Does a 'good' hit actually matter or is it all hype?

The term "good" brings choice into play which obviously makes it relative to an opinion or choice.

What's "good" to you may not be "good" to the next guy. So, just because the next guy likes it doesn't mean that you will like it. In pool, we are fortunate that the groups of what is liked are just a few, and that there will be many players that like the same thing. You just need to determine what you like, and then recognize those with the same likes as you.

Now, as to whether or not it makes a difference, I'd have to say that most likely it makes a very big difference. So much of playing good pool is really mental. We use routines and repetitions to get us to a semi-conscious state so we can execute very intricate things at a high level of accuracy. For me, and most players that I've known, any mental distractions can keep us from getting into that state which, of course, brings down our level of performance. So, if you're not comfortable with your cue, then you'll have trouble performing your best. Why you're not comfortable with it doesn't really matter. Just that you aren't comfortable.


Royce
 
Yes, the notion of a "good hit" is very real. However, it's an individual preference so everyone has their own definition/opinion of whether or not a cue has a good hit.
 
this pretty much covers it

RBC said:
The term "good" brings choice into play which obviously makes it relative to an opinion or choice.

What's "good" to you may not be "good" to the next guy. So, just because the next guy likes it doesn't mean that you will like it. In pool, we are fortunate that the groups of what is liked are just a few, and that there will be many players that like the same thing. You just need to determine what you like, and then recognize those with the same likes as you.

Now, as to whether or not it makes a difference, I'd have to say that most likely it makes a very big difference. So much of playing good pool is really mental. We use routines and repetitions to get us to a semi-conscious state so we can execute very intricate things at a high level of accuracy. For me, and most players that I've known, any mental distractions can keep us from getting into that state which, of course, brings down our level of performance. So, if you're not comfortable with your cue, then you'll have trouble performing your best. Why you're not comfortable with it doesn't really matter. Just that you aren't comfortable.


Royce
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Royce covered things pretty well, why he makes a wide range of shafts no doubt!

I have played with a wider range of cues than most, 12 to 24 ounces for a fair amount of time, briefly with a 32 ounce cue! Contrary to the general opinion in this thread, although it took some time the cue I played the best with was one I liked the hit of the least, the 12 ounce snooker cue playing pool with it! Hit a mud ball with a twelve ounce cue and it vibrates like a tuning fork!

I might could have learned with more hours in it but the 32 ounce cue was so heavy it was like trying to drive finishing nails with a maul!

A seventeen to nineteen ounce cue was easiest and most pleasant to play with, wasn't the best playing cue for me. Pistols are much the same, my .45 pushes and rolls on recoil and will flow from target to target sort of like riding a wave. Pleasant and fun to shoot. My .38Super jars and snaps straight back, plain unpleasant to shoot with the old major loads that I used. However, it was one to two seconds faster on a typical run and more accurate since it was put together with far more time and attention than my .45.

Good hit is definitely in the eye, and arm, of the beholder. Good hit may not equal the best playing cue for a player if they stay with a cue with a hit they don't like long enough to really know how well it plays.

Hu
 
I think part of a good hit is the feedback you get from it. That feedback is valuable to making changes to your game.
 
zpele said:
I can tell the hit of a cue and the difference from one cue to another. I have also tried many, many cues from production to high end customs.

That being said I cannot tell what a 'good' hit feels like. I know what a solid hit feels like and what a soft hit feels like. I can tell when a cue is forward balanced or rear balanced but I cannot for the life of me see a difference in play because of it. I'm at the point where I can draw table length with basically any type of tip hardness (as long as it's shaped and chalked correctly) but I really don't have a preference. I have always used soft tips because I feel they give more spin at the expense of speed (and lord knows I hit hard enough).

I've always used a McDermott with an OB pro shaft because I have never felt the need to change it. I have no problem running racks with it and the only reason I would get another cue would be because it is nicer looking.

I have a question that many people will probably scoff at- does hit of a cue really matter? Does it actually affect your game or is it all in our head?
Click to expand...

I browsed through the answers quickly, i do not believe that no one asked you how you hold the butt of the cue, hard, soft, or loose?? it makes a huge difference to the feel. IMO the only way to know the pure feel of the wood is to have the wood only not your muscles in action, in another words very loose wrist and arm, like Efren, and Busty, and couple more..If you hold it tight or tighten the grip before completing the shot forget it..all cues will feel the same
 
iusedtoberich said:
I bet Orcullo will suddenly fall in love with any cue manufacturer with a money tree in the factory and sponser him for a million a year. I'd also bet he will play the exact same.
Click to expand...

And he would be a fool if he didn't. But until that happens, he will search out the best he can find. A million dollar contract will make a lot of people ignore or change their previous position on a subject. If it takes a million dollar contract for him to sway on his beliefs, then it puts a monetary value on his opinion. How much is your opinion worth? I bet it's not a million. Mine isn't, either.

Personally speaking, I am very sensitive to the cue's feel and characteristics. Some guys can play with anything. I cannot. It has to be a good fit for me or my game suffers. That's the driving force behind me building cues in the first place. I wanted to make the best cue I could for myself. In doing so, I learned a lot about wood, construction, and the dynamics of a cue. Now knowing what I know, there's no convincing me that a cue hit doesn't matter.
 
I'm not arguing different cues hit/feel/sound different. And maybe through multiple years of playing experience some players have narrowed it down to what they like most.

The original question to me asks if there is "one" universal hit that is above others.

The fact that all different types of cues are used successfully by the best of the best to me means there is no "one universal hit" that is better than any other.
 
Here's an interesting viewpoint. Posted by bogey54311 about 7 years ago:


  • "i'm a decent player. i have been buying/trading/selling cues for years and years now. i have been able to play with EVERY maker on this earth. took a long time, but the ride has been a blast. i've tried every tip, breakcue, shaft, ferrule, yadayada. here is what i believe i have come up with.

    hit is not that subjective. ...

    i feel from my experience, as a player, and as a cue seller, that when you have an awesome, special, hitting cue, the better players can tell.
    and when you have a cue that hits funny for whatever reason, the better players can tell also.
    i could not have said these things 5 years ago, because i'm a better player now, and have tried tons and tons of more cues.
    i believe when a cue hits good, it hits good.
    people like different tapers, softer/harder hits, steel/flatfaced-big pin, i understand that.
    but when you try a cue thats a little too stiff for your liking, but hits solid, you can't say thats a bad hitting cue. it's just not for you.
    when i try to sell cues, i don't use the lines like "it hits a ton". i try to describe the hit. softer/harder, stiff/whippy, whatever, and let the consumer decide.

    (here's where i get in trouble)

    i think the lower handicapped players don't really know the difference between these cues.
    not because they are dumb, or beginners, but that they have not had the experience. ..."
 
qbilder said:
Personally speaking, I am very sensitive to the cue's feel and characteristics. Some guys can play with anything. I cannot. It has to be a good fit for me or my game suffers. That's the driving force behind me building cues in the first place. I wanted to make the best cue I could for myself. In doing so, I learned a lot about wood, construction, and the dynamics of a cue. Now knowing what I know, there's no convincing me that a cue hit doesn't matter.
Click to expand...

Aloha,

I agree with you 100%. I'm not a cue maker, but I like your thinking because you are a player and you started with the idea of making a "player" cue and not something that has a thousand inlays and rings and didn't play well.

As much as I love ARTSY cues, I would trade them for a good "playing" cue any day. When I finish playing I put my cue in the case in the closet...it doesn't hang on a wall display.

I wisn I could hit with one of your cues to see what kind of hit you prefer. I know you make well-crafted beautiful cues, but I've yet to run across anyone here who has one that I could hit a ball or two with.
 
qbilder said:
Personally speaking, I am very sensitive to the cue's feel and characteristics. Some guys can play with anything. I cannot. It has to be a good fit for me or my game suffers. That's the driving force behind me building cues in the first place. I wanted to make the best cue I could for myself. In doing so, I learned a lot about wood, construction, and the dynamics of a cue. Now knowing what I know, there's no convincing me that a cue hit doesn't matter.
Click to expand...
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This is a very interesting and unusual post qbilder, (creating your own cues and a high sensitivity to the feel and characteristics) and I'm assuming you don't get into laminated shafts. If it's a fair assumption that your shafts obviously have a detectable spine, have you ever tested/felt the dynamics of your various self-built cues with regard to how the cue felt when rotated (axially) towards and away from the spine? (Sort of like the old Meucci shaft-dot thing logically purporting an axial "sweet spot" but as a serious personal test on your own cues for relevance of the spine-to-hit *feel*.)

I believe there is such an axial relevance in the case of non-laminated shafts, with or without a pro-taper, and you may have some experience-based personal results in that area that you could speak about.

Thanks in advance.

Arnaldo
 
arnaldo said:
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This is a very interesting and unusual post qbilder, (creating your own cues and a high sensitivity to the feel and characteristics) and I'm assuming you don't get into laminated shafts. If it's a fair assumption that your shafts obviously have a detectable spine, have you ever tested/felt the dynamics of your various self-built cues with regard to how the cue felt when rotated (axially) towards and away from the spine? (Sort of like the old Meucci shaft-dot thing logically purporting an axial "sweet spot" but as a serious personal test on your own cues for relevance of the spine-to-hit *feel*.)

I believe there is such an axial relevance in the case of non-laminated shafts, with or without a pro-taper, and you may have some experience-based personal results in that area that you could speak about.

Thanks in advance.


Arnaldo
Click to expand...

Thank you, Hawaiian, for the very kind words :)

Arnaldo, I have done a lot of testing when it comes to shafts. The radial consistency isn't really ever an issue with good quality wood. Wood is an organic material consisting of layers, so undoubtedly there will be some inconsistency in flex from one side to another, but I have not seen it significant enough to affect playability. My experience has led me to rely more on harmonics than anything else. The tonal characteristics of the wood will closely parallel the ability to conduct energy. I have a specific sound I aim for, and every component in the cue is chosen to result in that specific frequency range when the cue is assembled to play with. I know that sounds hocus pocus weirdo, but it would make complete sense if I could demonstrate. It's difficult to articulate what I mean, so I explain it the best I can. Hope that helps a little.

Another cue maker does almost exactly the same thing I do, except that instead of harmonics, he measures flex. He suspends a specific weight from a shaft, and measures the amount of flex. There's a very small window of measurement that he will use in a cue. The shafts may look aesthetically perfect, but if they do not fit the window of flex range, he tosses them. That window of flex that he's looking for is the result of years & years of experience and measuring. He's also a world class player, goes by the name of Dennis Searing. He and I have spoken in depth, exchanging thoughts and methods. Both of us are essentially measuring the same thing, just in different ways. His method is no doubt the most refined, absolute, and trustworthy method I have ever heard of from any cue maker. Consequently, it also adds a level of consistency to his cues that other cue makers do not have. The guy has it figured out.
 
Bottom line is this. I have yet to meet a single person that plays pool and says "My cue hits like shit and I love it!" Never, ever has that been the case. What I see are people that play with a cue they are comfortable with. Regardless if that means a tip, shaft, etc., different from the next player. The ones that have cues they aren't confortable with, usually sell or trade off.

We like what we like.
 
It matters a little to like your equipment. But mechanics, stroke, cue ball control, aiming, pattern play, mental strength matter, much,much more.....

Thus I'm worried less about what cue I'm shooting with, because at the end of the day, if your mechanics are poor, are your ability to focus diminish in matches, or your stance Is off, or you are not seeing your aim point, it won't matter if you are using a balabuska dipped in gold, blessed by the pope, sprinkled with holy water and touched by the hands of the Pool Gods, you still gonna lose :wink:
 
HelloBaby- said:
For me, "good" hit means the cue ball go where you think it goes. to put it in another way, you can realize the shot as you visualize it.
Being capable of draw full table is good, but being able of draw 5 inches whenever you want to is far better.
It's not the matter of how much spin you can put in the cue ball but how you control it.
From soft to hard scale with cue ball reaction.For example, if I visualize that I will draw the cue ball 5 inches and I end up overdraw it. I may consider a harder shaft or tip, and vice versa.
The best equipment is the one that allow you to do what you want to do, when you want to do it, in the way you want to :). Of course we can also adjust to the cue, but it's never as good.
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This is a very good post. I recently start playing with a cue that has a horrible hit and is very difficult to move the cue ball, at least compared to my predator. But the cue puts the CB exactly where i want it to go without me even thinking about it.
 
To me, what jumps out at me is the ob shaft. It has rendered you unable to have an appreciation (not a perfect word, damn you, english) for regular shafts.

The ld shaft feels "right" to you, therefore it is your perspective/ baseline of evaluation that handicaps your ability to appreciate natural wood shafts' feel. They aren't "right" to you.

Imo:eek::wink:

i
zpele said:
I can tell the hit of a cue and the difference from one cue to another. I have also tried many, many cues from production to high end customs.

That being said I cannot tell what a 'good' hit feels like. I know what a solid hit feels like and what a soft hit feels like. I can tell when a cue is forward balanced or rear balanced but I cannot for the life of me see a difference in play because of it. I'm at the point where I can draw table length with basically any type of tip hardness (as long as it's shaped and chalked correctly) but I really don't have a preference. I have always used soft tips because I feel they give more spin at the expense of speed (and lord knows I hit hard enough).

I've always used a McDermott with an OB pro shaft because I have never felt the need to change it. I have no problem running racks with it and the only reason I would get another cue would be because it is nicer looking.

I have a question that many people will probably scoff at- does hit of a cue really matter? Does it actually affect your game or is it all in our head?
Click to expand...
 
iusedtoberich said:
I'm not arguing different cues hit/feel/sound different. And maybe through multiple years of playing experience some players have narrowed it down to what they like most.

The original question to me asks if there is "one" universal hit that is above others.

The fact that all different types of cues are used successfully by the best of the best to me means there is no "one universal hit" that is better than any other.
Click to expand...

So, did you 'used-to-be-rich' back when you could read????

It is hard to miss that the OP asked if the elusive "Good" hit actually made a difference
in ones play.

Dale(wandering tutor) toot toot.
 
Hit

qbilder said:
I can see that. Makes sense. I don't think there's any one "hit" that's universally best, because there is no universal preference. It's individual.
Click to expand...

I sometimes make the analogy of a baseball bat.

Some are heavy, some are light.
Some are long, some not so much.
Some are thicker, some not so much.
Some are wood, some aluminum.
Etc..... Lots of differences, lots of choices.

And if you go to the plate for an entire game with the wrong bat,
one not suited for you or to your taste, your hitting will suffer.

And the bat for you may not be the best bat for another.

Will Prout
 
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