Regent Snooker Lounge

by Nationaal Archief

Article by Matt Warmann

Choosing Your First Pool Cue

If you want to improve your billiard game, one thing remains certain. Using house pool cues every time you shoot just won’t cut it. You must purchase your own cue stick. And finding the right one may not be an easy task, but if one knows what to look for in a good pool cue, even as a beginner, one can make a very sound, educated decision when making that important purchase.

For your first stick, select a pool cue that is relatively inexpensive, definitely under 0, with the help of a more experienced friend, if necessary. Look over the cue stick for flaws in its straightness, finish and inlays before going any further.

Just about all cues have a standard length of 57-59 inches. Only a few reasons exist to stray from the standard pool cue length. If one is extremely short or tall, a shorter or longer cue stick may be chosen, respectively. Also, a smaller billiard room may, in some scenarios, force the use of a shorter stick. Otherwise, stick with a standard cue length.

Straightness is obviously very important. If your cue is crooked, your shot may be, too. To check the straightness of a cue stick, first hold the butt end, or bumper, up to your eye and look straight down the shaft towards the tip, rolling the cue in your hands ever so slightly. There should be no variations, or “bounce,” in the circumference of the cue. If this is alright, then take the stick and roll it across a flat surface. The cue should roll smoothly with no wobbling. Even the slightest wobble indicates a crooked pool cue.Next, check to see that all of the cue’s connections are smooth and uninterrupted. Examine where the ferrule meets the shaft and, if handling a two-piece stick, where the two pieces of the shaft screw together. Run your fingers over these areas of the pool cue to make sure they are flush and even.

Then check the finish and wrap of the pool cue more closely. The clear finish should be free of bubbles and the wrapping should be tight and obviously free of discoloring and frays. Remember, the aesthetic quality of a cue stick can affect a player’s confidence level and the ability to shoot well.Once you have found a cue you like, take a few shots with it. Sinking the billiard balls is not as important as testing the cue stick with a variety of both hard and soft shots. If the stick feels right in your hands, then go with it. If it does not, then choose another. Your first cue stick must feel right in terms of weight, balance, shaft qualities and even the feel of the leather wrap. Remember, your cue stick is an extension of you. If you want to become a better pool player, then your first pool cue must feel right in every way.

For more ideas, please visit BilliardNBarStools.com/poolcues for a wide variety of beginner pool cues.

About the Author

I am a 36-year old who loves creative writing, sports, and many other types of recreational activities. I have aspirations to write motion picture screenplays, and currently have three registered.

Question by Ronald Kenny: who was the first snooker player to be televised completing the 147 break?

Best answer:

Answer by Aaron
Steve Davis in the 1982

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Question by Abel: Who made the first century break of snooker in the history?
I know that Joe Davis was the first man who made the FIRST TELEVISED CENTURY BREAK.

Best answer:

Answer by rawlings12345
Snooker has been around since the 15th century. I’m sure someone did it well before recorded history. However, here are some other fascinating records:

At least three breaks in excess of 147 have been recorded. A 149 by Tony Drago in West Norwood, UK in 1998 is recorded by the Guinness Book of Records as the highest. In that match Drago was foul snookered and chose the brown as the free ball, to score one point. He then potted the brown again, for four more points, before potting 13 reds and 13 blacks, a red and a pink, a red and a blue, then all the colours. In October 2004, during qualifying for the UK Championship, Jamie Burnett achieved a 148 against Leo Fernandez, becoming the first player to achieve a break of more than 147 in a professional match. [1]

Wally West was reported to have made a 151 break in the final of a club competition in Hounslow in 1976. Jamie Cope was reported to have made a break of 155 in a practice frame during 2005. [2]

The five fastest 147s have been made by Ronnie O’Sullivan. The times of the three fastest are

1997: 5 minutes 20 seconds (video)
2003: 6 minutes 30 seconds (video)
2001: 6 minutes 36 seconds (video)

Add your own answer in the comments!

Question by Junior: The masters champion snooker, is it first to 6 frames?
Are you watching the snooker. The last snooker tournament had 17 on the score, but when a player won 9 frames. They had won the match. Now in this tournament the number is 11. Is it first to six frames?

Best answer:

Answer by Georgia
Yes, the number in the middle of the frame score indicate how many frames can be played.

So maximum is 11, or you can think of it as best of 11, so the first person to six would be the winner.

Like in the Ronnie O’Sullivan v Mark Allen match, it finished 5-6 so altogether eleven frames were played.

What do you think? Answer below!