THE BREAK ROOM

Radial, Uni-Loc, 3/8×10, 5/16×18 and 5/16×14. What each joint standard does, how it changes feel, how to identify yours, and why it decides which carbon shaft you can ever buy.

The tangent line governs where the cue ball goes on every cut shot in pool. Learn to see it, learn to stun onto it, and position play stops being guesswork. Includes three drills and the two stroke errors that ruin stun shots.

Matchroom named an official cue, tip, chalk, cloth, table and template rack for the 2026 US Open in Frisco. Here is what that spec sheet says about the conditions 256 pros are playing under, and which parts of it you can copy at home.

Choosing pool table cloth: what napped and worsted actually do differently, how to measure for 7, 8, and 9 foot tables, and the maintenance habits that add years to a recover.

A complete guide to 14.1 continuous: the rules in plain English, why the break shot decides everything, key balls and insurance balls, and the drills that raise your high run.

Earl Strickland, 65, beat Eklent Kaci hill-hill on the opening day of the 2026 US Open Pool Championship in Frisco. What that win says about knowing your cue, plus the Viking and Valhalla lineup.

Heavy or light, phenolic or leather, dedicated breaker or jump break combo. A practical 2026 guide to choosing a break cue, with four in-stock picks from $169 to $429.

Stop guessing at kicks. The mirror system for one-rail hits, running english adjustments, a repeatable two-rail line, and why low deflection shafts matter most when the cue ball travels eight feet.

Aleksa Pecelj lost 9-2 mid-event, then beat Filler, Yapp, and Szolnoki to win the 2026 Phoenix Open. Three lessons from the losers bracket run, and the Lucasi cues that reward equipment trust.

Rear versus forward cue extensions, what each does to your balance point, when to use one instead of the mechanical bridge, and how to make sure the one you buy actually fits your cue.