Island Drive said:
Hello George did play pool, and at one point in the early 60's he was the part owner of a pool room. George and Frank McGowan were partners for around 2 years. It was during this time frame that George decided to starting making cues full time, because the pool room gave him a place to promote his cue making abilities to the general public.
George also was known to play pool at Al Balukas pool room in Brooklyn, and everyone has heard of Al's daughter Gene Balukas.
How well George played, do not know, but I would suspect that as with everything else he did he most likely played well.
Back to the post, I really do not think that a Master Cue Maker must be an accomplished player. I think that to Master anything in life is an accomplishment, and how is there enough time in anyones life to accomplish everything that they try to do.
Being a good player has nothing to do, with the ability to artistically, and meticulous craft master pieces from wood.
Having good communication skills and the ability to take what is communicated and transfer this information into a wood of art is much more important in the long run.
Manwon
A
a_susie_cue
Guest
I have a Joss and a Pat Diviney. I have no idea what their skill levels are. The cue I use most is my joss and I did buy it used from one of the top players in the city of Chicago.
This was more of a curiousity question than anything else? Did I see a cuemaker ever play pool at an APA event, well, yes. Many of us felt that person's skill level was way below what that individual was capable of playing. When there are 7's watching and commenting that a "4" is playing shots and executing them better or as good as they could, it is just interesting.
As I have read the posts, I agree with the fact that someone can have a trade and be average in another area.
Now, if someone has no eye-hand coordination then I probably wouldn't want a cue from them. I do agree that someone can be ok at pool, but be excellent at cue making. Everyone has their forte.
However, many of the people who have given me pointers on my game are pro-level, semi-pro, or are great tournament/league players. These players can break and run consistently, have great fundamentals and mechanics, explain shots with a clear understanding, and have amazing cue ball control.
Once again, thank you for all of your input and comments.
This was more of a curiousity question than anything else? Did I see a cuemaker ever play pool at an APA event, well, yes. Many of us felt that person's skill level was way below what that individual was capable of playing. When there are 7's watching and commenting that a "4" is playing shots and executing them better or as good as they could, it is just interesting.
As I have read the posts, I agree with the fact that someone can have a trade and be average in another area.
Now, if someone has no eye-hand coordination then I probably wouldn't want a cue from them. I do agree that someone can be ok at pool, but be excellent at cue making. Everyone has their forte.
However, many of the people who have given me pointers on my game are pro-level, semi-pro, or are great tournament/league players. These players can break and run consistently, have great fundamentals and mechanics, explain shots with a clear understanding, and have amazing cue ball control.
Once again, thank you for all of your input and comments.
TellsItLikeItIs said:
I don't think the term "master" means you know EVERYTHING. I've been a master plumber for 10 years, but I still learn stuff everyday! I look at the term master as a way of knowing a person is at the top of their field. Guys who just became "masters" today know more than I did when I became one, thats how any trade progresses.
Gerry
improve
What makes the differance how he shoots. I want to know how he makes a cue. He is not going to improve over the years. He busy making cues, he doesn't have time to shoot pool. Butterflycuesa_susie_cue said:
Sure. Some cuemakers got into cuemaking early in their pool career, and have put more effort into being a professional cuemaker rather than becoming proficient at playing pool.a_susie_cue said:
Not necessarily. Actually, half of any league is going to be filled with long time players that are that level and under.
I point to the Bela Serra company. They didn't even play pool when they started making cues. And I'd put their cues up against anyone's as far as hit and playability goes.
Fred
He loved the game, and played it often. If memory serves (and it often doesn't) he was part owner of a pool hall. He was an average player. Gene Nagy told me that George like to play methodically and meticulously, like he built his cues.Island Drive said:
Fred
Okay ....
How many examples do you want? First, you have to understand that I am talking about character traits of an individual, and those usually extend over any activity that they do, whether work or play. I have a degree in Behavioral Science besides being a student of human behavior and nature all my life. To EXCEL in any activity means you must know everything about it usually, including all the details of it, whether it is work, sport, or hobby.
1) Granted, there can many reasons while their playing is not up to par, I know that, but someone that has been playing 30 years SHOULD, AT LEAST BE AN AVERAGE PLAYER, and I consider a 5 to be average.
2) How can you take information from players and fix their problems if you do not know what they are talking about, and have actually experienced it for yourself? Let's see, in the Military there were several officers, but the only worth a hoot, were the ones with enough experience, and the best officer's were the Mustangers, ones that had been an enlisted man before becoming an officer, because they knew the other side of the coin.
I worked in Information Systems for 30 years, so you are saying I could develop a knockout major system without knowing the type of hardware it is going to be run on? One hand washes the other, and I have to know
EXACTLY what it will run on. I worked with many people in my field, and if they were lazy, didn't pay attention to details, weren't educated right for the field, or other little character or personality traits that showed up, it
ALWAYS showed up in their work too.
You can not completely segregate the player from the cuemaker because
both sides are needed to produce a superior product, and I am not saying there are not exceptions, but that this is the rule rather than exception.
Building the cue is Scientific in nature, and Science depends on ALL aspects and details. How the cue looks is both Artistic and Scientific both. I think it can be said that people apply themselves, in logic and action in all activities pretty much the same way.
It is a matter of knowing your business, all aspects of it, both as a manufacturer or craftsman, and as a customer. It goes directly to
Quality Assurance of the product.
pdcue said:
How many examples do you want? First, you have to understand that I am talking about character traits of an individual, and those usually extend over any activity that they do, whether work or play. I have a degree in Behavioral Science besides being a student of human behavior and nature all my life. To EXCEL in any activity means you must know everything about it usually, including all the details of it, whether it is work, sport, or hobby.
1) Granted, there can many reasons while their playing is not up to par, I know that, but someone that has been playing 30 years SHOULD, AT LEAST BE AN AVERAGE PLAYER, and I consider a 5 to be average.
2) How can you take information from players and fix their problems if you do not know what they are talking about, and have actually experienced it for yourself? Let's see, in the Military there were several officers, but the only worth a hoot, were the ones with enough experience, and the best officer's were the Mustangers, ones that had been an enlisted man before becoming an officer, because they knew the other side of the coin.
I worked in Information Systems for 30 years, so you are saying I could develop a knockout major system without knowing the type of hardware it is going to be run on? One hand washes the other, and I have to know
EXACTLY what it will run on. I worked with many people in my field, and if they were lazy, didn't pay attention to details, weren't educated right for the field, or other little character or personality traits that showed up, it
ALWAYS showed up in their work too.
You can not completely segregate the player from the cuemaker because
both sides are needed to produce a superior product, and I am not saying there are not exceptions, but that this is the rule rather than exception.
Building the cue is Scientific in nature, and Science depends on ALL aspects and details. How the cue looks is both Artistic and Scientific both. I think it can be said that people apply themselves, in logic and action in all activities pretty much the same way.
It is a matter of knowing your business, all aspects of it, both as a manufacturer or craftsman, and as a customer. It goes directly to
Quality Assurance of the product.
First of all if the person in question is truly a MASTER CUE BUILDER then that can't be disputed and should be a good choice regardless of their playing ability. I assume that achieving the Master title is santioned by other cue builders who are also masters. Myself, I could probably teach this master some things about the tools he uses and how to do things better, but there's now way I have the "skill" to build a cue. I also have IMO the knowledge to be an "A" player but cannot execute at an "A" level.
So I wouldn't judge the quality of this mans work based on his pool skill. We all have more knowledge than we can physically execute. I would base a decision on what other players feel but more importantly what I think of the quality.
So I wouldn't judge the quality of this mans work based on his pool skill. We all have more knowledge than we can physically execute. I would base a decision on what other players feel but more importantly what I think of the quality.
Snapshot9 said:
Hello, I am sorry, I completely understand every detail of what you are saying and all I can say is BULLHOKE.
Every statement you made is based on your limited opinion. The reason I say limited is because you have entirely over looked the obvious.
Maybe the guys passion is to build cues, not to play pool.
Maybe the guy spends all his time doing what he is passionate about(Building Cues).
Now if this is the case, and his focus has been on building cues for the last 30 yr's and only playing pool as sideline to his passion for making cues, why would he be an accomplished player.
No one is accomplished at everything that they do, in most cases they are only accomplished at what they are passionate about.
It takes practice to play well, while people can understand the mechanics of pool, applying them is a completely different situation.
Mechanics are what is important when it comes to construction of anything, including pool cues.
Most pool players do understand why a cue feels the way that it feels. They do not understand the construction techniques used to build a cue and how these techniques affect the cues playability, and most players do not even care all they want is that certain vibration that we call feeling the hit, good ballance, and playability.
However, the master cue maker cares, that his area of expertise, he completely understands by a cues sound alone if the cue has a problem.
In most cases he also also tell you by sound alone, if the wood in the shaft is good quality, if the cues weight bolt is loose, if the ferrule is lose, or if other problems exist.
This is what sets a player apart from a Master Cue Maker, and also for most people mastering anything during their life is a challenge that most never accomplish fully.
manwon
Last edited:
I would tend to think better players make better playing cues, but that is very often not the case. A good machinist can look at the contruction of a cue and only be an average or even non-poolplayer and still make a solid cue. Meucci came up with his style of cue by listening to pro player tell him how they wanted the cue to play and feel in their hand. I never heard of Bob being much of a pool player but most of the pros in the 80's played with his cues. Bob was a machinist who became a cuemaker on a challenge.
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
