Jump and Break Cues
In the past many of the pros would grab a different stick when they needed to make a break shot. Many times it was a pool stick weight a whooping 23-oz. They wanted more power in their break shot and preferred not to use their game stick.
Today however many of the pros will use a lighter stick having learned that speed will give them the force they need to make a good break shot rather then mass or weight.
If you can afford it, a breaking stick has its benefits, and is well worth the investment. You can wear out a tip prematurely with a hard break. If you are using your game stick to make break shots, your tip will flatten out and possibly take on a mushroom shape. The power used in making a break shot can cause parts of your cue to break or become loose. There is a large amount of power concentrated on the shaft and ferrule of your stick, which can cause them to shatter. Owning a breaking stick will enable your game stick to last much longer.
Purchasing pool cues for breaking, you will be able to get a good stick designed just for break shots, and of course using the same cue to break with will improve your break shots. Because the stick will be used only for break shots you can choose a stick, which is much more adapt to break shots, but not for regular play. When making break shots you will want the tip to be wider and flatter. It will give you a larger area to make contact with the tip on the cue ball and will lessen the chance of a miscue on a break shot. This results in a more solid hit on the cue ball. On a break stick you want a wider, flatter tip and the taper is usually not as severe a taper to reduce deflection. Some people prefer the ferrule length to be shorter on a break stick while others prefer a tip and ferrule combination, which is all one piece.
A jump stick is exactly as it sounds. It is a pool stick, which helps the player make the cue ball jump over the ball in front of it in order to make a direct hit on the ball behind it. Some people also use jump shots as trick shots. If you are into making trick shots, you may want to consider the purchase of a jump stick.
Jump sticks are usually shorter than a regular game stick, which makes it easier to raise the butt end of the pool cue. To make a jump shot the butt end of the stick must be raised to about a 45-degree angle from the pool table surface. This allows the player hit the cue ball at the correct angle in order for it to leave the surface of the table and sail over the regular ball in front of it landing on the table on the opposite side. Some break sticks can be used as a jump stick. If the break stick comes in 3 pieces, the player can unscrew half of the butt in order to use the stick as a jump stick.
There are many disagreements about the use of jump shots. Pool halls and bars will forbid jump shots for fear of tears to the felt of the table or flying balls. Other players question the legality of the shot in a game. Some players will get the permission of the other players before implementing a jump shot however if the pool hall or the bar bans the action, it would be best not to attempt.