Getting use to and new cue

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Klopek said:

Short answer - depends on the person.

Some people pick up a cue and are used to it within a rack. Others can never get used to a certain cue and end up selling it on AZB. Let's hope you get used to it in a week or so, but you're on the right track.

The biggest hurdle is the mental side, it's like getting over an ex-girlfriend. Even though your current one is really great, you just can't let go of the way things used to be.

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I agree. I have had a cue that I gave 5 or 6 months trying to get dialed in to, never quite got there; I finally parted with it. I have a cue that the minute I picked it up, felt right. Hit the first ball with it, felt even better. I do not think I got through the rack before I was into my pocket, and practically shoving the money into the seller's hand...LoL...true story! In fact, if I recall, I actually tried to give the seller more money than he had originally requested...because to me, the good was/is just that good.

Does your newer cue have a different joint set-up than your previous cue? That could do it...say, if your Coker has a wood/wood phenolic joint with a big pin, and you moved to a stainless steel jointed cue with a slightly smaller pin...the feedback may likely be slightly different. Shaft taper would do it too...if the taper is that much different than that of your Coker. One cue may feel stiffer than the other...especially if the shaft diameters are different. For instance, a 12.5mm shaft will likely not feel as stiff as a 13mm shaft will. Also...what about the tips? Different tips on both cues? That could do it too. Balance point may play into it as well. Even different ferrule material could all play into it.

The idea is to try and pinpoint what the differences are between both cues. If there really isn't any, then it could well be a slight 'mental block' concerning the new cue.

Lisa

Nut Shell

ridewiththewind said:

I agree. I have had a cue that I gave 5 or 6 months trying to get dialed in to, never quite got there; I finally parted with it. I have a cue that the minute I picked it up, felt right. Hit the first ball with it, felt even better. I do not think I got through the rack before I was into my pocket, and practically shoving the money into the seller's hand...LoL...true story! In fact, if I recall, I actually tried to give the seller more money than he had originally requested...because to me, the good was/is just that good.

Does your newer cue have a different joint set-up than your previous cue? That could do it...say, if your Coker has a wood/wood phenolic joint with a big pin, and you moved to a stainless steel jointed cue with a slightly smaller pin...the feedback may likely be slightly different. Shaft taper would do it too...if the taper is that much different than that of your Coker. One cue may feel stiffer than the other...especially if the shaft diameters are different. For instance, a 12.5mm shaft will likely not feel as stiff as a 13mm shaft will. Also...what about the tips? Different tips on both cues? That could do it too. Balance point may play into it as well. Even different ferrule material could all play into it.

The idea is to try and pinpoint what the differences are between both cues. If there really isn't any, then it could well be a slight 'mental block' concerning the new cue.
Lisa

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In a nut shell!! Very concise and complete at the same time.

It takes me about ten minutes, I have owned as many as six cues in a single month. Just Ribdoner since he has sold/traded about 200 cues with me over the last 10 years. I have a friend that has an old Tad and has has tried several different new cues over the past year but always goes back to that Tad after a day or two.

-don

Klopek said:

Short answer - depends on the person.

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I respectfully disagree, it depends on the cue and the person, there has to be a match to work, Its not just the person. Unless your Bugs and play off the wall. I have been lucky enough over the past 20 something years to play with alot of cues, this has nothing to do with price or cue maker, once time I borrowed a Viking POS and it felt like I owned it for years, I had a Joss West at the time it was the best cue I ever owned(at that time) but I couldnt ever make a ball with it, Short Buss Russ could have beat me when I used that cue .

The cue dosent make the player, but there is are individual dimensions to everyones body, length of arms(upper and lower), width of shoulders, so I believe that some cues just dont work for some people because of the dimensions(length, weight, diameters-taper etc.), balance point, flexability, density and the harmonics of the wood the cue is made of. Remember the line "A piece of wood with nerves in it" Thats my point. Not everybody gets the same response from the same cue. The more years you play and more cues you have used the clearer this becomes. So if the players body just dosent fit the cue it aint gonna work, just like cloths. It takes the right player and the cue the right cue to get the best game possible. Mark Tadd is having a hard time finding a cue now, he used 3 or 4 Cues at the Derby and did good, he said "If I had the right cue I would have finished alot higher" He said the same thing in Reno-to me I didnt over hear a conversation, its hard to find what works, thats why collecting and playing are 2 different things, i love how some cues look but they are useless for (Me) to play pool with. never buy a cue to play with because it looks cool-something begginners AWALYS seem to do. I did.


If the cue is going to work for you you'll know it fast if it isnt gonna work you'll know it as well when I say fast I mean a week, with some exceptions I have just known right away but that comes with experience. A few times I played better in the begginning with a cue and in a week didnt like it too, there are no set time tables for any of this, what is a fat is no cue feels the same to 2 players.

Now to get the most out of it yes it does take some time, playing full time 5-6 days a week about 6 to 8 weeks you should be 90% to 100% accustomed to the cue, and get the most out of it. But if it feels terrible the first 30 minutes it might never work. I have a Gus Szam that would never work for me, right now I;m playing with a fancy Barry Szam, too fancy for my taste as a playing cue, I love to own the fancy cues but much prefer to play with a plain jane.

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Thecoats said:

It takes me about ten minutes, I have owned as many as six cues in a single month. Just Ribdoner since he has sold/traded about 200 cues with me over the last 10 years. I have a friend that has an old Tad and has has tried several different new cues over the past year but always goes back to that Tad after a day or two.

-don

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And the trading process was always enjoyable, sometimes moreso than the result. You never know when searching for that ever elusive player.

While I respect the opinions of the previous posters I feel that until a new owner hits at least 10k balls with a cue all they've done is pay for it. Disqualifying a cue is generally a quicker process.

We might not always get what we want but we get what we need...