More pool cues get damaged in storage than in play. A cue that’s hit tens of thousands of shots without issue can develop a warp in a few months from being stored badly. The irony is that proper storage doesn’t cost anything — it’s just about breaking a few bad habits and building a few good ones.
One of the biggest practical advantages of a carbon fiber shaft is how little maintenance it needs compared to maple. But “low maintenance” still means some maintenance. Players who switch from maple sometimes carry over their old cleaning habits — and some of those habits aren’t appropriate for carbon fiber.
Most pool players clean their cue the wrong way. Either they don’t clean it at all and let chalk, skin oil, and grime build up until it’s affecting performance — or they use products that aren’t appropriate for the materials and end up doing damage they didn’t mean to.
