Now that you’ve taken the plunge and found a pool cue that really suits you, it’s a good idea to know how to care for your pool cue. You have probably seen professionals like Mike Massey, Jeanette Lee or Karen Corr take their pool cues from beautiful cases and put them together; you never see them drop their heels and lean them against the wall. A pool cue should never be placed on the ground, against a wall or a table. Putting it down and resting it on something could bend the end of the pool cue and ruin it. Lay your pool cue on a flat surface, hung on a cue rack or preferably in a hard case to keep it upright. Hitting your pool cue against a hard surface or the hard floor is also a no-no. This can misalign your cue at the connection points and render it unusable. A professional will never do it and neither should you.
It is a good idea to always keep your pool cue away from extreme temperatures as these can also damage it. High temperatures can warp the clear finish on your pool cue or warp the inlays.
When you get a new pool cue or replace the tip, be sure to put it on. This means that you should only hit easy shots for as long as possible to get a hold of it. Light tapping, not hard tapping, will seat the tip properly. Ideally, your cue should have a stick on the tip. Your pool cue may have come with a screw-in or bolt-on tip. Adhesive tips are easier to replace when they wear out or if you just feel the need for a new tip. Remove the old tip by carefully sliding a sharp knife between the tip and the cue, then simply wipe the end of the cue with a clean cloth or use sandpaper to make sure it’s really clean. Use a small dab of super glue to gently press down on the new tip, and then let it sit overnight to make sure it’s fully attached. Using it too early can throw it off center and won’t help your shots. Remember to put in your new tip after it is attached with gentle injections only. Use a pool cue tip scraping tool to gently loosen the grain of the leather tip and allow it to hold more chalk. Doing so will help your cue connect better and give you better results at the table.
Take care of your cue and it will take care of you.
