Any TBH Billiards Players?

[lab man]

Tmurray-I would get you a good two piece cue and a nice case. I usually use a house cue to break with. A quality tip can make a huge difference in putting english on the ball.

Most of the bigger names cue makers make quality cues. Just figure out if you prefer a wood or carbon fiber shaft.

If your budget allow there are some top notch custom cue makers out there.
AZ Billiards is a good forum to browse for billiard info.

[Krivoman]

I played with a www.mcdermottcue.com

I like a 19 slim neck. Not sure if those are still considered high end ques, but they were back in the 90s.

[sailor]

If your playing "safeties"............
I don't want to play, you...............
And you don't want, to play me.............

[MadHatter]

Found this old thread and have a question for you pros. I’ve always been an above average non-player. Just played a ton in college (15 years ago). My neighbor and I hang out quite a bit and he recently put a nice 8’ table in his house. We play fairly often but we’ve only ever had crappy sticks. The beat being a $50 graphite cue from Academy.

I want to get into a nice set of cues but don’t know what I’m looking for. I am fairly handy at putting English on the ball but need to be way better.

Should I be looking for 1 do it all cue? Should I have a fat tipped 25oz breaking cue?

Also, if I go to a billiards store can I demo them or am I better off listening to advice here and ordering online?

I tend to gravitate towards heavier cues when available, love a 21oz stick.

Take me to school please.

At the moment you have no clue what you are looking for .
Just because it cost money, doesn't mean you will like it or if you will keep it.
All this depends almost entirely on how you good you plan on becoming, or how much time you want to put into it.
Pool takes immense amounts of dedication, of which only a very select few find time for.
It's the arrow not the Indian.
A cue will never make you play better, period.
The greatest that have ever roamed America were known for playing off the wall.
McCready(Color of Money Character), Hall, Varner, Strickland, and of course Reyes, of which there's no better example.
It didn't matter if the cue was crooked, the tip was good, or what it weighed.
A little chalk, between the leather and the ball, is all that is needed.
Many are famous for betting on their ability to play entire sets without ever chalking, so there's that.
All that to say, no cue will ever help you put more English on a ball, no matter what any one ever tells you.
Your stroke is what controls it all.
Nothing in the game matters except the stroke.
Find it, and the cuts, the straight in shots, the banks, they all follow suite naturally, as a result of rote memory.
You can labor for yrs in all that crap about aiming systems, and angles, and Yada Yada Yada, but it all bows to the stroke.
As mentioned Azbilliards is a great source, I've been on there since the beginning.
A wealth of information, and everything you ever thought of asking is there.
They also have a politics section, that is like ours,....aflame...
Much like this site, in many way, a little more free speech as far as cussing, be warned.
Pool can get serious .
Some really good people and good community.
They are pool in a sense.
But if you want to jump into cues, the latest rage is Carbon fiber. Wood has been thrown to the side, in favor of new technology and market hype.
Predator is at the top of their game, but like many companies(Arcteryx), you are going to also pay for the name.
Almost every one is playing with a carbon shaft, screwed to their favorite butt.
Pin size can be mixed and matched to any size anything.
If you want old school wood, but production and cheap, Lucassi is a favorite of mine.
Played for years with some of the older McDermott Masters series(wood to wood) and they were jam up.
Mezz is making nice production cues also.
Production is slowed across the board though and pool is taking a huge hit from covid.
I'm sure availability is scarce.
Players are not playing as the big tournaments have all had to cancel.
From there you can look into semi-custom cues, depending on how you class them.
Schon as always is holding the of the top spots if not the top spot.
Hard to go wrong there.
OB is making some new stuff, that is much better since Royce died.
2 buyouts, and a few greedy people later, they finally seem to be on the right track.
If you want custom it's hard to beat Huebler, Bloodworth or Olivier.
Some of my favorites and from right here in Texas.
Check out Samsara, amazing cue, old school design, and a pleasure to play with.
Taper if a very individual thing, you'll know it when you find it.
If you decide to go new school, it's like swapping parts on a AR.
Some guy's have 5 different playing shafts, 3 break shafts, 4 butts, 6 kinds of chalk, and 2 jump cues, rags, shapers, and scuffers, and to tote it around, requires something like a golf a bag.
For the entirety of pool, up until 20 yrs or so ago, 1 player had 1 cue, when he stepped up.
He brought skill, stamina, and a unbelievable amount of heart to the table.
Probably alot of whiskey as well
Nowadays there are million gimmicks that improve nothing.
If your end goal is to become better as mentioned, and your current cue isn't crooked, I wouldn't change it.
When you become proficient enough to play the ghost to a 5 or 6, then you can start thinking about a new cue.
Until then you are just guessing as far as feel, etc..
Over time(enough of it lol) your stroke improves, the feel changes, the hit changes, and you realize this cue sucks.
A cue can become a crutch real quick, don't fall into that wormhole, if skill is the end goal.
Sorry for the rant!
I love the game, it's been a mind consuming, 25 yr love affair.
There is nothing quite like it, when you become proficient enough to delve into the infinite possibilities it offers.

[TxAg]

This is the only thing I know about billiards

[Marco]

I play Carom, 9 ball and snooker with Carom being the game of choice. Learned it very young from my father.

[Marco]

At the moment you have no clue what you are looking for .
Just because it cost money, doesn't mean you will like it or if you will keep it.
All this depends almost entirely on how you good you plan on becoming, or how much time you want to put into it.
Pool takes immense amounts of dedication, of which only a very select few find time for.
It's the arrow not the Indian.
A cue will never make you play better, period.
The greatest that have ever roamed America were known for playing off the wall.
McCready(Color of Money Character), Hall, Varner, Strickland, and of course Reyes, of which there's no better example.
It didn't matter if the cue was crooked, the tip was good, or what it weighed.
A little chalk, between the leather and the ball, is all that is needed.
Many are famous for betting on their ability to play entire sets without ever chalking, so there's that.
All that to say, no cue will ever help you put more English on a ball, no matter what any one ever tells you.
Your stroke is what controls it all.
Nothing in the game matters except the stroke.
Find it, and the cuts, the straight in shots, the banks, they all follow suite naturally, as a result of rote memory.
You can labor for yrs in all that crap about aiming systems, and angles, and Yada Yada Yada, but it all bows to the stroke.
As mentioned Azbilliards is a great source, I've been on there since the beginning.
A wealth of information, and everything you ever thought of asking is there.
They also have a politics section, that is like ours,....aflame...
Much like this site, in many way, a little more free speech as far as cussing, be warned.
Pool can get serious .
Some really good people and good community.
They are pool in a sense.
But if you want to jump into cues, the latest rage is Carbon fiber. Wood has been thrown to the side, in favor of new technology and market hype.
Predator is at the top of their game, but like many companies(Arcteryx), you are going to also pay for the name.
Almost every one is playing with a carbon shaft, screwed to their favorite butt.
Pin size can be mixed and matched to any size anything.
If you want old school wood, but production and cheap, Lucassi is a favorite of mine.
Played for years with some of the older McDermott Masters series(wood to wood) and they were jam up.
Mezz is making nice production cues also.
Production is slowed across the board though and pool is taking a huge hit from covid.
I'm sure availability is scarce.
Players are not playing as the big tournaments have all had to cancel.
From there you can look into semi-custom cues, depending on how you class them.
Schon as always is holding the of the top spots if not the top spot.
Hard to go wrong there.
OB is making some new stuff, that is much better since Royce died.
2 buyouts, and a few greedy people later, they finally seem to be on the right track.
If you want custom it's hard to beat Huebler, Bloodworth or Olivier.
Some of my favorites and from right here in Texas.
Check out Samsara, amazing cue, old school design, and a pleasure to play with.
Taper if a very individual thing, you'll know it when you find it.
If you decide to go new school, it's like swapping parts on a AR.
Some guy's have 5 different playing shafts, 3 break shafts, 4 butts, 6 kinds of chalk, and 2 jump cues, rags, shapers, and scuffers, and to tote it around, requires something like a golf a bag.
For the entirety of pool, up until 20 yrs or so ago, 1 player had 1 cue, when he stepped up.
He brought skill, stamina, and a unbelievable amount of heart to the table.
Probably alot of whiskey as well
Nowadays there are million gimmicks that improve nothing.
If your end goal is to become better as mentioned, and your current cue isn't crooked, I wouldn't change it.
When you become proficient enough to play the ghost to a 5 or 6, then you can start thinking about a new cue.
Until then you are just guessing as far as feel, etc..
Over time(enough of it lol) your stroke improves, the feel changes, the hit changes, and you realize this cue sucks.
A cue can become a crutch real quick, don't fall into that wormhole, if skill is the end goal.
Sorry for the rant!
I love the game, it's been a mind consuming, 25 yr love affair.
There is nothing quite like it, when you become proficient enough to delve into the infinite possibilities it offers.

Me and you need to play sometime sir and its not whisky for me, ALWAYS tequila and a good cigar.

[300rem7]

Use to play snooker at Wilt's in Arlington back when they were open.

[MadHatter]

Me and you need to play sometime sir and its not whisky for me, ALWAYS tequila and a good cigar.

We've talked about it before, I would love the pleasure.

Use to play snooker at Wilt's in Arlington back when they were open.

I just saw your post. Did we speak before?
Been in Walts several times.
Did you ever play snooker at Mr Kim's off Harry Hines back when?

[MadHatter]

To add, you accelerate a lighter cue faster, therefore hitting the ball "harder".
It's a common misconception that a heavier cue, helps you hit the balls harder, such as for the break shot.
Heavier cues are for the Carom/Billiards guys.
They move big balls, on big 10fts tables, long distances
Snooker has real light cues, but real small balls.
Pool has medium balls.
I like 18-19 Oz, and you will find 99% of all pool players in that range.

Me and the OG GG have not played yet. Maybe we can make that happen if the world doesn't fall apart.

[doghouse]

I was pretty good as an 18 year old. Had a pool table in the house I grew up in.

[SRK14]

Growing up we had a table in the shop behind the house. Just a 350$ table from Sears. We would cook fish, play pool and drink a lot of beer. My old stray black Labrador had a comforter under the table he would sleep on no matter how loud it got in there. There’s no doubt we got our money’s worth out of that table. We all ended up getting pretty good at the game. A persimmon tree blew down in a storm and busted the old asbestos tile roof and the table ended up warping from the rain water. That table seen lots of beer and cigarette ashes. All good things must come to an end I suppose [emoji23]

[MadHatter]

"Indian not the arrow" ^^^^^
That was bad one to screw up..

[GarGuy]

To add, you accelerate a lighter cue faster, therefore hitting the ball "harder".
It's a common misconception that a heavier cue, helps you hit the balls harder, such as for the break shot.
Heavier cues are for the Carom/Billiards guys.
They move big balls, on big 10fts tables, long distances
Snooker has real light cues, but real small balls.
Pool has medium balls.
I like 18-19 Oz, and you will find 99% of all pool players in that range.

Me and the OG GG have not played yet. Maybe we can make that happen if the world doesn't fall apart.

Man you done gone and skeered me with all that pool info. I got me an ol 1980s Mucci poker to hit balls with. Bought me a custom OB Diablo with a rare #1plus shaft pro tapered to 13mm. Low deflection after shooting a high deflection 9.5mm shaft. Hated it. Played a Predator full carbon shaft. Hit great but just didnt have the feel of that limber old hoe handle . I'm back to th ge Mucci with a medium soft.

I'll never be all great. im too old and my back is bad. I will play you left handed though. 500 bucks race to ten if you give me 4 on the wire.

[hog_down]

dumb question: why do guys put chalk on the cue after every shot? what does the chalk do?