what is the difference between a good quality pool stick and a cheaper one it's all just wood right?

Question

what defines a good pool stick how much should i pay for it and what is the difference between a break stick and one you do not break with and and what is a jump stick and what defines a good jump stick

Answer 1

Very subjective question. Most would agree a good cue will be straight with no obvious flaws, with a maple shaft, and a good tip. If it is well maintained you should be fine. Prices range from very low to very high. Often by trying different cues a person will eventually settle on the one they feel the most comfortable with. This is ultimately the "best" cue.

Break cues often have a more conical taper, thus creating a stiffer shaft. Also they will have a very hard leather tip, or a canvas or phenolic tip. This will help create more break speed. Opinions vary, however most would suggest a break cue being slightly lighter than your normal playing cue. The idea is that you can generate more arm speed with a lighter cue.

A jump cue is a short cue (usually about 40") with a hard tip as well. Usually a phenolic tip.

A jump/break is like a break cue but it is a 3 piece cue. It has a second joint just above the handle, so that when you unscrew it you are left with a jump cue. When you screw it together again, you have a break cue. Its a 2in1 kinda deal. Again, these will also have the phenolic or other very hard tip.

Answer 2

finding a cue you are comfortable with is important, but being used to YOUR cue once you have one is what makes the difference. Part of this is the feel of the cue, but it's more in the tip and how it grabs on to the cue ball. If you're trying to back the ball up 6 inches, or 10 inches, and you use your friends cue with a softer or harder tip, your cue ball placement may be off by a foot or more, causing you to not have the shot you intended for your next shot. My advice is to buy a quality brand cue, Mcdermott, Meucci, etc. Get some good tips and learn how to replace them, and practice, practice practice. :)

Answer 3

A quality cue is one that you can do all three of these things with. They are made of harder woods that are grained in a certain way and properly dried before mfg. I've always had good luck with McDermott cues. The price range is usually antwhere between 200 - 600 ducks.

Answer 4

You can get a fiberglass cue as well as a wood cue. The difference is so slim that it's really up to your preferences. It's better to break with a one-piece cue, the impact (in the long run) tends to make the two-piece cues dis-align.

Answer 5

You can go out and spend all kinds of money on a "good" cue and still not get any better. The fact is, unless you are very good, you won't notice much difference.