CUE Poll please leave opinion here

J

JerseyBill

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm building cue sticks. I've been playing many years and I know what I like
as far as the hit goes, BUT, I'd like to hear feedback from all players and tell me your ability ie. A player B player etc.
Describe what you like in a cue as far as balance and hit.
thanks a million
EXAMPLE
I'm an A player and I like a lively hit with the weight to the front more than rear. describe as best you can.



JerseyBill
 
In APA, I'm a 'super 7', which just means they'll probably never move me down. I like a lighter cue with a stiff shaft and a firmer hit. You may want to define 'lively'. That could mean different things to different people.
 
Yet they both sell...hmmm

Sometimes you fell like a nut,
Sometimes you don't.
Almond Joy's got nuts,
Mounds don't.
 
Solid B player here.
I prefer the balance point about 4 inches in front of the wrap.
I like cues on the lighter side at 19oz or under.
I want a solid hit from my cue and the shaft not to be whippy. However I usually play rotation games requiring the CB to mave alot. I'm usually powering through the ball and don't like the vibrations from cues that aren't very stiff. One pocket, straight pool, and 8ball players may prefer more feedback due to the larger amount of touch shots they play. Good luck with your cues!
 
Cue Preferences

Black-Balled said:
Sometimes you fell like a nut,
Sometimes you don't.
Almond Joy's got nuts,
Mounds don't.
Click to expand...

Yes, they all sell, BUT I'd like to aim at a target audience. I like a cue that gives me a little draw when I'm playing for money or in a tournament and I need to draw back ten inches and I dog the stroke. I want to come back at least half way, not stop because of a dead arm and a dead cue.
I'm sure others have similar likes and dislikes.
JerseyBill
 
Some days I'm a solid B, sometimes a weak A...used to be a strong A but that was a lifetime ago. I like a long cue (59 or 60 inches, evenly split between butt and shaft) slightly forward balanced with a firm to stiff hit...SS piloted joint, half or full splice. I prefer 20 oz for the player, 17 or 18 for the jump/break. I like ivory ferrules and non-layered tips (medium Triangle), pro taper, extra long (12 or more inches). I tend to have at least a 9 inch bridge when I'm free to. Prefer 12.75 mm shafts. Probably a little unusual, but you asked!
 
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I'm a solid Z player.

I don't know how to decribe the balance of a cue, but I like a firm cue.
 
I'm not sure what speed I play these days but I used to play pretty well, not sure how I fit in ratings systems as everywhere you go people have different ideas on what constitutes a rating.

I prefer to play with cues that are 58 to 59 inches long. Have tips that are approx. 12.75 mm with modified tapers for stiffness but still allow a long stroke area. Just another preference but I like Juma and LBM ferrules on cues with Stainless steel full or half joints and buck horn ferrules with Buck horn joints. I also like Ivory but not every piece does the feel right for me. As for the pin, I'm really liking 3/8th pins like SW, the 3/8 x 10 flat bottom ones and radial pins. As far as weight goes I'm finding that if the balance is right I can use just about anything but I seem to prefer to play with 18.5 to 19.3 ounce cues. I like a forward balance at a minimum 19.5 to 20 inches from the end of the bumper, basically 4 to 4.5 inches in front of the wrap with a solid but lively hit where the energy you put into the stroke comes out in the shot without having to power stroke for the small to medium effective draw or follow shots. I also wanted to state that the forward balance I like makes the cue feel light but not non-existent in my rear hand and heavy enough in the front hand to feel like it's tracking straight through my bridge hand without having to tighten my bridge to control the cue path like you might have had to do with rear weighted cues. I also seem to find with this balance point that it makes the issue of where to grip the butt of the cue by feel practically automatic.

The hit I prefer is solid but a little softer like that of a really good Le Pro or a Moori medium tip, so super hard or extremely soft tips are out for me although I have used a few water buffalo tips that were great too. I also tend to prefer stainless steel, phenolic and buck horn joints over the alternatives for hit and for looks although as far as the hit goes I might barely pass a blind feel test on the joints but who can reliably with all the different factors determining the hit in a cue. I'll bet the hit could be exactly the same or at least very similar across cues depending on the choice of materials and build specs. I think the hit should convey a clear but less than jarring vibration to my back hand on or near the wrap. If I was to compare it to a musical note I would say the cues I've liked most when struck on the side sounded the most like an A note played on a piano about in the middle of the piano or one octave up or down from the middle. If I were to compare it to another sport I would compare the feel I look for as the soft but solid smack of catching a line drive in the center of the web of a baseball glove or as an east coast reference hitting a paddle ball with the sweet spot of a black beauty racket where you feel the ball contact and rebound smoothly. In both of these examples if it doesn't hit center you sure will know it without seeing what happened but you can still execute without failure even if not perfect.

Hope this helps..sorry so long. :)
 
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JerseyBill said:
I'm building cue sticks. I've been playing many years and I know what I like
as far as the hit goes, BUT, I'd like to hear feedback from all players and tell me your ability ie. A player B player etc.
Describe what you like in a cue as far as balance and hit.
thanks a million
EXAMPLE
I'm an A player and I like a lively hit with the weight to the front more than rear. describe as best you can.



JerseyBill
Click to expand...




Good luck with your Poll Sir, I hope it is productive and fruitful.

JIMO
 
Here's what I prefer & 99% of what I build:

58" cue split 29x29

18.5-19.5oz

19-19.5" balance

13mm tip, preferably medium hard to hard

medium stiff to stiff taper but not too stiff

1.25" buttcap diameter straight tapered to joint

"ping" tone when striking the q-ball, but not annoying loud. Muffled a little.

woods chosen for rigidity & flex memory so the cue feels strong & springy


I strive to build every cue exactly like that. There are certainly many details not mentioned but that's an overall vague representation. I personally play at a consistent B speed and can turn up to a bright A speed when I buckle down & try hard. But I don't play nearly enough to keep that kind of level and frankly don't have the concentration. I'm too easily distracted & have never been able to defeat it. I began building cues that I personally felt made the game easier to play. My intentions were and still are to build a cue that could compensate for lack of practice. No that's not very realistic I know but it's something to strive for. What I found was that building a cue that is comfortable to hold and consistent from shot to shot with no surprises, could easily make the game a little easier. The idea is to have predictable spin, deflection & power so that you never get surprised wondering why you missed a shot or why the cue ball went two rail draw on this shot when the last shot only got it one rail. Getting those things right make it very easy to get comfortable with and trust the cue, which completely alleviates any thought of the cue while playing so all you have to focus on is pocketing balls & getting shape. Get that all figured out & incorporated into every cue you build & you'll sell every cue you build.
 
Cue Preference

I play APA and I'm a SL 8. I've shot with a lot of production cues (not many customs) but my overall favorite so far is Schon cue's with a Predator Z2 shaft. The balance 4-6 inches above the wrap. Good solid hit but not too stiff.

The weight too far forward or back just throws the feel of the stroke off.
 
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