Different Joint and differences

[Ghosst]

No one decidedly correct preference, just a preference based on who is playing.

Thanks for the links and the information. As for which is "better"? I don't know. But I do know I love the look of a Stainless joint, maybe because that's what I grew up with back in the day.

Good luck with your choice. I deliberately left my response open because of my condition: you can't really compare different joint types unless they're all on the same cue. Even then, if the test were truly blind you might get surprised. The mind works wonders, making you feel comfortable with one thing because you happen to like the aesthetics. In a true blind test, I might end up wanting a flat-faced SS joint. My preference for Ivory may simply be that I love the way that particular cue feels and that may be colored by the fact I already know which cue I'm playing with.

Like anything else, at the end of the day, it's what makes you happy that determines what is best for you. It's not the greatest answer, but it is the truth, or we'd all be playing with the same cue and arguing over which aiming system was the best instead of which joint is the best.

 

[Murray Tucker]

Joint stereotyping is a pet peeve of mine dating back to the good old RSB days.

If only your powers cold be used for good...!

 

[MitchAlsup]

Based on Dr Dave's videos, the Cue Ball will have left the tip of the cue before the sound wave of the tip impacting the Cue Ball reaches the joint. Thus as far as the Cue Ball is concerned, the joint is completely irrelevent.

The only thing left is the perception of the person.

 

[Soulweb]

Based on Dr Dave's videos, the Cue Ball will have left the tip of the cue before the sound wave of the tip impacting the Cue Ball reaches the joint. Thus as far as the Cue Ball is concerned, the joint is completely irrelevent.

The only thing left is the perception of the person.

Precisely. My brother swears up and down by wood on wood. Loves his Southwest cues for how the hit feels. And though the joint's physics may never actually translate one iota to the ball, the cue will remain in the player's hands after the ball is hit. Giving a sense of "feel" for how it plays. And in that, maybe the preference may indeed lie. I know a lot of billiards, even 8-ball, is at least 50% mental. I may not make nearly the quality of shots as the people I play against, but I can play a safety until the shot for the opponent becomes impossible, or they get steaming and whack the balls. And inevitably "I can't believe you beat me."

And if 50% of a billiards game is mental (at least at my level), then how you feel with your cue (literally and figuratively) may have almost as much effect on how you play as the cue itself. Much less the joint configuration and materials.

Nevertheless, everyone has their preference, even the pros. My brother is a FAR better player than I am. I might win one out of every ten one pocket games against him. One has to wonder how much of it is the cue, and how much of it is the player believing it's the cue.

But I digress. This thread taught me a lot about cue joints. I'm a tinkerer. I built a couple guitars, some chessboards, etc. I love all the small differences in what makes guitars guitars. And from an outsider looking in, the cue stick seems so simple that it's hard to imagine any difference at all unless the cue is flawed (bad tip, crack in the wood, or some other compromising physical aspect). And yet, like all things in life, the more you learn the more those seemingly insignificant subtle differences seem to matter.

Thanks again fellas! I got a long way to go before I can beat my brother, but I chose an old Josswest with a SS piloted joint. She looks very classic. Now lets see if it improves my game. lol

 

[conetip]

For some people, removing the rubber bumper makes so much difference in how the cue plays acoustically , they find the sound of the cue off putting.
There is in some cues a more prominent tink with the bumper removed.
Handles do make a difference that is very noticeable to some people and not so much to others.Some handles are poorly made, and they do not make for a good hitting cue, no matter what shaft is attached.
Some shaft handle combinations play better with different tips.
Different people will like different combinations , depending on their style of play.
As for the joint itself, I have not been able to show any one is better or worse than the other. I do know that different handles on the same shaft can benefit with different tips.

 

[deanoc]

i can not tell the difference
my friend bob owen tells me he does not think a player can tell the difference

i have found southwest cues to be great and schons also,differnt joints both play good

bob owen made me a steel, a flat face ivory, and a piloted ivory

after i put them to the test,i decided to put all 3 for sale and play with what was left
all 3 sold ,so i ordered some more

i liked them all but i found that when i bet high they all tended to dog it, come to think of it
all my cues play better when i play cheap or get the nuts


try out a cue if you like it buy it and forget any opinions is my advice