Best Break Cues

By Asad | Updated 4 years ago

Looking for best break cues for the money. We have got the most important shot of the game covered. In this post, we have compiled a list of break cues under 700, 600, 500, 300, 200 and under 100 budget range. So this post has a break cue for beginners, intermediates and expert players. So if you have a good game cue a break cue can help lift your game.

You should clarify in your mind that you do need a break cue. Because these shafts are optimized to transfer maximum energy from the cue ball onto the rack. Yes, you can break the rack with your playing cue but that can damage your break cue because of the strong impact of the break shot.

Predator BKRush

Predator put a lot of efforts in their Research and Development department and BK Rush is the result of constant hard work. It is the updated version of the BK3 the difference being it feels lighter and balance point and transfers energy from the cue ball in a more efficient way.

In comparison with Mezz, BK Rush requires more swing action that allows for a better stroke. So if you a good technique you will get quite a good spread with BKRush. The very low deflection shaft flexes like a normal cue and can be used for long jumps as well.

Yes, it is priced higher but it is worth every penny because BkRush offers the best balance between power and control. It comes with a phenolic tip which you should not scuff and focus more on your technique. The good thing is although the tip is hard but it compresses enough to give better cue ball control. Along with the Revo shaft, the combination is ideal for a lethal break.

The Revo shaft is not the same from the predator Revo shaft. BKRush has a stiffer, compact, slightly different taper, ferrule and tip. Predator has altered the Revo shaft to maximize the transfer of energy with control on to the rack.

In comparison with the BK3,  BKRush is a supercharged version of the BK3,  Rush offers much better design but the decals are not as nice as you would expect for the price this item is sold for. Apart from that, the other negative is the obvious hiked price which offers only 10-15 percent of an increase in performance. If your technique is not right than you may not be able to extract the value of money. If you are motivated to work on your technique for a better break then it will be worth it.

Mezz PowerBreak 2

This is a special cue under a very reasonable budget of just over $500. It is a showstopper because it takes the weaknesses out of question and allows you to do a better break even with a weak technique. It has a very compact design, 4 inches shorter than a regular 58” cue and feels an oz heavier than it 18 oz weight.

Mezz has put a lot of efforts in compact construction of this cue that is why you don’t need to put in a lot of energy to have a blast break. The construction in the top notch that allows solid hitting. Although it is not meant to do long jump shots but still you can play those with it but do not expect a premium hit.

The shorter shaft length is ideal for players around 5’9 to 5’10. However, if you are over 6 feet then it can be a little awkward to play with it. The shorter size, however, helps when you are playing around tables which don’t have enough room.

Because the cue sells out fairly quick so you should consider yourself lucky if you find it in stock. In comparison with BK3, Mezz feels better quality because of its compact design. Both are good for those who want to step up their breaks but Mezz PB2 is ideal for someone who is struggling with the break technique. It is like a short cut to a better break but do not consider it as a license not to improve your game.

Predator BK3

It is the inferior version of the Predator Break Rush but the upgraded version of the BK2. It is among the top break cues in the market. The phenolic tip works on the same principle as the BkRush and gives the grip to hit the cue ball square.

Overall break shot experience in unreal, you will feel the flex feel and you will feel the power dissipated by the rack as soon as the cue ball hits the head ball.

The negative is the low feel when you hit the cue ball because of the carbon fiber shaft. Predator has designed the shaft to pass on the power in a way that you don’t feel the impact vibration which is actually a cause of loss of energy. This is actually a positive because of the continuity of transfer of power the impact is not felt harshly at tip and CB contact but rather between CB and the head ball impact. The same problem is felt with the Mezz Power break where you do get the feel of the impact but critical energy is lost in the vibration.

If you are planning to buy this break cue then make sure that you also take the joint protection because some users have reported the joints getting damaged over time because of lack of care.

McDermott sledgehammer sh1

This is the best break cue under 300. I will not compare it with the predator BKs or Mezz because they belong to different price league. If SH is compared with the McDermott stinger than Sledgehammer will give a lot stronger and compact hit. It has a very strong cue along with a tapered but thick shaft.

When this cue came into the market it was a game changer and took the market by surprise. It impressed the Predator and Icebreaker to the extent that BK1, BK2 and Lomax designed was inspired by the McDermott’s sledgehammer sh1.

The phenolic tip allows for maximum power transfer but you do need to get used to it with some practice because the control over grip will come over time. So don’t get demotivated if you feel that you are not able to control the cue ball with the phenolic tip. If improvement still does not happen then a samsara tip would be ideal for you.

One thing that I do not like about this cue is the absence of the feedback that you feel as the tip bangs the cue ball. The transfer of shock wave back onto the arm has to be there to get a feel of how good the shot was. If you hit the straight center of the cue ball it feels as if a perfect shot right from the center of the tennis racquet. For a guy like me how likes to have the feedback to measure things mentally, I think this is a bad thing.

It has a one piece ferrule and tip shaft. This gives the shaft an almost near maintenance free profile but do not get carried away the maple does have the tendency for the chalk build up. Regular cleaning can help you with this problem. This is where Predator BKs are ideal because the carbon shaft requires almost Zero. maintenance.

Cuetec CT296

The best break cue under 200 dollars with both break and jump capability. Within this intermediate budget, it competes with Pechauer break cues. Cuetec’s CT296 has the special veltex grip that is meant to drive away the moisture from sweaty hands player. So you may sweat but this grip will not make you feel the heat.

It comes with adjustable weights that you can alter to make sure that you play the break shot according to the weight you are comfortable with. The break swing is very important and it will take you some time to find the ideal weight.

Make sure that you hit the cueball right in the center with a square hit. It will make sure that you transfer on maximum force on to the cue ball. The feedback on this break cue is actually quite nice. If you are among those players who adjust their shot each time with the feedback then you will enjoy a lot playing with this cue.

What I don’t like about this cue is the Tiger Everest Tip that comes with the order. This is not an ideal tip for breaking, it may help for the jump shots but for the break which is the most important shot the tip matters a lot. I would recommend that you get the tip replaced with either a Samsara or Taom tip.

Rage Heavy Hitter Jump Break Cue

The most affordable break cue under 100 dollars in this list. The added advantage is that its very springy jumper will help you play the jump shots as well. So at a low price point and as a break cue for beginners, this cue can help you learn the tricks for both the break and the jump shot.

The tip is relatively big at 14mm bakelite. Do not think that the bakelite is different from the phenolic tip. They both are essentially the name of the same tip. The bigger tip size is ideal for players who are still new to the game. Because with a bigger tip size you can hit the center of the cue ball more squarely and make sure that maximum power is transferred in linear momentum and nothing is lost as spin or angular momentum on the cue ball. The smaller the tip is harder it is going to be to hit the center of cue ball effectively.

The weight is quite heavy around the point of 25oz. This makes the cue little difficult to hold if you are not comfortable with the shot. But there is a positive side to it as well. You can play the shot with lesser force and still get the same force as you would have got with more acceleration with a lighter cue.

To conclude, it offers great value for the money especially for those who are learning the basic tricks of the game. It will help you build your technique and from there on you can step up the break game with a predator BK3 of Mezz PB2.

BREAK CUE BUYING GUIDE

There are a bunch of factors that you need to understand before deciding on what kind of break cue will suit you the most.

TIP TYPE

Break cues come with a variety of tips with Phenolic and leather tips begin the most common. But are these the best break cues tips? Phenolic can be ideal for passing on the energy from the tip to the cue ball but that does take away the grip and control on the cue ball. With a phenolic tip, there is a big chance that you may hit the ball at the wrong spot and pass on not required angular momentum onto the cue ball.

In case of a break shot, only linear momentum is desired and a phenolic tip requires a lot of practice to get used to. In contrast, leather tips have their own problems but these two are the most commonly used break cue tip. What I recommend instead is to use Samsara or Taom or Sonic tip installed on your break cues. Yes, they don’t come along with the break cue you will order but if you can get in touch with the seller they can happily replace the phenolic or leather tip to a Samsara or the other two I mentioned.

WEIGHT

The break is all about hitting the ball with more force. But if you have played pool then you must have noticed that whenever you have tried to hit the cue ball harder than it can slip and deflect to a point which you were not aiming for. This is because you are trying to accelerate through the shot. But if the weight of the cue is higher than you can hit it with a lower speed and get the same amount of force.

This is basic physics given by Newton. But experimentally it has been proved that increased break cue weight does not increase force as much as the force can be increased by acceleration through a lighter cue. So if you buy an 18oz or 19oz cue instead of a 25oz break cue then you can achieve better breaks in a more easier way. Unless you feel comfortable with a heavier break cue than you can opt to get a heavier break cue.

TECHNIQUE

The reason it is included in the buying guide is that no matter how expensive break cue you are planning to buy if you do not have a good technique or you do not want to improve your technique then any break cue will not help you. Therefore, it is imperative that a break cue is endorsed by your good breaking techniques. Often players who do not know the basics of good breaking habits complain about the best break cues for the money.

WRAP UP: BEST BREAK CUES

With a plethora of break cues available today it gets confusing to know which is the best break cue for the money. The above list is compiled after intense research done by getting approval from players who have played with these cues. It is important that you do not compare a break cue under 100 to a break cue under 200 dollars. It would be an unfair comparison and will not give you any benefit.

If you are a beginner, I would suggest investing in a break cue under 300 if you are on a flexible budget. If your pockets are tighter than go for a jump + break cue combination given by the Rage. Whatever, the choice you make, break is an important shot of the game and to excel in it the requirements are hours of practice each day.  All the professionals out there like Shane Van Boening would practice the break shot every day for 3-4 hours straight and he would rack the ball by himself each time.

These are all good break sticks but remember the magic is only in your hard work.