Cues for Sale... Without Extensions

I wouldn't let the absence of a butt extension keep me from buying a cue that I really fancied. You should be able to find a local (maybe) cue maker to modify the cue for a butt extension and maybe even build a matching extension, or just use carbon.

I have zero interest in buying a $3k cue only to have to send it off for an extension, wrap, refinish, whatever.

If I were to have another cue built I would insist it be fitted for an extension.

Lou Figueroa
 
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I’ll get back to you…..
If you can, take some pictures too. I'd like to see what these look like.

I have zero interest in buying a $3k cue only to have to sent it off for an extension, wrap, refinish, whatever.

If I were to have another cue built I would insist it be fitted for an extension.

Lou Figueroa

I'm having 3 cues built right now. All will be set up for a Predator style extension bumper and the big one will have a matching extension.
 
I typically see most mid-extension users using them to get to a comfortable hand position where they're not falling off the back of the cue rather than keeping the same type of arm/hand position and sliding it forward. So you're right if they were just using it for extra length and keeping their back hand in the same position and relative to their body...but I think most are using them to get a more comfortable position instead. Which is unlike what many people who leave a rear extension on all the time are doing.

I use a 30" shaft, at just a hair shy of 6' that works for me great. I have a buddy who's got a solid 4-5" on me and uses a short mid extension for just that reason, he'd be too cramped on a standard length cue without and couldn't put his hand into the position he uses with his extension. the balance relative to your rear hand doesn't really change in that scenario.
I was just referencing balance points. Yeah, I had a custom 2 1/2" mid cue extension made for my cue, at 58" my last 2 fingers were past the butt cap holding air, I still don't hold my cue where the wrap is but at least my whole hand is on the cue. In a case like that I don't see what difference balance point makes, its always going feel forward balanced because the entire cue is in front of my rear hand.
 
I have zero interest in buying a $3k cue only to have to sent it off for an extension, wrap, refinish, whatever.

If I were to have another cue built I would insist it be fitted for an extension.

Lou Figueroa
Yeah, that sucks but if it's the cue you always wanted by a maker you desire a cue from and the price is right...............................
Right now that would be an Ebony tuxedo cue with no wrap and not an excessive amount of white. It's a "I would know it if I saw it" type of thing. And I am always a sucker for a Titlist conversion.
 
Guy claims that he was a hundred ball runner before extensions were a thing, now it is impossible to play without one.

Well, I don't usually follow this stuff, but I have noticed some things at the pool hall. The other kids have gizmos and whiz banger attachments.

I see butt extensions, joint extensions, and joint weights. So I looked on the web and sure enough, they are all for sale "mainstream".

What surprised me was that the OP said " it's almost impossible to play without one". I found that statement striking. What changed?

I don't keep up with the organized sport anymore, when I watch videos they are from the last century. So I looked at what is going on. I saw one article where a promoter uses fake smoke machines so the tournament looks smoky on camera, to create the expected atmosphere.

They have shirts available that look like they came off a pro bicycle rider. Some kind of "high performance" spandex-like material. I went and looked at Jayson Shaw's high run and he was wearing one. He beat Mosconi, and Schmidt, by a lot. Jason had the shirt, but didn't use an extension. Was it the shirt? Of course, Mosconi's run still stands as an actual competition run.

While Shaw famously popularized playing with a permanent 7-to-10-inch rear extension for years to gain added stability, weight, and reach, he actually removed it before his major straight pool milestones. Was this a stunt? A daredevil maneuver? Like- "Don't try this at home kids."

So, further investigation reveals there is special underwear for pool now as well. And shoes.

Mosconi set his record in actual competition with a Rambo cue. No extension. No spandex. I have no idea what kind of underwear he was wearing. He was wearing black leather dress shoes.

abc64a18e86fa93560123108274e6ac1


So, these are coming back? Well, except this is made of wood.

please-help-identifying-a-three-piece-cue-with-no-maker-v0-u_qKhzkn_dyfQ-vJN6RGdGlkJFvHpolJfwEDECcmoNM.jpg


On a side note, a few years ago a dude came up to me at the pool hall. He said another dude said to ask me because I knew a lot about cues. He said he wanted to buy a mid extension for his cue but he didn't know how to make sure it matched the taper of his cue. Not kidding.

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I have no extension. I might be a daredevil.
 
Guy claims that he was a hundred ball runner before extensions were a thing, now it is impossible to play without one.

Obviously "impossible to play without one" is a bit hyperbolic, but I think the intended point is "wouldn't choose to play without this additional tool" now that we've all been exposed to it and the additional flexibility it offers.

That's were I fall. I certainly can play without one and will go weeks without pulling it from the case, but when I need it I'm really really glad to have it and I wouldn't buy another cue that isn't able to except one for that reason.
 
Well, I don't usually follow this stuff, but I have noticed some things at the pool hall. The other kids have gizmos and whiz banger attachments.

I see butt extensions, joint extensions, and joint weights. So I looked on the web and sure enough, they are all for sale "mainstream".

What surprised me was that the OP said " it's almost impossible to play without one". I found that statement striking. What changed?

I don't keep up with the organized sport anymore, when I watch videos they are from the last century. So I looked at what is going on. I saw one article where a promoter uses fake smoke machines so the tournament looks smoky on camera, to create the expected atmosphere.

They have shirts available that look like they came off a pro bicycle rider. Some kind of "high performance" spandex-like material. I went and looked at Jayson Shaw's high run and he was wearing one. He beat Mosconi, and Schmidt, by a lot. Jason had the shirt, but didn't use an extension. Was it the shirt? Of course, Mosconi's run still stands as an actual competition run.

While Shaw famously popularized playing with a permanent 7-to-10-inch rear extension for years to gain added stability, weight, and reach, he actually removed it before his major straight pool milestones. Was this a stunt? A daredevil maneuver? Like- "Don't try this at home kids."

So, further investigation reveals there is special underwear for pool now as well. And shoes.

Mosconi set his record in actual competition with a Rambo cue. No extension. No spandex. I have no idea what kind of underwear he was wearing. He was wearing black leather dress shoes.

abc64a18e86fa93560123108274e6ac1


So, these are coming back? Well, except this is made of wood.

please-help-identifying-a-three-piece-cue-with-no-maker-v0-u_qKhzkn_dyfQ-vJN6RGdGlkJFvHpolJfwEDECcmoNM.jpg


On a side note, a few years ago a dude came up to me at the pool hall. He said another dude said to ask me because I knew a lot about cues. He said he wanted to buy a mid extension for his cue but he didn't know how to make sure it matched the taper of his cue. Not kidding.

200.gif


I have no extension. I might be a daredevil.
What was the table size and pockets on that tabke that Mosconi run that high run?
I doubt that he eould run half of that on modern equipment.

Regardless, the extension is a tool. You can skip on it and be handicapped or adapt.
I remember Earl Strickland going against jump cues, eventually he adapted snd got one.
You can bitch about progress and stsy behind or get in front.

I don’t like those stupid shirts either in terms if designs but those new age fabrics designed for sports feels nice and easy to move on.
They also dry fast so if you are on the road playing tournaments, easy to wash in the sink and it’s really by morning
 
Mensa…….The Tony Ryan extension (18”) weighs 271.3g or 9.57 ozs.

I do not presently have the shorter version at this moment since a buddy
borrowed it for a out of town tournament he competed in this past weekend.
 

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Mensa…….The Tony Ryan extension (18”) weighs 271.3g or 9.57 ozs.

I do not presently have the shorter version at this moment since a buddy
borrowed it for a out of town tournament he competed in this past weekend.
The kind of extension you have in the photos won't play near as good in my opinion as one that screws into the bumper.
 
Ok, so it's a slip on. That's pretty cool, never seen one made out of wood.

I know a couple folks that use a variation of this one, but it's aluminum.
The wood feels more natural to hold than metal or plastic and the extension is long enough to position your hand very
comfortably. The only caveat is at some point you could get so extended attempting your stroke you only push the cue.
That’s OK if the OB is close to a pocket but for attaining shape, you still must stroke the CB instead of just pushing it.
 
What was the table size and pockets on that tabke that Mosconi run that high run?
I doubt that he eould run half of that on modern equipment.

Regardless, the extension is a tool. You can skip on it and be handicapped or adapt.
I remember Earl Strickland going against jump cues, eventually he adapted snd got one.
You can bitch about progress and stsy behind or get in front.

I don’t like those stupid shirts either in terms if designs but those new age fabrics designed for sports feels nice and easy to move on.
They also dry fast so if you are on the road playing tournaments, easy to wash in the sink and it’s really by morning
Good question. (y)

So I looked it up.

Willie Mosconi set his historic 526-ball record on an oversized 4-foot by 8-foot Brunswick Exposition pool table. Odd dimensions and angles.

The billiard club owner originally intended for Mosconi to perform his exhibition on the room's premier 9-foot table. However, that specific 9-foot table was not manufactured by Brunswick. Because Mosconi was under a strict corporate contract with Brunswick, he was legally required to play exclusively on their equipment. The only Brunswick table available in the entire venue was the 4x8-foot model, forcing the legendary shooter to adapt.

We all know how an 8 foot table changes the play and presents unique challenges.

I will not speculate on how he might do on modern equipment, but I am not skeptical of his skill. He's not around to prove or disprove anything anyway.

I can certainly bitch about anything I want. If you don't notice, I am mostly bitching about myself not keeping up with the times. 😉

Regarding equipment, I will also say this, if current players walked into a tournament and they changed from a 9 to an 8 foot table there would probably be a lot of hissy fits. It would even bow up in discussions here. Mosconi? He set a record that stood a very long time.

Jayson made his high run on a classic 4.5' x 9' Brunswick Gold Crown I. A lot of us know how an early GC plays with our eyes closed, we played on them for decades. Try that on an 8 foot table. 😉
 
Superior Cues has quite a few custom builders on their site that come with extensions. I saw a Bob Owen cue with an extension on Route 66 cues. I assume a lot of customers must be asking for them. I've never played with one so I guess I could use that as an excuse to shop for another cue.
 
Good question. (y)

So I looked it up.

Willie Mosconi set his historic 526-ball record on an oversized 4-foot by 8-foot Brunswick Exposition pool table. Odd dimensions and angles.

The billiard club owner originally intended for Mosconi to perform his exhibition on the room's premier 9-foot table. However, that specific 9-foot table was not manufactured by Brunswick. Because Mosconi was under a strict corporate contract with Brunswick, he was legally required to play exclusively on their equipment. The only Brunswick table available in the entire venue was the 4x8-foot model, forcing the legendary shooter to adapt.

We all know how an 8 foot table changes the play and presents unique challenges.

I will not speculate on how he might do on modern equipment, but I am not skeptical of his skill. He's not around to prove or disprove anything anyway.

I can certainly bitch about anything I want. If you don't notice, I am mostly bitching about myself not keeping up with the times. 😉

Regarding equipment, I will also say this, if current players walked into a tournament and they changed from a 9 to an 8 foot table there would probably be a lot of hissy fits. It would even bow up in discussions here. Mosconi? He set a record that stood a very long time.

Jayson made his high run on a classic 4.5' x 9' Brunswick Gold Crown I. A lot of us know how an early GC plays with our eyes closed, we played on them for decades. Try that on an 8 foot table. 😉

Mosconi also played pretty sporty on 10' tables.

Lou Figueroa
 
What was the table size and pockets on that tabke that Mosconi run that high run?
I doubt that he eould run half of that on modern equipment.

Regardless, the extension is a tool. You can skip on it and be handicapped or adapt.
I remember Earl Strickland going against jump cues, eventually he adapted snd got one.
You can bitch about progress and stsy behind or get in front.

I don’t like those stupid shirts either in terms if designs but those new age fabrics designed for sports feels nice and easy to move on.
They also dry fast so if you are on the road playing tournaments, easy to wash in the sink and it’s really by morning

Mosconi was a champion.

Go from room to room all over the country 300 days out of the year and play on different tables and almost never failed to run 100 in front of a crowd.

Lou Figueroa
I think he'd manage
 
Guy claims that he was a hundred ball runner before extensions were a thing, now it is impossible to play without one.

If you are talking about moi, I don't need to claim much of anything -- do a quick search, you can find a youtube of me running over 100.

And what I said was, "...it is almost impossible to play without one."

Lou Figueroa
 
What was the table size and pockets on that tabke that Mosconi run that high run?
I doubt that he eould run half of that on modern equipment.

Regardless, the extension is a tool. You can skip on it and be handicapped or adapt.
I remember Earl Strickland going against jump cues, eventually he adapted snd got one.
You can bitch about progress and stsy behind or get in front.

I don’t like those stupid shirts either in terms if designs but those new age fabrics designed for sports feels nice and easy to move on.
They also dry fast so if you are on the road playing tournaments, easy to wash in the sink and it’s really by morning
IF you hit the middle of the pocket, it doesn't matter what size the pocket is. He seemed to hit the middle alot!
 
Good question. (y)

So I looked it up.

Willie Mosconi set his historic 526-ball record on an oversized 4-foot by 8-foot Brunswick Exposition pool table. Odd dimensions and angles.

The billiard club owner originally intended for Mosconi to perform his exhibition on the room's premier 9-foot table. However, that specific 9-foot table was not manufactured by Brunswick. Because Mosconi was under a strict corporate contract with Brunswick, he was legally required to play exclusively on their equipment. The only Brunswick table available in the entire venue was the 4x8-foot model, forcing the legendary shooter to adapt.

We all know how an 8 foot table changes the play and presents unique challenges.

I will not speculate on how he might do on modern equipment, but I am not skeptical of his skill. He's not around to prove or disprove anything anyway.

I can certainly bitch about anything I want. If you don't notice, I am mostly bitching about myself not keeping up with the times. 😉

Regarding equipment, I will also say this, if current players walked into a tournament and they changed from a 9 to an 8 foot table there would probably be a lot of hissy fits. It would even bow up in discussions here. Mosconi? He set a record that stood a very long time.

Jayson made his high run on a classic 4.5' x 9' Brunswick Gold Crown I. A lot of us know how an early GC plays with our eyes closed, we played on them for decades. Try that on an 8 foot table. 😉
There is no doubt that Mosconi was a champ and a great player. But I think that current modern pros on modern equipment would have bitten him compared to his skill level of past years, he might have been able to adapt, we don’t know that for sure, we do know that age is a factor so which Mosconi era are we talking about?

How current players will do on a smaller table?
Well just look how they do in the Ultimate Pool events, the break and run out 99% of the time…
How would Mosconi do with a 30sec shot clock?

Current living legends don’t do well in today’s pro events conditions, might be the age thing, might be the equipment, might be both.

Back to the extension issue, if you don’t compete, than you can live without it, you can also live without a jump cue and a break cue, you can still play well, you can still run out and win, you can certainly still enjoy the game.
But, if you do compete, than any tool available that you don’t use and you’re opponent does, puts you in a disadvantage.
I don’t know any touring pro that doesn’t have an extension or two in their case.

The need for extension is also dependent on your hight, the table size and the table hight.
I’m 6ft tall, I don’t need an extension when playing on a 7ft table.
I mainly play on 9ft tables in two clubs, in one of them, the tables are a bit taller, this make some shots harder to reach and I find myself using the extension more often than I need to on a more standard hight at the other club.
Extension are in use in Snooker for decades. The tables are not just bigger, they are also taller than American pool tables.
 
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