Tall player issue

J

JStGermain

New member
To those who don’t have time to read, does anyone have a source of contact for Jim Pierce? I cannot find him on Facebook or anything.


To those who have time to read and make suggestions:

So I’m 6’4 and just hit 2 years of playing pool. I’ve been using an 8 inch extension on the butt of a 58 inch Barnhart custom cue. The length feels optimal for my play but I notice a variety of issues occurring when playing.

1. Loss of solid hit - instability on stroke
2. Energy loss at impact with the extension
3. Weakening at the joint, it’s flobby and not straight
4. Loss of precision and control

When I play without an extension the stroke is more precise but the angle at which my arm is striking the cue ball is improper which doesn’t allow for proper draw or follow.

Does anyone know a good custom cue maker who will design a 62 inch stick with an option for an extension? I’ve heard pierce is a good maker but if anyone know another option please let me know.

Thanks!
 
Sounds to me like the issue is mostly in your head. An extension doesn't cause "loss of energy at impact" or "improper angle" or anything like that. A standard cue is fine even if you grip it at the very end and if you want to use a permanent extension, 2" or 4" are more than sufficient. Work on your technique and get a commercial cue like Mezz or Predator with a good ecosystem of accessories and a 30" shaft.

A 62" cue is going to be unpredictable, difficult to resell and most importantly it won't fix your issues.
 
I am 6’8 I understand your pain. I don’t want to go the custom route and have tried the back of the batt extension. I finally tried a joint extension and it made a world of difference for me. I love being able to actually feel the wrap! Sorry I can’t help with a cue maker but a joint extension is a cheaper alternative.
 
Catalin said:
Sounds to me like the issue is mostly in your head. An extension doesn't cause "loss of energy at impact" or "improper angle" or anything like that. A standard cue is fine even if you grip it at the very end and if you want to use a permanent extension, 2" or 4" are more than sufficient. Work on your technique and get a commercial cue like Mezz or Predator with a good ecosystem of accessories and a 30" shaft.

A 62" cue is going to be unpredictable, difficult to resell and most importantly it won't fix your issues.
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Sorry if my reply was worded a little weird. The extension on the end isn’t firmly implanted so the extension instead of being flat will be at like a 2-3 degree raise. I can see it. Maybe a mid extension will do the trick?

I also should note all I do is work on my technique. I record myself, and have experimented with 58 inch, 4 inch extension, and 8 inch. My optimal play is 58+4in on a 7-8 footer. There, the extension is more firm while complimenting my reach to a perfect degree. However it doesn’t reach as well on 9 footers and causes my arm angle to be less than 90.

Before I had the extension, things like draw and follow required me to hit hard to get the same amount of energy. After the extension I have noticed I can hit softer and have more follow. It must be the angle of my arm when I’m striking the ball?

I also should note my Fargo is around a 580-620 range after only two years of actual dedicated play. Also when I’m missing my shots it’s almost always <1 inch off and on those exact shots I’m noticing a slight bump with the shafts balance.
 
I'm 6'3 and have never used an extension. I have made myself a couple of 62" cues, but don't play any better/different with those than my 58-60" cues. Proper stance and proper form negate the need for an extension.
 
You can get a Schmelke custom 60" sneaky for 180bux. they use a threaded bumper if you want to add an ext.
 
JStGermain said:
Before I had the extension, things like draw and follow required me to hit hard to get the same amount of energy. After the extension I have noticed I can hit softer and have more follow. It must be the angle of my arm when I’m striking the ball?
Click to expand...

No that comes from the added weight of the extension F=m*a. The weight of the extension can easily be 2oz. I'm not sure what you mean about it being angled. If it's broken get a new one. In any case 1-2° wouldn't make any difference. Fargo is not a range, if you have one you should know exactly what it is. To me you don't sound like a 600.
 
JStGermain said:
To those who don’t have time to read, does anyone have a source of contact for Jim Pierce? I cannot find him on Facebook or anything.


To those who have time to read and make suggestions:

So I’m 6’4 and just hit 2 years of playing pool. I’ve been using an 8 inch extension on the butt of a 58 inch Barnhart custom cue. The length feels optimal for my play but I notice a variety of issues occurring when playing.

1. Loss of solid hit - instability on stroke
2. Energy loss at impact with the extension
3. Weakening at the joint, it’s flobby and not straight
4. Loss of precision and control

When I play without an extension the stroke is more precise but the angle at which my arm is striking the cue ball is improper which doesn’t allow for proper draw or follow.

Does anyone know a good custom cue maker who will design a 62 inch stick with an option for an extension? I’ve heard pierce is a good maker but if anyone know another option please let me know.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Have you tried a mid cue extension?? I'm 6'4" and use a 3" on one of my Joss, a 4" on another.
I have rear extensions for several CF cues, just never liked the feel or play with those.
 
garczar said:
Same here. I can reach most shots on a 9ft with a 60" but still need crutch on some shots. With a 58" i have the rake out way too often. For me 62" is probably ideal length.
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I used the mech. bridge once in the past ~20hrs playing on my 9'. I'm just not going to add a second joint, excess weight, and an awkward amount of length to a cue I like for one shot in multiple hours of play.

I wasn't getting the impression that the OP was talking about using a long cue due to issues reaching the shots, but more because he thinks he needs the extra length to properly hold the cue. I've never been adverse to bending my bridge arm in order to hold the cue where my arm is in a correct(ish) position.
 
Catalin said:
No that comes from the added weight of the extension F=m*a. The weight of the extension can easily be 2oz. I'm not sure what you mean about it being angled. If it's broken get a new one. In any case 1-2° wouldn't make any difference. Fargo is not a range, if you have one you should know exactly what it is. To me you don't sound like a 600.
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It isn't exactly F=ma that is the driving formula, it is more a matter of conservation of energy. It could easily feel like he is hitting softer with the long cue if it means that his arm is closer to 90deg when hitting--that is where the arm is strongest due to the geometry of the elbow and tendons. He is likely using a longer backswing, which gives more distance for the acceleration (this is where your F=ma comes in), he generates the same (or more) speed using the same force.

The kinetic energy of the heavier cue will be directly proportional to the difference in mass for the same speed. There is a lot that could be happening.
 
DeeDeeCues said:
It isn't exactly F=ma that is the driving formula, it is more a matter of conservation of energy. It could easily feel like he is hitting softer with the long cue if it means that his arm is closer to 90deg when hitting--that is where the arm is strongest due to the geometry of the elbow and tendons. He is likely using a longer backswing, which gives more distance for the acceleration (this is where your F=ma comes in), he generates the same (or more) speed using the same force.

The kinetic energy of the heavier cue will be directly proportional to the difference in mass for the same speed. There is a lot that could be happening.
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Respectfully, you are wrong. What the cue ball feels is the force. The force puts the stationary cue ball in motion, not the "speed" or "acceleration". You have increased the mass of the cue, and with the same stroke the force applied will be greater. You sometimes see professional players put the extension on (adding mass) for power shots, and most of us can attest that it's easier to draw when adding weight to the cue or screwing the extension on (increasing the mass).
 
Yes, the cueball 'feels' force. The arm provides force to accelerate the cue. But when discussing a system of two objects impacting the relevant law is conservation of energy. If you skip the whole part of figuring out how much energy is in the system, you can't get anywhere. The energy before and after the hit is easily calculated by knowing the weights and velocities of the cue and ball. Force doesn't mean a damn thing unless you know the amount of time that force is applied.

You are right in a very lay-person way, all you seem to consider is the force you are applying, but you are not considering the additional factors, and you aren't anywhere close to a scientific explanation.

The same stroke will not increase the force applied. If you apply the same force for the same distance for two objects, the heavier one will be moving slower and will have less kinetic energy (Ek=1/2*m*v^2). The object with less energy will transmit less energy in a collision and the object struck will not move as fast, all other things being equal.
 
I have built longer than standard cues and there is a variety of ways to go about it. You can split the extra length between the butt and the shaft, I have done this and made it proportionately longer, so longer forearm, longer handle and longer butt sleave. This is a nice solution, but you will need a custom case to accommodate the extra length. The cue I am building presently is a 34"-inch butt and a standard-length shaft. The solution to the case was the butt sleave detaches like an extension. The wrap goes down to the 29"in mark. I think this is a great solution for the customer because he found that it was pointless to have a wrap on standard length cue because he was gripping the cue at the butt sleave. He also can detach the extension if he is playing on a table with a tight spot and he won't be changing where he grips the cue. He also took it one step further and added joint in the middle of the wrap allowing him to make it a real short cue if necessary. If you are building a custom cue you are only limited by your imagination.
 

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I second the suggestion to look at what Bob Keller has been saying. He is currently using a custom cue where the butt "half" is actually two pieces, giving him the weight and balance he was looking for. I use a 4" center extension plus a 32" shaft and no weight bolts on my two players. They come in at 19oz each with the balance point just forward of where they were before the mods.
 
garczar said:
Same here. I can reach most shots on a 9ft with a 60" but still need crutch on some shots. With a 58" i have the rake out way too often. For me 62" is probably ideal length.
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That's the sweet spot. I play w a 62" now and wonder how I ever swung a 57" or 58" effectively.
 
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