Pubo
Active member
This might actually be a not-too-bad idea. Using a 15mm, or whatever size tip that allows you to hit 90% max offset. Then you don't risk miscuing and can focus more on getting the right speed.
Cue Tip Size And Shape Effects
- Thread starter dr_dave
- Start date
A potential problem with this approach is if the tip hits the table before or during contact, a scoop shot will result (with no miscue). Examples of this kind of scoop can be found in the videos on the scoop shot resource page.
Pubo
Active member
I didn't think of this! I guess the effort put into not hitting the table first is comparable to judging where the miscue limit is. I'd like to try it out sometime if I can get a hold of 15mm shaft lol
No kidding.
The following is a true story.
(insert flashback music)
It was a Friday night back in the early 70's at Town & Country Billiards in Daly City, California. As was my wont at that period in my callow youth, there I was hitting balls, instead of being out on a date or working on my term paper which was due the following week. But, it was Friday night, the week of school and work was over, I was 19 years old playing pool and life was good.
About 10 o'clock, Vince -- a well-known (and well-heeled) mark, walks in the front door of the establishment. Vince was always good for some $5 or $10 9ball, a game I actually played and was semi-proficient at way back then. As soon as I saw him come in the door I knew I'd have only a very limited window of opportunity to to put him under contract before other perhaps more enticing (but nonetheless unprofitable for Vince) offers were made by all the usual suspects. And so, with full knowledge that I'd only have one shot at this customer I opened with what I thought would be a sure fire automatic deal-closer, "Hey Vince, come on. Let's play some 9ball. You got the eight." Vince didn't miss a beat and shot back, "I ain't playing you with no 8. I want the 6, 7, 8 from someone who shoots as straight as you." I instantly knew I had underestimated my man and grossly misplayed my opportunity and so I just weakly rejoined, "Hell! The 6, 7, 8?! I'd play someone with the broomstick with that kind of spot." And then, just like lightening, it came and Vince barked, "OK. You got the 6,7,8, for $20 a game."
Well, this was a totally unexpected turn of events. The hunter had somehow become the huntee and I was at a sudden loss as to what the appropriate move was. But then Jerry and Devlin came to my rescue.
Jerry was my wing man on many an adventure. Devlin looked just like Cole Dickson and was just a straight shootin sum beeatch, about our age, who also hung around. "Play him -- you can win," Devlin said. I was totally not buying it, "What do you mean I can win?! Playing with a broomstick?!" Jerry says, "You can do it. Devlin did it against Dennis a few years ago. It's not that tough." Still, I had more than a few doubts. But somehow, their complete confidence in our side of the proposition swayed me and I said, "OK. Get the broomstick." I put the eight-point Gina back in its case for the night.
"Hey Stan. We need to borrow your broomstick."
Now for Stan Cleaner, owner and counter man, this request came as no surprise or shock. He'd seen it all over the years and watched as his teenaged charges had grown older, yet no wiser. This was just one more in a long string of inane, nonsensical, nutty things he'd heard and so, without much more than a shake of his head and a barely audible sigh he continued reading his paper and said, "It's in the closet."
Stan's broom was standard issue (Made by the Blind). Maybe an 1 1/2" diameter blue wood handle and the usual whisks in a tight natural colored fan pattern. The shape of the end of the handle was actually a pretty good approximation of a regular cue tip, except bigger. A lot bigger. "OK, look. You gotta keep it chalked, just like a regular pool cue. Just keep it chalked," Devlin instructed as he sanded the blue enamel off the "tip." I looked at him dubiously.
Vince and I agreed to $20 a game (insert requisite: "that was pretty good action back then.") Jerry, Devlin, and I quickly formed a consortium, pooling our monies for a grand total of $120. Six barrels. I'd have to come out of the starting blocks fast. The only thing that made this anything less than total lunacy was that Vince was a known go-off, and if somehow I could prevail, we'd all be on our way on a Vince-sponsored excursion to Lake Tahoe with its siren call of casinos, blackjack tables, and "free" beer shortly after the conclusion of the match at hand.
We started and right off I could tell: Jerry was right! It wasn't impossible. The hardest part was getting a decent grip on the whisks. And of course you had to play with an open hand bridge. But Vince wasn't that good to begin with and he had a little pooch in him and I'm sure the potential stories that would circulate through the pool room -- about him losing to a guy playing with a broomstick -- were floating through his brain.
Vince jars an eight ball. Lou bumps the cue ball towards the eight and wins. Maybe this was not so tough after all...
After about two hours a serious problem began to emerge. It wasn't what was going on on the pool table. I was now getting the hang of it and was running three and then four and the occasional five balls at a time. I was even able to put a little stop shot action on the ball. And, we were now playing for $40 a game. Lou, Jerry, Devlin, Inc. was up almost $400. The problem was: gripping the broomstick by its whisks, the whisks had started to work their way up under my finger nails -- my fingers had begun to bleed and starting to hurt like hell. Jerry went running behind the counter to get the "Pool Hall Emergency Kit," which consisted entirely of a couple of old Band-Aids and an equally aging bottle of aspirin. We taped up all the fingers on my grip hand and I was good to go.
Well, to cut to the chase, we played into the night and I won just over $800 from Vince (not a bad score in those days). To this day I don't know if the broomstick was conventional or low deflection. All I know is that you can play with a broom stick. But my recommendation is to wear a glove on your grip hand if you're going to do it.
Lou Figueroa
dquarasr
Registered
That works, but only in Australia.
You’re welcome. I aim to swerve.
I don’t mind “challenges” to my material, even if it isn’t always “on topic” or mature or “well meaning.” I try not to “feed” the bully trolls too much, but I like giving them some of their “crap” in return on occasion. I know it only makes things worse, but it is fun in small doses.
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I once lost badly (at pool) to guy who played with an unlubricated condom on the end of the broomstick.
lol, you can't just put that out there without providing some context.
Lou Figueroa
do tell
We had a broomstick at our local room, back in the day, that had been used for some many games that they had glued a cue tip to the end of it.
Basically the inverse of your story except I only lost $100! He didn’t chalk the condom and didn’t use any English. I didn’t know the guy and it was at a bar with a single barbox where he was beating all comers (none of who, including me, were any good). I think the condom was a hook to lure people in and also played better than a raw wood tip.
Edit: He had unscrewed the bristle head, an advantage I didn’t realize until Lou’s story today.
I am definitely not a real pool player then. In 1998 I was already working in a cubicle writing software and doing homework at night, trying to get into a good college. I couldn’t imagine staying up late and risking a cent on gambling with a brook stick.
I did throw a dart through a TV from across the room. This was a bet for $0 to myself that I lost.
I did throw a dart through a TV from across the room. This was a bet for $0 to myself that I lost.
Most importantly, Happy Easter!
I remember playing with a broom a few times, me and my opponent using the same broom. We started chalking it and discovered that stopshots and even drawing the cue ball a foot or two was possible. We were in a biker bar so nobody batted an eye when I pulled out my four inch Buck pocket knife to cut a crosshatch with the lines about a tenth of an inch apart to hold chalk.
I found the genuine natural broom straw to be painful too so I separated a wad of broom straw at the top of the broom holding the brush part vertical. I don't remember any break and runs but we did run 3-5 balls on the bar table. We were breaking with the broom and when I decided I had it working pretty good I tried a full power break off of an open bridge. More followthrough with a broom than a break cue and I whacked a biker babe pretty hard. She was with her boyfriend at the time and neither of them was happy. I wasn't unknown so a little soft talking got me out of that mess! I went back to a more conservative break.
Hu
I prefer a shovel over a broom.....the shovel just seems to have a bit better balance.....
Balance reminds me of playing with a commercial mop that had been marinating in the old mop water from mopping the floor in a biker bar for about three months. The main goal was just to keep that thing from dripping on you!
That wettish mop weighed about ten pounds, maybe more. I found the ticket to be to let the wet mop strings swing then time the shot to the neutral part of the mop swing.
That mop was taken away from us when even bikers started whining about the smell!
Hu
This thread is fascinating - someone has gone out of their way to test an hypothesis and found it wanting. The retort is "no it's not" without any form of evidence to counter it.
There is a huge amount of myths and legends around cue sports. Perhaps it is not a bad thing to disprove or validate them.
There is a huge amount of myths and legends around cue sports. Perhaps it is not a bad thing to disprove or validate them.
Paul_#_
Well-known member
Using the video to answer your question, it depends on the shape of your 10.5mm tip. If it was larger than dime shaped, that may have caused your miscues. Reshape tip to dime shape.
Was the tip already dime shaped when you miscued?
Yes. It is like someone showing data that tetraethyl leaded gasoline is dangerous for the environment because it is toxic to lifeforms, and the retort being "Lead comes from the Earth so how can it be dangerous to the environment?"
Wait. That did happen.
