Billiard Cues. Do you own a custom pool cue?

Summary: Read about the wide variety of billiard cues in this short and informative article.

Billiard cues can be a challenging subject when it comes to deciding which one to buy. Your pool cue is a big part of your game. It drives me nuts when I forget my cue on pool league night (rarely) and have to shoot with one of my team mates cues. Don't get me wrong they all have nice cues. Shooting with billiard cues other than your own can affect your game. I currently shoot with a Joss East. Before that I was using A KC Custom Cue which was modified by our local cue maker. I now use the KC as a break cue. I shot with a Meucci for about 17 years before that. My Meucci is now only for looks. (for a while) Two of my team mates have predator cues or at least they have a predator shaft on their pool cues. These cues make the ball spin much different than the cues I normally play with. When trying to step up cold and shoot with one of these my cue ball control is a little unpredictable. I know these cues work well when you are used to them. I can say this because my team mates who own them run racks on a regular basis. This is the same as me running many racks with my own cue. I am sure that if I bought a predator and practiced with it for several hours, I would run out quite a bit with it as well. When shopping for billiard cues, you will find that there are literally hundreds of brands and styles to choose from. I would recommend getting out where you can hit some balls with different cues and find one that plays best for you. Your local pool hall could be a good place to start. Find players who have their own cues and ask how they like them. I'll bet if you explain that you are looking for a cue, most players will let you take a few shots with theirs and give you their opinions. Which is better new or used? This depends on the condition of the used cue. If a cue is cared for and not banged around and scratched up, used will do fine. I have owned many cues both new and used. Sometimes you can find some great deals on used cues. I have found some killer deals in pawn shops, eBay and other auctions. When buying a used cue, inspect it for scratches and nicks in the wood and if possible roll it on a table and make sure it is straight. (warped cues will wobble when rolled on table) You can't check for a wobble on eBay but if you buy from a reputable seller with a good feed back score you should be safe. I hope this helps you out when choosing your next billiard cue. Keep an eye out for future pool cue articles. To Your Run Out Success, Ted