Completing your game room with the perfect pool table accessories will step your billiard room up to the next level. Your friends and family will be jealous with envy of your "man cave" or "gentleman's billiard room" when you add the perfect spectator chair, billiard light, billiard clock, pool cues, and other billiard accessories. Whether you just got a brand new Brunswick, Olhausen, American Heritage or even a used "new to you" pool table; PoolCueGuru has what you need.
We have over 1500 billiard supply items to outfit your game room. That is the beauty of the web. Instant access to a huge selection at the lowest prices possible. Every pool room needs some type of seating for the players to enjoy while they watch their opponent. There are individual spectator chairs, benches, triple benches, and spectator chairs with trays. If you have an extra 5 feet above the recommended room size then a pub table and bar stools make for comfortable seating. Having a place for snacks and drinks makes playing pool more enjoyable for everyone. The top of the line game room furniture makers are Darafeev and California House. They make spectator chairs for celebrities like Goldie Hawn, LeBron James, Tom Brady, Dale Earnhardt Jr to name a few. PoolCueGuru carries HJScott which is a high quality value priced gameroom furniture line. The HJScott Cushion Back Spectator chair is half the price of a comparable Darafeev billiards chair and sells for $271.99.
A great game room has a place for all the fun accessories. A functional cue rack can keep the tip tools, chalk, cone chalk, brushes, and cue sticks in a nice and tidy place. The floor cue racks can be placed on the floor against the wall or a corner. Wall cue racks are made in many different sizes to fit in between windows and doors in your game room. On the better designed cue racks you will find a place for your drinks, storage for your tip tools, balls, triangles, chalk, and brushes. Covering the back of a wall cue rack with a decorative cloth or billiard felt is often done in designer game rooms.
Usually when you purchase a pool table, a set of economy billiard balls will come with that table as a gift. You should upgrade your billiard ball set to Aramith brand balls as soon as possible. Aramith is the leading manufacturer of quality, tournament approved, regulation billiard balls. Aramith balls are made out of phenolic resins giving them superb hardness, balance and rolling power. PoolCueGuru carries several Aramith billiard ball sets. You can get a basic Aramith Crown Standard Billiard Ball set for $95.99, but I recommend buying any of the Aramith Super Pro Billiard Ball sets. The most popular set is the Aramith Super Pro Value set for $191.99 because it includes the famous "measled" red dot cue ball and ball cleaner.
There are also several novelty sets available. Pro Series makes a Kandy Pearlized billiard ball set for $63.99 and Elephant Balls made marbleized billiard ball sets very popular during the past decade by sponsoring nationally televised nine ball tournaments. There are a lot of imitations of the Elephant Ball sets on the web like this one for $65.99.
Lighting completes a room. You need a quality light over your pool table to prevent shadows from throwing your game off. The right lighting also sets the tone for your billiard room. A light with your favorite sports team, a beautiful stained glass, or a classic bar light will speak volumes about your personality. The light should hang about 65 inches from the floor to the bottom of the shade. Adjust the height of the billiard light for your view of the table and the shadows thrown on the billiard balls.
Finally, place art work, posters, clocks, antique signs, sports memorabilia or metal sculptures on your game room walls to show off your style. Pick one or two signature pieces and make them shine. Or you could do the TGIF approach and make a mural out of your pieces like they do in the interior of the restaurant. To really kick it up that last notch, add a bar, popcorn machine, slot machine, video game or pinball. They will add that wow factor!
You will have created a space that you will enjoy for many years to come with your family and friends.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
How do Technology Pool Cues Reduce Deflection?
Many technology cue makers talk about reducing squirt with their shafts. How do they reduce the amount of squirt or cue ball deflection? Simply by reducing the end mass at the end of the cue. If the cue maker can make the cue shaft lighter in the first 3 inches of the pool stick where it has contact with the cue ball then he can reduce the amount of squirt.
Most performance cues feature pool cue shaft construction, balance point, tip shape, and ferrule material that will affect the amount of squirt. Reducing the amount of squirt will make your stroke, therefore your aim more accurate. The cue ball will then go where you want it to go when you play pool.
The balance point should be closer to the tip. When you play with a Lucasi Hybrid Zero FlexSlim shaft or a Predator Z2 shaft, you will notice an increased level of responsiveness compared to other low deflection shafts because of their conical taper which makes the balance point closer to the tip. According to the rigid cone approximation theory, the balance point will have an effect on the end mass.
The diameter of the cue tip will affect squirt. A smaller tip will weigh less therefore giving a cue stick less end mass. The shape of the tip has not been proven to affect squirt, however the Predator web site indicates that a dime shaped tip has less squirt than a nickel shaped tip.
Ferrule material should be as light weight as possible to reduce squirt. A thicker, heavier ferrule will weigh more, making the end mass of the pool cue heavier therefore increasing the squirt. That is why space age materials that are light, strong, and low in density are used on performance pool cue shafts.
Bottom line is that the end mass of the pool cue needs to be lighter to reduce squirt. Many cue makers hollow out the end of their pool cue shafts to make the end mass weigh less. Then they are filled with composite materials like carbon fiber and epoxy to keep them structurally strong and reduce vibration.
Most performance cues feature pool cue shaft construction, balance point, tip shape, and ferrule material that will affect the amount of squirt. Reducing the amount of squirt will make your stroke, therefore your aim more accurate. The cue ball will then go where you want it to go when you play pool.
The balance point should be closer to the tip. When you play with a Lucasi Hybrid Zero FlexSlim shaft or a Predator Z2 shaft, you will notice an increased level of responsiveness compared to other low deflection shafts because of their conical taper which makes the balance point closer to the tip. According to the rigid cone approximation theory, the balance point will have an effect on the end mass.
The diameter of the cue tip will affect squirt. A smaller tip will weigh less therefore giving a cue stick less end mass. The shape of the tip has not been proven to affect squirt, however the Predator web site indicates that a dime shaped tip has less squirt than a nickel shaped tip.
Ferrule material should be as light weight as possible to reduce squirt. A thicker, heavier ferrule will weigh more, making the end mass of the pool cue heavier therefore increasing the squirt. That is why space age materials that are light, strong, and low in density are used on performance pool cue shafts.
Bottom line is that the end mass of the pool cue needs to be lighter to reduce squirt. Many cue makers hollow out the end of their pool cue shafts to make the end mass weigh less. Then they are filled with composite materials like carbon fiber and epoxy to keep them structurally strong and reduce vibration.
Monday, August 10, 2009
How to Play Ten Ball like the Pros did Last Weekend
Would you like to play a more challenging game than 9 Ball? You should try Ten Ball. Ten ball is preferred by the professionals because it is statistically harder to pocket any balls on the break with the larger rack. Odds are higher with 10 balls versus 9 balls. All the shots must be called and you can not instantly win by pocketing the 10 ball like you can in 9 ball. You can pocket the ten ball on the break and win.
Ten ball is a better test of a players skill than nine ball. All the shots must be called with the pocket and the ball and you can only call one ball a shot. Random balls that go into the pocket do not count unless they are pocketed simultaneously as your called ball. No slop or lucky shots are allowed in this game. Many professional pool players who can perform multi shots do not like this rule.
Ten ball is played mostly like nine ball. You rack the 10 balls in an 8 ball triangle with the 10 ball placed in the middle and the 1 ball at the top. Place the 1 ball over the foot spot and the rest of the balls in the rack do not have to be any certain pattern. You lag to determine who chooses the break and alternate breaking over the set. The cue ball must be behind the head string and a ball must be pocketed or at least four balls need to hit the rail.
A player can play a "push out" if no foul is committed on the break shot by making his intention known to the referee. Whenever a player is trying to pocket a ball, he must call the ball and the pocket. The balls are played from lowest to highest and the lowest numbered ball must make contact with the cue ball in order to be a legal hit. The first player to pocket the ten ball wins the rack. Only one ball may be called per shot.
You can call a safety where you hit the called ball but do not pocket it. If you accidentally pocket your called ball, your opponent has the option to play or hand it back to you. If the wrong ball is pocketed then you can play the shot as is or hand it back to your opponent. The ten ball is the only ball that can be spotted if mistakenly pocketed. If a foul is committed then it is ball in hand for your opponent anywhere on the table.
You can find a list of fouls and standardized rules at World Pool-Billiard Association courtesy of a Billiard Congress of America link.
Ten ball is a better test of a players skill than nine ball. All the shots must be called with the pocket and the ball and you can only call one ball a shot. Random balls that go into the pocket do not count unless they are pocketed simultaneously as your called ball. No slop or lucky shots are allowed in this game. Many professional pool players who can perform multi shots do not like this rule.
Ten ball is played mostly like nine ball. You rack the 10 balls in an 8 ball triangle with the 10 ball placed in the middle and the 1 ball at the top. Place the 1 ball over the foot spot and the rest of the balls in the rack do not have to be any certain pattern. You lag to determine who chooses the break and alternate breaking over the set. The cue ball must be behind the head string and a ball must be pocketed or at least four balls need to hit the rail.
A player can play a "push out" if no foul is committed on the break shot by making his intention known to the referee. Whenever a player is trying to pocket a ball, he must call the ball and the pocket. The balls are played from lowest to highest and the lowest numbered ball must make contact with the cue ball in order to be a legal hit. The first player to pocket the ten ball wins the rack. Only one ball may be called per shot.
You can call a safety where you hit the called ball but do not pocket it. If you accidentally pocket your called ball, your opponent has the option to play or hand it back to you. If the wrong ball is pocketed then you can play the shot as is or hand it back to your opponent. The ten ball is the only ball that can be spotted if mistakenly pocketed. If a foul is committed then it is ball in hand for your opponent anywhere on the table.
You can find a list of fouls and standardized rules at World Pool-Billiard Association courtesy of a Billiard Congress of America link.
What Type of Cue Tip Should I Use on My Pool Cue?
There are hard, soft, and layered leather tips available at POOLCUEGURU.com.
House cues usually have soft tips and most custom 2 piece cues come with a hard leather tip. Many performance pool cues like Lucasi Hybrid or Predator have a layered tip. Professional players prefer the playability of a layered tip like a Moori or Maesteri. The layered tip grabs the cue ball better than a hard leather tip but does not break down as easily as a soft tip. Essentially giving the player the best of both worlds.
Soft tips are easier to scuff and shape because the leather is less dense. It is much easier for the chalk to stay on a soft leather cue tip. On the flip side, a soft leather cue tip will mushroom and flatten out more quickly than a hard leather tip. So you will need to shape and scuff your pool cue more frequently and change your cue tip more often. It is this "softness" in the leather which allows the fibers of the tip to hold chalk that also grab the cue ball better when playing pool. You will see more draw from the cue ball when playing with a soft tip versus a hard tip if all things were equal. If you are just starting to play pool or learning the basics of position or english then i would recommend a soft tip for practice sessions.
Hard leather tips have fibers that are more compact or dense so they do not flatten or mushroom as quickly as a soft leather tip. Hard tips also last longer and are more accurate. They are more accurate because their shape does not change quickly. A greater percentage of your hits will react and feel the same because it takes longer for the fibers to adjust to the impact of the tip hitting the cue ball. Most players use a hard leather tip for these reasons.
Many specialty pool cues like the Lucasi Big Beulah use a Bakelite tip to enhance your breaks while Predator breaking cues use a carbon fiber tip. The real difference is that bakelite is a synthetic plastic formed by a reaction under heat and pressure of phenol and formaldehyde, combined with a wood flour filler. Phenolic resin is made from synthetic thermosetting resins, obtained by the reaction of phenols with simple aldehydes. Basically, this means they are both super dense tips. However, the Bakelite tips are known to hold chalk better, meaning less miscues for you and I.
POOLCUEGURU offers Le Pro hard tips and Tweeten Elk Master soft tips in value boxes of 50 tips. And I can special order many other tips, just call me at 877-283-6253.
House cues usually have soft tips and most custom 2 piece cues come with a hard leather tip. Many performance pool cues like Lucasi Hybrid or Predator have a layered tip. Professional players prefer the playability of a layered tip like a Moori or Maesteri. The layered tip grabs the cue ball better than a hard leather tip but does not break down as easily as a soft tip. Essentially giving the player the best of both worlds.
Soft tips are easier to scuff and shape because the leather is less dense. It is much easier for the chalk to stay on a soft leather cue tip. On the flip side, a soft leather cue tip will mushroom and flatten out more quickly than a hard leather tip. So you will need to shape and scuff your pool cue more frequently and change your cue tip more often. It is this "softness" in the leather which allows the fibers of the tip to hold chalk that also grab the cue ball better when playing pool. You will see more draw from the cue ball when playing with a soft tip versus a hard tip if all things were equal. If you are just starting to play pool or learning the basics of position or english then i would recommend a soft tip for practice sessions.
Hard leather tips have fibers that are more compact or dense so they do not flatten or mushroom as quickly as a soft leather tip. Hard tips also last longer and are more accurate. They are more accurate because their shape does not change quickly. A greater percentage of your hits will react and feel the same because it takes longer for the fibers to adjust to the impact of the tip hitting the cue ball. Most players use a hard leather tip for these reasons.
Many specialty pool cues like the Lucasi Big Beulah use a Bakelite tip to enhance your breaks while Predator breaking cues use a carbon fiber tip. The real difference is that bakelite is a synthetic plastic formed by a reaction under heat and pressure of phenol and formaldehyde, combined with a wood flour filler. Phenolic resin is made from synthetic thermosetting resins, obtained by the reaction of phenols with simple aldehydes. Basically, this means they are both super dense tips. However, the Bakelite tips are known to hold chalk better, meaning less miscues for you and I.
POOLCUEGURU offers Le Pro hard tips and Tweeten Elk Master soft tips in value boxes of 50 tips. And I can special order many other tips, just call me at 877-283-6253.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Taking Care of Your Pool Cue 101
Taking care of your pool cue has never been so easy. There are hundreds of devices and topical applications designed for pool cue maintenance. With proper care of your pool cue, your pride and joy will last you a lifetime. Bringing you many years of top performance and satisfaction. Pool Cue Guru carries everything that you need for pool cue maintenance.
The most important tool is a tip shaper or scuffer. Proper care of your cue tip is the single best investment that you can make to improve your pool game. PoolCueGuru stocks Williards, Cue Cubes, Rasps, Brad Scuffers, Tip Piks and multi purpose tools like the TipMaster Tool 6-n-1.
These tools allow you to shape your tip into your preferred dime or nickel radius to give you optimum control of the ball. They are small and easily stored in your cue case because you will need to reshape your cue tip frequently. Keeping a proper shape on your cue tip will also prevent mushrooming.
I personally like the Williard because its was designed with a nickel or dime sized reference point built into it. All I need to do is line up my cue tip to the reference point to see where I need to shape the tip. It’s smart, simple and effective. The Williard cannot reduce the flares on the side of the tip so I will follow up with a quick stroke of my rasp on the sides of the tip.
Over time your pool cue can become scratched, nicked, or dented from everyday wear and tear. You should clean your shaft with a cue cleaner or burnisher before you work on removing those dents. Smart Wipes are a great product. You can choose from a Shaft treatment and polisher or a Shaft and Ferrule Cleaner.
The Smart Wipes Cleaner is a high-performance, presaturated wipe that lifts chalk, oil, and grime from your cue shaft and ferrule, all in one easy step, leaving it clean and smooth. This exclusive chemistry is a laboratory-tested formula, which contains no harsh chemicals that will dry out wood or damage your cue shaft or any ferrule material. Each wipe contains safe, deep-cleaning agents and conditioners that dry rapidly while you clean your cue shaft, without raising the grain of the wood. No need to use paper towels, small expensive bottles of cleaner, or messy powders that raise the grain. Simply pull out a wipe and start cleaning.
If you do prefer burnishing papers, you can't go wrong with Nick’s Edge Burnishing Papers. Each packet of Nick’s Edge includes 12 sheets that are color coded into 3 different grades of abrasive micro grade film. After you use Nick’s Edge your pool cue shaft will feel like new. Nick’s Edge Burnishing Papers will not scratch or damage cue shafts. The slips are washable and reusable and are quick and easy to use.
We've got over 50 cue shaft products to choose from. Check out our entire selection of pool cue accessories or give us a call at 877-283-6253 and we'll be happy to help you find the best pool cue shaft application or device for your cue.
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