So...why spend hundreds on a break cue??

I would spend more on a break cue, because I care too much about what others think of me, and I don't want anyone to think all I can afford is a $70 cue :thumbup:
Haha. I can understand that. I'm kinda like that with my playing cue. I bought a cheap sneaky from Players to use in seedy, unfamiliar pool halls, but I never bring it out at the places I normally play, even though it plays just fine.

I can't feel that way about break cues, though. It makes me feel pretty good to break as good or better than the guys with the flashier cues with my $70 stick.

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Hopefully I'll get to try some other well-reputed break cues in the future. The Predator did nothing extra for me, but I can concede that such a stick might exist. It would have to be pretty darn special to make me want to give up a night's worth of income though.

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I've tried every break cue out there and my break still sucks... I guess I haven't found the right cue yet.

I have owned production break cues, custom break cues, jump/break cues, etc.. Not a single one of them every made my break any better than the free, readily available house cues hanging on the wall in every pool room.
 
I have owned production break cues, custom break cues, jump/break cues, etc.. Not a single one of them every made my break any better than the free, readily available house cues hanging on the wall in every pool room.

I'll make one caveat to that. Samsara tips on a house cue would break just as well as most custom breakers.

But, we like the art and hobbyist aspects.
 
I'll make one caveat to that. Samsara tips on a house cue would break just as well as most custom breakers.

But, we like the art and hobbyist aspects.

Don't you know custom cues are vastly superior performance-wise to any other type of cue?

On a more serious note, I'd tend to disagree. A break cue is very much about the balance and natural pivot point (and of course tip) of the cue and I doubt house cues have the appropriate proprieties in that regard.
 
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My break cue costs the same as my playing cue.
I only use one cue for both.
I play with a Tiger Jump Break tip.

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Oddly enough, I played a few racks with my break cue. I even ran out on a buddy in 8 ball. I like its weight and balance...so much I've considered replacing the phenolic tip with something like that Tiger j/b tip. I'm just worried that trying to make it a better player would mess with its break. It could be a fun experiment though.

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It's the Indian
Not the arrow

I've always thought this quote was misleading....I get what it means, but it neglects the fact that at SOME POINT the arrow will actually be a problem.

I agree, all else equal, that it's the Indian and not the arrow. But there are definitely crappy arrows out there.

To the OP's point though, all that really matters is whether or not the cue can produce consistent results for your given playing style and whether or not the cue has some impact on your mental perceptions. Even the best playing cue in the world can play "bad" for a given player if that player BELIEVES it's bad. Beliefs are extremely powerful. If you can't tell any difference in play-ability and don't actually believe it's better then, for you, it's not.
 
Don't you know custom cues are vastly superior performance-wise to any other type of cue?

On a more serious note, I'd tend to disagree. A break cue is very much about the balance and natural pivot point (and of course tip) of the cue and I doubt house cues have the appropriate proprieties in that regard.


It's about timing more than anything. I have shattered a cue ball when breaking with a house cue. I'll send you a photo, I have it on my shelf at home.

Samsara tips give me that little extra.
 
It's about timing more than anything. I have shattered a cue ball when breaking with a house cue. I'll send you a photo, I have it on my shelf at home.



Samsara tips give me that little extra.


It’s not very much about how hard it allows you to break versus a house cue, it’s much more about control.

I can’t break harder with my BKII compared to my J&J, but I certainly have better control.
 
I play with an Action cheapo break stick that cost me 79 bucks. I changed the tip and it and it works fine for me. I have tried other more expensive breakers and some felt good but not $300 or $400 better than mine. Actually I did not like the Predator break cues at all nor do I like their players or shafts. I know some swear by them. I feel Predator has become a marketing company not a pool company sort of like Apple and people will pay more for perceived performance which is just marketing. JMHO.
 
I play with an Action cheapo break stick that cost me 79 bucks. I changed the tip and it and it works fine for me. I have tried other more expensive breakers and some felt good but not $300 or $400 better than mine. Actually I did not like the Predator break cues at all nor do I like their players or shafts. I know some swear by them. I feel Predator has become a marketing company not a pool company sort of like Apple and people will pay more for perceived performance which is just marketing. JMHO.

And I would add a good break technique overrides an expensive break cue. I'm using a CueTec break cue. Works just a well as a house cue.
 
Don't you know custom cues are vastly superior performance-wise to any other type of cue?

On a more serious note, I'd tend to disagree. A break cue is very much about the balance and natural pivot point (and of course tip) of the cue and I doubt house cues have the appropriate proprieties in that regard.

Well I dont tend I do disagree its about weight , shaft and tip ,, Iv found countless monster break cues on the rack


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It’s not very much about how hard it allows you to break versus a house cue, it’s much more about control.

I can’t break harder with my BKII compared to my J&J, but I certainly have better control.


Placebo effect all day. There's a reason SVB can squat the rock with any cue he uses.
 
Because pivot point matters ?

It does actually do something very specific, but it's not like I could expect you to know ;)


Placebo effect all day. There's a reason SVB can squat the rock with any cue he uses.

You can very much feel the difference when trying both cues. Sure Shane can do it with any cue, but he's a world class pro, he doesn't hit off-center as much as I do, and that's where the well placed natural pivot point helps.
 
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Please for God's sake, let's not start another war about customs vs productions. Bottom line to OP, who cares how others spend their money?

Also, word of advice, you can use that money you would have spent on your breaker and put it towards gambling in one pocket... then you don't even need a break cue!

LOL, I was going to start a thread recently about LD break cues vs Standard break cues. I might as well pose the question here. Have any of you switched or tried both and found a noticeable difference? I'm talking about cue ball control and ball pocketing off the break.
 
Agree

I don't think I could every pay full price for one but I have used a Mezz power break and the shorter length, balance, and control of that cue is unmatched. I have used break cues from 5 production makers and 2 customs, none compare.

I got one when Mezz hit the market and I had a wholesale account with one of the big distributors. Intended to just try it out then sell it, still have it great cue.

I use it primarily to break on the bar box.
 
It does actually do something very specific, but it's not like I could expect you to know ;)




You can very much feel the difference when trying both cues. Sure Shane can do it with any cue, but he's a world class pro, he doesn't hit off-center as much as I do, and that's where the well placed natural pivot point helps.

Yeah right.
I bet SVB and Bustamante do pivot point test on their breakers.
Let's all drill holes at the tip end of the shafts.
 
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