Pieces of a Billiards Stick – Sewing Machines Los Angeles

Pool sticks have many different components besides what most people probably realize. After all, from a distance a billiards stick looks like a basic piece of cylindrical wood. A little bit wider on one end, and with some kind of tip at the other end. But pool cues are much more complex than they appear to a casual observer on the surface, and consist of many different pieces, parts and components.

Starting with the narrow, tip end of a billiards stick, here are the major parts and pieces:

Tip – The tip is the end of the pool stick that you actually hit the cue ball with. Tips can be made out of different materials, including leather. Different sizes and shapes of tips offer different advantages and conform to different playing styles.

Ferrule – The ferrule is essentially the part of a pool stick that connects to the tip to the shaft. It provides a smooth transition between the different materials, strengths the bond and keeps everything together.

Shaft – The shaft of a pool stick is the narrow half of a stick, above the joint. While the butt may be designed and customized for visual appeal, a shaft’s purpose is to deliver quality, consistent impact while offering maximum force and control on a shot.

Joint – The joint of a pool stick is where the shaft, or narrow half of the pool stick connects with the butt, or heavier, thicker half of the cue. The shaft collar is the connecting piece from the shaft, and the butt collar is the connecting piece from the butt.

Butt – The butt is the bottom or back half of a pool cue. You hold the cue from this end, and it’s heavier and larger than the shaft end.

Forearm – The forearm is the part of the butt closest to the center of the shaft. It can feature many different visual design elements or be left rather plain depending on brand or model. Different design elements include points, or elongated triangles and inlays featuring different colors and materials.

Wrap/Grip – The wrap, or the grip, is the part of the billiards stick that you hold and control it with. Different cues come with different wraps, including linen and leather, while some cues don’t have any additional wraps over the wood at all.

Sleeve – The sleeve is the small remaining area of the cue under the wrap, if there is one and before the end of the stick. Commonly, the sleeve will contain a trademark or additional design elements from the cue’s maker.

Bumper – The bumper is the last component, the far opposite end of a pool stick from the tip. The bumper is a protective surface at the bottom of the stick that protects from bumps, bruises and damages like, well, like a bumper. The sleeve and the bumper are collectively known as the “afterwrap”, and may be further divided into an additional piece known as a “butt cap”, which separates the sleeve from the bumper itself.