be honest. Does it really matter??????

cueball1950

cueball1950

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would just like everyones honest opinion on whether it really makes a difference in you game if you shoot with a $2500.00 cue or a $19.00 cue. does the custom cue really make you play better.
The reason for this type of question is i have a couple of custom cues (both a Russ Espiritu and a Phillippi) that i can shoot with but yet i can shoot just as well with a cheap cue like a players or what ever.
What makes me ask this question is the last 2 times i saw Jose Parica shoot he cashed ( 2nd at theJoss event at turning stone casino last year, and at the open last year) he was shooting with a $19.00 cue with decals. He told me he shoots better with these cheap cues.... just thought i would ask. Thanks for taking the time to read and reply to this thread........mike
 
you shoot best with the cue you know

A cue that has the weight and balance you like and has the hit and action you like is easier to play well with. However you can adapt to almost anything within reasonable limits.

My game is definitely better with a stick with the shaft, ferule, and tip that works for me. I can put that shaft on a $50 butt or a $5000 butt and it isn't likely to make much difference as long as the weight and balance is similar.

Hu



cueball1950 said:
I would just like everyones honest opinion on whether it really makes a difference in you game if you shoot with a $2500.00 cue or a $19.00 cue. does the custom cue really make you play better.
The reason for this type of question is i have a couple of custom cues (both a Russ Espiritu and a Phillippi) that i can shoot with but yet i can shoot just as well with a cheap cue like a players or what ever.
What makes me ask this question is the last 2 times i saw Jose Parica shoot he cashed ( 2nd at theJoss event at turning stone casino last year, and at the open last year) he was shooting with a $19.00 cue with decals. He told me he shoots better with these cheap cues.... just thought i would ask. Thanks for taking the time to read and reply to this thread........mike
Click to expand...
 
As long as the cue is decent, you will play the same. Its not the cue, as you discovered, its the mind holding the cue that plays the game.

With that said, deflection, tip size and shape will play a bit different but price has very little to do with those factors.


As with any hobby or interest, people like to get involved as deep as they can. In our group, its cues. If it makes em feel good great, but thats about all it will do for them. Some people even get offended if you say something about their cue that is not positie. Like rounded points lol
 
I think very cheap cues are usually poorly made, but if you spend $100 or more, any cue of which you like the weight , the balance and the tip should be plenty good enough. Within these parameters, the best cue is the one you're used to.
 
cueball1950 said:
I would just like everyones honest opinion on whether it really makes a difference in you game if you shoot with a $2500.00 cue or a $19.00 cue. does the custom cue really make you play better.
The reason for this type of question is i have a couple of custom cues (both a Russ Espiritu and a Phillippi) that i can shoot with but yet i can shoot just as well with a cheap cue like a players or what ever.
What makes me ask this question is the last 2 times i saw Jose Parica shoot he cashed ( 2nd at theJoss event at turning stone casino last year, and at the open last year) he was shooting with a $19.00 cue with decals. He told me he shoots better with these cheap cues.... just thought i would ask. Thanks for taking the time to read and reply to this thread........mike
Click to expand...

Good question!

If a cue "hits well", feels "solid," gives "good feedback," "pots the balls well" and so on, isn't that good enough? And if it's "consistent" and "accurate" too, won't that fill the bill? You betcha!

Is there a price to attain those qualities? Well, for some, I'm sure there is, and for those folks, the more costly, the better. On the other hand, many house cues would fit that bill.

In the end, I suppose it's important if the cue is reasonably straight, has a good tip on it, doesn't rattle intolearably, and especially, makes it's owner feel like a million, well then, it's a "good" cue. What does one pay for such an exalted instrument? Good question!

Flex
 
cueball1950 said:
I would just like everyones honest opinion on whether it really makes a difference in you game if you shoot with a $2500.00 cue or a $19.00 cue. does the custom cue really make you play better.
The reason for this type of question is i have a couple of custom cues (both a Russ Espiritu and a Phillippi) that i can shoot with but yet i can shoot just as well with a cheap cue like a players or what ever.
What makes me ask this question is the last 2 times i saw Jose Parica shoot he cashed ( 2nd at theJoss event at turning stone casino last year, and at the open last year) he was shooting with a $19.00 cue with decals. He told me he shoots better with these cheap cues.... just thought i would ask. Thanks for taking the time to read and reply to this thread........mike
Click to expand...

Mike,

You have to get into the $25,000 range before you see any real improvement. But, realistically I don't play any better with a $75,000 cue than I do with a $25,000 cue.

Hope this helps.

Chris
 
cueball1950 said:
I would just like everyones honest opinion on whether it really makes a difference in you game if you shoot with a $2500.00 cue or a $19.00 cue. does the custom cue really make you play better.
.mike
Click to expand...


yes ....because it's about attitude and how you feel. much of pool is mental.

equipment is very important. that's why chef's, artists, and other professionals used top of the line equipment.
 
It makes no difference at all. I've played some really great pool using a house cue. All these expensive cues are about vanity.
 
I think of the same thing when I see people criticize the cue a person chooses to play with. I also have seen parica play with a cue that looks like it came from wal mart and never miss a ball.
 
Flex said:
Good question!

If a cue "hits well", feels "solid," gives "good feedback," "pots the balls well" and so on, isn't that good enough? And if it's "consistent" and "accurate" too, won't that fill the bill? You betcha!

Is there a price to attain those qualities? Well, for some, I'm sure there is, and for those folks, the more costly, the better. On the other hand, many house cues would fit that bill.

In the end, I suppose it's important if the cue is reasonably straight, has a good tip on it, doesn't rattle intolearably, and especially, makes it's owner feel like a million, well then, it's a "good" cue. What does one pay for such an exalted instrument? Good question!

Flex
Click to expand...
Well said FLEX
 
I'm a firm believer that if you have a good shaft, ferrule, and tip, that you can put that on most cues with the same weight and it will feel very close to the the same. I further believe that if the shaft and cues are wood to wood jointed then you just increased your chances of continued feel from one cue to the next with that same shaft. JMO
 
I play just as bad with my $1,500 Samsara as I do with my $240 Viking.

Hope this helps!
 
My thoughts.....To a player, a cue with the perfect feel for them is priceless, regardless of the cost, or appearance.

To a collector, a cue that everyone else wants, and there are limited quantities of, are priceless, almost regardless of the hit.

So I guess it's relative to what you want the cue to do.

NOW, get a beautiful cue, that hits great, there's only 1 of, everyone wants one, and the guy that made it is dead, and you got something! but then you'd put it in a display case, so no one steals it:D.....and play with your Lucasi LE27 like me!......:D

Gerry...
 
You can buy a new Hyundai Accent for about $13,000, great consumer ratings, great gas mileage, etc...why doesn't everybody buy this car instead of paying twice that for a Honda or Toyota? It's the American way and a thing of capitalistic beauty. Buy what your heart tells you that you deserve. If it's a $1000 cuestick that doesn't necessarily play better than a $100 cue, who cares? It's your money. I wouldn't do too many things differently if I could relive the past 30 years, but one thing I would do is collect cues. If I had bought cues along the way instead of frittering money away on things of no lasting value, I would now have an impressive collection to take pride in and pass on to my kids. Not talking about the money they would be worth, I'm talking about having something that's of intrinsic value, minor works of art, irreplaceable pieces of history, something that a craftsman took pride in making. If you REALLY love pool, you will undoubtedly still love it years from now, and will be very happy that back in '06, you bit the bullet and bought a Searing or a Bender or an Arnot or a Cognoscenti or a Hercek or any number of fine cues available. Cues are not just for playing; they are part of the pool experience and IMO fine cues are a bargain when all is said and done.
 
A solid hit is important, but you can get a solid hit with a house cue. Balance has merit, but I think you can get use to the balance of most any stick.

I think one thing that has been over looked here is just simply liking the look of the stick. Do you like dark wood or do you like light wood. Do you like traditional points or do you like some kind of design. When you have walked away for a second and then is it your turn, while walking back to get your stick do you look at it and think, "now that's a nice cue stick". It could take a $80.00 cue stick to get you think this or if could take a $2000.00 stick to get you to think this. I think most or the time it is people's wallet depth determines this. They know what they can comfortably spend and pick out the one that looks nicest to them that they can buy for that amount or less. Sometimes the one the really like the looks of is less than they expected to spend.

I think it can help you like your stick if you spend a little more than you think you should. Then you have made that subconscious commitment to really like it.
 
All nonsense. People spend the big money on custom cues to make a statement. Nothing else.

Just like fine clothes, jewelry, shoes, cars, homes, toys, etc.

The statement is, "I have made it - I am a winner."

Jake
 
Cues for playing.

I'm not a collector, hence my cues are for playing.

Mezz below is used regularly except during visits to bars.

When going to the bars, a Taiwan Cue with Moori Tip.
 
cueball1950 said:
What makes me ask this question is the last 2 times i saw Jose Parica shoot he cashed ( 2nd at theJoss event at turning stone casino last year, and at the open last year) he was shooting with a $19.00 cue with decals. He told me he shoots better with these cheap cues.... just thought i would ask. Thanks for taking the time to read and reply to this thread........mike
Click to expand...

Hey Mike,

I think it's a confidence thing. The top players in the world could beat us with a broomstick but I think a customized cue can do wonders for a lesser player.
That being said, I don't see anything wrong with productions cues. I have had several that I really liked and only took a couple of tweaks to get it where I wanted.

JMO,
Koop
 
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