This is a video response to YouTube user Alisma12 who sent me the following message:

“I watched your video on selecting the right pool cue, and I wanted to know can you make a short video shooting with a J.Pechauer and explain some pros and cons like balance, vibration, hit, sound, and feel? I would greatly appreciate it!”

Well, Alisma12, you asked for it, you got it. Today we’re going to test a JP Pechauer cue. This particular cue has ebony and pearl inlays, an Irish linen wrap and uses maple wood with a rosewood stain. Pechauer cues have a special joint and this particular cue has a 12.75 shaft diameter.

All Pechauer cues are very nice in general. This particular cue has a nice, soft sound to it. It’s very solid feeling when you hit with it. You can see in this video that we’ve set up a ruler at the other end of the table to test deflection. The ruler is marked with 1″ increments up to 3″.

You can see when I hit it with softly with right English, the deflection is a little over 1″. Hitting it a little firmer we get about 2″. Firmer still and we see that it goes a little over 2″.

The thing about Pechauer cues is that they all play very well. They’re very solid cues and I’d recommend one to literally any player. If your budget allows for it, you can’t go wrong with one.

Today we’re going to test a Predator cue; the Predator IKON 1, to be specific. This particular cue is solid maple painted black. Threre are nickel silver rings in it with a leather wrap. The cue features Predator’s Uni-Lock system and uses the Predator 314 shaft. This cue is simple but very attractive.

It’s a fair generalization to state that all Predator cues are well made and this particular one is no exception. You can hear that it has a nice sound when striking the cue ball. When you hit with it, there’s hardly any vibration at all. It’s very solid feeling when you hit with it.

You can see in this video that we’ve set up a ruler at the other end of the table to test deflection. The ruler is marked with 1″ increments up to 3″. You can see when I hit it with softly, the deflection is about 1/2″. Hitting it a little firmer we get a little over 1″. There is very little deflection from this cue. As I said earlier, all Predator cues are fantastic. The IKON 1 is definitely worth the money if you can afford it. They’re very high quality cues and you simply can’t go wrong with a Predator.

Today we’re highlighting a product that can benefit many players who are just starting out: The 3rd Eye Stroke Trainer by Joe Tucker. Essentially, the product is a small plastic device that slides over the end of your cue stick and helps you to straighten out your stroke. Don’t be deceived by it’s simplicity, the 3rd Eye Stroke Trainer really does what it promises.

It does this by virtue of two small prongs that jut out on either side. The spacing between the two prongs is slightly larger than the cue ball. This means that unless you hit the ball perfectly straight on, the 3rd Eye Trainer will come into contact with the cue ball, alerting you that you’re not shooting straight.

After just a few minutes with the device, you’ll likely notice your strokes becoming straighter. After a few weeks with this device, you’ll probably even start to see an improvement on your stroke in regular play (without the device on your cue, of course). There aren’t many devices out there that can generate results so quickly, and it’s even easier to use now because they all come with an instructional DVD.

For such a simple and inexpensive device, this thing always delivers quality results. If you have a friend who’s just getting into pool and they need some help with their stroke (sighting errors, alignment issues, etc), this little baby is a great gift idea for them. If you’re thinking about getting one for yourself, come on down to Billiards and Darts Direct and I’ll be happy to set it up for you to try before you buy.