You’ve probably seen trick shots in pool where the cue ball takes flight, soaring over obstacles before pocketing its targets and completing the shot. If you’ve ever wanted to hit shots like this, you should definitely invest in a specialized jump cue. While it’s not impossible to execute a jump shot with a normal pool cue, specialized jump cues make it much easier.

So what makes a jump cue different from a regular pool cue? First of all, they tend to be shorter and lighter. Most are around 40 inches long, the legal minimum for tournament play, separating into a standard-length 29-inch shaft and shorter butt section. Some have two-part butt sections that give you more options when it comes to length and weight. There is a wide variety of weight jump signals. The lightest ones weigh about 4 ounces, the same weight as a normal axle. Most usually weigh between 7 and 10 ounces (pool balls weigh 6 ounces). The jump section of a skip/skip cue combination tends to be heavy. The lighter weight helps you move the cue faster, hitting the cue ball harder and giving you more energy to jump.

Another difference is that jump cleats tend to have a harder toe instead of regular leather. Most tips are made of phenolic resin, the same material that billiard balls are made of, or some other type of hard plastic. These generally don’t hold the chalk as well and will make it difficult for you to spin the cue ball, which isn’t usually a primary concern with jump shots. Other tips are made of specially hardened leather, but these are not as hard as phenolic ones. A harder tip transfers more energy to the cue ball, which is necessary for it to bounce off the board.

So what kind of jump signal should you get? As a trick shot artist, I’ve tried quite a few and will usually bring three or four to a tournament. Ultralight cues are great for popping the cue ball over an object ball that’s a ball width away or less with some control. Longer studs are ideal for longer jump shots, like Mike Massey’s famous Boot Shot. You can even use a full break cue for some of these longer jump shots. For intermediate shots, it’s more or less about controlling the shot, i.e. elevation and power. Also, there are shots that require multiple jump signals, like my two-handed jump shot. One of my colleagues, Dave Nangle, will even use four at a time. I usually carry one ultralight, two fairly standard ones and a brake/jump combo.