Parts of a Pool Cue
The pool cue might look like a simple piece of equipment, but in reality it is a complex and finely honed piece of 21st century technology. Here are all of the parts that make a pool cue.
Tip – The tip is the very end part of your pool cue, the part that actually strikes the cue ball. Almost every tip you are going to find is made of hardened leather and is attached to the pool cue using glue. Tips can either be soft or hard in texture. Softer tips have the advantage of retaining chalk better and giving you superior ball control, while harder tips are all about power. That why you will sometimes see pros break with a hard tipped cue and switch to a soft tipped cue for shots that require more finesse.
Ferrule – The ferrule is the small white piece that connects the tip to the shaft. It is designed to help increase the accuracy of your shots by stiffening and reducing vibration on the tip.
Shaft- The is a major part of the cue that tapers down to the collar. It is usually made of an exceptionally hard wood, such as hardrock maple. The quality of this part of the cue is especially important because it can really determine how much power your cue has.
Joint - The joint is the section that connects the butt and shaft together. Since this is where the energy is transferred between these two parts, a quality joint is vital to a powerful cue.
Pin – The pin is the metal screw that connects the two parts of the pool cue. The pin is almost always a solid metal, like steel or brass. Less commonly, it can also be made of wood. The pin is essential because if it doesn’t connect the two pieces of the cue together securely, you simply won’t have a very powerful or accurate shot.
Collar - The collar is the part that connects the pin to the rest of the butt of the cue. It can be made of a large variety of hard materials, including hard resins, wood, plastic, or steel. A small number of cue sticks have no collar at all.
Inlays – No one likes a really bland looking pool cue. You want something that really reflects your own style, right? That’s where inlays come in. The inlays are the design on your cue stick, usually a highly stylized drawing. There are tons of these to choose from, so you can get one that reflects your own personal style and taste.
Wrap – This is the part of the pool cue you actually grasp when you are lining up for a shot. Ideally, you want a wrap that both gives you a nice, solid and controlled grip and also just looks nice on your cue. The number one choice for a pool cue wrap is Irish linen, because it iusually has both of the these qualities, although on some cheaper pool cues you might find the wrap to be nylon.
Less typically, you can find some pool cues that actually have a leather wrap, or actually no wrap at all.
Butt Sleeve - The butt sleeve is at the very end of the pool cue and usually contains the weight bolt. This is a small weighted piece of material designed to give you the most comfortable weight for your playing style. Typically, you also have the option of switching out different weight bolts out of the butt sleeve to get a totally different weighted cue.
Bumper - The bumper is just a circular piece of rubber on at the bottom of your pool cue. It allows you to rest your cue stick on the ground without scratching or hurting the butt in any way.