Heathers Pool Etiquette 101 – How To Be Courteous

Imagine, if you will, you are in a crowded bar or pool hall. You have had a perfect run on the table and you are about to go for the 8 ball off bank into the side pocket (or whatever shot suits you), you bend over, carefully lining up and relining up your shot. All of a sudden, a face looks down over the table at you and says “You should be able to do this with your eyes closed, don’t choke now!” and they walk off laughing. You try to reline up your shot again, you pull back your cue only to have someone walks up behind you and purposely bump your cue…


If you are anything like me, after the first act of rudeness, I would’ve stood up, walked away from the table, and sat down. I love shooting pool and have no tolerance of others rudeness when playing. Most pool table etiquette is based off of common courtesy and common sense.

Let’s take a look at a basic list of pool etiquette.

•   Don’t put your drinks on the table. With everyone moving around the table, other drinkers, pool cues being used, and random bad shots where a ball may fly off a table can knock a drink either onto a table or onto the floor. Getting the pool cloth wet not only can mess up a game, but ruin the cloth itself. If it gets knocked on the floor, it stops the game being played so it can be cleaned up, not to mention makes a mess that someone can get hurt on.
•   Never stand in someones line of sight when they are shooting. Distractions in a bar can be bad enough without someone purposely walking around in front of a pocket you are trying to line up a shot with. It considered polite to actually not be in the shooters line of site, but if you can’t help but be in that general area, then stand as still as possible until they have made their shot.
•   Don’t yell. There is nothing more annoying than someone at the next table yelling repeatedly every time they make a ball. While pool is only a game to some, there are some of us there to practice or play seriously. 
•   If you are with a group of people, and they are standing around watching the game, and you notice someone at another table trying to shoot, be polite and call their attention to it so they can move. There should not be more than the number of people playing anywhere near the table.
•   If you jump your ball off a table, and it goes under another table, wait until the other table is done with their shot before retrieving it.
•   When racking the balls, don’t just drop the balls onto the table. Not only is it disruptive but can damage the table as well.
•   When you are finished playing, be polite and put your stuff away. Just propping up a house cue somewhere can cause it to be knocked over. These cues are used by many different people and when they are damaged or the tip is broken off, it makes them hard to use.
•   If you and another person are shooting at the same time and bump each other, make an apology and offer them to go ahead. Let them make their shot and then make yours. If you are polite to them, if it happens again, you may find the politeness returned to you.
•   If you accidentally bump someone who is down to shoot, be courteous, apologize, and move so they can make their shot. 
•   Keep your attention on the game. Nothing is more aggravating than have to chase down an opponent when it’s their turn to shoot.
•   It’s just good form to congratulate your opponent on a well-played game, whether you win or lose. It costs nothing to do, shows good sportsmanship, and will earn you respect.
•   Avoid putting your quarters down on a table where someone is shooting. This can break their concentration and will not likely be appreciated. 
•   Don’t lean on or put the cues over your shoulders and wrap your arms over it. This is how cues get warped. 
•   Avoid coaching other players on how to play. We all have our own style and find it rude for you to tell us how to play if we haven’t asked you.
•   If we are calling pockets, and you hit a slop shot, don’t try to act like you meant to do it. I know that you banking the cue ball off four rails and into any random pocket was not what you planned. If it was, you would have called it that way. If it’s slop, admit it and save us both the embarrassing comments that may follow.

So there we have a list of common Pool Etiquette. Depending on where you play, different bars have different rules, as does Billiards rules. And I am sure there are many more rules out there, these are just the ones that I find tend to annoy me the most. As I stated before, most of these are common sense and common courtesy.

The History of Viking Billiards Pool Cue Sticks

Gordon Hart began constructing pool cues in the basement of his home in the 1960’s. Once perfected, Gordon would travel to tournaments selling the two-piece pool cues. Within a short time his pool cue became popular with top players and Viking Cues Mfg. Inc was born.  Viking Cues popularity grew so rapidly that Gordon had no other decision but to expand to their current location in Madison, Wisconsin. Once expanded, Gordon began production in both the United States and abroad. Since the beginnings the company has always been a family business all of Gordon Hart’s children have been involved and now the third generation of the Harts are working for the company.
 
In the mid 1980’s the movie Color of Money was released and with it the billiard industry experienced a phenomenal growth and changed forever. As a result Viking Cues invested in state-of-the-art equipment to insure a quality product. With doing so Viking Cues became a household name and positioned themselves as a leader in the billiard industry. Viking Cues with their craftsmanship and state-of-the-art machinery continue to produce a flawless, quality, two-piece pool cues.
 
Viking pool cues range in style, variety, and price. They have a cue to fit every budget; prices range from $170-$1400. Viking has 12 different series of pool cues to choose from; the newest of series are the Vortex, Negotiator, Twisted, Dominator, Crown Jewel, and the No Luck Needed. If these aren’t to your liking they have their always high quality standard built G-Series, F-Series, W-Series, and the Decues Series. They also offer the Fat Daddy break and jump series along with their Harley Davidson Cue Series. Viking Cues also has a customize option for those who know what style they like but want to add their own touch and flare.

McDermott Pool Cues is still a High Quality Pool Cue Stick Company

McDermott Handcrafted Cues has consistently raised the standard in what billiard players expect from a high quality pool cue. McDermott only uses the latest technology and the finest materials in the world. McDermott finds their inspiration through introducing new products and technology. They find challenge in developing better performance products and are dedicated to the development of new product through the need to step up the game. A process that includes over 150 separate producers in the construction of each cue is utilized. Each shaft is hand crafted from the finest Kiln-dried, North American Hard Rock maple and is turned 11 times for stability. Exotic woods from around the world are used for all forearms, handles, and sleeves.

As a leader in supporting the industry through tournaments and billiard events, McDermott shows that if it’s important to the customer it’s important to them. Through live events, online promotions and social networking McDermott strives to support the sport of billiards. If you’re in need of a cue, McDermott has them. McDermott offers a wide range, the McDermott, Element, Star, Lucky, Stinger Jump/Break, Sledgehammer, are the standard and proven pool cues. The Prodigy for the little tikes who are eager to learn and play, also perfect for small spaces and tables, The Zorro named after the famous “Z” himself. McDermott has also partnered up with Orange County Choppers for a line of pool cues, same high quality built with a little metal and a lot of attitude. If you have the cue and need an extra shaft McDermott has you covered there, with the G-Core, I-Shaft, Big Boy, and their standard Maple Shaft.

Driven Inc. Clothing for Players Who are Driven to win

Driven Inc. Clothing doesn’t sell the typical shirt, they sell a lifestyle. Everyone is driven by something, be it getting though the week for the weekend to start, being responsible for the care of others, or the guy who wants to ride the greatest wave ever; we are all driven to do our best.  The team at Driven is no different; they are driven to give 100% of themselves in everything they do, their fighting, their clothing line or just meeting the fans. They take pride and honor in themselves and it shows through everything. Deep down in all of us we have a motto, its finding that motto and showing it off, that’s what, Team Driven is excellent at doing. They bring to life what for some of us is hard to do. There is evil all around us, its what we do to help that makes a difference. Its not one or two people it’s everyone. Our true character comes out with each trial we overcome These trials can either brake us or we can over come from the adversity and forge ahead to become stronger. This adversity is what others need help overcoming.

There is evil all around us, its what we do to help that makes a difference. Its not one or two people it’s everyone. Our true character comes out with each trial we overcome These trials can either brake us or we can over come from the adversity and forge ahead to become stronger. This adversity is what others need help overcoming. In their Unscarred by trials series of shirts, Driven shows off their softer side. Each series of shirts will represents a trial of life and a portion of the proceeds from the sell of these shirts will be giving to the charity of the trial. Each of these series will show a very important meaning and message. The forms of child abuse are represented in the first shirt for the Unscarred by Trials series. The first in the series is printed on a black shirts with artwork all brown muted tones. The front of the shirt has a tiny child crying holding a doll in the back a dark shadow hovering over them. The back has Unscarred by Trials in script down the left side of the shirt. On the right sleeve you have the Driven inc logo in the same muted brown tones. The legacy we leave can be as simple as helping another person overcome the trials of their life.

A Good Billiards Pool Rack Stand is NOT Hard to Find

Every game room and bar that has a pool table needs a billiards rack stand to keep all of your pool equipment and gear all in one place looking great. The pool cue wall mounts are usually not enough, but if you want to add some fashion and style to the area with a pool table then we strongly suggest you use an actually billiards pool rack stand. And the best thing about thee stands is most of the time you can get them in all different colors and stains so to match the rest of the pool gaming area.

You can get all the specialty and name brand rack stands at Official PRO Sports where they have all the billiard supplies you need with the name brands you trust.

Get Everything For Your Billiards Pool Game Room Instantly

Buying every single billiards pool table accessories individually can be a pain, so get everything in one shot with a complete pool accessories kits that comes with every thing you need to get your game room going instantly. Most complete pool cue sets are quickly manufactured and are poorly made. Official PRO Sports only carries the highest quality of complete pool sets with cues, triangles, pool cue racks, pool balls, and even pool stick bridges.

This offer is a better value for the customer because buying each individual item can run you over a thousands dollars but when you get a complete billiards pool table set you will be ready to rock and roll instantly at 1/3rd the cost. Official PRO Sports now offers complete billiards set from some of the hottest brands in the industry HJ Scott and Hampton Ridge Billiards.

Keep your Billiards Pool Table in Perfect Shape With a Brush

Keeping a Billiards Pool table in great condition can be hard, but with a little constant maintenance with a billiards pool table brush you can keep any billiards table clean and looking great while extending the life span of the pool felt. Before you select a pool table brush make sure you know what kind of felt you have, on a regular coin-op table or cheaper styles you can use any type of brush and nylon brushes are the cheapest around but if you are using a brush for a high-end table the best brush you can get is a Horse Hair Billiards Table Brush.

The reasoning for the different types of brushes is because of the felt, cheaper tables have a rougher and in some cases more durable felt that cause a cue ball to roll more slowly so using a nylon brush which is stiffer will be a perfect fit for these tables, the extra roughness in the felt allows a nylon brush to clean it quickly and smoth out the rougher tables. A high-end table with a Simonis type felt is smoother and used in the highest billiards tournaments around but because of the felt construction using a hard brush on this type of felt can cause knotting and degrade the felt quickly, always use a softer brush like horse hair brush to effectively clean these types of tables.

Brushing your table at least once a week, or if you are playing a lot once day can extend the life of your billiards pool table felt. This is important to keep your cue and pool balls rolling straight and for longer periods of time. Each time you shoot and strike your cue ball it should look like the balls are skating on ice in a straight line towards the pocket.

Pro Series Sports Billiards Pool Cue Stick Cases Are One of the Top 10

The Pro Series Sport Pool Cue Cases is an instant favorite for protection of your pool cue stick and more importantly the style. These billiards pool cases are made of the same materials that give golf bags the protection they need and with a PVC inner lining and silk fabric inside they keep pool sticks dry and absolutely weathered free. Each Pool cue case is almost perfectly water proofed so the carrier never has to worry about rain fall or snow on the way to the pool hall or local bar and the sleek design with a Golf Bag look is very classic and fashionable.

The top small pocket and bottom large pockets on the pool case are huge and are able to carry every single pool accessory you need at your disposal. And each Pro Series Sports pool case comes with a large thick strap that will not cut into your shoulder and the large-sized Sport cases even have a padded middle for even more comfort. Pro Series Sport cases were developed with everything a pool player needs including a middle handle for easy carry with out using the shoulder strap.

This pool cue case is a must for professional pool players and pool players who love their cue stick they need more protection these heavy-duty cases will protect your pool cue in every angle and with its high-end construction with only high-quality materials you will be assured that you are getting maximum protection for your pool cue.

Why do I need a Pool or Billards Cue Stick Gloves

Most billiards pool player who are using a stick with a wooden shaft do not need to use a pool glove or billiards glove unless that players has a problem with perspiration or even clammy hands. The reason why you would use a pool glove if you suffer from any of these is because when you have any type of moisture on your aiming hand the stick may vibrate or stick as you are sliding it through for the shot. A lot of pool player use chalk but chalk can get really messy and even leave imprints on the pool table. If a player does not suffer from ay type of perspiration or clammy hands the a pool glove would not be necessary but it does not hurt to have teh extra glide and stability that a billiards glove can offer.

Any pool player using a fiber glass cue stick need to use a billiards glove at all times. The reason why is the fiber glass surface on the shaft will almost immediately stick and vibrate across your hands because of the fiber glass materials and the non porous surface. When you stroke with a fiber glass shaft immediately you can feel a resistance stroking the cue only for a few second it will pick up any oils and perspiration, and even humidity in the room and will make for a horrible stroke shot. Wit a fiber glass cue you need to have a good fiber glass cleaner, and a good pool billiards glove to go with it. If you try to use chalk on a fiber glass cue you will find that you will need to use chalk almost all the time and will cause a ton of frustration.

Official PRO Sports now offers a huge selection of pool billiards gloves for men and women all types of colors and sizes. The Womens pool billiards gloves even have extra space on the tips of the gloves for females who want to wear a pool glove but have long finger nails. And the colors are everything from red, black, blue, to even cheetah print. Every type of glove for all pool occasions and make sure that you cue glove you purchase matches your stick color.

Pool Players should always have a Cue Stick Bridge Head

In billiards and pool I have learned never assume every pool hall or bar has the tools you need for success this include pool cue bridge heads. And especially in Pool halls because for every 20 sticks they may only have 1 cue stick bridge, and out of those bridges it may be impossible to find one immediately when you need it. Most pool cue shooters are rhythm shooters which means if you are in the zone, meaning you are shooting really well and you have to take 5 to 10 minutes to find a cue stick bridge you may sink out of your rhythm which may create a border of making your next shot. The best advice is to purchase your own pool bridge and buy a large cue stick case to hold it.

Create your own pool enviroment and always be prepared and this includes a good pool cue stick bride with you at all times.