states are you located.

i played with a 100 Doller cue by duffrin and i won all kids of torney and i won't trade my cue for 1000 cue.. been playing for over 35 years and the tip is all it maters..

22.27 Ash shaft are no deflection

Seeking Gravity seems pretty down to earth...

You all forgot about chalk the different chalks .....

I have always played English 8 ball and was in many pub pool teams. I had to get good because sometimes I was homeless, and the pub was warm and dry. Later, when I became a Christian, I started helping homeless people, and there was this one guy who came into the centre, and he asked me for a game. Later he told me about a local pool hall and I went along to it and we met another friend of his. He said, "Do you play 9 ball? I had never heard of 9 ball. But as soon as I started playing, I was hooked, I even bought a couple of cues off him, a preditor playing cue and a Lucassi jump cue. I only play 9 ball now.

Weight and shaft (and tip but that can be changed later) are the only two factors that matter. Everything else is personal preference but doesn't really affect play. I make proper cues, not cheap American reproductions.

I continue to be amused by people. I believe it's the swordsman and not the sword. I use any decent wood stick. I'm way above average in my 3 leagues.😊

If you have the budget for it, SCHON CUES in my opinion - is the best cue out there. Next choice would be JOSS WEST from the mid 1970's I prefer LD maple shaft. Right now I use a Schon with a OB maple low deflection shaft. One other thing... your TIP is the most important part of your cue. It pays to get an expensive multi layer leather tip. Keep an eye on the shape of the tip. Once it starts to flatten, you will need to shape it properly or ask someone who knows how to properly shape a tip to do it for you.

🤷🏼‍♂️

most top players use ash

Hmmm....Effren came here to play using a $15.00 cue and beat everybody in Texas, then others came to Texas and he beat them, always using elkmasters 1 piece soft tips, and cheap chalk. I believe had he not succomed to other countries influences when it came to upgrading his cue that won him tons of cash, that he still would have won every high end game that he won with more expensive cues later on.! My first cue I bought at k mart, eventually, I upgraded to a 50 dollar cue in the mid sixties, and next to a McDermott and then back down to a fifty dollar players cue, about a decade ago.! I now have 2 players cues and a break cue that's illegal.! I will never be Effren, or any of the big names, I play because I love the game. But still to me, it is the person behind the cue who is the controller, not the cue itself.! Give me a good 1 piece soft leather tip, A straight wood shaft, preferably maple, A glove, some masters chalk and a cue case, and I'm ready to play anyone anywhere, win or lose.! Oh... I forgot, I won a cue at the county fair also for a buck.! It had Budweiser decals all over the butt.! Played just as good as my player cues until the shaft warped.! Won lot's of 1-5 dollar games with that cue back in the early sixties.!

*NO ONE EXPLAINS HOW TO SELECT A CUE OR CUE DIFFERENCES. JUST ASKING WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CUE?* I COULDNT STAND THE WAY A SCHON PLAYS. JOSS CUES ALL THE WAY, BETTER THAN ANY CUSTOM CUE I BOUGHT, PLAYABILITY.*

Biggest tip I can think to add is this: when you get a new case, moving forward ALWAYS , ALWAYS clean the tip with a lightly damp paper towel and then the shaft then wipe dry. Never put a dirty tip n shaft into your case again. It will keep both clean and grit free.

Really there's no guide to choosing a cue other than playing alot with different types of cues. This is what the beginner should be focusing on in regards to getting a new cue. The beginner really should be focusing on 1. Playing for money against better players. This is THE best way to get good at Pool. 2. Don't join leagues if you want to become a good player, play $$ tournaments, gamble, and practice the weaknesses. 3. Play as many games as possible, don't play league 8 Ball/ 9 Ball, Play Straight Pool, One Pocket, Caroms, Chicago (15 Ball Rotation), 10 Ball, Banks heck, even give Straight Rail Billiards, 3 Cushion Billiards, Pyramids and Snooker a try. 4. Play all the time and study the best, then when you are playing, visualize what Shane, Efren or Earl would do with this or that shot. 5. Try these things they do, you'll never learn nor even master these shots unless you try them.6. The biggest mistake beginner and league players make is that they confuse winning with being a good pool players. Beginners shouldn't even care about winning and losing 'specially next to learning the game. This tends to lead to using their individuality as an excuse for not learning stroke, ball pocketing, cue ball control. Close mindedness leads to veteran league players who never improved in all those years stuck in mediocre mud. Don't join leagues become a Pool Player, not someone who plays pool

9 ball cues are terrible. People choose them because they’re painted in Stars and Stripes, flames or Harley Davison motifs 😂

I knew a man when I was in my 20's he would ask the bar for a mop or broom stick. He would unscrew the handle and play with it. I watched him win game after game and run the table a lot.

It's easy. Get a custom cue from a reputable maker. Dont buy into mass produced items. They play dead. No love in them.

Nows not the time to pick a cue they all overpriced

Ha ha what nonsense and lies for millions dollars company to make money what guide the cue is not important any cue could play and win Efren win a world championship with a 10 dollars cue why not choose a cue with out a tip no body talks about tips because it cheap the tip of your cue is the most important thing in pool

I’ve played with straight wood cues for 55 years, no low deflection shafts, bought a carbon fiber from a friend so I knew I would have a warranty, the test when I bought it was a all on the center diamond against the rail, shot off the kitchen line in the center Andra the ball down the rail both ways in two shots so I bought it, tried to play with its can’t control it, it will do way more than I could ever do so it’s in my case, break jump cue came about because I always played with soft tips, couldn’t break any more, the phenolic tip gave me the power back, old age is taking my control away, those 8-9’s come fewer and farther apart, I play with a 15oz 63 in custom cue, plated a lot snooker years ago with a 12oz 60in 10mm tip, I learned to use a crutch early as when I started playing snooker as I was 5’2” and 75lbs when I got my first drivers license

Ive got a mutichy since 85 paid $150 and still playing with it