What do you rub on a cue?

Even if you have only ever watched others play pool, you probably know players rub a small chalk cube against the tip of their cues. Applying chalk to the tip of the cue is good maintenance for the pool sticks and a natural part of the game for many players.

What do you put on a cue stick?

This prevents the cue from sliding off the ball prematurely, ruining the shot (called a 'miscue'). Over time, the tip of a pool stick becomes worn and smooth from use. Chalk provides the friction necessary to make a shot.

Why put chalk on cue?

Chalk lets you add friction to the cue tip, which allows you to make a shot, rather than have the cue slipping off the ball prematurely. Your pool cue tip will come in great condition to play, but over time, it will get worn down, which is why having solid chalk is key to staying on top of your game.

How do I smooth my cue like new?

Apply oil onto cue with a cloth or paper towel, leave overnight to soak in. Wipe off surplus oil and buff cue with clean cloths until smooth and dry and no residue oil is visible on a clean cloth. If the cue feels sticky wipe with damp cloth and dry and buff.

Can you use sandpaper on a cue tip?

Lightly sand the ferrule and tip edge with ultra-fine-grit sandpaper (600+ grit) or emery paper to make sure everything is smooth and clean.

Snooker Physics: Chalking the Cue

What kind of sandpaper to use on cue stick?

If your cues have a varnished shaft, start cleaning them using 240-grade sandpaper. From there, move to a 600-grade sandpaper before finally finishing off with a 120-grade sandpaper. Make sure you oil the cue after sanding it. Inspect the cue joints to ensure they have no dirt.

How do you sand a cue?

Give your cue a good rub down with a paper towel using a suitable solvent. Common white spirit (mineral spirit) is fine. Take some 320 grit sandpaper (use good quality stuff like cloth backed aluminium oxide) and sand the whole cue, taking care to move evenly over the surface.

Should I scuff a new cue tip?

Scuffing allows the cue tip to hold chalk better and will ensure you get better shot control or English. The additional texture that scuffing creates can often give you an edge while playing. As you take more shots, your cue tip starts to flatten and smooth out, meaning chalk will have fewer spots to cling onto.

What makes a pool stick smooth?

Soft natural leather is all that is needed. Wind the leather around the cue and move it as fast as you can up and down the first 18 inches or so. This will heat up and seal the cue.

What is the chalk rule in pool?

Even dropping the chalk on the cue ball is a foul. Any balls moved accidentally during a shot will be replaced by the opponent after the shot is over and all the balls have stopped rolling. If it occurs before the shot, it will be replaced before the shot is taken.

How often should you replace your pool cue tip?

When or how often should you replace a cue tip? Usually, a tip is replaced either when you want to try something new or if your current tip has worn down too low, where there is almost no tip material left on the shoulder of the ferrule.

What is the most used cue tip?

Medium-hard tips

This is the most common cue tip, and it gives players a good balance of cue ball control and consistency. Medium-hard tips also require less maintenance than soft tips. Most beginning and intermediate players will benefit from the medium-hard tip.

What is the best tip size for a pool cue?

Generally speaking most pool players prefer and 8mm to 8.5mm tip for a 1 & 7/8 pool cue ball, and most snooker players prefer a 9.5mm to 10mm tip for a full size 2 1/16 snooker cue ball. American pool uses an even bigger cue ball so the tip sizes are normally between 12.5 mm and 13.5mm.

Can you leave the cue ball after a scratch?

A scratch, foul, or illegal shot results in ball-in-hand, where your opponent can place the cue ball anywhere on the table in preparation for the next shot. The only exception to this is the break (see the 8-ball and 9-ball differences that follow).

Should I break with my playing cue?

It is best to use a dedicated break cue, which is beefier and has a hard tip (usually phenolic). Power breaking with your normal playing cue can cause damage over time, and it will flatten the tip. It is advisable to use a break cue with a natural pivot length well matched to your preferred break bridge length.

How often should you chalk your cue?

Answers will vary among players regarding how often you should chalk your cue stick, but a good rule to follow is to chalk every, and if not every other shot. If a shot requires extra spin on the ball, chalking is advised because it will provide additional friction during the impact.

Should pool cue tip be soft or medium?

If you're the type of player that likes to work the cue ball around the pool table, then a soft tip is what you should play with. Unfortunately, though, softer tips tend to "mushroom" and need maintenance more frequently. Medium Hard Tips - are the most commonly used type of cue tip.

Should pool cue tip be soft or hard?

A harder tip has a slightly better hit efficiency (energy transfer) than a softer tip. This will result in slightly more CB speed for a given stroke speed. This can provide a slight advantage for draw shots, where, where slightly more CB speed will retain slightly more backspin on the way to the OB.

Should you wax your pool cue?

Keeping It Slick and Smooth:

Your shaft will keep the slick feel for several weeks of play. Cue Wax, like the Cue Doctor Wax, will also keep your shaft slick and shinny, sealing off the pores and protecting the wood.

What to do with a new cue tip?

What grit sandpaper won't scratch paint?

Sand It: If the scratch is deep, use 3,000-grit sandpaper — if not, 5,000-grit will be fine. Wrap your sandpaper around a sponge to ensure pressure is even, spray down the area and the sandpaper with soapy water, then start sanding up and down against the grain.

What grit sandpaper doesn't scratch?

2" x 2" squares, 220 Grit. Specialized so it won't scratch glazed porcelain, tile or granite surfaces. Non-scratch sand paper comes with all Light Cure Acrylic Surface Repair kits and it helps removing any over filled material of the (light cure acrylic) placed on the damage.