Why should we put chalk on the billiard cue?

Without chalk there is no paradise. Billiard players need it like May water. But, some people do not know the reason. Sometimes a non-billiard friend asks me: hey, "why do I have to be putting chalk on the pool cue all the time? It is very boring!". Surely you too have asked that question many times. And yes, it is boring but necessary. In this article we solve the doubts.

The primary function of chalk in billiards is to ensure a better grip between the tip of the cue and the white ball. When there is no chalk, the shiny surface of the ball causes the cue to slide on impact and produces the much-hated pia.

It is like a relationship: chalk is the feeling, which unites both people, which makes their day to day go smoothly and frictionless.

Just as you can live without a partner, you could live without chalk. But with very specific playing conditions.

Chalk is strictly necessary when you apply effects to the white. That is, when you hit it up, down, left or right.

On the other hand, no friction occurs if the cue hits the center of the target, where the surface is flat. You could play a good time without chalk as long as you use only the center of the white. By the way, this is a very good workout.

Leaving aside the physical focus of the subject, chalk is a ritual. The vast majority of professional billiards (or amateurs but with high level) "always" in the same way.

The action of chalk helps us relax as we think of the next play or to eliminate doubts when we are not sure of the shot we are going to make. Hence chalk is much needed, beyond physical issues and various frictions.

Recommended article: 5 things you might not know about billiard chalks

Billiards would not be the same without the chalk. It is an element that defines us, something that sets us apart from the vast majority of sports. Do you think of any other sports discipline in which your players, before each concrete action of the sport, should put something in their game tool? Not me. That is one of the many things that makes us special.

However, I'm surprised that at this point of the film, no one has invented a cue that does not need chalk. That is, that has built-in standard all the time. Already progress is being made, yes, and for example the Japanese brand Kamui offers chalk that remain on the tip practically intact after several shots.

The day someone puts on the table a cue that can beat the laws of physics, a cue with which you can play without chalk, this sport will stop being so special. That is why I will give my congratulations to the inventor, but I will continue to use my dear chalk.

Although it is possible to live without a partner, it is more important to play in company.