Players Classic Birds-Eye Maple with Triple Silver Rings Cue

------------------------------- EDIT: After owning this for about 2 years, I can say that it has served me well. I had to clean it for the first time 4 months ago, and used 1100-1500 grit sandpaper to sand the unlacquered part of the cue. It was starting to turn blue from chalk and lost its smoothness, but after cleaning, it was back to new again. I've noticed on some shots, the top half of the cue bounces or "deflects". High end or "low deflection" cues do not have this problem, but they cost $300+; this is not a low-deflection cue. That has caused me to lose some accuracy on a few of my shots in the past year, but since I'm not playing at a career level, those shots did not hurt my game. Trying out $1000 cues this past year, I must say the Irish linen wrap on this surpasses any of them. No other cue matches the feel and durability of this wrap. Furthermore, I did end up wedging paper in the butt of the cue to hold in the rubber piece. It has not fallen out or moved since I did that a year ago. Additionally, the cue hasn't warped at all in the time that I owned it. I still stand by my recommendation, and I do not plan on getting rid of this cue anytime soon. ------------------------------- I'm new to the game of pool, but experienced enough to finally have wanted my own cue. This is an excellent cue, and I think I will never need to purchase another. PROS: "Irish linen-wrapped" may not mean anything to you just like it didn't for me, but once you hold it in your hand, it makes a world of difference. Easy to grip, even during those tense moments during a match where the crowd is watching and your palms start sweating. The linen-wrap holds your grip well, and lets you complete your shot with confidence. "Lifetime warranty" against warping. This was a huge plus for me, knowing that I have the manufacturer standing by their product against any defects. That kind of commitment to any product shows me it is a company worth buying from. The looks. The crimson color, contrasted by the black linen handle and polished metal base all say one thing "I'm here, and I mean business. This is my pool table buck-o, watch out." The top half of the stick is not coated in lacquer like the bottom part; it is sanded and smoothed so that the cue may glide smoothly across your hand without sticking. (I have played with cues that are lacquered all the way to the top, and it caused me to miss some of my shots). CONS: The rubber bumper on the bottom of the cue occasionally falls out. Not a big problem, I may just stuff some paper in between it and the wood to hold it in place. Could just be a bad rubber piece, since cheap parts like those often vary in size from manufacturing; nothing bad about that. SUMMARY: For the price, some people would call it an investment; I'd call it a good investment. It may be the only pool cue you'll ever need to buy, and at the price, you get quite a lot of quality compared to some of the very expensive cues.

I have purchased hundreds of items from Amazon over the past several years, but I believe that this is only the second item I have ever reviewed, as it has surprised me tremendously. I take pool seriously, and I wanted to purchase a few house sticks for my home table that were not the typical level of play, since I get a fair range of players, who don't always bring their stick. So, I was willing to pay more for a few good sticks, but the details in the many 5-star reviews made me choose this and one other at a comparable price. I will be returning the other two very good sticks, as they do not compare with this player, despite the fact that one listed for about 80% more and was also very well reviewed. On the first go-round I put the ball everywhere I wanted using seriously controlled draw and 1,2 & 3-tip low, middle and high english. This is within minutes of picking it up, and even before any break-in of the tip or otherwise. The tip was well prepared as was the rest of the stick. While I am not saying that it compares with the juiced Bushka, it is definitely not going to be the limiting factor for 99% of players, and it is really a pleasure to use. Simply put- really great stick at a great price. I am actually thinking of juicing one of them, as it would be a real sleeper that would slam some of the very expensive sticks that I see here in several critical areas of play-- and at less than $200 including $90 for juicing, this is really saying something. Obviously there are subjective and player/play-specific characteristics that will affect one's critique and usability of any stick, and it is not generally comparable to having a custom-fitted stick, nor some of the top (much more expensive) alternatives. However, at around $100 it is definitely better than some of the very popular sticks at much higher prices. Finally, looks of a stick rank as much less important to me than how a stick plays, but this is also a beautifully designed and crafted stick. It is classically elegant without being overdone in any way. Great job Players! I will amend this comment after I have juiced one of these, and will let you know if it can rise substantially higher when optimized for tournament play. BTW, although I would not typically waste this much time on a stick at this price point, I mic'd, measured and quantitatively tested this stick and found that substantial craft and care went into it from a numbers standpoint as well as how it plays.

This is the best pool cue I've ever bought for the money. The Le Pro works great on it and is a great fit for the feel of the cue. This cue can make some amazing cross table shots, cut shots, and very rarely miscues, or deflects. The Irish Linen wrap is very high quality and durable and the stick has a great protective finish. Almost plays as well my McDermott and I use this cue very often. I had a question about the logo so I had it authenticated with the manufacturer. The serial number is printed on the bottom ring of the cue. Players is changing their logo and my cue has the more modern one, not the one with the rack of balls. I am very satisfied with this cue and have seen many great reviews for it from the pool community. The price when I bought it a year ago was approximately $40 cheaper then it is now. But for a sub $200 pool cue with a lifetime warranty-this cue I would highly recommend for it's great playability and craftsmanship.

Decent cue for the money. Good finish and polish job. Nice joint figment. Solidly anchored stainless 5/16-18 pin. Good enough quality to play properly. The center of mass is in an appropriate. I’ve seen $300+ cues that look the same... no inlays just stained with some other colors. To receive this level of quality, for what I payed, I can’t gripe about the packaging. The butt and shaft are separately thermal roll sealed on either side of a 30” x 4” plastic bag, bubble wrapped, and boxed. The cue arrived with no damage whatsoever. My only gripe is that the linen wrap has some rough spots. Only time will tell how long that lasts. I got this cue because i didn’t want to waste a bunch of money. Past this price range cues become run of the mill with inlays not very many color options beyond natural wood or earth tones. Inlays and exotic wood don’t make you play any better... Slick modern cues are usually an expensive package deal with weird joints that make it ridiculous to change shafts.

Jan 2018- I think that anyone who buys a cue stick without first trying it out on a table – is probably nuts. But I knew if I didn’t like it, I could return it to Amazon with absolutely no hassle. The Players C-960 cue arrived as scheduled. The cue was made in China, and is shipped in the US by Lucasi in Colorado. I paid $89 and change for the cue. It came in a standard 5”x5”x35.5” Amazon box with absolutely no protective padding. However, the cue was enclosed in a stout plastic fitted bag that kept the cues parallel, and protected them from banging into each other during shipping. There was no damage to the cue. The cue’s 58” length and requested weight (21 oz.) were spot on. I don't want guys in the pool hall laughing at me when I "un-holster" my cue, but generally speaking, looks are of little importance to me when buying a cue stick. I prefer simplicity over flashy graphics. In the looks department, this stick is certainly no slouch. I've received several compliments on the cue's looks and apparent build. I’ve personally always liked the looks of bird’s eye maple. Although I’ve seen better looking bird’s eye maple on more expensive cues, this is still very nice wood, and the eye-catching red stain is very visually pleasing. The finish on both butt and shaft is flawless, and the shaft slides through my bridge as smoothly as glass. The ferrule and tip fit perfectly. The cue comes standard with a Le Pro leather 13mm tip. Mine was shaped properly, but was very smooth and needed lots of scuffing and picking so that it would hold chalk properly. It almost looked as if it had some soft of coating before doing that. The actual 15” taper on the shaft felt fine. Tested both separately, and assembled, all parts were straight as an arrow. The double pressed Irish linen wrap and the 5/16”x 18 joint assembly were all perfect. On the table, the cue just “sounded” and “felt” right during both hard and soft shots. Keeping the tip chalked has been challenging however. I would give this cue the following scores: Delivery Speed 8/10, Packaging 4/10, Price 9/10, Straightness of butt and shaft 10/10, Tip 7/10, 5/16”x 18 Joint 10/10, Lifetime warranty (even against warpage, chipping or cracking) 10/10 Overall, I was very pleased. If my game was nearly as good as this cue – I’d be in great shape. If I looked as good as this cue - I'd be in movies! This cue gets highest recommendation.

I am very pleased with this purchase. After looking at an endless array of cues, this one caught my eye. I just returned to the game of pool after 25 years away. After playing games at a pool hall that had poor house cues...and a bunch of misfires, I knew that owning my own cue was the way to go. There was not a decent house cue in this old dank pool joint. So, this Players cue is excellent. My skills are quite rusted but using this cue will help to restore consistency. Winning is the ultimate endgame but playing well is really what builds confidence and hones the skill. The finish on the cue is flawless. The burly red wood color is impressive. The wrapped handle is comfortable. Nice stick, reasonable price, good value, improved game.

Overall good quality pool cue. Well balanced and smooth. The biggest problem is that it definitely has a slight warp that seems to be worsening. I will be returning it as a result.

I gave this as a xmas gift to my son. He loved it, m'kay?