Some general questions

[Nebby147]

Rite guys i have some general questions that im hoping you can answer for me

1. how do you check that a cue is straight
2. how can u tell a good tip
3. what to do with you tip when you first get a cue
4. any perticular chalk thats good to use.
5. should you do anything after using your cue to make it last longer

thanks soo much

[davidhawkes]

1. Look down the shaft as if sighting with a rifle. you will be able to see any kinks or bends. Some players roll a cue on the table. Not much point in doing this if you hold the cue the same way all the time. Stephen Hendry won 7 world titles with a bent cue, so your cue action is more important.

2. A good tip is normally responsive for the various spins you put on. A slightly springy one will "bite" on the cueball more easily.

3. Check the tip for signs of wear, whether it has been put on straight and flat, press on it to check it's springiness. Most cues come with cheap tips stuck on - it is quite often better to take it off and put a better one on. Practise a few shots first though and see how you like it. Oh and make sure it is domed in shape.

4. All the pros and good amateurs use Triangle in a green shade of colour.

5. When not in play, a cue should be put back in its case, or on a wall rack. Once a week, it is best to clean it first with a damp cloth followed by a dry cloth to polish.

[kenbellston]

Rite guys i have some general questions that im hoping you can answer for me

1. how do you check that a cue is straight
2. how can u tell a good tip
3. what to do with you tip when you first get a cue
4. any perticular chalk thats good to use.
5. should you do anything after using your cue to make it last longer

thanks soo much

1. personally, i roll the cue on the table or any flat surface. i dont find looking at it particularly useful as your hands cannot be completely still. rolling on a flat surface can easily allow you to gain knowledge about the straightness. having a straight cue is important, and YES, Hendry has won 7 titles with a bent cue, but he is hendry, and most people are not. he has practised with the cue thousands and thousands of hours and most people dont. his bent cue is part of him (just like his arm) and most people dont.


2. a good tip is quite hard to define by looking at it. and really takes some experience to identify a good or lousy tip. but generally, i look at tip my pushing it upwards, to see whether is it really "spongy", if it is, like some bad copies of blue diamond, it its a bad tip.


3. if you think the tip does not give you enough spin or very difficult to control the cue ball, change it. its not very expensive to get a tip, a really decent on like Talisman pro will only cost you 5 pounds.


4. not really, but triangle chalk is the most common and prevents you from mis-cueing.


5. put in the case, as most of the people dont have cue racks at home.


hope this helps!

[bongo]

I have made comments in blue!

There have been some good answers so far.

1. personally, i roll the cue on the table or any flat surface. i dont find looking at it particularly useful as your hands cannot be completely still. rolling on a flat surface can easily allow you to gain knowledge about the straightness. having a straight cue is important, and YES, Hendry has won 7 titles with a bent cue, but he is hendry, and most people are not. he has practised with the cue thousands and thousands of hours and most people dont. his bent cue is part of him (just like his arm) and most people dont.

I don't agree with this, you should do as davidhawkes said which is perfect, look down the cue, a straight cue can appear bent and bent appear straight when rolling it on the table.

a really decent on like Talisman pro will only cost you 5 pounds.

ElkMasters are very decent too, not just Talisman, some people don't like Talisman Tips.

but triangle chalk is the most common and prevents you from mis-cueing.

Triangle chalk won't prevent you from mis cueing but it will help a cleaner strike.

[totlxtc]

The bends!

Best way to spot a bend is to sight down the shaft from the butt (Dotted line) and rotate the cue slowly. You will easily see a wobble or bend in the cue (Red Arrows).

[Nebby147]

thank you all for your help... one more question

do you sand or ruff th cue tip?

[totlxtc]

Sand it slightly. Just to rough it up

[spartacus_ck]

Rite guys i have some general questions that im hoping you can answer for me

1. how do you check that a cue is straight
2. how can u tell a good tip
3. what to do with you tip when you first get a cue
4. any perticular chalk thats good to use.
5. should you do anything after using your cue to make it last longer

thanks soo much

I think the guys that've posted here have provided very good answers, so I'm just gonna add a few more points:

1. A cue rolling straight on the table doesn't necessarily mean it's straight/bent. It can be affected if the table cloth is uneven as well. I think totlxtc's method is probably the best way to identify a bent cue.

2. One that doesn't crumble into bits after a few shots. Had a few baddddddd experiences like that with Elks and Blue Diamonds, but Talisman has yet to fail me.

3. I strike mine against the wall as if i'm taking a shot ...I find that it helps the tip to have a "bedding-in" effect. People normally do it by hitting balls though .

4. I'd recommend either Triangle or Master chalk, both are equally good. I use Master chalk for both snooker and 9-ball.

5. NEVER EVER keep your cue in a warm place, or expose it under the sun. Try and keep your cue in a place with consistent temperature. Under the bed or closets are always good spots.

[steedee]

all i would add is that i have been using the same display tip on my cue since i bought it. i hav found tht the tip normally comes off a new cue after a short time and was waiting for that to happen before replaceing it, however 18 months on and its still there and i now want it to stay.

a lot of things come down to what your comfortable with and used to.

i often struggle with blue chalk which must be psychological because i'm not thatgood for it to make a difference, my cue has a slight dip to it which actually helps when the balls near the cushion so a straight cue is not necessarilly the be all either

[kenbellston]

actually, is there a difference between green and blue chalk?

i use triangle, and they have these two different chalks, the green one being a little more expensive i think...

personally i cant feel a difference.... maybe just that the green one leaves a less obvious mark on the cue ball.

[totlxtc]

Read through this thread. Chalk has been discussed heavily here:

http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...ad.php?t=13228

[spartacus_ck]

Then again, these days chalks come in multiple color choices (gold??? silver??? BLACK??? WTF???), even Triangle and Master chalks have various colors to choose from. I'm still old school when it comes to chalk though, green ones for snooker and blue ones for 9-ball . That way it doesn't make toooo much of a mess as it can blend into the color of the table cloth. I don't need the table or my cue tip to be rainbow colored...hmmm...next thing u know, multicolored chalk might be introduced!!!

[steedee]

Read through this thread. Chalk has been discussed heavily here:

http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...ad.php?t=13228

actually, is there a difference between green and blue chalk?

i use triangle, and they have these two different chalks, the green one being a little more expensive i think...

personally i cant feel a difference.... maybe just that the green one leaves a less obvious mark on the cue ball.

by the looks of the thread, the colour makes no difference.

i always asumed each colour was a different thickness/fineness.

strengthens what i was saying about your cue and conditions being psychological a lot of the time.

if your happy with your slightly bent cue and cheap tip, if your playing well, dont change it.

[Nebby147]

thanks a lot for you help every one... great responce.. thanks

[totlxtc]

if your happy with your slightly bent cue and cheap tip, if your playing well, dont change it.

I had a cue i brought for £6.50 that was bent by 8mm on top 8 inches....and played better with that than i do with my current straight £400 cue. It was the constant wind up that made me stop using it.....should of let it go over my head

Might get it out next game...return of the banana cue