Why in the world would you pay over $200 for pool stick???
Freddie <~~~ it's the same answer
Why buy a cue that is over $300?
- Thread starter Ares49
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Freddie <~~~ it's the same answer
Being in the business of selling cues, I can tell you that its mostly personal preference. But its also about the maker of the cue, and the feel of the hit. I sell Vikings in every price range, and the only real difference in a $240 cue and a $1200 cue is the material used and the looks/style. I have other customers who will only buy Meucci cues, the hit is a whole different feel than a Viking or McDermott not to mention the looks.
You mentioned LD as part of your question and that's a completely different animal. While the butt of a cue may be a style preference, they shaft you use has alot more influence on your game. A standard maple shaft is great if you're either an expert or a novice because no matter which cue you use, your skill will have to adjust for the difference in the grain and deflection of the shaft on contact. LD shafts give you the advantage of consistency on grain and deflection so you can focus on control and accuracy.
With that being said, if you like your stick and you are comfortable with your game... stick with it. The only way to get your mind around the real differences is to play with a variety of cues.
You mentioned LD as part of your question and that's a completely different animal. While the butt of a cue may be a style preference, they shaft you use has alot more influence on your game. A standard maple shaft is great if you're either an expert or a novice because no matter which cue you use, your skill will have to adjust for the difference in the grain and deflection of the shaft on contact. LD shafts give you the advantage of consistency on grain and deflection so you can focus on control and accuracy.
With that being said, if you like your stick and you are comfortable with your game... stick with it. The only way to get your mind around the real differences is to play with a variety of cues.
Great answer.
Are there any other sports or activity where this line of thinking isn't true? Fishing, archery, bowling, cooking, watching porn.... Participants are going to put money into their equipment for any number of reasons. And if they're serious, a "good enough" purchase is often passed up.
Freddie <~~~ puts money into one of those activities...
Because they can(afford it , got spare money)
Because...just because. Expensive cues do not help play the game. I'll speak for myself. I'll buy a costly cue because I like it...the appearance, the quality, pride of ownership. I collect cues but will spend only a certain amount. They are on the wall in my basement poolroom.
My current daily player is a Predator Roadline w/314-2 Fat....and I'm shooting well with it.
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Ask your dog
All the dogs I've spoken to, tell me they lick because it feels good. I can't argue with that.
Regarding laminated shafts. A friend of mine and a great player says that the LD shaft is the best invention in the pool game in the past 40 years. Who's to say whether or not the great players of old would have played even better with modern equipment?
Yes, some prefer simple maple shafts. But ask yourself, do golfers take advantage of new technology? Bowlers? Tennis players? Yes, yes and yes.
Of course you can make a cue with an LD shaft for less than $300, but how many of us have the skill and time? And you can't expect people to make cues for us without realizing a profit, can you?
And regarding "fancy" cues, one of my teammates told me long ago, "I know you can play well with a plain jane, but when you open your cue case and see a cue that you picked out, not just because it plays well but because it looks beautiful, it kind of makes you want to play more...."
All the dogs I've spoken to, tell me they lick because it feels good. I can't argue with that.
Regarding laminated shafts. A friend of mine and a great player says that the LD shaft is the best invention in the pool game in the past 40 years. Who's to say whether or not the great players of old would have played even better with modern equipment?
Yes, some prefer simple maple shafts. But ask yourself, do golfers take advantage of new technology? Bowlers? Tennis players? Yes, yes and yes.
Of course you can make a cue with an LD shaft for less than $300, but how many of us have the skill and time? And you can't expect people to make cues for us without realizing a profit, can you?
And regarding "fancy" cues, one of my teammates told me long ago, "I know you can play well with a plain jane, but when you open your cue case and see a cue that you picked out, not just because it plays well but because it looks beautiful, it kind of makes you want to play more...."
and not yet discussed is the retention of value that often comes from nice cues.
i guess porn, btw.
i guess porn, btw.
See I think you have it all wrong. I think a expenisve cue does help you play better. Theres nothing like having a cue built from your dreams, for you to play this beautiful game. There is a sense of confidence that goes along with that. Knowing what your cue will and will not do. Some people pay more for that confidence than others. You can come with its the indian not the arrow line. I would have to say the arrow def. helps. thats how i see it from a players perspective any way.
TAP,tap, tap. I like this response. Life is too short. Enjoy
I play with a guy that insists that the equipment makes a person play better... says it's like a craftsman doing better work with better tools. Anyway he put a 314-2 on his McDermott and still dogs shots, has a machine gun stroke and has not improved one degree since I've known him.
I also play with a guy that runs racks with a beat to crap house cue.
I also play with a guy that runs racks with a beat to crap house cue.
alot of the time, it is about the inlays and material that goes into the cue. like someone else mentioned earlier, i find cues to be almost an art form. i cannot play better with my most expensive cue vs my cheapest cue. actually i shoot with my cheaper cues and display the more expensive ones. i do however think there is a psychological value to loving the look and taking pride in your cue. when talking about the ld shafts vs regular maple, that is opening a whole nother can of worms. i actually have been switching back and forth lately and most recently shooting with a custom non ld shaft. for me, the value is in more of the look of the cue. for others, the value is in owning a southwest which is not attractive to me personally. so really the best answer is, yes it is a personal preference. but if i think a beautiful 1,000 cue makes me shoot better, then it does make me shoot better.
It seems you already know everything you need to know. Pool is a simple game. You knock balls around with straight sticks. Simple.
I think you paid a lot more than you should have paid.
Get back to me in 5 years and tell me how you have progressed. That's all.
I think you paid a lot more than you should have paid.
Get back to me in 5 years and tell me how you have progressed. That's all.
I got back into pool about 10 or 12 years ago after a 20 year layoff. What I noticed is something quite a bit different. I would go into a pool room or a tournament and there were many, many amateurs with cues in the $2500 - $4500 range, Gina's and Tad's being the most popular, but then there were a whole slew of players with Scrugg's , Phillipi's, McWorter and other exotic, beautiful pieces of functional art. These were not rich people, but players who loved the game and loved cues. They appreciated them. They paid up to have one. Whether they played good or bad, they used an expensive custom to do it and everybody admired their cues.
So not wanting to be outclassed, I scrapped my Schon and tried a few different customs, ended up with a $3500 JossWest. Then I found out that LD shafts helped my game, so changed out the shafts for Predator, OB, then finally settled on Tiger.
This all may sound crazy to you because you're not where I am, but I assure you, there are a great many of us right here who have done the exact same thing and we know the answer to your question.
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It's only money, why eat hot dogs when you can afford steak.
It's a personal thing.
Just recently bought my third wrapless Schon, don't really need it but
don't regret it either.:smile:
It's a personal thing.
Just recently bought my third wrapless Schon, don't really need it but
don't regret it either.:smile:
When in HS in the sixties having my first pool cue $20 was a dream. In college getting my first car (Always had motorcycles) a 63 Chevy Belair was a dream. Dreams change, thank god. Ya gotta start somewhere, jump in, you'll eventually find what you prefer. If you play one or two hrs a week the cue will last you your life time, if you play more, you'll get another cue, so resale value may be a concern. Ya can't click a mouse for this answer....I still wish I had kept my $20 Rocket cue from Chicago, it was like an advanced Schmelke, whatever that means :thumbup:
That would be me.............. :thumbup:
Regarding the value of LD: I've been playing with an OB for about 9 months. I borrowed two loaner models and set up shots that required compensation for deflection. I shot the same shots over and over with my old maple and the OB. My pocketing percentage was noticeably better with the LD shaft so I got one. Have I won more league matches because of the LD shaft? Who knows.
BTW, Joss advertises on their web page they will spread the cost of a cue over 3 payments.
- Jeff in Frisco
BTW, Joss advertises on their web page they will spread the cost of a cue over 3 payments.
- Jeff in Frisco