Finding a Good Playing Cue
Trick
Watch Jackie hit the blue 2-ball, pocket the yellow 1-ball in the side, make the 2-ball in the corner, and send the cue ball three rails to pocket the 8-ball in the corner!
How to set up this trick shot:
Make sure the 1-ball is touching the rail and the 2-ball is touching the 1-ball. Tap the balls down with another ball to make little divots in the cloth for the balls to set. Put the cue ball about one foot directly behind where the 1-ball and 2-ball make contact, and then place the 8-ball in the jaws of the corner pocket.
Use high left (11 o’clock) on the cue ball and hit about ¼ of the 2-ball on the right hand side with medium speed. You want the cue ball to hit the first rail around the middle diamond as shown in this diagram.
Tip
How to find a good playing cue:
First, make sure it is straight by rolling it on the table as seen in this video.
Second, find a weight that compliments your size and strength. Most pros play with a 19.5 oz. You also want to select a second cue to break with. Most pros use an 18 oz cue for breaking. You want it to be heavy enough that you have weight to throw at the balls, but not too heavy that it slows down the stroke speed. Also, because the break is hit much harder, overtime, this force will end up smashing the tip on your cue stick. Having a cue stick used only for breaking, will extend the life of your playing cue.
Since it's hard to find a house cue stick that is consistently what you want, you may want to invest in a cue of your own. If you only play a few times a year, you can find a good one for less than $100. If you are working on improving your game and maybe play in a league, I recommend investing more in a cue with a higher quality joint, tip, ferrule, shaft taper and wood type (future articles will deal with selection of these items). If you only play a few times a year these things won’t really make a difference, but if you spend some time training your muscle memory, you will be able to feel the difference. Once a playing cue gets to be over about $400 to $500, generally, you’re spending most of your money on artwork. There are some beautiful cues out there and not only do players like the way they look, but sometimes it makes them feel more confident about their game.
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