5 THINGS YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT BEFORE PURCHASING A POOL CUE

Before settling on a choice for any of the numerous purchases you will make throughout your life, you will need to do a significant amount of study. This approach can be quite time-consuming and overwhelming, which is almost enough to convince even the most dedicated power shopper to give up. The acquisition of a new pool cue is not required to count as one of those items.

Here are five important factors to bear in mind that will assist you in your quest of selecting a cue, whether you are doing it for yourself or as a present for another person.

1. THE BUDGET: LOCATING THE APPROPRIATE CUE WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

It's possible that the type of cue we buy will be determined, for many of us, by how much money we have in our wallets. So, don't worry about it. The cost of acquiring the appropriate cue does not have to be prohibitive. When compared to playing with unstable, beat-up, old home cues, using any two-piece maple pool cue will provide your game with more consistency, which WILL help your game. When figuring out how much money you have available for a new cue, it is important to take into account the player's current level of expertise in the game.

2. SKILL LEVEL: TAKE INTO ACCOUNT HOW SERIOUS THE PLAYER IS ABOUT THE GAME.

Within a price range of $100, most beginning players should be able to track down a reliable starter cue. When a person begins taking part in competitive activities such as league play or tournaments, they should probably give some thought to upgrading to a more robust version of their current setup.

3. CHOOSE A CUE THAT MEETS YOUR REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF ITS PERFORMANCE.

The more serious the player, the greater the potential need for more advanced cue technology. All Predator cues feature a low-deflection shaft as standard equipment. This shaft is intended to improve accuracy and overall playability. When it comes to items with low-deflection, this is the brand that I find to be the most reliable and trustworthy personally. CueTec Cynergy, McDermott, and Meucci are some of the other manufacturers that produce a product that is analogous to this one. Watch this video to get more information about cue ball deflection so that you can decide if using that technology would be beneficial to your game!

If the player does not require a high-performance cue, the majority of cues come standard with a regular maple shaft (unless otherwise noted). If you want your cue to last longer and function better, you should never store it resting against a wall or in temperatures that are either extremely hot or extremely cold.

4. PERSONAL STYLE: Select a look that complements the character of the player.

Consider the level of the player while engaging in a discussion over whether form or function is more important (and your budget). After you have established the pricing range, skill level, and performance level of the cue, you will have a limited number of options to choose from in terms of its visual design. Within specific pricing ranges, the quality of the cue does not typically change greatly from one range to the next. The price differential reflects the increased emphasis placed on function over fashion.

If you are the type of person that demands the "latest and greatest" equipment or wants something that would cause others to drool with envy, you should probably gravitate toward the higher end styles, such as the following:

5. WEIGHT/BALANCE - CHOOSE THE CORRECT WEIGHT AND BALANCE FOR YOUR ACTIVITY.

You've finally found a cue that you adore; the next question is, what weight and balance are ideal for you? The weight of the majority of cues can range anywhere from 18 to 21 ounces. You read that correctly; the number gives the whole weight of the cue after it has been put together in its entirety. The butt of the cue is often where the majority of the weight is distributed on most house cues. A house cue will feel "butt heavy" to a shooter who is vertically challenged and has a shorter than average arm span (like myself), which will inherently cause one of two things to occur: either the player will tend to grip the cue too far back to compensate, or the player's tip will pull up during the follow through due to the excess weight in the back of the cue.

If you are on the shorter side, you should search for a cue that is weighted more toward the front of the body. The weights in the butt of production cues are made to be easily interchangeable so that they can be added or withdrawn as needed. As a result, the equilibrium could be different depending on the overall weight of the cue. The back is often sold at the most common and optimal weight of 19 ounces.

If a player continues to improve and take the game more seriously, there is a possibility that they will require a specific breaking or jumping cue. These make use of specialized technology that is exclusive to their respective roles and necessitate independent research on the user's part. Think about these five factors if you're in the market for a new pool cue, whether it's for yourself or for someone else, and spend more time practicing with the cue than you do shopping for it.