Does the butt of a cue matter?
- Thread starter Halter
- Start date
Halter said:
I feel like its mostly decorative. I do however prefer leather or wrapless to linen and feel sometimes it effects my grip and stroke. I know a guy that plays with a $50 dollar butt and a Predator shaft and plays lights out...I actually think he has electrical tape on the butt lol.
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Butt plays a role in the weight, feel, and look. The balance point, wrap, etc. the hit is mainly in the shaft and tip.
Yes it matters, but it's not because of the price, looks, make or anything else other than how it plays. I have matched up my favorite shafts with so many butts until I find a combination I like the best. Woods used, taper, joint construction all play a factor in the final feel of a total cue, not to mention playability.
Examples: I have an old 80's Schon shaft that I really like. I have matched it up with several other Schon butts and only like the feel of one of the Schon butts and a Jacoby. And I mean I have tried at least a dozen different butts to match the feel, responsiveness and balance that works for me.
Another shaft I have tried on many different butts is my favorite Judd shaft. I thought I had selected the one I like until I happened across a Ned Morris sneaky butt that I love with that shaft. It is now my every day player (for now anyway). And the shaft collar is a little smaller than the butt so there's a lip.
My point is that the butt does matter, not the inlays or how it looks, but how it's balanced and how it plays. The shaft dictates how the cue will play (deflection, etc.) but the over all feel depends on the whole cue.
Dave
Examples: I have an old 80's Schon shaft that I really like. I have matched it up with several other Schon butts and only like the feel of one of the Schon butts and a Jacoby. And I mean I have tried at least a dozen different butts to match the feel, responsiveness and balance that works for me.
Another shaft I have tried on many different butts is my favorite Judd shaft. I thought I had selected the one I like until I happened across a Ned Morris sneaky butt that I love with that shaft. It is now my every day player (for now anyway). And the shaft collar is a little smaller than the butt so there's a lip.
My point is that the butt does matter, not the inlays or how it looks, but how it's balanced and how it plays. The shaft dictates how the cue will play (deflection, etc.) but the over all feel depends on the whole cue.
Dave
I have to say that your statement that a Schon shoots like a Schon could not be further from the truth. The schon cues that were made by Bob Runde in the early 1980's play 10 X better than what you can buy today. I am not saying a loaded R-16 plays better than a Plain R-1 but I am saying a R-1 plays so much better than a Schon Unique. The Butt is also very important for balance, not to mention that the butt does mate up with the shaft and the way the two pieces connect will be a big factor in what you feel when you strike the ball. For those of you that have never played with an early Schon Cue you really need to feel the difference before you assume a Schon is a Schon.
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I was not talking about different eras. My statement stands quite well in fact.
I have in fact played with Schons, of all generations, since their early days. I know the difference.
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Another bit of bad info for the unknowing....the old schons play better than the new schons.....in fact...10 times better....
What a bunch of horse poop.....
What a bunch of horse poop.....
Could you quantify it at all?
"Plays better" is like saying "hits a ton". It doesn't mean a lot unless you attach physical properties to that word.
If its a steel joint Schon and a wood to wood McDermott then the feel might be different even with an OB shaft. I was just talking to a cuemaker about this very thing because I sent a Predator shaft to be matched to a butt. The butt of a cue does indeed play more of a roll than just something to hold onto. Tapers such as straight or parabolic, weight and balance point and even length are all aspects to each individual. According to Jerry Franklin and a few others, certain combinations of wood are beneficial. Personal preference plays a large part and what is good for some may be the opposite for others.
I can tell you for a fact that the same shaft on a different butt will absolutely not only feel differently but will play differently.
It has been my experience that a single noncored but gives a better feedback than a cored but. You may sacrifice the looks by doing this but you can still find vary nice looking butts that are one single piece of wood.
The butt makes a difference to me. It goes beyond weight and balance, but I would probably agree that those are the most important properties of a butt. While the butt makes a difference, the tip and shaft are more important to me. If I had to choose, I would prefer a great tip/shaft with a so-so butt to a crappy shaft on my favorite cue butt. JMO
i asked a similar question in april
here were the replies
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=272492
here were the replies
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=272492
It does matter.
Just like a person, it's where everything attaches. :smile:
Just like a person, it's where everything attaches. :smile:
Halter, a lot of people will tell you otherwise, but you're on the right track. The butt is mostly decorative. A lot of people overthink the cue and the idea that you need an expensive butt is a perfect example.
There are different weights and diameters, different wraps... and if any of these things is different from what you're used to, it may feel weird. But that's the only bad thing I can say about getting an inexpensive butt.
You absolutely can screw a cheap butt into an OB shaft, and make the exact same shots, with the same english, and get the same good results. You probably don't need to change anything about your stroke or aim. I've been using an older brunswick butt with an OB2 shaft and have no complaints.
Because of the potential for the stick just feeling "off" to you, it's best if you can try before you buy. But that's true any time you buy a new cue that's significantly different from the one you currently use.
There are different weights and diameters, different wraps... and if any of these things is different from what you're used to, it may feel weird. But that's the only bad thing I can say about getting an inexpensive butt.
You absolutely can screw a cheap butt into an OB shaft, and make the exact same shots, with the same english, and get the same good results. You probably don't need to change anything about your stroke or aim. I've been using an older brunswick butt with an OB2 shaft and have no complaints.
Because of the potential for the stick just feeling "off" to you, it's best if you can try before you buy. But that's true any time you buy a new cue that's significantly different from the one you currently use.
A while back i was wondering myself, went to Homedepot got an all thread 5/16th attached to my shaft, and it played better than my $200.00 butt, but my hand could not take the all thread cuts.
I think back 50 or 60 years ago there were not much cue manufactures, or internet to market product, so what was heard in pool rooms travels to other rooms, and some brand names got famous.
Efren used to play with $15.00 cue for almost 10 or more years until the endorsement deals kicked in.
The one think i like in any butt besides sexy girls' butts, is the grip of leather it provides good friction which allows you to lightly hold the butt.
The cue butt DOES matter !
Start with THE shaft you like and try it on different butts. You'll immediately tell that the IS a difference on which butt FEELS best for you !
Start with THE shaft you like and try it on different butts. You'll immediately tell that the IS a difference on which butt FEELS best for you !