What's a good beginner's cue stick to buy and what price range would i expect to pay for one?

Question

What's a good beginner's cue stick to buy and what price range would i expect to pay for one?

Answer 1

find a dealer in your area that has custom made cues from a family owned company. most of the time they are not that expensive unless of course you get one of their high end cues. the good thing about these family owned companies is that they actually put time and effort into making their cues right. and the first time! with viking, cuetec, mcdermott etc. they dont care if they produce a bad cue. also look at your local pool hall. i just a custom made cue with a predator 314 shaft and it was worth 700 but i paid 350 and the cue was only a week old. bought it from the owner. once you start playing you wont stop. yes you can get a "decent" cue for 100 dollars but play with one of those for a little while and then shoot with a quality made cue and youll see the difference. its not like buying a car, cues dont really depreciate. if you pay 300 or 400 for a cue you will have it for a long time and get good use out of it and not feel like you were screwed over. now go buy a cue and make that shaft turn blue!

Answer 2

There are two FANTASTIC answer on here already.  Simply put, don't buy an expensive cue to start.  $80-$120 should be fine.  Wood shaft, irish linen wrap.  Try out the cue before you buy it, if you can.  It is a very personal choice.  The only way to really decide is to try it and the only way to do that is to ask friends and people you shoot with to try theirs.  Personally I prefer a 12 or 12.5mm diameter shaft, 13" pro taper, stainless steel joint, irish linen wrap, and a 19oz weight.  Now I have a Predator 5k7 cue and a Players cue.  Both have these features I listed above and I love both cues.  But it really is a personal decision.

Answer 3

After you research various pool cues, I HIGHLY advise that you try the cue out BEFORE you purchase it. No matter the brand, the most important factor is that the pool cue FEELS good, "right", and comfortable for YOU! If you do buy a pool cue before you try it out, be sure that you get a 100% money back guarantee with your purchase! I have NEVER purchased a cue that I didn't try out first or compare with other cues. It's so important that you FEEL a few cues. You WILL know what cue and weight is right for you when you feel, stroke and compare different weights and brands.(The only cues I have that I didn't try out first, were pool awards).

Average price for a decent cue: 80.00 on up.

Most cue manufacturers make affordable and good cues in various weights. For a decent cue in your price rage, I suggest looking at Dufferin, McDermott, Cuetec, and Mali, (not necessarily in that order). They are well-made and very affordable. You're not going to pay more for a 20 oz. cue than you would for a 21 oz. or even an 18 oz cue. Most pool cue makers have a bottom of the line (doesn't mean it's garbage) all the way up to a "top of the line" cue. The variances usually have to do with whether each cue is handmade or machine made. Also they vary in price for the detail involved (intricate inlays, precious stones, hand designed artwork, etc.). A pretty cue does NOT make it a better cue. If you're looking for a good solid cue, just stay away from the "artsy" cues and buy a well-made cue that has a good ferrule (the white piece between the tip and the shaft) and a good 'joint' (the s***w/pin that joins the butt to the shaft) and is made of solid maple or of a good hard wood. You can always buy your own tips (hard leather). I also suggest a pool cue with an Irish Linen wrap (non-laquered ---but it's not the worst thing either) around the butt of the cue. Do NOT settle for cotton or silky thread wraps! For under $150.00 you WILL find a quality pool cue. Also remember that if you can't break with it, it's NOT worth buying! Your pool cue will last you a lifetime, if you take good care of it. Don't lean/balance it against any surface that the pool cue can fall to the ground. If you're not holding your cue in your hand, lay it on the pool table ---never balance it on end, against any table.

http://billiardwarehouse.com/cues/duffer... (click on the "CHOOSE CUE MAKER" tab to see a variety of brand name cues)

Call toll free: 1-888-809-7665 <--The Billiard Warehouse. They carry a wide variety of pool cues.

NOTE: I would NOT tell them that you're looking to buy your "first cue". Tell them that you are looking to purchase a well-made, SOLID, and affordable cue without any fancy inlays, that will last you a lifetime and that you can break with. Make sure it has an IRISH LINEN WRAP that is non-laminated (though it's not a big concern if the wrap is laquered). Ask the cue dealer if he will make you a deal on a decent case for your pool cue too. (Never leave your cue out in your car, even if it is in its case). Your cue WILL last forever with proper and good care.

Take your time with your search.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have.

All the best -

LAG

Answer 4

Go for a 'players' cue. I seen some from $40 - $100. Theyre a good price for beginners and those who are getting into the game. Or you could check a local pool hall. Some local pool halls have a no name brand thats quality made and good prices.

Brands like viking, mcdermott and predator are for more serious players and alot more expensive. Sneaky pete cues is pretty much a style that a cue is made to look like. Almost every brand of cue has a sneaky pete style.

Answer 5

First off, do NOT even consider Cuetec, or any other cue with a non-wood shaft.. Very, very few serious players will touch one with a ten foot pole. The advantages of their shafts are overblown by the Cuetec advertising department, as good quality cues will rarely warp if cared for properly. Also, most good players do not like the feel of non-wood shafts.

I would recommend looking at the low end cues from McDermott, Viking, Joss, and Shmelke (a cuemaker I know recommends their sneaky petes. That's a HUGE endorsement). All of them have something in the $100-200 range that are very nice cues and will last a very long time. If you don't want to spend that much that's fine, but expect to get what you pay for. Cheap cues are made of cheap wood that will warp, cheap ferrules that will crack, and cheap tips that will flatten and fall off.

As far as the comment about not buying a cue you cannot break with, I've never even heard of the cue that could not be used for breaking. The only people I know who consistently damage cues while breaking are people who intentionally bend the shaft into the table during the break. That being said, there are a lot of people (myself included) who do not break with their regular playing cue. It's not so much about avoiding damage to the playing cue as it is about not prematurely wearing out the tip, and the fact that a quality dedicated break cue will do a much better job than a regular cue for most people. So anyway, I'd recommend that you ignore that comment, as it's really not even an issue.  

Answer 6

i have all ways found that a Dufern 'Sneaky peet' to be a good stick for beginners.

Answer 7

Sneaky Pete. they are btween 25 and 75 bucks

Answer 8

Don't buy an expensive one to start.

Just eyeball down the stick, as you turn it, to see if it's true.  Straight.

If it's too cheap, and you "break" hard enough, it may lose it's "true".

I had a son that destroyed every cue I had with his "breaks".