The evolution of pool cues
At first
Many people think that the game of billiards started in the middle ages. Billiards was originally played outdoors on grass. It evolved from a croquet-like lawn game played in Northern Europe. People started playing indoors and used a green surface to give the feeling of grass. A border was placed around the edges to contain the game. The players used a “mace”, which was a large wooden staff with a large head on one end. This instrument was used to push, instead of hitting the ball. Almost all of our data relating to early billiards comes from accounts of gaming by royalty and other nobles, yet there is information that people from all parts of society enjoyed the game from its inception. By 1600 the sport was so common that Shakespeare discussed it in Antony and Cleopatra.
The times they Are a changing
The current pool cue that you play pool with these days has gradually evolved from an instrument that was much more like a golf club. The need for change arose when the players found their ball against the side of the rail. The massive butt end of the club would not allow the player to hit the ball squarely, so they would use the narrow tail end of the club to hit the ball. The term “cue” is derived from “queue”, the French word for queue. Continued use of this style of shooting led to the footless cue we use today.
pool cues today
Billiard cues were made in two sections at the beginning of the 19th century. The top of a pool cue is described as the shaft, while the bottom section is known as the butt. Most pool cue shafts are made from Canadian maple, while other types are made from holly or ash. Some pool cue manufacturers have chosen to wrap their shafts in graphite or fiberglass. The cue shaft is normally completed with a spike. Every year new ideas come to the market for the construction of the tip. It is usually designed with various types of leather and amalgamated substances. The tips vary in densities from soft to hard. Cues aren’t always meant to be played with, some are strictly collectible and can command values in the tens of thousands of dollars for the material they’re made from and their excellent workmanship. No doubt modern technologies will continue to drive the efficiency and evolution of billiard cues in the future.