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maha · Dec 17, 2025

no, i agree. it isnt about tight pockets vs loose ones, but they do make some difference depending on the players and how they respond to them.

and that is one of the very few things that someone can do something about. namely adjusting to the difference in how you play. and there is a difference.
to think not, is wrong. and all top players should be able to adjust. but they are still people and don't always do the right thing.

like also staying in shape. that does matter. just look how buddy and steve's games depreciated along with their weight gains.

face it, unless we devote big resources to developing a top team with someones money, then our pool culture which is changing will not help.

gmoney1 · Dec 17, 2025

Jimmy_Betmore said:
Sweet cue. I traded for a comparatively plain (four points of Amboyna Burl into Birdseye Maple, no veneers) around 7 or 8 years ago and it's now my forever player. I've had numerous cues customs over the years and when I started playing with this one, I realized that it plays as good as or better than any cue I've ever picked up.

It's incredibly solid and neutral. Like, I don't notice it being forward or rear balanced. The shaft taper feels perfectly neutral, as well. On top of that, it looks great in an understated kind of way.

Somebody else mentioned that Chris is great to work with. And while I didn't work with him to build this cue, I did email him pictures of the cue with a couple of general questions and he responded the next day.

Enjoy.

Hi, @Jimmy_Betmore

What do you mean by "The shaft taper feels perfectly neutral, as well"? I was interested in his taper design.

Protractor · Dec 17, 2025

garczar said:
The number of US players actively/avidly playing on 9ft tables has been dropping for years. Our inability to beat Euros/Asians/etc has nothing to do with the size of the pockets.

I agree. Part of that problem is likely the difficulty in finding a local place that has 9 footers. The rural junior college where I learned to play in the early 1970s had a couple GC1 and a snooker table, but even back then it would have been at least a 100 mile drive to play on a different one. With all the halls closing it is likely worse these days. 7 footers are popular with bar owners because they take up a lot less floor space and they are coin op. Many of the bars I've been in don't have room for even a single 9.

I recently moved but still no local 9 footers. Griff's is now an hour away so I'll be heading there once in a while and visiting a few pro tournaments.

j2pac · Dec 17, 2025

Alton Takata said:
Hello,
I'm Alton.
I used to make Cue Caps. Now, I'm into watching the LA Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani. LOL
Note: This is not my Cue.
It belongs ( or, used to belong to) to a friend that is not into using Computers and visiting Social Media.
But, I did feel that Pool Cue Enthusiast here would like to see Gus Szamboti's Personal 8 Point Cue that he used at home and took to the Pool Rooms.
This is not Gus' Cue that he kept/left at Tony C.'s Home.
Below that, is Barry's "TRUBUTE TO MY DAD" Cue.
Portraits of Gus and Barry were done by Scrimshaw Artist Bob Hergert from Oregon.
Hi Will
Hi Matt
Hi Eric
Hi Jamie
Hi Steppo
Hi BBB
Hi to all of the Old Time Friends
Hi to all
Hi Kenny Tran

View attachment 869833

View attachment 869837

View attachment 869838
Hi to all

That is incredibly cool!

MattPoland · Dec 17, 2025

Bob Jewett said:
I believe that was never the problem. I believe the problem was that the BCA president who was pushing membership of a US billiard organization in the USO(P)C retired and the new Board did not want to give up control. In particular, I believe the regulations at the time required the Board of any NGB to have at least 30% members who were current or past athletes -- unreasonable for a manufacturers' organization. That could have been done with a separate organization that was focused on players rather than business matters, but the BCA chose not to pursue that route. Instead, the BCA got rid of its leagues -- sold to Mark Griffin -- so it now has no player members.

If the BCA had pushed forward, I think both the USBA and the USSA would have been delighted to be members in some fashion. I say this as someone who has been on the boards of both of those organizations.

Brunswick and then the manufacturers have governed pool (and carom until about 1966) in the US. Pool has never been governed by a sports organization. The closest was when the BCA had leagues and they held championships and trained referees and instructors, but it was still primarily a business organization. Note that it was only this year that there has been a US National Pool Championship for men.

I’m having Deja Vu. You’ve corrected me with that exact point before. Thanks again!

eg9327 · Dec 17, 2025

It was mentioned above that getting properly positioned over a cue can lead to an unnatural feeling position (in so many words). Since learning correct position of my eyes over the cue I found it at first very unnatural, but only because I had never done it properly. Keep doing the same wrong things and you will get bad results. I shoot much better now.

cueball2010 · Dec 17, 2025

eg9327 · Dec 17, 2025

Leigh said:
Now... try being right handed, left eye dominant, with boobs - you gotta get your head over the cue with boobs in the way.

There is so much there to play with, but I'll just smile and remain a quiet gentleman.

sudocrushms · Dec 17, 2025

Mast/Gomez just blanked Chiang/Zeilinski 4-0, 4-0. Wow.

fastone371 · Dec 17, 2025

The thing that bothers me with brushing is that it seems like you are just moving the chalk dust around the surface of the table instead of actually removing it.

DynoDan · Dec 17, 2025

Yes, but I did have a falling out with Jim back in the 90s. After traveling regularly a very long distance as a personal favor to him (filling out his handicapped 14.1 tournament roll), he suddenly demanded I pay him a large membership fee. I said I would (even though I would never likely drive that far otherwise) if he would agree to finally purchase a ball cleaning machine (all the balls were usually so terribly sticky, you needed tons of outside on most every shot). He refused, and I never went back. Too bad. I played frequently at his original city location (before he moved the club to the suburbs and became a restauranteur), which had more old school/poolhall character.

ga9ball · Dec 17, 2025

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