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
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