My first custom cue is the Schon that Bob Runde made back in 1985
when Schon Cues was still relatively unknown. Back in the old days,
50's-60's -70's & 80's, pool cues had thicker butts, shafts averaged in
the low to mid 4 oz. range & cues weighed mid 20 ounces and higher,
I quit playing with that cue more than a dozen years ago and switched
cue joints, changed cue weight to under 19 ounces and always made
sure the shafts were more than 20% of the cue's playing weight. The goal
was to try getting shafts 22-23% of the cue's weight and since the joint is
flat faced ivory, the weight of the shaft is just tip, ferrule & wood (sans brass).
What I found was I sacrificed short table performance but picked up my
game on shots 7 or more diamonds away on 9' and 10' tables with the
Schon, It played better on those shots with its anchor weight of 20.5 ozs.
whereas I played a much better overall game using my other cues that
have the same approximate weights and are under 19 ounces.
The heavier cue is much more forward balanced and once you started the
stroking action, the Schon just wanted to go forward. I played with that cue for
more than 15 years and know what? It sits in the closet stored away as I will
never return to playing with a heavy cue or even a steel joint cue, If I can't have
ivory, then the only joint option left for me is wood to wood but the cue has to be
under 19 ozs. If the cue uses a weight bolt, it shouldn't weigh more than 10 grams.
That's the best combination I have found and obviously, it is hard to find which is
why I've had to go the custom cue route. I could have stopped after I got the Scruggs
cue but then it became just too much fun and so one more cue, then another, etc.
Matt B.