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What Do You Play Billiards With?

Billiards is an ancient and fascinating game, the main difference of which, unlike other games with balls, is that you have to use special devices for driving the ball into the hole, called cues.

Billiards cues is an extension of the player’s hand, the main tool that makes the game beautiful, professional, and allows you to bring it to a victorious end. This billiard tool must be made in a quality manner, meet all the parameters and characteristics and, most importantly, be comfortably placed in the player’s hand.

Types of cues

In different types of games, different types of cues are used, respectively. When making them, such characteristics as the size and weight of the balls, the size of the table, etc. are taken into account. The cues for playing Russian billiards are longer and heavier than the others. For example, there are pool cues for American pool or French carambole. In this case, the billiards bat is used with a length of about 145 centimeters, while the billiards stick for playing the Russian version reaches 160 cm.

person hitting the billiard ball
Photo by rigo erives on Unsplash

The difference in weight and length, seemingly small, is actually very noticeable when playing and gives a tangible advantage over a less knowledgeable player. There is also a special cue called “Break/jump”. It serves to break the pyramid in the pool and to perform some types of strikes. It is somewhat thicker and heavier than the one commonly used for playing American pool.

Also, cues differ in the materials from which they are made. The cheapest and easiest to manufacture percussion instruments are made from less durable and strong wood species. Higher-quality and expensive cues are made from such types of natural wood species as maple, ash, ebony, hornbeam and others. The wood from which the cue is made affects its strength and rigidity, which are the main qualities for the tool. It is also worth mentioning carbon fiber cues. They, unlike classic wooden samples, are more durable, stronger and more resistant to damage. Still, there are absolutely different sensations from the game.

Cues are also divided into two types according to configuration – it is prefabricated and collapsible. Collapsible – consists of a shaft (upper part), a horizontal bar (lower part, with a balancing load) and a twist.

person holding billiard cue
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Both parts are made of wood, while the twist used to fasten these elements is usually made of metal or plastic. It is designed to ensure the accuracy of the cue alignment, the density of the shaft joint with the horizontal bar, and the uniform distribution of the load on the cue.

It is worth noting that a one-piece cue, although inconvenient during transportation, has a higher density and springiness. The two-part has lower characteristics. It is necessarily taken into account when choosing a tool.

There are factory-made billiards sticks and single copies made by craftsmen to order. They are individual and made for each specific customer, taking into account his needs and requests.

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