Cheap Chinese cue and video of me playing with it

Autist

Autist

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hei there!

For a few months now, I have been thinking about buying myself a better cue. I have talked with Mr. Prulhiere and I will probably order a custom made cue for me. But I am not sure, 100%, yet.

For about 10 months, I have played with a cheap Chinese mass production cue made by Jiang Ying.(my 2nd cue ever, had similar cheap cue before that for a few months, but didn't take pool seriously then) I have never shot with a custom made or a good production cue before, therefore I don't know what I am missing, or not.


Does it really matter what kind of a cue I play with, just as long as I have a good tip on it? - This is the main question from me. Yes, I know the hit of the cue etc are very individual for everyone. And I can say I am used to my cue. But I can get used to a hand made cue also. But will I shoot better with a real cue when I get used to it?

I have read and watched videos about deflection. As much as I can make out, my cue has A LOT of deflection, but it seems I have gotten used to it.

I have never liked the sound of the hit of my cue. I have tried different tips, it's always the same, dead ugly sound. I can't hear it every time, but when I do, I feel like there is something wrong with the cue. You can clearly hear the sound from the first shot of the video I am about to post.


Also, on a semi-related note(maybe), I can't seem to be able to run out when I am supposed to, feels like I am missing some vital piece of information. I did manage to run out once today, but that was because some good fortune and to Mr. Buddy Hall, I learned the last shot of the video from his instructional video. :)

Help is appreciated!

Thanks alot!

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZYJ2MRqS5E
 
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You might or might not shoot better with a better cue. Can't really say. It's mostly the player, not the cue.

There are plenty of people who play at a high level without spending lots of money on a cue. I'd say tip is more important. See if you can try someone else's "better" cue to see if you need or want to upgrade. I'd say you don't "need" it. Most of time it's a matter of "want". You also don't need to go for a custom/handmade to get good performance. You seem to do fine with what you have in the video.
 
I watched your video. Your cue sounds normal to me as far as I can tell from a video. Sounds like a hard tip. Does your cue have a stiff/firm hit?

You shoot well.Your stroke is good and I doubt a new custom will make you a better player. If it were me, I'd keep saving up my money, try as many different cues as you can in the meantime, and get exactly what you want when you realize what that is.

Maniac (went through too many cues before getting it right)
 
At one end you hear people argue the whole cue is important from buttcap and inlays to the glaze on the tip. Others say the butt isn't super important but the shaft is. This is probably the only time I've heard people say the cue mostly doesn't matter and it all comes down to the tip.

On paper, the tip is all that touches the ball so I can see the logic. But in play... the shaft seems to matter quite a lot. It really is mostly the player, but I don't think the right tip will turn a house cue into a black boar. But the right shaft might come 'close enough'. I stuck an OB2 on a basic brunswick butt, and I really like how my cue plays. I also liked how it played with a predator shaft. Before investing any serious cash, try different shafts.
 
Maniac said:
I watched your video. Your cue sounds normal to me as far as I can tell from a video. Sounds like a hard tip. Does your cue have a stiff/firm hit?
Click to expand...
Actually I am using Elkmaster. And I couldn't really judge if my cue has a firm hit or not, since I have actually not shot with much else before. Compared to a house cue, it does not have a firm hit.


seven_7days said:
sounds like a broken or damaged tenon to me.
Click to expand...

Hah, I had to check the meaning of the word, but okay. I guess that is something that I can not fix by myself, yeah?

Chopdoc said:
Or perhaps the ferrule. Sure does sound like crap to me. That would be very distracting to me.
Click to expand...

It is to me, too. :p I can not see any cracks with my eye on the ferrule, but that doesn't mean much, right?

I think either one of these are very bad, since I live in a country where we have exactly 0 cuemakers, and I am probably the most experienced tip changer within 100 mile radius. :D
 
Autist said:
Actually I am using Elkmaster. And I couldn't really judge if my cue has a firm hit or not, since I have actually not shot with much else before. Compared to a house cue, it does not have a firm hit.
Click to expand...

If you are using an Elkmaster and you say your cue hits softer than a house cue, and it makes the sound that it does, then I would say that there may be a problem emanating from the business end of your cue. Maybe a loose ferrule or a cracked tenon, as some have already suggested.

Maniac
 
If Estonia is anywhere near Denver, Colorado, bring the cue to me.
Dr. Doug and I will figure it out, and it will play top notch.

Ted B.
Exploding Ferrules Cue repair
 
cuesblues said:
If Estonia is anywhere near Denver, Colorado, bring the cue to me.
Dr. Doug and I will figure it out, and it will play top notch.

Ted B.
Exploding Ferrules Cue repair
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for the offer, but I am afraid I live more than 5000 miles from Denver :(
 
I like the Jian Yings. They seem to be either pretty good or really bad. A couple that I've had sounded like an aluminum baseball bat hitting a baseball, kind of a hollow tinny sound, like when you kick an empty trash can. What we found in those was that the ferrule was cracked just a tiny bit under the tip, it's like it was beginning to split. So we switched it up from the 1/2 ferrule that they come with to about a 3/4 inch fiber ferrule and went to a medium layered tip and the thing hits like a dream. The tips that come from Jian Ying I have found are about the consistency of granite, it was like a breaking tip. Because this was the case with several of those cues I always figured that it was happening to the tip and ferrule because it was coming from a humid climate to Denver where we have pretty much no humidity, but I have heard that this is no so uncommon. They don't really make a bad cue, you look like you hit it pretty good, maybe just a minor adjustment like the ferrule and tip will make it into what you'd like it to be
 
It could also just be a bad tip job, with a little gap somewhere under the tip. The click sound isn't all that consistent shot to shot in the video...I had the same problem with a bad tip install a few times in the past, drove me nuts until I had someone else put a new tip on. If you like the hit of the cue, try a new tip before throwing it down the well.

If you want to upgrade to a better cue, go ahead! But just because it's inexpensive and made in China doesn't mean it total garbage...there's some nice hitting cues made in China, too.
 
I don't know why but I loved the house cues in the states' poolhalls. As long as it is straight, the right weight and a short tip, 3 chalks on the table, that's pretty much all I needed. Because house cues are in one piece so it gives me a solid feeling and I think that's very important to me. Although I did play with my own cue in the tournaments but in practice I usually just use a house cue. However, the house cues in Taiwan is bad. They're in two pieces with an ugly look.
 
if im not completely wrong estonia is not near denver nor is it in the us. its a country in europe :)

@autist: if you dont want to order a custom from prulhiere (ive never tried one of his cues) you should have a look on some decent import cues, they are not too expensive and get the job done. one of our junior players had his first 70ball+ runs with a cheap fury cue (45€ i think) :) so before you start investing heavily in custom cues or what do i know, try out some different cues in different price ranges. my favorites in the less than 100euro range are furys, between 150 and 200 euros you can get a nice joss or mcD (in a german forum you might find a joss blacky winner for less than 130 bucks).
great cues that play good. i guess the shaft on your cue has never had some proper seasoning or drying, making it whippy or unstable. this, combined with cheap ferrule material is not the best basis.

as for your runout statement: i totally understand you. last time i played i ran out some difficult tables.

than i broke (9ball), 4 balls down, wide open table, messed up with position on the 8,..... my head just turned off. gues i dont play enough too keep cool in "easy" situations (i only practice for 2 hours per week atm since its summerbreak in our league season).

good luck with your game and HAVE FUN while playing, thats the most important part of it :smile:
 
Autist said:
Thanks a lot for the offer, but I am afraid I live more than 5000 miles from Denver :(
Click to expand...


5000 miles is a little far, but we can wait until you get here, I'm in no hurry...:smile:
By the time you travel out here to drop it off, and back again to pick it up, it could be less expensive to buy a new cue.
Another option would be to buy a good used Schon.
If you do, we will still put a new tip on it for you.
 
bender_lu said:
if im not completely wrong estonia is not near denver nor is it in the us. its a country in europe :)

@autist: if you dont want to order a custom from prulhiere (ive never tried one of his cues) you should have a look on some decent import cues, they are not too expensive and get the job done. one of our junior players had his first 70ball+ runs with a cheap fury cue (45€ i think) :) so before you start investing heavily in custom cues or what do i know, try out some different cues in different price ranges. my favorites in the less than 100euro range are furys, between 150 and 200 euros you can get a nice joss or mcD (in a german forum you might find a joss blacky winner for less than 130 bucks).
great cues that play good. i guess the shaft on your cue has never had some proper seasoning or drying, making it whippy or unstable. this, combined with cheap ferrule material is not the best basis.

as for your runout statement: i totally understand you. last time i played i ran out some difficult tables.

than i broke (9ball), 4 balls down, wide open table, messed up with position on the 8,..... my head just turned off. gues i dont play enough too keep cool in "easy" situations (i only practice for 2 hours per week atm since its summerbreak in our league season).

good luck with your game and HAVE FUN while playing, thats the most important part of it :smile:
Click to expand...

A friend of mine plays with a cheap Fury and I like the hit a lot - have been thinking of buying one for myself, actually. I'm not sure which model my friend has, but this site sells them from 35 euros.

http://www.dynamic-billard.com/en/products/pool-billiard/cues/fury/
 
It could be a problem with the ferrule/tennon. See if somebody around has another shaft to try on it and see if it makes a difference. That will tell you something.


Lots of good suggestions. No need to hurry...the cue works at the moment. Take your time.



.
 
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Ahh,,Young grasshopper, you must 1st focus..

The more comfortable you are with the cue you use ,the more confidence you'll have in that cue.. You may be comfortable with the cheap cue your using now , but I doubt your testing of many cues is very extensive..

Finding a cue that matches you perfectly will boost your confidence in your equipment.
Having more confidence in your cue ,wont make you a better shooter, but it'll help you to eliminate the blame of a mistake on the cue.

Then you can focus more on the mechanics of your alignment, stance, stability, and concentration.. Once you've put the blunt of your effort in your mechanics ,you'll then begin to gradually improve,no matter what equipment you're using..

Awhile back I had a similar question to yours here on AZB,, the answer I got from multiple veteran players was ..........

ITS NOT THE ARROW,ITS THE INDIAN ... ;)
(Though the right arrow certainly can help)
 
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@thaiger; dynamic is a really good shop, im a customer there too.

btw the more expensive fury models have a different pin, the shaftwood seems better and they come with a tiger everest tip. there s a review in this forum for the NA model.
i hit with this guys fury too and it shoots great for that price. only reason i havent bought one was when i was looking for e decent beginners cue they didnt have PJs but only decal cues... dont like that :wink:
 
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