Straight Talk About Cue Straightness

Pool or pocket billiards is a game of precision. It takes precision to shoot the pool balls into the pockets or holes along the rails of the pool table. This is done by means of a cue stick which is about 58 inches long and made of wood.

Photo grab from Google

Naturally, without cue sticks, you can’t play pool. But the bane of most pool players is a bent cue stick. This can ruin any game which is why experienced pool players are careful when buying this type of equipment.

Of course, you don’t have to be a pro to ensure that your cue stick isn’t bent. There’s a simple way of checking this and it will only take 30 seconds of your time. If you can spare that much time, then you’re on your way to a better pool game.

But before we go to that, make sure you really have a problem with your cue. If you’ve been drinking while playing pool, lay off the booze for a while and see if your game improves. Most probably your stick isn’t bent but your mind is warped by alcohol! Once you’re sure this isn’t the problem, read on for more tips.

Photo grab from Google

The best way to ascertain that your cue stick is straight is to roll it. You don’t need to go to the middle of the road to do this. Just look for a good pool table and start rolling your cue. Take note that there’s a proper way of doing this as revealed by Matthew Sherman of About.Com:        

“Place the cue stick on a pool table and shove it across the felt with your fingers, sending it rolling like a bowling ball. Shove it hard enough to send it from one side of the table to the other. Any wobbling, even the slightest deviation, from a smooth rotating motion, indicates that the cue has bent and bulges out at some point, and/or that its tip is a mushroomed one.”

Don’t roll the cue slowly; that won’t get you anywhere. Use a quick rolling motion to get a good picture of the condition of your cue. If it bounces, that means it’s bent.  For an accurate assessment, select a quality pool table to do this test and check the floor too. The pool table should stand on solid ground so it won’t interfere with the test.

“A word of caution is needed. Many players deceive themselves, thinking their straight cue is bent, because they rolled it on a table that wasn't level itself! Roll your stick on the best table in the house. If there isn't such a table designated, try one used infrequently and likely to be level, such as a Snooker or Cushion Billiards table. Forget using the floor, tables are far more level,” revealed Sherman.