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A new snooker ebook for learner players is to be available shortly:

The website owner states that it will be available by October 2009 and not the date stated on the website (typo)

Take a look here:

http://www.snookerlessons.com/

A cue is the most vital element in the game of Snooker and it is essential to own your snooker cue if you are actually looking forward to develop your ability in playing the game. While you are buying a cue you will get a variety of choices. Choosing the right type of cue is very important when you wish to excel in the game.  Bought cues may come with a cue tip pre-installled.  make sure that this tip is suitable for you before playing.  Some cheaper cues will install an extremely poor variety of tip on the cue while custom cue makers will often ask which type of tip you prefer to be installed.

The standard length of a cue is around fifty-eight inches and the recommended weight should be not more than seventeen ounces. Snooker cue tip vary in sizes but 10 millimeters is taken to be the standard size. Although experts use 9mm and 11mm tip sizes, it is best to learn the game in a 10mm tip size. At the end of the cue a ferrule remains attached so that it can prevent the tip from splitting.

If you are playing Snooker then it is very important for you know about the cue tips. There are different types and fittings of cue tips available in the market.

Hard tips are really good to use but it ’s a players personal preference which tips are best.

Here are some very popular cue tips,

-Elk Master is a fine tip made by Tweeten and it is regarded as the most popular soft cue tip across the globe.  This is one of the most popular tips for snooker.

-LePro is one of the most popular cue tip used across the world. This is a medium hard tip.

-Moori is a type of a layered cue tip. This cue tip manufactured from pigskin. This is the choice of the professionals. It is available in all types such as hard, medium, and soft.  Layered tips give a different feel and consistency of shot.

Do you wish to become a professional billiards player and join the ranks of all time greats or at least be in the same league as champions.  There are many who have made it to the top by virtue of their talent and sheer hard work.

Apart from playing the game earnestly, you also need to take care of certain finer points. For example, joining a club of professional billiards players or interacting with state level players would give you an insight on how the game is played on professional level. Participating in tournaments that attract maximum viewer attention and are extensively covered by international channels like World 8-Ball Championship, 9-Ball Challenge and U.S Open One Pocket Championship and is the perfect way to enter the realm of professional billiards.

Professional billiards players look up to a win in any of these tournaments. You also tend to earn respect amongst the followers of the game. Following the career of these players would give you an idea about how to chalk out your career plan and go about it. Finally but most importantly there is no other alternative to continuous practice and it is the key to becoming a professional billiards player.

Photo © Ljupco Smokovski - Fotolia.com

Does thinking about indoor games evoke memories of endless sessions of pool and snooker with your friends? If you are an avid fan of billiards or snooker, you must know about the different types of balls used for the different games. A game of carom is never played with the ball used for American style pool game.

Lets take, for example, the ball sets used for snooker games. The standard snooker balls measure 52.5 mm in diameter, however some balls also measure 52.4 mm. They have no standard weights, however, they usually weigh around 3 g. On the other hand, for a game of three-cushion, straight or balkline, you need balls that are 61.5 mm in diameter.

If you specialize in the game of Russian pyramid, you need to use a different set of billiards balls (with 68 or 72 mm diameter) from those used in Bumper pool (balls with 52.5 mm diameter). The blackball (British-style pool) uses 4.76 cm cue balls and 5.08 cm object balls, while the American-style pool uses balls with 5.715 cm in diameter.

Do you know how the balls where initially manufactured? They were fashioned out of ivory from elephant tusks. However, today phenolic resin is the most common material used for manufacturing these balls.

Photo © Michael Flippo - Fotolia.com

Checking the difficult balls first

What are your difficult balls, where are they at and what will it take to sort these situations out.

On your opening shot after the break take a good look arond the table.  Are there any balls stuck to a rail,
blocked by other balls or locked in a cluster.  How can you make these situations good. Can you cannon these balls
after a pot.  Will they free up with a small nudge or will it take a larger impact to make the shot.
Will the opponent do this for you.  If they need to free their own balls from your then why not let them do it.  Makes sense.

On the practice table try pocketing one ball and making an impact with another.  It takes practice at first but then you start
to get a feel for the shot.

Remove the difficult balls then you have a real chance at the run out.  Balance the game, don’t let the opponent take the initiative.

Make them play the game your way

Photo © Jeff Wilson - Fotolia.com

Wish you could try your hand at another interesting indoor sport? Why not try out for Russian Pyramid billiards if you are in the mood for experimentation? Russian Pyramid is an variation of billiards and has rules and regulations quite different from the regular games of pool and snooker you are accustomed to playing.

Russian Pyramid billiards is played with 16 balls, of them 15 ivory-white in color and 1 red that serves as the cue ball with which the game starts. The balls are of 68 mm or 71 mm diameter. The standard size of the table used for this game is 12 ft, however, you can also play it on 7 ft, 8 ft or 9 ft table.

You need to choose an opponent if you are interested in trying out Russian Pyramid, or if you have a group of friends, divide them into two teams and start playing. The pockets on the table are only 2-4 mm larger than the balls. So be careful when hitting a ball, a foul could cost you a loss of a hard-earned win.

You can win a game of Russian Pyramid billiards after you have pocketed 8 balls.

Photo © Roman Lukmanov - Fotolia.com

Antique pool cues are crafted out of the finest of woods and carved meticulously to maintain the perfect balance and size. When they were made, sophisticated machines were no where in picture, naturally each antique pool cue is an ode to engineering.

First billiard cues saw the sunlight in 17th century. When players hit the ball with the plain wood, they felt the need of control. Then the tips were introduced in 19th century by Francoise Mingaud. In 1845, Brunswick made the first cue of billiard for itself. These cues were carved out of maple, ebony and rosewood. European antique cues are very popular and preferred. France and Germany set their standard in making cues by using exotic woods and stylish makes.

There are certain key features that boast of their being antique. First of all, their handles. There would be intricate work. Many high-profile and sophisticated cues come with expensive inlays made of gold, silver or mother of pearl. Their packaging and presentation is impressive as well. They come wrapped in silk like material.

These beautiful billiard props are good collectibles. The antique pool cues enhance your social value when collectors put them in their billiard room for display.

Cue sport involves balls of different sizes, colors, coatings and patterns etc that determine friction coefficient, resilience and hardness. Earliest pool balls were made of clay, wood and later ivory but contemporary balls are manufactured by plastic materials that are not prone to chipping or cracking.

In carom billiards, balls are not numbered and 61.5 mm in diameter. Here four/three balls are played with two red object balls and one white/yellow cue ball for each player. American style pool balls are larger than British pool balls and are widely used worldwide. These are 2.25cm in diameter with 0.005cm tolerance, colored and numbered. Typically there are nine-ball or eight-ball games played by fifteen balls in pocket billiards. In a British style blackball game 5.08 cm object balls and 4.76 cm cue balls are used but without any numbering. Twenty two colored balls of same weight and of 52.5 mm diameter (tolerance 0.05mm) are played in snooker.

In Russian Pyramid and Finnish Kaisa games, all-white numbered object balls are played by yellow/red cue balls. These balls are 68 mm or 72 mm in diameter. Bumper pool requires eight object balls and two special balls of approximately 52.5mm diameter. Also there are some special training balls for beginners and novelty balls like Blacklight, Boble ball, Tag ball etc.

Photo © TheThirdMan - Fotolia.com