In the last decade, the proliferation of performance clothing for pool players has both created and fulfilled demand within a new market of the billiards industry.

By Nicholas Leider

Pool has a storied history, from weeknight leagues to world championship tournaments, of players finding exactly why something went wrong, as long as that something isn't that they screwed up.

The room was too hot/too cold/too humid/too dry.
I didn't eat enough/I ate too much/I ate too early/I ate too late.
The lights were too bright/not bright enough.
Someone in the room did... just about anything.

You get the idea. Excuses are an easy way to protect an ego, to keep at least the appearance of self-confidence.

But when it comes to pool, a recent development has helped improve the comfort, style and appearance of players that also aims to have some positive benefit for on-table results. The growth of performance apparel — from shirts, jerseys and pullovers to gloves, hats and other accessories — has been impressively steady in recent years. Names like Jam Up Apparel, Onboard Sportswear and No Quit are fulfilling orders from players who believe it doesn't hurt to look good when the goal is playing well.


Shaw is one of many top pros sporting the Onboard jersey in competition.

“I don't know about you, but I need to be comfortable when I'm playing,” said Damian Pongpanik, the owner of Jam Up Apparel who plays at a near-professional level. “I want to look good — and that helps my confidence when I'm going into a match or a tournament.”

These new offerings provide pool players with clothing that is aimed at performance, often resembling workout gear and athletic uniforms from other sports in place of the poolroom staples of T-shirts and hoodies. And as the business of pool has perked up in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the market remains competitive with leading brands taking aim at claiming as much market share as possible.

Opening a New Market

For the better part of 20 years, Hustlin USA was a ubiquitous brand at any pool tournament or in any action room. The company, founded in 2002 by former NFL player Anthony Hargain, specialized in casual clothing for pool players (along with poker players and the Harley Davidson set). Hang out at the Derby City Classic and hundreds of kids, adults, pro players, and — yes — hustlers would be sporting the oval logo with “HUSTLIN USA” inside it.

But in the past 10 to 15 years, professional players have begun seeing their clothing as an extension of their personal brand. In no small part influenced by the uniform jerseys seen at the Mosconi Cup every year, players began leaving the plain polos and golf shirts in the closet, instead donning personalized jerseys with national flags, nicknames, sponsor logos, and other unique stylings that added a bit more pop to pool's style.

A few of the early entrants in supplying these types of options for players started out small, testing the waters to see what kind of demand existed below the professional level of play. Nicolle Cuellar, a regional tour player based in Casselberry, Florida, just north of Orlando, started her online apparel business, called No Quit, in 2016, specializing in embroidered hats and sublimated jerseys.


No Quit was an early entry in the new apparel segment, launching in 2016.

For her, the impression of the game explains the shift in clothing preferences. “More people are exposed to [pool] — and they are seeing that it is a sport and not just a bar/drinking activity,” she said. “Another factor for the apparel industry in billiards to grow is the availability of being to access different printing methods.”

Cuellar offers a full line of shirts, hats, tights and accessories that require flexibility in producing and distributing items. Growing from a single-needle embroidery machine to now having multiple multi-needle machines and screen-printing and sublimation capabilities, she sees No Quit as a brand positioned to continue to offer players lightweight performance gear as demand grows.

Across the country, in Washington State, Pongpanik had a similar entry into the billiards apparel business. An accomplished player who was active in the regional pool community, he saw an opportunity to offer players a product that was more than a cotton T-shirt. With his professional experience in business and his wife's capabilities as a graphic designer, he hit the road for the 2017 Spokane Open with a box of 50 shirts with a new logo and branding for Jam Up Apparel.

“We sold all of them in no time,” Pongpanik recalled. “It was like that — all of a sudden I saw a bunch of my Jam Up shirts on all these fans and players.”

After a second event and another line of sold-out items, he got the proof of concept needed that there was a market looking for supply.

Across the Atlantic, in Bridgend, Wales, entrepreneurs Ceri Morris and Ben Davies started Onboard Sportswear in 2020, specializing in performance teamwear and branded merchandise. Like a handful of American-based sportswear companies, Onboard sees customization as a key offering to players, teams, leagues and other groups in creating and delivering unique products.


Apparel companies have a large presence at pro and amateur tournaments.

“The market in apparel has grown to become an integral part of any organization's image,” Morris said. “And the fact that we offer a completed custom product line and offering, we are able to help individuals, teams and organizations alike add value by improving the visual appeal and their image through our clothing.”

Building on Partnerships

For Pongpanik at Jam Up and Onboard's Morris and Davies, partnerships have proved to be an immense benefit in leveling up their businesses. As Jam Up grew from initial orders of a few boxes to a thriving business that was positioned for success as billiards saw renewed interest during COVID-19, Pongpanik eventually reached partnership agreements with Predator Products and CueSports International, which runs the BCA Pool Leagues.

As the exclusive apparel line for an industry-leading cue manufacturer and one of the country's dominant amateur league, Jam Up reached millions of new potential customers and those consumers were exposed to Pongpanik's products.

“Really, the partnership with Predator was a whole different thing,” he said. “We were now attached to one of pool's iconic brands — and we were able to take our business to another level.”

Working with a key retail partner was one thing, but Pongpanik also saw instant results in reaching an agreement with CSI, which brings thousands of amateur players to Las Vegas for the league's national championships.

“If you've ever been to an event like that,” he said, “you'll see thousands of players in [the tournament space]. And it was amazing to see, literally wherever you looked, people all wearing Jam Up.”

That specific customer base — the amateur pool team — is one that has been ripe for these new apparel brands. Far from the bowling league shirts of the 1960s, these jerseys are stylish and, maybe in a slightly abstract sense, help build the sense of a team.

“It's something to see a team together in [matching jerseys] and another team in different T-shirts,” Pongpanik said. “Having something like your own uniform helps you feel a part of the team. It helps you feel more connected.”

Again, whether a top-tier professional or an amateur, the goal is comfort and confidence. “We create products that allow players of all abilities to feel and perform at their very best,” Morris said.


Hustlin USA still has its place in pool.

And for Onboard Sportswear, the company also benefitted from a partnership with one of pool's most powerful players. Morris and Davies provided the jerseys for the 2021 World Pool Masters. Following that successful trial, in April 2021, Matchroom Pool announced Onboard as its official partner for pool events, as well as those in snooker, darts and bowling. The two extended their agreement in April 2022, with Matchroom Sport noting how the partnership has helped evolve the style in cue sports.

“We had some ground-breaking moments like the Champion of Champions jerseys in snooker replacing the more traditional shirt and waistcoat and a Mosconi Cup to remember,” said Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom Multi Sport.

The clothing brands, as they provide unique and personalized jerseys and apparel to professionals, also benefit from the exposure generated from having products on display at all levels of competition. Onboard Sportswear's stable of players includes world champions like Joshua Filler, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, and Jayson Shaw. Jam Up, meanwhile, has agreements with Feder Gorst, Tyler Styer, and Allison Fisher.


Jam Up has brought its own style to the apparel market, with pros like Gorst and Allison Fisher, and junior star Savannah Easton showcasing the designs.

That these brands are becoming so embedded with the biggest names in the sport shows how quickly the apparel business has moved to the center of the pool business.

“It was great timing,” Pongpanik said, about Jam Up's early history. “We were taking off just as interest in these products was growing. Being early and learning how to deliver the best products, I think we are in a position to continue our growth, in the U.S. and internationally.”

 

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