The shaft of my pool cue creates friction against my hand when I play a shot, how can I resolve this?

Question

I have been advised that I should not burnish it as it is best to keep the varnish. Is this true? I was told to use furniture polish to make it smooth, which works but it wears off so I have to apply it regularly. Am I doing the right thing? Has anybody got any better suggestions?

Answer 1

use either baby powder on your hands, or they have chalk for your hands too

Answer 2

This is why most pool hall's have a big block of talc powder available.

Answer 3

Whatever you do, do NOT use ANY kind of powder. For starters, it ruins felt so no serious pool player would even suggest such a ludicrous act.

Think about what powder would be doing. Your hands are already sweating so the powder will be getting wet. Granted, it's absorbing the moisture and is turning into a fine past in the process. You can use your imagination as to what happens after that.

Johnny is probably the closest with his answer. I clean the shaft of my cue by periodically using 2000 grit sand paper on it. It doesn't hurt the wood and if you've been playing with your cue for any length of time the factory finish has probably long been worn down as to being of little or no use.

I just don't recommend using any kind of powders, chemicals, or cleaning products on your cue.

Answer 4

Clean hands + clean cue = no sweat!

My hands used to sweat when I played pool and I used to use powder (rookie!!!?). I was taught by a world pro, that powder and the chalk/powder cones, only make the problem worse. It mucks up the balls, your cue, the cloth, and the whole table. Powder actually makes your hands sweat more.

Clean your shaft with rubbing alcohol and a dry towel. Once you've removed alll the muck, you can use 3m scotch pads (as Johnny suggested) - use the scotch pads DRY.

Wash your hands thoroughly and dry them thoroughly before you handle your cue and before you play!!!

You'll never need powder or that white mucky chalk again!

World Pro: Danny DiLiberto taught me this when I was a kid. He also threw out EVERY chalk/powder cone in the pool hall (the pool hall owner finally gave up on buying them). It really does make a mess everywhere and makes matters worse.

I never thought I could do without powder ---- I was wrong. You'll NEVER see a seasoned player using powder or hand-chalk.

CLEAN CUE + CLEAN HANDS = SMOOTH CUE STICK!

Give it a try! It's better for you, your cue, the cloth, the table, and the balls.

A GREAT product for your cue stick is: "McMagic" The Ultimate Shaft Conditioning System (micro-paper). The whole pkg. sells for $5.00. It's a pkg of 4 very fine and varied grit equivalents up to 7500 grit micro-paper. You can wash and reuse the micro-papers over and over. Your shaft will be the smoothest you've ever felt ---like silk! (McDermott should pay me for that plug!!?) Seriously ---- It's THE best!  I just looked them up online. They now sell for 6.50 to 8.00 --THAT'S how long they last ---long enough for the price to increase over the last four years. I still use mine ALL the time ---still like new!

Here's a few links to get an idea of what I'm talking about:

http://www.darting.com/McDermott_Billiar...

http://www.billiardscues.com/cart/produc...

http://www.gamemasterrec.com/McDermott_M...

Call McDermott toll free: 1-800-666-2283 to get the best deal on the McMagic micro-paper shaft cleaning system.

Good luck, pool player!

LAG

Answer 5

Baby powder on your hands.

True- I would never burnish my shaft!

Answer 6

I used to use powder but it would leave a bunch of caked powder on my cue. Now I just make sure I wash my hands before I play.

Answer 7

There are special liquids for cue shafts. Called Cue Silk and Silk Clean. Ask in your local billiards store or order online. They are good.

Answer 8

baby powder is the cheap way. you can also use talcom powder

Answer 9

My case lever leaves the house without my little container of rubbing alcohol, the stuff works wonders.  

Answer 10

i use baby powder too

Answer 11

No pun but its a strokes for folks thing

The first thing I do to a new shaft is take it down to bare wood with scotch brite

then 800 sand paper then i just put a "Little" powder on my bridge fingers That cone chalk is barred from most real poolrooms That c**p is the worst thing you can use

Also a glove but i have 2 but very rarely use them