What cue(s) do you use?

Hey, AllForIt. Wasn't expecting to get a reply so soon, if at all.

I would say one thing though, don't get hung up on the dimensions/whatever of your cue.

I'm actually satisfied with my pool cue dimensions. I'm just a bit of a cue nut. Always into any type of discussion regarding what everyone else is using. Nothing bothering me about my specs!

I owned a John Parris Snooker cue yonks ago. It was the cheapest one they had on display in the John Parris store (which was not cheap, just the cheapest one they had!)

Was it a Classic, by any chance? I think that's their baseline of cue - 3/4 jointed with an ebony butt.

When it comes to pub pool cues, I usually go for (if there is a choice) one that is a bit on the wide side at the cue ball end (American pool cue style) but light-ish at the same time. The actual metric dimensions you go into, I couldn't tell you, I just eyeball them.

Yeah, a lot of the rack cues I usually see have snooker or even American pool specs, usually thicker tipped as you said (around ~10mm-11mm). Probably take a lot of day to day abuse! I usually bring my cues whenever I'm playing pool or snooker. I can fit both my cues into my pool cue case. The only problem is that I have nowhere to stick my extensions, should I need them. Some of the rack cues I do tend to use have tips in awful condition, which is why I tend to avoid them.

I think this forum is more for casual cue sports viewing rather than for people who play to any serious level themselves.

Yeah... Every site I usually go onto for pool or snooker discussion seems to be more geared towards watching the games at professional levels rather than discussing them at an amateur playing level, which is a shame. Reddit is pretty much like that 90% of the time. I much prefer to play than watch.

Yes it was, exactly that. Lovely piece of work, but on the table it didn't suit me at all for whatever reason. A friend of mine still has it in his basement, I often wonder if it's worth a few quid now as it's at least 20 years old.

I would implore you to try and get it back whenever you get the chance. If there are any snooker shops or clubs around your area, they would most likely know at least someone who offers cue alterations. If the cue is too heavy or the tip's too wide, you can always get the weight adjusted or the tip thinned, respectively. I know COVID's had an impact and shops are shut for the foreseeable future, but it's definitely something to consider - especially with a John Parris cue. Plus, it's always nice to have your own cue, no matter you skill level or the rarity of your playing time.

That's why I used to take a piece of sandpaper in my pocket or even take a tip in good condition you could just screw in to replace the pub one. I'd try to sandpaper the tip without anyone noticing in case anyone would think I was a shark lol. Those were my alternative options to taking my own cue. I always felt I could play well enough if the cue tip was grippy and not sliding, and the cue shaft wasn't too sticky.

Yeah, I carry a few tip tools in my case if a friend needs a tip scuffed up on a rack cue. I hate those ****ty screw-in tips, though. Often hear of them snapping inside the ferrule and being a pain to remove. I much prefer traditional glue-on tips. Currently have an Elk Pro on my pool cue, but I'm hoping to switch to a laminated leather tip soon, which seems to retain shape better than traditional tips.

What sort of a pool scene do you play on? Do you have some county thing going on there in Kildare? I've heard of a Connaught pool scene (where I've living currently) but it's all a bit nebulous to me how it all works.

I'm in Dublin, but I have been looking for clubs, myself. I used to attend college in Blanchardstown where I made the C team once and the B team twice for our intervarsity pool league in Tipperary, so it'd be nice to play competitively again. I have gone back on campus once or twice purely to play pool with my friends on my days off from work, but other than that, I don't really have anyone else to play against.

Those cues you mentioned in your OP, what's the general cost of those...and do you agree one can play well with an inexpensive cue?

My snooker cue was around €100 for the set of a cue, two extensions and the case. Not a bad deal, really. My pool cue was custom made, so naturally the price was much higher, around €500 for the cue and the cue only. I picked up the case separately, which was about €70.

Absolutely. If a cue is straight and has a good tip fitted, the player will play their best with it - no matter the cost. Obviously, there are other factors at play that were previously mentioned (tip size, weight, length), but as long as it fits the two aforementioned criteria of straightness and tip condition, they should get on well with it.

Besides the length, I could never get on with my snooker cue for pool due to its weight at 19.5 ounces. As a rule of thumb, English pool cues are typically around 17–18 ounces. It's needed for the lighter touch around a smaller table. Snooker cues are a little on the heavier side, at around 18–19 ounces.

It's the same with the tip size. I wanted to go a touch smaller for pool. I didn't want to go too small, though - I still wanted to break and perform swerve and massé shots with the thing.

Many, many people who compete at amateur competitions like me usually tend to buy a snooker specced cue to use for pool, and maybe the occasional game of snooker. Since I play far more pool than snooker, I really wanted to get used to a cue that's shorter, lighter and with a thinner tip.

They're... okay. At least for a total beginner. Good for knocking a few balls about down the pub, but nothing much further than that. Once you learn the fundamentals, you tend to rest your chin on the cue for stability and a clear sightline. The problem with most Riley and Powerglide cues is that they have the joint in the centre of the cue, usually where you rest your chin. I've had a few joints pull out facial hairs when I'm playing, which is really annoying.

Another two things I don't like about them is that they're covered in lacquer, which can make the cue quite sticky and rough while you're trying to bridge smoothly, and the fact that many of them don't have a butt joint to accept extensions, which makes them pretty much useless on anything other than a pool table.

Some have good, secure joints and can accommodate extensions, but not the cheapest ones, from what I've seen.

Yeah I think the problem with cheap shop brands is the joint. They would last longer if they didn't have them at all, because inevitably the joint will break due to shoddy constriction. I have a vague recollection that happened to me as a teenager.

As time went on, fitting joints into a cue has gotten better with machining, so it'd be pretty rare nowadays to find that a cue's shaft has split at the joint. However, half-jointed cues are separated in the thinnest possible part of the wood, so there is always still a risk.

One other problem about joints in general is that brass is a very malleable metal and is not as dense as something like steel or titanium, so over time, the constant contact of the joint can cause them to become misaligned. Steve Davis' old cue is one example.

So do pro cues not have any finish on them at all? I couldn't tell (or remember) when I had my Parris. That aspect has always bedevilled me with pub cues, as if the cue doesn't slide in the bridge hand in a way that feels right it would really put me off more so than tip quality. I like to feel some resistance but not slippy either.

Professional cues are usually finished with some type of oil coating, like my Peradon is. My Woods cue is lacquered. However, oiled cues need to be reoiled once or twice per year to prevent them from drying out and warping. I'm sure your John Parris was finished with some sort of oil. I know John himself has his own brand, but I've heard that linseed, lemon or orange oils also work great for cues.

Sorry this thread has turned about be like a personal interview for you but if you would humour me further...

No worries! I'm quite enjoying it. As I said, I love everything to do with cue sport equipment, so I'm more than happy to do it.

When it comes to putting on a new tip how is that done? I know they are glued on but what type of glue (is there a bespoke glue used for this purpose is what I mean) and how do you keep the tip attacked firmly while the glue drys, and how long does it take before you can use it. And can it go wrong?

Usually, you'll know a tip needs replacing if it's become somewhat flat and is not retaining as much chalk as it was before. You'd cut the old tip off with a sharp knife, scrape the excess tip residue and old glue off and lightly sand the top of the cue tip. It'll then be ready to be fitted with a new one.

The new tip is smoothened out and levelled on a sheet of sandpaper and a drop of glue (usually any gel glue - Loctite, for example) is applied to the cue. The new tip is applied and centred. Give it about a minute's worth of pressure with your finger and leave it to set for about half an hour.

Trim and shape the tip with a knife and some heavy grit sandpaper (with lighter grit used for finishing touches), and voilà - you're ready to play.

If the ferrule needs shining up, some 0000 wire wool works wonders.

There are dozens of tutorials on tip replacement on YouTube, which is how I learned to do it. I did have my Peradon's tip replaced by the lads at The Billiard Company on Marlborough Street in Dublin city centre, though, as they'd have specialty fitters there ready to fit new ones.

edit: I've noticed both your cue's are ash. Is that your preference. Personally I would prefer maple because I find the grain on the ash a bit of a distraction for some reason. Most of the pro Snooker players seem to prefer ash. I think Ken uses maple. Think Taylor did as well. Not sure if there much a substantive difference apart from they way they look.

Ash would be my preference, as it's the only wood I've used so far, yeah. Ken actually uses an ash cue. A fun fact is that he's one of the few people using a warped cue, which he picked out of a rack when he was a teenager. It used to be a one-piece from what I read, but the butt was badly damaged from wear, so he had the old one chopped off and replaced with a very short jointed one. Dennis used to use maple, yeah, but he recently switched to a John Parris back around 2017, which is an ash cue.

Dennis' old cue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB3EbOEP5kU

And his new one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=506U9CuonPs

Loctite, really! Isn't that just 'super glue'? I'm surprised, because I thought there would be special glue for it. And I imagined there would be some special apparatus, a vice, made specially for this purpose. But no, just glue it on like you would some household chore and hold it with you hand!

Loctite do make super glue, but ideally, it's the gel glue you'd want to use. It doesn't dry out as quickly as super glue does, which gives you an extra minute or two to centre the tip on the cue before it starts to stick. I've known some people to use lathes to change tips, which is a bit of an overkill. But, damn, the results are fantastic.

Musta been a good rack. Any Snooker clubs I've been to the rack cues are dire. Just as bad as pub cues if not worse.

I used to volunteer in my local GAA club pub that had a rarely-used pool table, but the cues were in awful condition. Most, if not all, hadn't any tips attached, and I saw one or two with no ferrules at all.

The joint in his cue there seems to be made of plastic!

A lot of the Riley cues from the '70s/'80s looked very similar to that cue - machine spliced and a half-joint made from some sort of ivory coloured plastic. My first cue was actually one of those, and it was probably the best half-jointed cue I've ever used. Smooth as hell, comfortable joint tightness, and lightweight. Sold it to a friend in the pool society in college once I got my first snooker cue set, which I kind of regret.

Well, you have certainly giving me a renewed interested in getting my own cue, for pool. No snooker tables where I currently live although there were a couple in the past but sadly the venues were sold on and they got rid of the tables consequently.

Good on you. I know it's not the best time for pool in the world right now with COVID, but it's always something to look forward to. My Peradon hasn't even hit a ball yet. Only received it last July and it's just been sitting in its case since. Any snooker cue should do you for the time being, even if you can't get your JP cue back yet.

Do you have any interest in America pool. I was watching a few matches on Youtube and I don't particularly care for it. The way it seems to work on pro level is that it's fairly easy to clear the table (due to big pockets), and there's less tit to tat play. So it becomes a case of a player clearing the table many times in a row before your opponent gets back in. But maybe that's 9 ball so it's not equivalent to English pool. I think 9 ball is the most popular when it comes to televised pro play, and maybe 8 balli is more like English pool?

Nope, never had any real interest in eight– or nine–ball. From the bucket-sized pockets and the tacky cues to the American style of cueing. I have seen some good frames of American pool, such as Chris Melling's runout during the World Pool Series Tournament. But other than that, I'm not much of a fan. Again, with sites like Reddit or AzBilliards, they're all focused on American pool, and I rarely see any discussion for English pool.

I think 9 ball is the most popular when it comes to televised pro play, and maybe 8 balli is more like English pool?

I think you may be right in saying that nine–ball is the more popular televised pool game in the States, but I'm not one hundred percent sure. American eight–ball and English eight–ball are, essentially, the same game - the only difference is the rulesets applied.

I've come across some American pool tables in the UK but not in Ireland.

There are plenty of American tables around, but you'd be hard-pressed to find any in pubs, which usually have coin-operated English pool tables. You would find a good few in snooker or pool halls, for instance, and Aramith do make English pool-sized American ball sets for English tables.

AllForIt wrote: »

I used to play in a UK pub that had large pool tables. I couldn't give you the dimensions but I'd say they were half the size of a snooker table and approx 1/3 bigger than a standard sized pool table. I much prefer playing on a bigger pool table.

I'd say that could've been an American table, then, which are typically larger than regular English pool pub tables.

Only thing I didn't like about the larger pool table is the pockets were a bit too forgiving, i.e. they were a little on the bucket side.

It's pretty easy to "cheat the pocket" on American tables, i.e., playing a shot down a cushion in such a way that if the object ball hits the rail, it'll still likely pot. I hate bucket pockets, as I mentioned. Even in professional events, they're still quite large.

That's really funny you would suggest this, because I was just about to raise a point about English pool being 'televised'. Hitherto never seen it. I'll certainly check that out, thanks.

I think they show pool on Freesports too.

Yeah, Freesports are currently televising a lot of English pool matches. The people running it also do a lot of streamed YouTube matches, such as this one with Dennis Taylor playing Chris Melling. Definitely an entertaining one.