Patent ID: 7611416

Claim:
A method comprising: a) mounting an adapter to an outer surface of a cue stick, wherein the adapter includes a longitudinal length, wherein the cue stick includes a longitudinal length, a front half, a back half, and a central longitudinal axis extending through the front half and the back half of the cue stick, wherein the longitudinal length of the cue stick is greater than the longitudinal length of the adapter, wherein a maximum diameter of the back half of the cue stick is greater than a maximum diameter of the front half of the cue stick, wherein the adapter is positioned on the cue stick such that at least one portion of the outer surface of the adapter: extends in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the cue stick; and extends adjacent at least a portion of the back half of the cue stick, wherein the adapter extends adjacent portions of both the front half and the back half of the cue stick, wherein the adapter includes portions of the outer surface of the adapter positioned on opposed sides of the cue stick; and b) moving the cue stick to slide the at least one portion of the outer surface of the adapter against at least three guide surfaces of a guide, wherein the at least three guide surfaces are laterally spaced apart and extend in parallel in a vertical direction, wherein movement of the cue stick is in a direction that extends along the central longitudinal axis of the cue stick, wherein a minimum distance between the central longitudinal axis of the cue stick and the at least one guide surface in contact with the at least one portion of the outer surface of the adapter remains constant, wherein the cue stick moves in sliding contact with the at least three guide surfaces with each one of a first pair of the guide surfaces contacting a first portion of the outer surface on a first side of the cue stick, and with at least one further one of the guide surfaces contacting a second portion of the outer surface on an opposed second side of the cue stick, wherein the at least three guide surfaces resist lateral movement of the entire cue stick in directions perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis.