Imo.....
Weight proportionality of the cue’s anatomy, i.e., shaft and butt weight.
Take your other cue(s) and individually weigh the shaft(s) & butt.
Divide the weight of the shaft by the assembled weight of the cue.
Do the same thing for your new cue. Also check the pin thread for
differences, see if there was a cheater (weight) bolt in the cue(s),
compare the taper length of the cue shafts and lastly, verify the tip
is the same hardness as your cues. All of these can be a factor but
the weight relationship of the shaft to cue butt enormously influences
the feel of the cue. The best ratio falls within a 5% range (18% to 23%).
The cues I’ve ordered were built using 20% as the min. and 22% as max.
for the shaft/cue weight proportionality. And the cue-makers did not rely
on sticking a weight bolt in the butt either. Two of my cues are sans any
weight bolts as it would have made the cue heavier than what I specified.
Take a close look at the weight relationship of your cues because it affects
the balance, that in turn affects the feel, which in turn affects your tactile
sense of the stroke. Cue anatomy involves a lot more than just screwing
two halves it together as any cue-maker will confirm. The type of wood is
also a consideration (old growth shafts) which are more dense and heavier.
Take a closer look at what you have and you might discover more than subtle
differences in your pool cues. Anyway, that’s my advice, especially if you are
having a custom built now so do pay close attention to the weight proportionality.
Matt B.