The Cue

The Cue

By Rick “White Wolf” Prince

Many moons ago, a King told His Swordsmen, “The Battle is imminent, Prepare for war! ”One of the Swordsmen replied, “We must prepare by sharpening our swords!” The King swiftly replied, “There is no time for sharpening your swords; it’s not the sword that wins battles; it’s your arm!”

That principle also applies to pool. It’s not so much the cue you play with but, more importantly, your stroke or swing.

The beauty and quality of today’s custom cues are more sought after than at any time in history. Pro shops, Billiard supply stores, Custom Cue Builders, and Magazine ads offer an astounding number of choices. Most cues are the best-built and best-playing cues available to any generation of pool players.

Players with just one cue are extremely rare. Most players add to their personal collection as they progress and become more knowledgeable about the sport.

Also, more popular now than ever are specific cue companies creating specialty shafts for many different brands of cues. Depending on your preference, these specialty shafts offer less deflection, more durability, or both than your traditional cue maker may offer. Add to this the new plethora of break cues, jump cues, and Break-Jump combinations, and you’ll find that cue cases are rapidly becoming close cousins to today’s Golf Bags.

The limitless variety makes cue buying and “The Game” so exciting. A single manufacturer might produce a dozen lines, with over half a dozen models in each line, all variations of color, wrap, inlay, joint, etc.

Some players believe the more prominent manufacturers will not make a custom cue. However, I know all the large cue makers are more than willing to create a cue to a customer’s specifications.

Custom Cue makers in the United States alone number in the hundreds, and several dozen are

featured each year in booths at consumer shows, large tournaments, and even art galleries.

There are several factors in choosing the right cue:

1. Weight preference

2. Tip and taper

3. Joints and ferrules.

Let’s not forget length, weight, and balance.

The bottom line is, does the cue feel good, and does it offer a good solid hit? Also, do you feel comfortable shooting with it?

I personally believe the longer you play with “One cue,” the better you will become. It comes down to your stroke (Swing). If you don’t have a sound foundation like your prestance routine, no matter what kind of cue you choose or the cost, it will not help you if you are not stroking correctly.

My advice is to purchase the best cue you can afford and master that cue, make it an appendage of your arm, and I promise you will be delighted you stuck with it in time!

Until next time...

Happy Shootin’

From “The White Wolf”