Standard pool cues are too short

I actually prefer a 57" cue. Im 5' 11. I don't think it is to short. Maybe players that prefer a long cue actually likes the rear weighted balance. I shoot with a long bridge 13.5 to 14.5" with my bridge arm fully extended and a 57" cue still puts me holding my cue with my middle finger at the edge of the wrap. The cue's forearm is really forward weighted and has a stainless steel joint and by holding the cue further back it makes the forward weight do more of the work without the extra overall weight of the cue.

Thought patterns ...

how much you want to bet??? 😂 😂 😂 😂
if they were so smart...why do they all end up broke?
seriously Hu
your statement bolded small above goes with learning theory
you need conscious competence before subconcious competense
View attachment 930540

That's theory, and fine as far as it goes. When your life is on the line you do things that you never knew how to do. No choice makes the unknown possible.

As for why smart people die broke, most that do are also slackers who have coasted through life. I have known a handful or two of geniuses. None were rich. A friend was a genius with over eighty patents. He was much poorer than I was which was saying something!

I have done the practically impossible many times in my life, and on the first try because there wasn't going to be a second try. When the choice is do or die, you do!

Hu

Thought patterns ...

I suspect that learning a mental process and a physical process involves different approaches. The physical process is probably more likely to have at least some underpinning of mental process while the mental process has the potential to be entirely mental, it may not have any physical underpinning at all.

I don't know that this has ever been tested but I would bet that pool players on a whole are more intelligent than the general population. Pool demands mental and physical performance. Nobody plays great pool purely based on physical abilities.

Hu

Potentially, possibly but the physical may be necessary to give feedback that refines the mental to a higher level.

You may be right but I've run into a lot of guys with a high pool IQ but their intelligence drops considerably when you converse with them about anything other than pool.
With real high level players I tend to agree completely.

Thought patterns ...

Idk if this helps, but the only thinking I do when I approach the table is to observe the lay of the balls and decide on how to run them. Then I drop and fire. The only time this process gets interrupted is if I blow shape or some other bizzare thing happens to change the initial plan.
I'm not thinking about it while shooting. I let my 'experience' move the cue, for want of a better word.
All that being said, that type of hyper focus becomes more difficult as time passes. No problem when younger.
Now I get headaches.
Makes it harder to stay in flow. Take what you can use and leave the rest. 👊🏻

This is an excellent post. It's pretty much what all good, experienced players do. As it relates to Doug, the OP, it's way more difficult because of lesser experience. He'll take more time to analyze and decide a course of action. Nothing wrong with that. During the course of the run he may need to make more frequent and maybe larger adjustments than you. Again, no problem there.

He can't avoid that but one thing that happens is more time elapses and that allows more doubt and overthinking to creep in. I'm not sure how he gets past this but I suspect speeding up his play, even if uncomfortable, may help. In practice and in competition.


One thing I advise beginner/intermediate players to do involves drills. I completely disagree with doing drills where you just make the same shot over and over again. Always include a position component.

You want to do the mighty x thing or some other long straight ins, fine, but keep it to a minimum.

I believe you must have a certain level of playing ability in order for any of this to sink in or be able to apply.
For those of you struggling with the concepts, you're overthinking things. Just relax and let this come to you. Play hard and have patience.
It cannot be forced.
Square peg, round hole.

Another little gem for Doug to consider. Sometimes it's best just to say fk it and hit balls. Trust the subconscious. At first it may seem nothing's happening but that will change fairly quickly. What's the worst that can happen?

Have you ever known any players who played really good with the heavy (mud) cue ball, that you see on so many Valley coin op tables?

I was coming from New Orleans way on the expressway in Baton Rouge. A carload of men in hot pursuit as they say in the movies. I don't recall why they were so pissed but they were trying to run me off the road so we weren't playing at over seventy miles an hour.

I wanted some room in the curves and I didn't want them to see where I got off the sled so I put the pedal to the metal about government street. Another mile or so to the big S curves by the governor's mansion.

They were in a faster car than the family car with a 289 I was driving. A 64 or 65 Fairlane, all in and a bit more it topped out at 115MPH. They would have spun me at 115 if they could have caught me but when I got to the S curve I didn't lift. The car cocked sideways and took a bite, with a bit of drift! I usually restricted myself to a little over seventy through there.

I would have bet against the Fairlane making it through there at 115MPH but it did it with that bit of tire squeal that says you are on the ragged edge of adhesion but still good.

I don't know how interesting things are today but back then it was interesting enough that I hid my vehicle, backed it in facing the highway, or both!

Hu
Lol at racing bombs. :ROFLMAO:

Liability Insurance

This is the agency my broker (Garrett - for personal insurance) works for:


Have been very happy with them giving me notable multiple policy discounts, the best earthquake coverage and premium I've ever had plus they are the only company that got me a multiple car discount policy that included a guaranteed replacement value on my non-daily driver, which was a classic 72 911 Targa.

Maybe they do policies for businesses also?
Marsh McLennan has been around for years, very good reputation.

Standard pool cues are too short

The only problem I have found is that very few cases accommodate 31" shafts and butts. I think modern-length cues are a market opportunity for someone.
The standard length of a case from JB Cases will accommodate 31" butt/shaft lengths with cue caps on. You can add mid cue extensions and/or butt extensions to customize the length of a 58" cue. If you add a 4" mid cue extension and an 8" butt extension you can increase a 58" cue's length to 70".

ShortStopOnPool has a video where he advocates for longer cues:

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Have you ever known any players who played really good with the heavy (mud) cue ball, that you see on so many Valley coin op tables?

I've had friends chased down the free way. I was like, "This shit really happens?" :ROFLMAO:

I was coming from New Orleans way on the expressway in Baton Rouge. A carload of men in hot pursuit as they say in the movies. I don't recall why they were so pissed but they were trying to run me off the road so we weren't playing at over seventy miles an hour.

I wanted some room in the curves and I didn't want them to see where I got off the sled so I put the pedal to the metal about government street. Another mile or so to the big S curves by the governor's mansion.

They were in a faster car than the family car with a 289 I was driving. A 64 or 65 Fairlane, all in and a bit more it topped out at 115MPH. They would have spun me at 115 if they could have caught me but when I got to the S curve I didn't lift. The car cocked sideways and took a bite, with a bit of drift! I usually restricted myself to a little over seventy through there.

I would have bet against the Fairlane making it through there at 115MPH but it did it with that bit of tire squeal that says you are on the ragged edge of adhesion but still good.

I don't know how interesting things are today but back then it was interesting enough that I hid my vehicle, backed it in facing the highway, or both!

Hu

Standard pool cues are too short

Pool cues were 57"-58" in 1900, the same as they are today. People (in the US, at least) are, on average, 3" taller today than people were in 1900.

Wingspan is about the same as height. If the ergonomics of a pool cue were about right in 1900, pool cues today should have a standard length of 61".

I changed to the only production cue of 60" or more I could find, an Elite extra long (62") cue. It is much more comfortable for me to play with.

The only problem I have found is that very few cases accommodate 31" shafts and butts. I think modern-length cues are a market opportunity for someone.

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