I've only ever owned 2 very cheap rileys cues. I think my current one is too long for my height so looking to buy a new one. VERY limited budget, but have no idea where I could buy, what choice in length, weight, wood etc in the cheaper end of the market...any advice gratefully received.
tricky one this Ross as the feel of the cue, tip size etc is very much down to ones own preference. Go for a well known brand and probably try to avoid cheap asian imports. I play with a Master Cue 9mm which retail from ?140-?200 and i personally really like them. Nothing flash but a really well balanced cue you can rely on and a lot cheaper than many of the respected brands out there.
If on a budget best to go for a decent 2nd hand cue rather than a cheaper new one....ask some of your team mates...Barry Stark (he's probably got a few cues gathering dust that he may wish to sell) of course the other good thing buying off someone at your club is you can try it out for a few weeks.
The other place i would advise to go and buy a cue is Martin Chesworth in Sheffield. He has loads of good quality 2nd hand cues starting from around ?50 and a table where you can try them all out on. His website is on the links page.
Of course like any sport it is more down to a players technique and timing rather than the object he hits the ball with.....a friend of mine spent over ?200 on a cue but now feel he plays much better with a club cue he stumbled upon.
Hope this helps
Hi Ross
To start with, great advice fro Mike Keep well away from any cue with a signature on the butt and those 4 piece+case ?30ers from sports soccer and alike,there just imports.
Option one is dare i say it"e.bay" i had a look the other day and was quite surprised how many good quality cues+leather cases you can bid on from around ?20 and above. You never know you might get lucky.
Option two is as long has you have a rough idea of your cues tip size, weight and so on, you should be able to go to any specialist sports shop and pick one up for about ?50.
Option three is iam afraid is to spend some cash and go for the top makes like cue craft and so on. But for a good cue your talking ?80+
Mikes Advice about asking coaches or mates in the local leagues if they have any old cues to try and buy is also a very good option to save some cash and you might pick up a gem.
Just remember with cues like anything else "you get what you pay for"
As for the type of wood to go for, stick with ash or maple,there the most common.
Hope this Helps
Daz
We have a range of over 50 cues in stock in our shop at Phoenix Cue Sports in Eastwood.
We also have a range of second hand cues starting from ?20, well worth trying out!
Come in and have a look, and play with a couple to get a better idea of what would suit you best.
Stephen
Hi ross, im not sure if you've managed to get a new cue yet. Another option would be to have your current cue shortened if the only problem is the length. My boss, Dave Gibson carries out small jobs like these. Its a whole lot cheaper than a new cue.