Equipment Experimentation

MapleMan

MapleMan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Do you guys think it is wise to try all different types of cues and tips? I am not posting this as hunt for the excalibur or the promotion of Custom cues or LDs. I like my Viking cue but there are times where I feel that the length is too short. But then I grab a house cue and it is shorter yet I feel more in control of the stick. I use everest tips and I don't mind them.
I actually chopped it past the red line and rounded it and have been playing real well lately. I know my game needs improvement and equipment isn't going to make my stroke or aim or strategizing better but I want to find something I may be more comfortable with.
I have played with so few different types of cues. I was wondering if anybody else tried something new and became more comfortable.
 
My first cue was a 80's Joss that was temporarily borrowed until I could afford a cue. Then I bought a McDermott. Traded it for a Viking. Sold the Viking and borrowed a Meucci till my Schmelke was made.

All of the cues were different and played different. That's how I ended up with the custom Schmelke.

Joss - BEM/Ebony
(5/16x14 brass pin) 12.5mm tip - Hit stiff and played well.

McDermott - Plain Jane Maple
(3/8x10 SS pin) 12.4mm tip - Hit soft and the shaft was whippy/spongey.

Viking - BEM/Inlayed points
(5/16x18 QR SS pin) 12.5mm tip - Hit soft but the shaft was too stiff.

Meucci - BEM/Veneered points
(5/16x18 SS pin) 12.75mm tip - Hit like absolutely crap (Pre red dot shaft).

Schmelke - Full Splice BEM/Purple Heart
(5/16x18 SS pin) 12.25mm tip - Hit's stiff and plays excellent.

I never learned to play with an LD shaft, so the few times I played with a 314, Z2, OB-1, and the Meucci LD shafts; I absolutely hated them.

It may take a while, to find what you want, but in the end it's worth it.

If I had any of those cues back, I would still play the same speed, but I didn't enjoy using them.
 
I've ditched my Joss w/ Z shaft in favor of a 15oz cut bar cue that's about an inch or so shorter than a regular cue. I break and shoot better with it, so what the hell. Used the old setup twice in the last few months.. didn't care for it at all.

Play with what's better for you..
 
Experimentation is fine as long as it is not taken to excess. The fact that I have three ex-wives is a testimonial to that fact. :)
 
If something bugs you about your current cue, even something small, you should look into fixing it.

Otherwise it can get in your head and actually cause you to shoot worse... not because the tip or weight matter much in terms of sinking balls, but because it kinda sharks you, having this nagging feeling it's just not right.

The hard part is being able to try new stuff without going broke. One way is to just borrow your friends' cues for an hour or two. Even complete strangers may let you hit a few balls if you ask the right way.

Sometimes a stick feels more comfortable right away. Other times it's kind of hard to identify what makes you feel uncomfortable, it may not be the cue at all.
 
I made my first spitz cue bumper less because I liked the way the hit resonated, also moved the weight bolts around to lighten the cue to 18oz and moved the balance point more to my liking (19).

This made it easy for Jon to make my next cue because he knew the length weight and balance point I like in a cue. He made it pretty close to my specifications, I only did minor changes to the Balance point and taper of the shaft. I also put on one of my Tips I make.

So the answer is yes I am constantly experimenting with my cue to find what I feel most comfortable with. Yes it does indeed come down to the players skill but I do feel that having the right equipment for your taste is what is needed to bring out your entire skill. Thats just MHO
 
Experiment. Yes!

MapleMan said:
Do you guys think it is wise to try all different types of cues and tips? I am not posting this as hunt for the excalibur or the promotion of Custom cues or LDs. I like my Viking cue but there are times where I feel that the length is too short. But then I grab a house cue and it is shorter yet I feel more in control of the stick. I use everest tips and I don't mind them.
I actually chopped it past the red line and rounded it and have been playing real well lately. I know my game needs improvement and equipment isn't going to make my stroke or aim or strategizing better but I want to find something I may be more comfortable with.
I have played with so few different types of cues. I was wondering if anybody else tried something new and became more comfortable.
Click to expand...

The first forty-seven years of my pool "career" I owned only six playing cues. Then I began buying cues on Ebay and elsewhere so I could experiment. I've tried over 100 cues. It's been a good experience, though I wish I'd have passed up a few of those cues that were duds.

Experimentation is what life's all about. It's how you learn stuff...
 
One size does not fit all... Different lengths, different materials, different weights, different balances, Tip elasticity... etc......

I think everyone should always be trying new equipment up to a point to where they find the equipment does what they expect it to do and doesn't cross them up... At that point I'd say stay put... Put in the time to where the equipment becomes part of you.... Trying something new at that point would be the exception and not the rule....

Hendry had the same cue for 20 years and did quite well having an old friend in his hands during the thick of battle thru those years... Of course that was snooker but still.....

Chris
 
i would try different tips on your cue before buying a new cue ...unless you want to buy one just because like do occasionaly.

the last cue i bought was the most expensive one to date and honestly it played like shit. i was bound and determined to get used to it since i paid so much for it. one day i decided to change the tip and it made a world of difference.
i love the way it plays now.
 
I actually really like my cue. There are times when I feel like something isn't right. I like how it looks so the appearance factor has been taken care of. I have played my best pool with this stick by far. I have become a better player overall since I started playing in every tournament that I could. I figure I will change the tip first. Then maybe the diameter. I don't mind 13mm but I want tryout something like a 12.75 or 12.5. I figure whats the harm. extra shafts aren't that expensive. With the expo coming up I could hit with a wide veriety of sticks.
 
MapleMan said:
I actually really like my cue. There are times when I feel like something isn't right. I like how it looks so the appearance factor has been taken care of. I have played my best pool with this stick by far. I have become a better player overall since I started playing in every tournament that I could. I figure I will change the tip first. Then maybe the diameter. I don't mind 13mm but I want tryout something like a 12.75 or 12.5. I figure whats the harm. extra shafts aren't that expensive. With the expo coming up I could hit with a wide veriety of sticks.
Click to expand...

just face it man... you are looking for a reason to buy a new cue.:thumbup: just kidding.

like i said in my previous post, changing my tip worked for me. i tried several tips and found a buffalo tip was what fit my style of play the best.

the tips i tried so far are moori medium and slow, everest, lepro, and triangle. the moori slow was what was on my main player when i bought it and i hated it. a triangle made me miss cue to hell and back, kept it on there all of one night before i had it taken off.

it just seems that it is easier for me to make the cue ball do what i want it to with the buffalo plus i like the feedback it gives me.

just try different ones till you find what you like. what one person likes you may hate. that is why i dont recomend a particular brand of tip or cue etc. its all a matter of personal preference.
 
I'm not addicted.....Why are you selling? Ha I can't afford to get caught with another pool cue. With my parole meeting next week and two out of three strikes I could be seeing some long prison time
 
agree totally..

Donny Lutz said:
The first forty-seven years of my pool "career" I owned only six playing cues. Then I began buying cues on Ebay and elsewhere so I could experiment. I've tried over 100 cues. It's been a good experience, though I wish I'd have passed up a few of those cues that were duds.

Experimentation is what life's all about. It's how you learn stuff...
Click to expand...

Without experimentation you would never figure out what combination of a cue fits best with your style of play. EVERYTHING comes into play when it comes to equipment...Weight, balance ( where you grip the cue most of the time ), how stiff the shaft is ( stiffer shaft better for power, more flexible then the better for finesse ) size of tip, tip type, tip shape, it all matters. I don't care what people say about pros being able to shoot with any cue and still play the same game as their prefered cue cuz i've seen pros pick up a house stick and shoot shitty and then complain the tip this, the stiffness that..They can shoot well when they learn to adjust to it, so that being said you have to pick out one that fits YOU and how YOU like to play the game. Do what you gotta do brother
 
South West Cues and Diamond Professional tables..............man, it doesn't get any better than this. This is the conclusion I came to. No more experiments for me. Seriously though, I think the best hitting cues have wood to wood joints, ivory ferrules, with a nice Kamui black medium to top it off for that sweet hit and sweet feel. Hope this helps, good luck.
 
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