Asuuming the cue either has specs you liked, or better yet Bob built it for you, you will be startled at first impression.
Now a steel joint will hit firmer and I have no experience with his piloted steel joints. But his flat faced joints are really so subtilely different you can’t really describe it. So hit two racks with Bob’s cue and then one rack with your old cue and then one rack with Bob’s cue. That’s four racks……60 balls……shouldn’t take you too long.
Your start with 2 racks using your new Owen cue because you have never hit with it. You play only 1 rack with your
old cue, assuming you still had it which you might not, since you have many hours of play. Then you switch back to the Owen cue for 1 more rack. This will give you a good sense of the difference in the tactile feel of your cue. If I knew more about your cue’s specs, it be easier to anticipate what you’re going to enjoy. So now you know the feel of your cue.
Next set up a series of 5 simple drills……do the drills 5 times each……..25 drills………pocket the shot more than 3 times in a row for a drill and count how many attempts it takes. Don’t bother with banks shots……..tough long cut shots, long frozen rail shots, spot shots, tough angle middle of the table reverse cut shot and long straight shot at least 5-6 feet away and keep score using your cue and your new Owen cue. Now you get to assess playability and look at the results.
If you are a high 500 or 600 Fargo player, the difference may be slight. If your’re a low to mid 400 rating, the difference could be significant. If you’re in the middle of those two, you’ll play so much better and only your ambition will limit you from improving a lot. My Owen cue shafts are different than all my other cues and only Jerry Rauenzahn built his very similarly. I believe it’s why the hit is distinguishable and different. I knew it instantly when I tried my first cue and 2 weeks later ordered another gorgeous custom cue just before the CA ivory ban took effect.
Bob laughed after I sent him this drawing back in 2013. We had discussed the design in in a couple of telephone conversations but when he got my cover letter, an enclosed CD of a stain and some propellor designs, and the attached drawings, he thought “what have I gotten myself into?” We turned out to be great pals and we wager on the Yankees vs. Royals series occasionally. He still owes me a signed $10 bill from our last bet. The money never seems to swap hands and it’s just the fun of kibitzing each other since we’re both big fans. I was so pleased with the first cue despite screwing up the design in 2 simple ways. But it didn’t matter because I ordered a nicer custom design using fancy peacocks within 2 weeks of getting my first cue from Bob. He became my lifetime pal and gosh, I steered so many folks his way which was easy to do. All I did was let other players try my cues and that sealed it.
