Cue Tip Hardness and How It Affects Your Game

October 20, 2021

Updated: February 9, 2024 Whether you play competitively or just for fun, pool can be both a challenging and thoroughly enjoyable pastime. Still, if you want to take your game to the next level then it’s important to arm yourself with the right pool cue. This means understanding the differences between soft and hard cue tips in order to choose the best one for your particular playing style. Choosing the Right Pool Cue Tip When shopping for pool cue tips, the main factor you’ll need to consider is hardness. Choosing between soft, medium and hard tips mostly comes down to your personal preference, but it’s still important to know what the differences between them are. How Tip Hardness Affects Your Shot Soft tips absorb or cushion more of the impact when your tip strikes the ball. One major advantage of this is that it allows you to put more spin on the shot whenever you strike the ball off the center. Essentially, the softer the cue tip is the more feel and spin control you’ll have. One major drawback to softer cue tips is that they do tend to get misshapen more easily and wear out more quickly. This means...

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Tips To Improve Your Shuffleboard Game

September 14, 2021

Shuffleboard is becoming an increasingly popular tabletop game at parties or casual hangouts. While the basic mechanics of the game are fairly straightforward, you want to be at your A-game when the next shot is the tiebreaker. Here are a few techniques to help improve your shuffleboard game. Work the Angles Similar to billiards, shuffleboard is a game of angles. You need to determine where best to shoot from and how much weight to give in order to leverage those angles. For example, some shots may look impossible to hit, such as if your opponent’s weight is guarded by another one of their weights. By picking the correct angle on your next shot and banking it off the side of the table, it’s possible to knock your opponent’s weights out of the way. Pick Up New Shooting Strategies Playing the same trick shots, again and again, makes your play style predictable, and it’s something that your opponents can take advantage of. If you’re playing a casual game of shuffleboard, that’s completely fine. But, if you’re playing a competitive match, having multiple shooting techniques will make you a more well-rounded player. Techniques that you can learn include spin or the Old...

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5 Choices to Make to Get Your Hands on the Perfect Pool Table

August 10, 2021

Though it began in France centuries ago, the game of Billiards, or “pool”, has since become a family favorite. Because pool tables range so much in price, it’s important to know what you really want out of a pool table before you invest in one. Five of the biggest factors to consider when choosing the perfect pool table are outlined below. 1. Slate Is the Best Option For the smoothest experience and best accuracy, choosing a pool table with slate is the way to go. Alternatives like plywood, slatex, and fiberboard simply don’t deliver the best results. 2. A Good Frame Makes a Good Table A truly good pool table is dependent on the wood frame. With excellent pool tables, you can expect to find that the slate has been framed with wood glued to the bottom, along with cross beams for additional sturdiness. 3. Strong Legs Are Imperative Along with a sturdy frame must come strong legs that can not only hold the weight of the structure itself but can also support the added weight of players taking shots or leaning on the table. Of the two types of legs, post or perfect legs, although typically more expensive, are...

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We’re the Best Pool Table Movers in Phoenix, Here’s Why

July 26, 2021

You might think that you could just have the movers that you hire to move your furniture move your pool table. Less experienced movers may try to move your table simply by lifting it, but you cannot move a billiards table the same as a kitchen table. Billiard Gallery offers moving services in addition to pool table service and repair, and here are five reasons why Phoenix residents should choose us to move their pool tables. 1. We Work on Your Schedule You phone or email us to schedule an appointment that’s convenient for you. We travel to your home or business at the appointed time to disassemble your pool table, and we immediately move it to your new location. 2. We Take Great Care With Your Pool Table We start by carefully removing the table bolts and unfastening the pool table’s pockets. We unfasten the felt so that it won’t become marred during the move. We load all the small parts into an enclosed box. The next step is to mark the slate for proper replacement, and then, we remove the slate screws and leg bolts. Once the table is completely disassembled, we load all the parts carefully into...

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What Accessories Do I Need For A Pool Table?

June 14, 2021

Owning a pool table is a major investment. Besides the table itself, there are several accessories you need to have. The accessories help you play the game and keep your table clean. Pool Cues You need pool cues to play the game. They’re traditionally made of wood. However, you can now choose pool cues made of carbon fiber, graphite and fiberglass. You can choose from different lengths and weights. Pool Balls You also need balls to play pool. There are 15 numbered balls and a white one. While usually the numbered balls are split into stripes and solids in the United States, other colors are used around the world. They’re made of plastic, polyester, acrylics and resins. Bridge Sticks When playing pool, it sometimes happens you can’t hit the white ball without lying on the table. On such occasions, you can use a bridge stick. You place the bridge stick on the table behind the white ball, place your cue in it, and hit the ball. Billiard Galleries in Phoenix, AZ, sells pool accessories. When you buy a new pool table through us, you get a free accessory kit and a choice of felt colors. Rack You need a rack...

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How To Clean Pool Table Felt

May 13, 2021

Updated: January 31, 2024 Pool tables are an expensive investment, so you want to take good care of them. It’s important to know how to clean the felt so you don’t accidentally damage it. If you clean the felt in the right way, your pool table can last for many years. Clean With a Brush You should buy a brush that’s specifically designed for felt. They have very soft bristles, so they don’t harm the table. Move dirt from the interior of the table to its outer ends. Use light strokes; make sure you never use circular ones. Once the dirt is piled up on the ends, vacuum it up. Billiard Gallery of Phoenix, AZ, sells pool table accessories like felt brushes. We can help you keep your pool table looking its absolute best. Vacuum the Table You’ll now need to use the vacuum on the entire felt surface. Use a low-power one, as powerful vacuums will harm the felt. You can use an attachment to make the job easier. However, you should go slowly so you get as much dirt removed as possible. Gently Remove Spills If someone spilled a drink on your pool table, you need to be...

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Billiard Tips for Beginners

April 5, 2021

Almost everyone starts out playing pool poorly. It takes time to master the game, but there are a few tips you should know at the outset. If you do, your play will improve more rapidly and your skills will quickly increase. It’s important to get the basics right from the beginning so you don’t have to waste time later unlearning bad habits. Aim Properly You need to learn the relationship between the cue ball, the object ball, and the point of contact. The cue ball is the white ball, the object ball is the one you want to hit and the point of contact is where you should strike the object ball to make it go where you want. It helps to imagine a straight line from the object ball to the pocket you want it to go into. Ghost Ball Imagining there’s a ghost ball can help. Visualize a ghost ball actually sitting in the position where the cue ball needs to be as it strikes the object ball. You then simply shoot the cue ball to that position. If you’ve calculated properly, it will strike the object ball at the precise angle to send it into the pocket....

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Essential Shuffleboard Accessories

March 15, 2021

Updated: January 31, 2024 Having a shuffleboard table in your Phoenix game room is a great way to get friends and family to try a new game, such as Shuffleboard, that they likely don’t play very often. While the basic shuffleboard accessories make the game quite fun, it’s great if you can further accessorize your table to provide even more entertainment opportunities. That’s why Billiard Gallery recommends these top-quality shuffleboard accessories for every shuffleboard enthusiast. 1. Shuffleboard Powder One of the best ways to customize your shuffleboard to your playing style is to add shuffleboard powder. This powder can change the speed of the shuffleboard pucks as they glide along with the table. At Billiard Gallery, we recommend trying multiple types of shuffleboard powder so that you can have different game-playing experiences. Plus, you can keep your friends and family on their toes by switching things up from time to time. 2. High-Quality Shuffleboard Pucks A set of high-quality shuffleboard pucks can take your game to the next level. Good shuffleboard pucks have better weight distribution, enhanced durability, and an eye-catching appearance. As with shuffleboard powder, you can opt to purchase multiple sizes of shuffleboard pucks to customize your experience....

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How Can I Repair Pool Table Scratches?

February 11, 2021

Updated: January 31, 2024 A game of pool is a great way to spend time with friends and family in Phoenix. And one of the most important components of the game of pool is the playing surface. To ensure a fair and fun game, this surface needs to be in great condition. What happens, then, when a pool cue scratches your table’s playing surface and leaves a noticeable mark? The pros at Billiard Gallery want you to know that this unfortunate occurrence doesn’t have to mean the end of your playing days. Make Proper Preparations Before using a cue near your playing surface, it is vital that you take the time to shape it properly. After all, a rounded cue end will do a lot less damage than a sharp, unshaped end. Typically, you’ll only have to shape a cue’s tip a few times during its life. Plus, the process is easy, requiring only a piece of sandpaper or tip shaper from Billiard Gallery and some patience. Simple Water Removal If your cue’s tip is properly shaped, many scuffs left behind on the playing surface can be removed with plain water. That’s because most of the scuff that you can...

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How Much Space Do I Need for a Pool Table?

January 5, 2021

If you’re looking for something that will provide hours of entertainment for your entire family, a pool table makes a great option. A pool table can be a statement piece in the room where it’s located, allowing you to center the room around the pool table, creating a fun environment. To ensure you can fully enjoy your pool table, it’s important to carefully measure its future home in Phoenix to make sure it’s large enough. Here’s a basic guide from Billiard Gallery to help you with these measurements. Different Sizes When choosing a pool table, you’ll quickly discover that there are different sizes available. You can find tables ranging in length from 6 to 12 feet. In general, a larger table will result in a better playing experience. Therefore, it’s important to buy the largest table that you can afford and can comfortably fit in your home. Plenty of Walking Room When sizing a room for a pool table, it’s important to remember that you need extra space beyond the dimensions of the table. In fact, at least five feet of space on all sides is recommended by Billiard Gallery for optimal playing conditions. This will easily accommodate most standard...

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