Steve – as AtLarge mentioned, the inside of the Hagar extension won’t harm the surface finish of your butt. It’s made from a nylon mesh material – similar feel to nylon rope I’d say, but much softer than rope because it’s not wound nearly as tight. When inserted, the butt goes in about, oh, 4 or 5 inches. I’ve seen the Tony Ryan extensions and they look like they work just as effectively. What BENFICA had to say about his should be taken into consideration though – heavy, ring fell off a few times and looks cheaply made.
Hi folks!
First, I hope everyone had a very happy, healthy (meaning, "gobble 'til you wobble"
), and safe Thanksgiving. That is, if anyone's awake yet, and not still sleeping-off the effects of tryptophan...
As for what BENFICA said, and seemingly "bolstered" (not really, but rather regurgitated) by Ron, there was a run of Tony Ryans that were poorly made, because they'd changed factories at that time. The first Tony Ryans were made right here in the U.S. (i.e. the one I have, which I've had for years and years). Then, they went overseas, and this first batch from that effort -- a rather large batch -- had quality problems; namely, the polyethylene ring falling off. I'd heard about this. But these issues seem to have been addressed -- a friend of mine recently bought a Tony Ryan, and I see that the ring is solidly glued-on. I guess he was "lucky" to have skipped that bad batch.
One thing I will say, is the fact that when you put an extension on a cue, you're lengthening the cue. Obviously, you want the balance point of the cue to shift accordingly and
proportionately. Try this -- if you can find some very thin-walled PVC or cardboard tubing (e.g. the cardboard tube from inside a roll of paper towels), try installing that onto the butt end of your cue. (Stuff a little toilet tissue to pack the space between the surface of the butt of the cue and the inside surface of the paper towel cardboard tube, so that it stays on solidly.) Now use your "temporarily extended" cue to reach for a long shot on the table, where you're forced to grip the tube and to bridge further back than normal. You'll notice something. Besides the obvious fact that the paper towel tube is too large a diameter for a comfortable grip (which is not the point of this exercise anyway), you'll find you're having a tough time balancing the cue on your bridge. It wants to "fall forward," tip-to-cloth. You'll find that you have to grip the "butt" (the cardboard tube) a little tighter than normal, because it -- the "butt" -- wants to rise upwards in your hand (you won't be able to use a light cradle grip).
The Tony Ryan may "feel" heavy, but it's not when used in conjunction with a cue. It balances perfectly. My only gripe about the Tony Ryan? The "grip area" (the stick part underneath the "cup") is not the same diameter as the handle area or butt of the cue. So you feel somewhat like you're gripping a jump cue. At least that's the issue with my original Tony Ryan. They may've addressed this by making the "stick part" a little thicker to compensate. But their customer service is quite good, and if you call, you'll get someone directly who can answer any questions:
http://thetonyryan.com/
I paid $35 for mine from an AZ seller, but a friend down the poolroom got one at the same time from a distributor and got it for $25 - which is a steal for how useful it is. 14-1StraightMan’s cue with the butt that extends on a steel rod sounds interesting. If I recall correctly, one of the top female pros uses one of these. There are drawbacks to it though – of course. It’s more expensive, you’ll be shooting with a different cue on the shots you need it for, and it’ll take up a spot in your case.
I’m really jealous that Sean’s fits in the pocket of his case. Mine doesn’t and I’ve been thinking about how I can store it practically, but securely.
I never said that. I said it fits INSIDE my case, vs. a pocket. I've attached a pic showing this, that was taken in a friend's basement. Some may not like the fact that it would consume a slot for a cue butt, so there are two options:
1. Insert the stick end of the Tony Ryan into the long pocket on the outside of your cue case, leaving the cup sticking out, and zipper the pocket zippers to "choke" it closed, or...
2. Purchase the external holster that straps onto the outside of your cue case, which in turn hold the Tony Ryan (it's also available through the AZB MarketPlace):
I personally prefer it INSIDE my case, as I don't want to contribute to all the stuff currently on the outside of my case (e.g. towel, CueShark). The 4x8 works nicely for this, as I'll never ever carry more than 3 cues with me at any time (that includes a friend's cue who I may be shuttling back and forth for repairs to the cue repairman I use).
Since getting it I’ve been walking into the room carrying it in my hand – along with my 3 x 6 and my new Centennials in the hardwood case I got off Hightrucker. I kind of give the appearance that I’m moving in when I arrive. It may be an effective shark tactic, though – I never looked at it in that light before.
I believe if I drill a small hole in the plastic next to the mouth of the extension and thread a wire towel holder through the hole it could hang freely from the top of my case – similar to, well, a towel. And, if I get a strip of Velcro long enough to wrap around my case and the extension, maybe 1” x 14”, I can wrap that around the case and the extension and effectively have the extension hugging the case. Or maybe just 2 strips of Velcro and no towel holder. Looks like a little experimenting is in order. I love visiting the fabric store for those do-it-yourself, pool-related ideas. Last time it was for 2 yards of canvas material to make shooting aprons!
Innovation at its best -- love it! You may not want to let it "hang free" like that though, for it's bound to get knocked around. The velcro strap to strap it to the outside of your case, like the velcro straps found in the AZB MarketPlace, is a good idea:
http://azbmarketplace.com/index.php?p=catalog&mode=search&search_in=all&search_str=velcro+case+strap
By the way Steve, if you see Pat Fleming let him know I won't need a shaft weight. I had one of my machinists at work fabricate one for me. You can also tell him it looks like somebody patented his idea back in 1998. The patent number is 6113501/
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6113501.html
On our way to Ashland Billiards this morning. Catch up with you guys later.
Ron F
Hit 'em good, Ron! Bring that Winston guy along with ya too, and get that century-run race in gear.
Hope this helps!
-Sean
