Can we be honest about cues?

Maniac · Feb 27, 2017

One night after league about 10 years ago, a few of my teammates and I were standing around the pool table talking. The guy who had just finished his match had his cue laying on the table along with several balls. I asked him if I could shoot the balls off the table with his cue, to which he said yes. I picked up his cue and proceeded to shoot the balls. The first time I struck the cue ball it felt like it literally exploded off the tip of the cue. I then shot the rest of the balls off the table in pure amazement at how effortlessly I could move the cue ball around with his cue. I threw a bunch more balls out on the table and continued shooting them as I was really digging this cue. The feedback was solid, ball pocketing was as natural as riding a bicycle. To sum it up, it was the greatest feeling cue I had ever shot with, then and up to now.

It was a Cuetec w/S.S.T. fiberglass shaft.

Now I'm not naïve enough to understand that the "feel" and the "hit" of a cue is purely subjective...to each his own. If you've got a $115 Cuetec and it feels great to you, then you're ahead of the curve. If it's a $5,000 Southwest that floats your boat, then by all means that is the cue you should own.

I own cues that are inexpensive (yes, even a Cuetec) and I have some semi-expensive customs. I shoot about the same with them all, but I do notice that one or two of them feel much, much better in my hands once the cue ball is struck, and these are the cues I will be using if serious pool is to be played. For some reason, I just shoot better with them. Familiarity breeds confidence, but that can occur with whatever price you pay for a particular cue.

But, even that thinking has a limit. I could NEVER justify paying $15,000 for a playing cue. I don't think ANY cue that isn't jewel and ivory encrusted should cost that much. That said, I don't begrudge anyone in how they want to spend their own money. If one can afford a $15,000 cue and it's what they want, then it is what they should have.

It is up to each individual to find their cue of choice...for whatever reason.

Maniac

JB Cases · Feb 27, 2017

Maniac said:
One night after league about 10 years ago, a few of my teammates and I were standing around the pool table talking. The guy who had just finished his match had his cue laying on the table along with several balls. I asked him if I could shoot the balls off the table with his cue, to which he said yes. I picked up his cue and proceeded to shoot the balls. The first time I struck the cue ball it felt like it literally exploded off the tip of the cue. I then shot the rest of the balls off the table in pure amazement at how effortlessly I could move the cue ball around with his cue. I threw a bunch more balls out on the table and continued shooting them as I was really digging this cue. The feedback was solid, ball pocketing was as natural as riding a bicycle. To sum it up, it was the greatest feeling cue I had ever shot with, then and up to now.

It was a Cuetec w/S.S.T. fiberglass shaft.

Now I'm not naïve enough to understand that the "feel" and the "hit" of a cue is purely subjective...to each his own. If you've got a $115 Cuetec and it feels great to you, then you're ahead of the curve. If it's a $5,000 Southwest that floats your boat, then by all means that is the cue you should own.

I own cues that are inexpensive (yes, even a Cuetec) and I have some semi-expensive customs. I shoot about the same with them all, but I do notice that one or two of them feel much, much better in my hands once the cue ball is struck, and these are the cues I will be using if serious pool is to be played. For some reason, I just shoot better with them. Familiarity breeds confidence, but that can occur with whatever price you pay for a particular cue.

But, even that thinking has a limit. I could NEVER justify paying $15,000 for a playing cue. I don't think ANY cue that isn't jewel and ivory encrusted should cost that much. That said, I don't begrudge anyone in how they want to spend their own money. If one can afford a $15,000 cue and it's what they want, then it is what they should have.

It is up to each individual to find their cue of choice...for whatever reason.

Maniac

People like talk down about cuetec but they actually have no idea how much effort was poured into getting the hit of them to be acceptable to pro players. A lot of money has been spent developing cuetec cues . And they have put a lot of money back into pool as well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

Cornerman · Feb 27, 2017

jackpot said:
Nothing from the arrow, Indian screw balls. The ones that have seen pros run
10 racks on a snooker table using pool balls, playing with a broom, some even
shooting with the sweeping end of the broom. They only play with a certain cue
because the custom cue maker gives them thousands and thousands of dollars
a pony and a canned ham every holiday. Yet most of the time no one even knows
what cue they are playing with, now that's really getting some great advertising
for their money. Is there any custom cue makers that anyone can name that gives
away their cues and all that money for someone to use it. Which players are
the beneficiary of all this good fortune. Come own arrow Indian guys you know
all of this, name them. BS sure they can adjust to different cues but they prefer
a cue a certain way just like we do.
jack

I love this post.

Freddie <~~~ hope this helps

KRJ · Feb 27, 2017

Play with what you like and/ or comfortable with. I'd rather you had good mechanics before you had ebony wood, but that's just me

If you have both, bravo. If you have great mechanics and still play with plain old maple wood, bravo. If you have ebony but poor mechanics, boooooooo. LOL

cuesblues · Feb 27, 2017

JB Cases said:
People like talk down about cuetec but they actually have no idea how much effort was poured into getting the hit of them to be acceptable to pro players. A lot of money has been spent developing cuetec cues . And they have put a lot of money back into pool as well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using

Tapatalk

Does anybody want to buy a cool Cuetec cue, with six gold skull inlays, a Thunderbolt shaft, and an Earl Strickland model jump break?

They could be worth something now.
The fact that some kid scratched his name & number into the forearm should increase the value even more
:smile-square:

Bavafongoul · Feb 27, 2017

Take a survey of the best players you know at your local pool halls.
Simply name the top pros and ask them what brand cue the pro uses.

I've done that and it's amazing that the best players I have spoken with
truly don't care what any pro uses other than perhaps the brand cue tip.

Many pro players will use any decent brand they can get paid the most to
use, Think what you will about today's top pro players & their brand cues
but until a contemporaneous pro can usurp the records set by so many of
the legends in pool, any brand equipment they use is inconsequential....IMO.

KRJ · Feb 27, 2017

Bavafongoul said:
Take a survey of the best players you know at your local pool halls.
Simply name the top pros and ask them what brand cue the pro uses.

I've done that and it's amazing that the best players I have spoken with
truly don't care what any pro uses other than perhaps the brand cue tip.

Many pro players will use any decent brand they can get paid the most to
use, Think what you will about today's top pro players & their brand cues
but until a contemporaneous pro can usurp the records set by so many of
the legends in pool, any brand equipment they use is inconsequential....IMO.

Take the same survey about the best players in your area. And nobody has a $5K cue that they shoot with. I only know one person who shoots with his expensive cue.

The rest of the good players play with a smorgasbord of production, low cost custom SP's and a mid-range customs. And many of them switch all the time. Most folks on the same team don't know what their team mate shoots with.

Nobody cares what a PRO plays with because not many kids follow the pool, heck many amateurs don't even follow it, and they are not on TV. People care what Jordan wears, he's worth a BILLION dollars because of it.

Pushout · Feb 28, 2017

jackpot said:
Nothing from the arrow, Indian screw balls. The ones that have seen pros run
10 racks on a snooker table using pool balls, playing with a broom, some even
shooting with the sweeping end of the broom. They only play with a certain cue
because the custom cue maker gives them thousands and thousands of dollars
a pony and a canned ham every holiday. Yet most of the time no one even knows
what cue they are playing with, now that's really getting some great advertising
for their money. Is there any custom cue makers that anyone can name that gives
away their cues and all that money for someone to use it. Which players are
the beneficiary of all this good fortune. Come own arrow Indian guys you know
all of this, name them. BS sure they can adjust to different cues but they prefer
a cue a certain way just like we do.
jack

LOL! Yeah, I noticed that too.

wreiman · Feb 28, 2017

JB Cases said:
People like talk down about cuetec but they actually have no idea how much effort was poured into getting the hit of them to be acceptable to pro players. A lot of money has been spent developing cuetec cues . And they have put a lot of money back into pool as well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

Well said..... change the tip and ferrule and a cuetec eliminator is a great weapon

QuietStorm · Mar 25, 2017

Mike81 said:
Reading constantly about cues on here and I have to say does it really matter ? I'm sure everyone has they're preference, I myself just aquired my first real cue, which is a schmelke, it's awesome, I love it. Does it make me feel good when I shoot? Absolutely! I just think everyone here focuses on cues so much it's ridiculous. Sure if you have a rare cue or a custom cue and it's beautiful more power to you. Be happy about it, I would!! When it comes to making balls or running racks it's about you and not the stick. Maybe it's me cause I'm a newbie to pool but I just don't get why it's a big deal. Guys asking about low deflection vs standard maple,or predator vs ob shafts? Shoot your game, if you suck it's not the cue

Mastering the fundamentals of a good stroke should be the primary concern, but a well-made cue stick is also important to learning the game. The fact that you chose a Schmelke as your "first real cue" shows that the cue stick mattered. However, there's a balance of player's ability and cue stick performance.

Your Schmelke or any well-made standard maple cue should be good enough for the vast majority of players learning the fundamentals. So why would a beginner or intermediate even consider an expensive low deflection shaft, or even one low deflection shaft over another?

A low deflection shaft is more forgiving when hitting with english, intentional or not. A high-end cue with a low deflection shaft makes learning the fundamentals easier, since it has less feedback/vibration and requires little to no "swoop" when striking the cue ball. I wouldn't knock any beginner wanting to start with a low deflection shaft, just as long as he/she knows the concepts behind a good stroke, i.e. follow through, minimal body movement, etc.

Another way to think about your argument is by comparing old vs current players. The legends of old have mastered the game used nothing but shafts that had at best equal deflection compared to your Schmelke. No doubt the low deflection shaft gives today's top pros an edge over the old timers, the same way today's tennis racquets are grades above the old wooden racquets.

Just a final note about playing with low deflection shafts. A low deflection shaft using a tip size less than 12.75 mm is less forgiving, but you would never know this based on the manufacturer details.

JC · Mar 25, 2017

Ched said:
Sigh ... In some ways I wish I was that young again. When you're just bangin balls with your buddies? You're absolutely right. If you stick with the game. If you start playing for money. If you start doing leagues. If you start doing tournaments. IFF EXACT placement becomes important to you - I think your views will change.

Maybe you lucked out in your choice of cue ... Schmelke is considered by many to be the most "bang for your buck" cue going right now. For me there are two things that matter in cue sticks. One: How it looks - is it "pretty". But more importantly: How it "feels" and "plays". One single shot makes a difference. If you miss po when playing a good player .. you lose.

I hope you stay with the game ... it's an amazing sport. But I think if you do - your views will change.

Best always,
Ched

After playing for 35 years I finally had that coming to jesus moment.

One night I finally realized.........I'm not that good.

So I started to look for a better cue.

JC

SARDiver · Mar 26, 2017

I just want a cue that "hits a ton" and "shoots lights out".

Is that so wrong?

pwd72s · Mar 26, 2017

JC said:
After playing for 35 years I finally had that coming to jesus moment.

One night I finally realized.........I'm not that good.

So I started to look for a better cue.

JC

Some old greek just extinguished his lamp.

superpanget2 · Mar 26, 2017

wreiman said:
Well said..... change the tip and ferrule and a cuetec eliminator is a great weapon

I have a Cuetec Starlight, I haven't even changed the tip yet I play lights out with it

mortuarymike-nv · Mar 26, 2017

Cue expert

Mike81 said:
Reading constantly about cues on here and I have to say does it really matter ? I'm sure everyone has they're preference, I myself just aquired my first real cue, which is a schmelke, it's awesome, I love it. Does it make me feel good when I shoot? Absolutely! I just think everyone here focuses on cues so much it's ridiculous. Sure if you have a rare cue or a custom cue and it's beautiful more power to you. Be happy about it, I would!! When it comes to making balls or running racks it's about you and not the stick. Maybe it's me cause I'm a newbie to pool but I just don't get why it's a big deal. Guys asking about low deflection vs standard maple,or predator vs ob shafts? Shoot your game, if you suck it's not the cue

You have bought one decent cue and now your are expert and giving advice ??

I have allot of respect for the Schmelke cue company , but Schmelke cues are not cream of the crop cues ..

Glade you love your new cue , and its plain to see you are very excited.
But there is a big differences in the workmanship that goes into making cues as the price and quality of workmanship goes up.
In some cases the only comparisons that both cues have is that they both hit the ball around and that is it .
Other then that feed back, looks, durability , and secondary market isn't comparable .

Mike81 · Mar 26, 2017

mortuarymike-nv said:
You have bought one decent cue and now your are expert and giving advice ??

I have allot of respect for the Schmelke cue company , but Schmelke cues are not cream of the crop cues ..

Glade you love your new cue , and its plain to see you are very excited.
But there is a big differences in the workmanship that goes into making cues as the price and quality of workmanship goes up.
In some cases the only comparisons that both cues have is that they both hit the ball around and that is it .
Other then that feed back, looks, durability , and secondary market isn't comparable .

I'm not an expert, nor am I giving advice on anything cue related. I shouldn't have said what I said like I did because as I read it now it comes off as offensive to many. I guess what i was trying to say was that it seems there are guys who are really into cues and some that really are into just shooting pool. At least where I shoot. I've been beaten badly by a guy with a house cue , like I said. This guy just shoots great with any stick. Your right there are many reasons why some cues are far superior than others, some I see are beautiful and very original. I just don't understand why there are some guys buying very expensive cues to shoot with when a good one could be had from 300-500 dollars that's all. Obviously if your a collector that's different. I suppose maybe as time goes by I'll understand.

classiccues · Mar 26, 2017

Honesty about cues...

Hmmmm... depends.. are you buying or selling? :wink:

The double talk is deep when you start getting into high dollar customs... look around and see what the pros are using. If the high dollar magic wands are not being used... How much magic do they have? This is not to say they aren't worth it, they certainly are from a collectible and pride of ownership standpoint. But you're not going from a C/D to an A once you lay down the purchase. The only thing that gets you from a C/D to a B/C to an A/B is practice.

The real value in any cue as you start playing is in how much that cue makes you want to play. Regardless if the monetary value, does it make you want to go out and practice more? This applies to big cues, small cues, production and custom. Buy what you like and buy what drives you. It might be a big cue, it might be a little cue. If you want to buy it for the name, do it. But because you bought a Porsche it doesn't make your driving abilities that of Tony Stewarts. But the girls are going to like the new ride.. that is for certain.

Its called perspective.

I just started playing guitar I initially bought a Korean made model, BLAH... practiced occasionally.. now I own some great gear, and it makes me want to play. BUT I go to youtube and see an 11 year old play professional quality music on a 99 dollar Squire rig.

Perspective...

JV

Lesh · Mar 26, 2017

In the beginning, there was pool... and it was good.
We used the house cues on the walls and drank many beers. It was a time of laughter and short-term memory loss. We would tell stories that started out with the phrase "'member that time?"

Then we got sucked into a league because your friend hated his team captain and wanted to start his own team and really needed your help. He wouldn't have asked otherwise. You felt embarrassed that you were using a house cue so you bought a Dufferin two-piece sneaky from the display case and kissed 50 bucks goodbye, only to find out very soon that you liked that Duffferin a lot... it was just easier to shoot with and it fit in your trunk.

So then you win a couple awards and maybe some cash in a tournament that your friends dog you into because you think you are so good at pool that you need a custom made Dufferin 2-piece hustler cue. You try out some of your opponents cues, you know... they guys that are ranked way higher than you and seem like petty OCD pool nerds that haven't been laid since Regan asked Mister Gorbachev to tear that wall down.... and you start to suspect that maybe... just MAYBE you might want to try a real cue (you also find out that a Dufferin sneaky is cool, but its not a players cue by any means). SO you go hunting for a mid-range production cue. You get something like a vintage McDermott D9 or a Predator Roadline with a 314 shaft. You put a decent tip on it and WOW... welcome to pool youngster.

You mature over the years, becoming more and more like those chalk-holder owning, case with a kickstand having nut-huggers or a raw, action seeking barking machine looking for a fresh hit of competition. Either way, your tastes are evolving, you need more from your equipment. You are very hard on your equipment even though you take pains to preserve it. You are buying shafts now and chalk and tips and a bigger case and a break stick and a jump cue and..... dammit.... you should really beat the crap out of that friend you no longer talk to that got you into pool (he owes you money now).

My point is that as you mature as a player, so will your requirements from the equipment and from yourself.

Enjoy,

Lesh

mortuarymike-nv · Mar 26, 2017

Cues

Mike81 said:
I'm not an expert, nor am I giving advice on anything cue related. I shouldn't have said what I said like I did because as I read it now it comes off as offensive to many. I guess what i was trying to say was that it seems there are guys who are really into cues and some that really are into just shooting pool. At least where I shoot. I've been beaten badly by a guy with a house cue , like I said. This guy just shoots great with any stick. Your right there are many reasons why some cues are far superior than others, some I see are beautiful and very original. I just don't understand why there are some guys buying very expensive cues to shoot with when a good one could be had from 300-500 dollars that's all. Obviously if your a collector that's different. I suppose maybe as time goes by I'll understand.

Really open up your mind

Understand the process how production cues are made and custom .
Visit a cue factory or two .
Understand the materials used and how quickly the maker uses the materials .
Think about the difference from the production cue maker trying to use kiln dried wood that the tree was cut down two years ago and the custom cue maker who has been collecting hand picking his wood for decades and letting the wood cure over a couple of decades .
Understand durability , understand why some cue warp or just feel cheap or expensive .
Understand why some cues go up in value and other plunge .
Look at the workmanship ,, feel the difference , because its night and day.

The worst pool player in the world can own a nice cue and a cue that goes up in value.
I have heard the saying you don't shoot good enough to own a nice cue .
Its the most stupidest thing anyone can say .
Because if the person buys the right cue ,that will go up value regardless how they shoot , they are getting paid to play with a nice cue that they can sale for more then what they paid for it .
Who has the last laugh ?

99% of production cues go down in value ....the moment the cue is shipped .
That isn't the rule with some custom made cues ...............

So if your point is economics/ common sense , I will stay with cues that go up in value or at least hold their value that people like you have consider un-sensible and a waist of money.

Maniac · Mar 26, 2017

Lesh said:
In the beginning, there was pool... and it was good.
We used the house cues on the walls and drank many beers. It was a time of laughter and short-term memory loss. We would tell stories that started out with the phrase "'member that time?"

Then we got sucked into a league because your friend hated his team captain and wanted to start his own team and really needed your help. He wouldn't have asked otherwise. You felt embarrassed that you were using a house cue so you bought a Dufferin two-piece sneaky from the display case and kissed 50 bucks goodbye, only to find out very soon that you liked that Duffferin a lot... it was just easier to shoot with and it fit in your trunk.

So then you win a couple awards and maybe some cash in a tournament that your friends dog you into because you think you are so good at pool that you need a custom made Dufferin 2-piece hustler cue. You try out some of your opponents cues, you know... they guys that are ranked way higher than you and seem like petty OCD pool nerds that haven't been laid since Regan asked Mister Gorbachev to tear that wall down.... and you start to suspect that maybe... just MAYBE you might want to try a real cue (you also find out that a Dufferin sneaky is cool, but its not a players cue by any means). SO you go hunting for a mid-range production cue. You get something like a vintage McDermott D9 or a Predator Roadline with a 314 shaft. You put a decent tip on it and WOW... welcome to pool youngster.

You mature over the years, becoming more and more like those chalk-holder owning, case with a kickstand having nut-huggers or a raw, action seeking barking machine looking for a fresh hit of competition. Either way, your tastes are evolving, you need more from your equipment. You are very hard on your equipment even though you take pains to preserve it. You are buying shafts now and chalk and tips and a bigger case and a break stick and a jump cue and..... dammit.... you should really beat the crap out of that friend you no longer talk to that got you into pool (he owes you money now).

My point is that as you mature as a player, so will your requirements from the equipment and from yourself.

Enjoy,

Lesh

Enjoyed the read....pretty darn accurate too!!!

Can we be honest about cues?

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