Pool Cue News and Review

The Elite “Heavy” Break Cue

It seems to be a matter of great contention when the discussion comes up about whether or not you should be breaking with a heavy cue. Some people feel that the extra weight means extra power, but the reality is that it depends on both the weight of the cue and the speed you’re hitting the cue ball with your breaker.

For those of you that feel like you really “need” a heavy cue, there is now a ridiculously heavy break cue from Elite. The one I tried out weighed in at a little more than 28oz. Honestly, it felt a bit silly hitting with this break cue, but it did seem like my break was quite a bit stronger with this cue than with my normal break cue. I then watched a couple of my buddies break with it and one ended up flying the cue ball off the table.

For me, I’m quite happy with my Predator BK2, however if you feel like you need to pack a little something extra, you might as well give the Elite breaker a try. You won’t have much control over your break, but you’re bound to hit the crap out of the ball.

Elite “Heavy” Break Cue at PoolDawg

So here’s the deal. Yes, Predator makes a good cue. Yes, Predator shafts reduce deflection. Its been proven. Its a fact. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, the real question is whether or not it actually matters. For the average D Player, getting a Predator cue or adding a 314 shaft to your existing cue isn’t going to do much to improve your handicap. You’ll tell everyone that it made a difference and you’ll convince yourself that you made a great purchase, but the reality is that the average player won’t be able to tell the difference.

So, have I played with a Predator shaft? You know I have. I drank the Kool-Aid a while back, but that shaft didn’t help my game until I learned proper cue ball control. The whole reason the Predator shaft exists is to reduce the amount you have to correct when you shoot with English. Because there is less cueball deflection, the ball will go straighter even when you’re hitting with English.

If you don’t know how to hit with English, don’t bother buying a 314 shaft. Save your money, spend 30 bucks and get yourself a Rempe Training Ball. Then, once you’ve got the basics of English down, if you have a couple hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket, go get yourself a 314. Personally, I wouldn’t bother with any of the cues from the 5K series. To me, they’re overpriced. I’d much rather get myself a Joss or Schon and put a 314 on it instead of dropping $700+ on something like the Predator 5K5. Once you get your ball control down, I absolutely recommend getting a 314 shaft. You will notice a difference, but not until you really know how to play.

Buy the Predator 314 Shaft

The Moosehead Bridge

If you’re looking for a versatile bridge, there are only two I would recommend. One is the amazing Justa Bridge, but at around 30 bucks, its a bit more than most people (myself included) would like to spend. The other is the Moosehead Bridge. The original model for this was the Spinali bridge, but the Moosehead sells for a fraction of the price of the Spinali.

So what makes this a “must have” product you ask? Simply put, its all about the angles. The Moosehead gives you up to nine different angles, making it much more versatile than most traditional bridges. Its legal in pretty much every league and best of all, it typically sells for under 3 bucks.

The Moosehead isn’t without its faults. The biggest gripe I have with this bridge is that the plastic isn’t lined, so it could potentially scratch your shaft. The Justa Bridge is lined, giving your cue much more protection, but again, 30 bucks for a bridge is a bit tough to stomach.

Moosehead Bridge at PoolDawg

Slip Stic Microfiber Towel

If you play pool, you better get yourself a towel. Your cue gets covered in chalk and grime from the pool hall and the more you play, the nastier it gets. Generally speaking, a regular towel will be fine for getting most of the superficial grime off your cue. For deeper cleaning, you’ll need a Q-Wiz or some other shaft cleaner.

That being said, I recently found this towel made by Slip Stic. I love their shaft conditioner, so I figured I’d give the towel a try. The first thing you notice is how the towel feels. I’m not sure if the guys at Slip Stic treated it or if its just the microfiber material that gives it that not exactly greasy, but still somewhat different feel, but whatever it is, it gets the job done. I used the towel on a somewhat dirty shaft and it picked up quite a bit more than I expected it to. In addition, the towel gave my shaft a nice, slick feel. Again, not as slick as when I do a deep clean and condition, but nice nonetheless.

There’s not a whole lot of downside to this towel. It has a grommet which is a nice touch, as you can clip it to your pool cue case and I found it for under five bucks, so the price was certainly right. I guess if you have to say something bad about it, the color is pretty ugly, a sort of blend of burgundy and scarlet. I’m not sure I would pay much more than five bucks for the towel, but for that price its a pretty damn good buy.

ATROX Tip Tool by Diamondback

Time to get back to reviewing, and first up is the new ATROX tip tool by Diamondback. This is one of the more unique items to come out in the past few years, as it is a nice multi-purpose tool. Diamondback calls it a 10-in-1 tool, however I don’t think I’d go so far as to say it has 10 uses. That being said, it does have a number of different tools available, making it worth the $35.99 MSRP tag.

Pros:

-It has both a dime and nickel scuffer, a nice feature considering most tools only offer one or the other.

-The tip picker works nicely as well in a similar way to the industry standard Tip Pik.

-It has a magnetic seal, making it compact enough to fit in a cue case pocket.

-It carries a lifetime warranty, so if it breaks, you can call Diamondback for a replacement.

Cons:

Some of the other “tools” don’t work to my satisfaction or simply aren’t really relevant. For example, they claim one of the tools to be a bridge elevation. I suppose you could use it that way, but I wouldn’t really call it a tool. You may as well call it an 11-in-1 tool as you could use it as a paperweight or a crime deterrent.

Where to Buy:

ATROX at PoolDawg.com