Chalk Chalk

One of the things I like about playing online pool is not having to get my hands all filthy with chalk (which by the way, contains nothing but actual chalk). Anyway, not everyone is like me and I know that many of my readers do tend to mess up their hands once in a while.

In a "survey" I bumped into not long ago I learned an interesting fact: while the newbie pool player chalks the cue tip very often, the intermediate player remembers to use that white substance only once in 3-4 shots. And if you thought that the average of chalking decreases with level, think again: apparently, the pros chalk after each and every shot.

I believe the lesson here is pretty obvious - if you want to play like the pros, chalk constantly. However, if you want to maintain you stick properly, do not forget to clean it from the remains of the chalk when you're done shooting them balls.

Creative uses of Billiards Equipment - Don't try at home!

Recently I wrote a post on billiards balls following a news story on an ex-cup who smashed an office window using a billiard ball. Now I read about a gang who attacked another gang using pool cues and socks stuffed with billiards balls. What's wrong with you people!

Not that I support and/or encourage violence of any kind, however, this story inspired me again to write a post on the history of the cue stick.

Billiards games used to be played with a wooden mace, instead of the contemporary cue stick, until the beginning of the 17th century. First, the handle of the mace was used to remove the balls from the edges of the table. Later on, only the handle (queue in French) was used in billiards games.

Only two hundreds years later the leather cue tip was invented. The invention is credited to the French man Captain Mingaud. Thanks to Mingaud's invention, the cue ball control improved significantly.

Did you know?

• Women were not allowed to use cue sticks on the 17th century. They weren't to be trusted near the billiards table felt...
• Captain Mingaud had a billiard table in his prison cell.
  

Snooker players are such good people...

Can you believe this story?
Four of the world's top snooker players (Ronnie O'Sullivan, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Neil Robertson) have gathered to give a young snooker fan an unforgettable 18th birthday present: an autographed cue stick.
And you thought all they do is play poker and snort cocaine...