Best hitting cue you ever played with.
- Thread starter JB Cases
- Start date
I've played with quite a few cues (not always owned them) but my vote goes to Joey Bautista AKA JoeyInCali. I have hit with many of his cues at his house and there has not been one that I would not loved to have. I have two on order, not because I need them but I just love the woods and I absolutely know how they will hit. He is Mr. Consistant.
There's still a rather long list of cue makers who deserve to have their names mentioned.
The obvious one is South West. Surprised it's page 7 and no mentions yet. They're usually on the top of most the similar threads.
The obvious one is South West. Surprised it's page 7 and no mentions yet. They're usually on the top of most the similar threads.
What year is your cue?
I thought they stopped using bumpers with their name.
The bumper on the 2000 Coker was replaced with a non-original when it was refinished (not by Coker).
I thought they stopped using bumpers with their name.
The bumper on the 2000 Coker was replaced with a non-original when it was refinished (not by Coker).
South West, Lambros,Carmeli, etc.
Shot with 3 Lambros cues today and they all played great. I own 4 South Wests and they too, play great. I love the hit of my Carmeli also. This is a tough question to have just one answer. Today, I had the pleasure of shooting with a Tad, a Josswest, a Scruggs, a Bender, a Berringer, 2 Gilberts, 3 Lambros (2 ultra joint and 1 non ultra joint), etc. All of these cues played great, but I bought a 2003 4 point, 4 veneered, ultra joint Lambros that was like new and hardly played. Why this cue has just sat around for 10 years and doesn't have a ton of miles on it yet is beyond me. This cue is about to do what it was meant to do, get played daily.
All that being said, the best cue I ever played with is a South West! But if I were to answer this question a month or two from now, I might just say Mike Lambros.
Shot with 3 Lambros cues today and they all played great. I own 4 South Wests and they too, play great. I love the hit of my Carmeli also. This is a tough question to have just one answer. Today, I had the pleasure of shooting with a Tad, a Josswest, a Scruggs, a Bender, a Berringer, 2 Gilberts, 3 Lambros (2 ultra joint and 1 non ultra joint), etc. All of these cues played great, but I bought a 2003 4 point, 4 veneered, ultra joint Lambros that was like new and hardly played. Why this cue has just sat around for 10 years and doesn't have a ton of miles on it yet is beyond me. This cue is about to do what it was meant to do, get played daily.
All that being said, the best cue I ever played with is a South West! But if I were to answer this question a month or two from now, I might just say Mike Lambros.
Lets add another Jim Pierce to that count. Have several now that hit em good and have hit with other brands that werent too shabby. But would have to say the Pierce rates # 1 and I have hit with many big name cues. It aint going no where. Finally a keeper.
Easy, George Balabushka. One of his cues remains the best I have ever played with. The balance, weight, shaft wood, hit of the cue, and even the tone of the cue was all absolutely perfect.
I will add of the more modern cues, I have went through a couple Scruggs cues, played with Tony Watson's Josey (just to try a Josey out), Black, Black Boar, Southwest, Gilbert, Prather custom, couple different Klein cues, Gus Szam (very close to the Bushka in hit) and several other makers and this particular Klein will remain my player for many years to come I am sure. It beat them all for my game. Except the above mentioned Bushka (maybe because it was totally designed to hit like my favorite)
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I will add of the more modern cues, I have went through a couple Scruggs cues, played with Tony Watson's Josey (just to try a Josey out), Black, Black Boar, Southwest, Gilbert, Prather custom, couple different Klein cues, Gus Szam (very close to the Bushka in hit) and several other makers and this particular Klein will remain my player for many years to come I am sure. It beat them all for my game. Except the above mentioned Bushka (maybe because it was totally designed to hit like my favorite)
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It's not whether a cue is deserving or not it's what each individual thinks is the BEST hitting cue they are really familiar with.
I am positive that many of the people who have participated own and love their SouthWest cues but for whatever reason that is not the one they would keep if they had to give up all others. I love the way SouthWest cues hit. I just want to compile a list of the ONE keeper. We all know that it's just a snapshot and for each of us the cue we name today could be changed tomorrow if we get one we like better.
This is fun, but fruitless. There is no best.
No best for everyone for sure. But everyone generally has one cue that they feel is the best they ever used.
I've had some great cues and some lousy cues over the years so it would be impossible to say which one was THE best. I played my best with a Gilbert but that was when I could still play well. I don't play anywhere near as well as I once could but I've an Olney now (thanks to Bob Farr and Jeff, of course) that plays as well as any cue I can remember. It's hard to believe that nobody has mentioned Jeff Olney cues in this thread - a thought that must be shared by most anyone that plays one.
my preference to best hit has changed over the years as my game has changed.
Having said that, i'll say this I have hit balls with well over 100 SW's and some were amazing, some terrible.
I have hit balls with 50 Gus/Barry cues and most play great, one Gus(stands alone as the best hitting szam ever), I have had one Gus and one Barry that were below acceptable. who knows why.
I own 12-14 Tads some play AMAZING-one was my player for 4 years, i have a 8pt that is perhaps the worst hitting cue I own. who knows why.
I borrowed a Viking for action one night in SLC it was orange marble lite and white-ugliest cue ever, played so good it hurt, guy wouldnt see it for double what it was worth, he knew how good it played, i was in action for 3-4 hours-got the $$$ madea offer, no chance wh was selling.
Last 5 years i been on a black boar, little flashy for me, but hits amazing, had a plane one, hit bad, even with my shafts on it, balance was off. same cue one decorated, one PJ and one was head an shoulders above the other, have anther BB butt that is 2 grams lighter. plays 98% as good as my player, its my back up cue.
point is i dont know what the best hitting cue was, i have played with, probably played more hours with the boar or a SW and a close 2nd with Tads.
depends on the individual cue and where your at in your game, thats what makes cues/pool interesting. I can pick up a cue i liked 20 years ago and wonder what i saw in it, then others stand the test of time.
so i have reasons but no answer for you MrJB
best
eric
Having said that, i'll say this I have hit balls with well over 100 SW's and some were amazing, some terrible.
I have hit balls with 50 Gus/Barry cues and most play great, one Gus(stands alone as the best hitting szam ever), I have had one Gus and one Barry that were below acceptable. who knows why.
I own 12-14 Tads some play AMAZING-one was my player for 4 years, i have a 8pt that is perhaps the worst hitting cue I own. who knows why.
I borrowed a Viking for action one night in SLC it was orange marble lite and white-ugliest cue ever, played so good it hurt, guy wouldnt see it for double what it was worth, he knew how good it played, i was in action for 3-4 hours-got the $$$ madea offer, no chance wh was selling.
Last 5 years i been on a black boar, little flashy for me, but hits amazing, had a plane one, hit bad, even with my shafts on it, balance was off. same cue one decorated, one PJ and one was head an shoulders above the other, have anther BB butt that is 2 grams lighter. plays 98% as good as my player, its my back up cue.
point is i dont know what the best hitting cue was, i have played with, probably played more hours with the boar or a SW and a close 2nd with Tads.
depends on the individual cue and where your at in your game, thats what makes cues/pool interesting. I can pick up a cue i liked 20 years ago and wonder what i saw in it, then others stand the test of time.
so i have reasons but no answer for you MrJB
best
eric
Nice list of impressive playing cue but I'm pretty shocked after all the names I've read that I don't recall anyone mentioning Ernie Martinez cues. The absolute best hitting cues I have experienced were a showcase shop cue made by Ernie that I tried years ago at showcase that recently came into my possession after over 15 years of not knowing who had originally bought it(5/16-14 steel joint- rare for him but very well done) and another that I picked up that has a phenolic joint which was in the style of most of his cues in the mid to later 90's. I've tried lots of Ernie's cues, they all have a similar solid feel, nice amount of feedback and playability to them. They all have a nice ping to them but I like the 5/16-14 stainless jointed ones best.
My other very close to best playing cues were made by Schon('93 SL-8), a Leon Sly custom hoppe that hits great and the closest feeling cue to my Martinez's that I own, another very well made hoppe by a solid east coast cue builder(similar playability as the stainless EM but a much quieter hit).
Good shooting to you,
Kevin
My other very close to best playing cues were made by Schon('93 SL-8), a Leon Sly custom hoppe that hits great and the closest feeling cue to my Martinez's that I own, another very well made hoppe by a solid east coast cue builder(similar playability as the stainless EM but a much quieter hit).
Good shooting to you,
Kevin
