For sweaty palms, which cue wrap style?
- By Lightnin'
- Main Forum
- 77 Replies
Sorry, I know this is an old thread, but man I just had to say thank you for telling that story.
Love a good pool story! So here's one of mine...
.. It's brought back soo many memories of my own.I had a COTM McDermott I bought new off a local dealer, and first week of owning it that linen wrap came flying off LOL ..even tho I had no replacement ideas even ready yet, I just couldn't postpone it any longer. The very next night I have an idea, as they say necessity being the mother of all, out of an old army trunk I grab a hideous orange leather disco jacket that had been my uncles before he passed. Scissors in hand I start measuring and cutting and few hours later, my new McD now has a bright orange buttery smooth fine Italian flair to it
...at least the cue was a light rosewood which somewhat matched. That wrap job actually lasted inplace 20yrs until its final days last year when I tried sending it back to McD for warping warranty work, and mistakenly sent it to a wrong address 5mins down the street on some residential porch.That cue, that arrow, with that bright orange wrap had won me countless matches, tournaments, trips all over the US, and never since could I put such a confident stroke on a ball, ever. Only other cue that's come close in my hands was a John Robinson.
Now I can manage a full table length draw shot from 7' away, but with that cue I remeber drawing it nearly a full 2 table lengths, with regularity and a stupid confidence. Imagine during a 9ball tournament playing against a mid level snooker pro, he leaves me ded straight on the 8 uptable about a diamond from the left pocket, whitey down table about a diamond from the end rail and hugging only half a diamond from long rail....9ball almost exactly across from the 8 on the other right side long rail. ..this is how much confident I was with that arrow in hand ...most might stun that shot, or try a force follow and create some angle with right spin....or perhaps draw back a foot and take the cut on the 9. ...not me, not with that cue ....I wanted closer and straighter position on the 9, so I draw it as much as I knew how to ...I almost made both balls. Whitey came back to the bottom rail with enough pace and spin to go back uptable and towards the 9 ..hits the 9 full on and almost rolls it in. Nowadays with whatever cue I have in hand, if I can make it to the bottom rail, maybe. That's it. And that's at maximum effort risking all accuracy.
Soo...I've purchased a few 'used' McD's ...they don't feel the same ...I had them wrapped in leather, still ...not the same. Then realized that embossed leather is really really crap and doesn't absorb sweat at all and gets very insanely slick wt sweaty hands.....and alas this is where I'm at now.
What really got me thinking tho ...was that black NYLON comment.
I just acquired an old D2 ...the shaft was original and a slightly dark beautiful hard rock maple old old wood wt tight grain... but a slight wobble. A few months later, some reading up on advise from AZ'ers and the shaft now is ded straight. The ferrule was all cracked up tho and needed replacing. The wrap tho ...Black NYLON
...unfortunately I never got to shoot with the wrap as is, as I was overzealous when at my cue guys shop, and got it all done at once, new brown phenolic ferrule (love the crisp hit), new Zan Hybrid tip (hate it) and new pebble leather wrap (embossed- hate it). Never got to try the NYLON. But that was your arrow, not mine. Mine has got to be that fine grain supple Italian leather.I absolutely feel 100% that ONLY the right arrow... for whatever the reason may be (weight, balance, shaft diam, tip/ferrule, wrap, etc) and this will be diff for everyone, and for diff reasons....only that thing about that arrow... will bring out the Indians best and most confident, flow state, effortless game. So when you find it and what it is about that arrow...never change it. Or lose it.
It's time now for me to get out and find some that vintage Italian leather.
So for sweaty hands I find...
Embossed leather - sucks
Wrapless, with normal thick coatings - sucks
Whatever coating cheap wall cues use, oiled maybe or just very thin clear - decent
Genuine lizardskin leather - awesome
Rubberized - very good
Stacked leather - never tried
Cork - good, but has wierd overly cushiony feel.
Tennis racket wrap - good
Tape, electrical or hockey - surprisingly good
Orange supple Italian 70's disco jacket - the bomb!
Cheers!!
