How much should a beginner pool cue cost?

Question

Hello all. I'm looking for a beginner pool (8 ball) cue that is inexpensive and reasonably good. What is the price range that I should look for? What is the appropriate length and other dimensions? I don't want anything crazy, just something I can practice with.

Thanks!

Answer 1

they come in differant weight and lenths and they are all about the same price one is just about as good as the other and you should be able to buy one just about any where... if you know what the weight is you like to shoot with .... they are numbered just buy one that weight and your ready

Answer 2

I just wanted to disagree with those saying to buy a cheapo Walmart cue. Most of those will fall apart rather quickly (trust me, I owned my fair share of them growing up) and will not play the same as a well made cue. Do yourself a favor and spend $100-150 on a decent cue you could use you the next 20 years if you really wanted to.

Answer 3

I would say $30.00 learning the physics of pool takes a long time and the stick doesn't dictate the physics too much at all. But be careful "YOU CAN'T BRAEK WITH A TWO PIECE STICK, IT WILL WARP WHICH IS BAD". I play with a solid stick because I am wood guy but I have played with some really nice metals as well. don't worry about price it is all about feel. A cue isn't an extension of my body, I feel like it is a natural part of my body. Good Luck.

Answer 4

Yes it is true, you can buy a pool cue almost anywhere for just a few dollars. But all cues are not made equally and the biggest obstacle to growing your skill is the cue you shoot with.

Originally I would not have said this as I believed that you could probably shoot with a tipped mop handle if you knew how to shoot. I happened to do a big favour for a professionally carded player with two world titles so I luckily became a coaching project. Now I liked my own cue, I had picked it out for the aesthetic design and I had paid $130.00 for it. I thought it was a great cue. The first thing the coach did was to hand me a $350.00 Joss cue and say this is yours, retire that piece of wood you’ve been using. I argued but lost. I did as I was told on the promise my game was about to take a leap. It did. And it took an even greater leap to a whole different level when I eventually moved up to and $850.00 Predator Cue.

However, your question was, what should a beginner cue cost, and price is not the criteria that should determine your purchase. A good cue to practice your skill still needs to be a quality made cue that will provide least natural deflection. Weight and length are not really a question because to begin you have no real personal reasoning to make that choice and a standard 19oz, 58” billiard cue is the best starting point of reference. For price this could be a used Joss, McDermott, Falcon or Terminator Cue. However, the most reasonably priced brand new good hitting cue I have tried is a Richard Massey Cue and I recall this could be purchased for as little as $125.00 to $150.00. I bought one as a present for a beginner because it hit so well at that price range. Although. if I was just starting today I would definitely make my first purchase a Poison Cue and they start about $250.00.

Answer 5

You can find a good cue for around $20-25. Just find one you feel comfortable with, and when your game gets better you can upgrade to a "nicer" one.

Answer 6

I would suggest  you purchase a McDermott cue. You can get one of their decent sticks for under $100.00. The shafts of cues are "basically" the same. The price goes up when you start getting into the fancier butts and you can easily spend upwards of $1,000.00 for an ornate cue. Contact you local pool hall and most of them will either carry McDermott cues or they can order you one. I can order it for you if you live in Florida. I can order most any cue for you for that matter.

Answer 7

honestly, in general walmart has really good ones for $20, there really good and good to start wit

Answer 8

If your just starting out, and don't want to spend a lot, you can get a decent cue from companies such as Players, Schmelke, Adams, for under $100. Coming just above that, in the $100 - $200 you have companies like Viking and McDermott who make some good cues at some reasonable prices. Above that you have a lot of choices like Joss, Schon, Pechaur, etc and there are a lot of smaller local cue makers who put out some very good cues, these of course will vary by where and who makes them.

As for Predator, as the gentleman above me mentioned, well, I don't go around hitting the ball so hard as to generate the kind of flex he's referring to (except on the break). I've learned that pool is a game of finess and not power.

As for dimensions a typical cue will be 57-59 inches, 18 - 21 oz. with it's center of ballance around the top of the wrap.  It's more about what feels good to you.  One of the most important parts of any cue is the tip, many cues will come with a LePro tip, my advice, cut it off and get a new one put on, Tiger, Talisman are good intermediate tips for a beginner, also, you can get them in soft, medium, or hard.  Also it's important to keep your tip in good shape, invest a few dollars into a good tip tool, keep the tip ruffed up so that it holds chalk well, and you should do just fine.