is it really that crucial !?!

[jamesmcd]

How critical is a good quality que?

I only ask cause I play with a cheap bambo stick from JJB which only cost circa £30. Have been browsing the internet for a new que, but some of the prices are just ridiculous :O.....£500 for what is essentially a bit of wood :O

Im showing my ignorance here i know, if i was convinced spending that much money would help my game i would do it an instant, however im not convinced :/

[LittleMissAlexa]

i dont think its a quality cue i think its a cue your used to everyone differs in their style of cue

[lennon11]

not hugely important in my opinion,as long as it hits nice and solid and more importantly suits you.a good player could make good breaks with a cheap cue where as a bad player will not make good breaks even if he uses ronnie's cue!!

[LittleMissAlexa]

because im more of a pub pool player i can probably play equally well with any old cue as you dont want to lump your cue around a pub i prefer snooker tips to pool tips because they are smaller hense you can impart more spin you have more areas of the white to hit

[gtjohnnymac1965]

Well it's my belief that like with most things in life you only get what you pay for. Having said that I'm sure a top quality player would be a darn sight better with a 2nd rate cue rather than the other way around.
Its true that a £500 cue will not instantly make you a world beater, but I am certain that as you get more experience with the game you would easily be able to tell the difference with, as you say, a piece of bamboo and a well made top spec cue.

I'd say buy the best you can comfortably afford then practice like mad!

Good luck.

[chopper]

£500 cues usually have alot of splices which have no affect on a cues playability and are just cosmetic.

It's very easy to notice the difference between cheap mass produced cues and handmade (the ones I have owned anyway). That said it doesn't necessarily follow that you'll play better with one over the other(I have).

Handmade cues IMO feel better and should be more consistent, you're not just paying for the cue but also the extra time spent sourcing the wood.

I'd recommend getting down to GreenBaize or somewhere similar where you can try some out. The difference in finish should be marked.

I think once you spend over a certain amount the difference in quality is negligible. For instance the 2 thai cues i've owned compare well with more expensive cues.

[tipes]

As others have said a really expensive cue will not automatically make you into a world champion, but I am sure you already realised that. Expensive cues do tend to look very nice with their splices etc, but much more importantly it is how the cue suits you as nearly every cue feels slightly different. Ideally it would be good to go to a place where they sell good quality cues and a range of them so that you can try before buying.

I would also say that from experience the better made cues definitely have better balance and are of course made from better quality timber - most important that the timber has had plenty of time to dry out so that it does not warp. Trust me when I say you will know when you have found the right one as it will just feel right, as feel when playing shots is important. Take your time over making the choice - and then check you have good technique - although that should really come first and cue seccond.

Mark

[hotpot]

There is no guarantee that a well made handmade cue will play better than a cheaper one but the odds of it being a better solid hitting cue will be quite high in my opinion .

[tipes]

There is no guarantee that a well made handmade cue will play better than a cheaper one but the odds of it being a better solid hitting cue will be quite high in my opinion .

Agreed. Makes sense usually.

[cazmac1]

I won't say playing with a £500 cue will make you a better player , but what I can say is any other cue would be better than a JJB cue, this is not a dig at you, just letting you know that these cues are so badly made that I would used the word cue loosely when describing it.

[jamesmcd]

I won't say playing with a £500 cue will make you a better player , but what I can say is any other cue would be better than a JJB cue, this is not a dig at you, just letting you know that these cues are so badly made that I would used the word cue loosely when describing it.

lol, thats why i used the word bambo when describing my que haha. Although to be fair i only bought the thing for playing in the pool league, which does the job perfectly for that.

i have no intention of paying £500 for a cue either, and from what you guys are saying thats just for splicing, ill set a side a couple of hundred i think.

Does anyone know a good place Dundee/Perth area so i can try a few ques?

[wildJONESEYE]

the cue Stephen Hendry won 7 World Titles and god knows how many other Tournaments was a cheap Rex Williams Autographed Cue that was Bent like a Banana.

[jamesmcd]

the cue Stephen Hendry won 7 World Titles and god knows how many other Tournaments was a cheap Rex Williams Autographed Cue that was Bent like a Banana.

Yes i have heard that :O

[craig147]

A good cue will help!

i used to play with a peradon prince cue which set me back about £100, was getting coached off chris small an ex pro from leith at the time and he advised me to spend a bit and get a new cue if i really wanted to progress.I sold the cue and invested in a robert osborne 3/4 red plate ( cost around £280), best move i ever made i found the cue so much more responsive and great when playing with side just started to stroke the ball more. Everyone has there own opinion but i truly feel spending a bit of money and getting a good bit of wood will not make you a great player but will certainly make it easier to get there!! hope this helps you on your search mate!

[jamesmcd]

i used to play with a peradon prince cue which set me back about £100, was getting coached off chris small an ex pro from leith at the time and he advised me to spend a bit and get a new cue if i really wanted to progress.I sold the cue and invested in a robert osborne 3/4 red plate ( cost around £280), best move i ever made i found the cue so much more responsive and great when playing with side just started to stroke the ball more. Everyone has there own opinion but i truly feel spending a bit of money and getting a good bit of wood will not make you a great player but will certainly make it easier to get there!! hope this helps you on your search mate!

Cheers pal, ive made my mind up, im investing in new decent que, will go try a few out, would say i like a light que but thats only cause ive only ever played with a light que...i shall shop around