Imop there needs to be a larger quantity of the woodworking side than the being able to play at a high level. I surely believe that one must know something about playing pool to produce a good product, but without say copying another great builders techniques or apprenticing with one there would be no way for just a pure craftsmen to pump out a great cue.
There are so many things that go into the building of such a product....the pool/billiards cue being actually a percussion instrument at its most basic core. Everything a cuemaker does in the building of the instrument changes its "tuning" which is what players call the "hit".
Hit is also, as we all know very subjective. Tho, in general a good hitting cue is a good hitting cue.
In all over time a cue maker must learn much much more about the woodworking and instrumental side of making a cue than as to being a great pool player overall. How woods react, how they react with one another, how differing materials react and with one another along with the reaction with the types of wood used......so on and so forth. It is most definitely a science.
regards,
-Grey ghost