Does the cue make the player?

[raybo147]

Nonsense. Low-squirt cues like Predator are less forgiving on slightly offcenter hits than high-squirt cues, because high-squirt cues have their pivot points much closer to the bridge so squirt compensation is more automatic.

pj
chgo

I am no expert when it comes to pool cues and what I said may be nonsense but I am just going by my own experience. I sold a lot of different cues in the short time that I ran a pool room and I thought the predator was the most forgiving cue I ever played with. Coming from a snooker background I was really impressed with the playability of these cues. I never had to switch from another kind of pool cue so I can see how that could be tricky and I do know of one World Champion who hates predators as they do dumm it down a bit.

 

[td873]

I have wondered this for a while - have even heard from pro players and road players that once they got "this" cue, their game improved, etc. I would like to know what you guys think - can a cue improve your game? or is it mental? if you are one that thinks it can improve your game, what cue does it for you?

Thanks for your responses.

9balllvr

I didn't read the whole thread, so forgive me if this is a duplicate post.

Better equipment can make a player better. It's a simple proposition really, since inferior equipment can create problems where none existed previously, or amplify deficiencies in your game. When you upgrade "technology" you can focus on the physical and mental aspects of the game. This in turn can improve performance - or at least not degrade it. Assuming players of the same caliber (e.g., world class players), every advantage they get makes a huge difference. Thus, having better equipment is the key to winning.

However, the premise here is that you are able to actually play, i.e., there is no cure for lack of ability. If you are not able to succeed at your task (pool, golf, etc), no technology can make you good.

-td

 

[9balllvr]

"Does the cue make the player?" is a silly question.

pj
chgo

forgive me for not wording the question to your standards - you can't make everyone happy and i didn't try, i asked questions that i wanted answers for and appreciate the time people have taken to share their thoughts. your opinion is noted sir.

 

[DrJ]

..........

 

[pwd72s]

Even if it just helps 5% Vegas was built on less.

A greenie to you for that one! Truth be known, it is the indian, not the arrow...but the good indians tend to shoot with good arrows. I love my Josey Cue...but there are many out there who can beat me with a cuetek...

 

[SPINDOKTOR]

Having the right tools aka cue, you can improve your game without blaming the cue about any bad strokes. Tip has a significant part on playing well. Also, psychological reasons play a role at least in the first period you get a new well-payed custom cue. Two examples that might help: 1. Stephen Hendry who is the best player ever in snooker won his first champioships using a 20 pounds cue! 2. Efren Reyes was once invited in Germany by Bustamente just for vacations. A tournament was taking place around and Bustamente asked him if he wanted to participate. He had no cues with him but he accepted. He took the straightest house cue he could found, sanded to be smooth, shaped the tip, and won the tourney!...Conclusion: playing good to excellent pool, all you need is talent. Cue is an instrument that adjust the way you play. That is what i believe. Costas

Efren, shoooooot, he can play with a broomstick, I can too, but thats not the point. Please dont take this the wrong way, but seriously, Efren might have used a house cue, but how stiff was the competition? do you think he would play in any significant tourney with a cue he isnt confortable with? we all know about the 15$ Jesse cue he played with, but Im assuming it was heavily modified, balanced and altered to what he feels was "right" so then it became his "tool"

Dont kid yourself, a serious player needs a serious cue. All those who shout its the indian, look at thier game.. is it all that? Now if Efren said to me, hey, its not that cue, its your stroke, then I would work on my stroke. Im not going to take advice from guy's who couldnt run 3 balls, and who obviously dont understand the game. Blind leading the blind perhaps?


SPINDOKTOR

 

[RRfireblade]

I'm not a "Native American" but I do shoot 3D archery and I use some pretty dang expensive arrows because they sure are heck make a big difference so yeah , that arguement doesn't fly.

Just thought I'd pitch that out.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Efren, shoooooot, he can play with a broomstick, I can too, but thats not the point. Please dont take this the wrong way, but seriously, Efren might have used a house cue, but how stiff was the competition? do you think he would play in any significant tourney with a cue he isnt confortable with? we all know about the 15$ Jesse cue he played with, but Im assuming it was heavily modified, balanced and altered to what he feels was "right" so then it became his "tool"

Dont kid yourself, a serious player needs a serious cue. All those who shout its the indian, look at thier game.. is it all that? Now if Efren said to me, hey, its not that cue, its your stroke, then I would work on my stroke. Im not going to take advice from guy's who couldnt run 3 balls, and who obviously dont understand the game. Blind leading the blind perhaps?


SPINDOKTOR

For years Efren refused thousands of dollars of endorsement b/c he LOVED his cheapo Jessie cue with the bowling alley shaft.
It was ugly, long, heavy ( front heavy too ) and had a cueball ferrule.
But, Efren played the best with that cue.

 

[Hail Mary Shot]

actually, a more accurate question would be "can a particular cue make a player play better?"

the number of people choosing and using a particular cue of their liking nowadays is a testament to the truth of such argument. but when we say or refer to a "player", it pertains to a person who knows how to play and the basic fundamentals of the game. of how a cue is also an integral part of one's pool skill. as for a banger, it doesn't matter if he uses a Szamboti, if he doesn't know how to use the cue's potential. it's like giving your 10 year old son a F1 ferrari while he hasn't set foot on a kart yet. Players based their cue preferences due to their knowledge of their skill and gamestyle. the development of their styles also means a change in their cue selection. as for Effie on his so-called Jessie cue, surely he disposed all his cues that preceded it. let's say it was the best cue that met his cue criteria. and I don't think that particular cue's playability sucks.

cue preferences that are factors in one's own game are tip, ferrule, shaft, balance and straightness.

 

[BRKNRUN]

OK...one more crack at this for me...I would assume that all of the top players have about the same quality of cue stick, so the cue factors out of the equation....

[Does the baseball bat make the hitter, (forget about corked bats though)...do the clubs make the golfer...does the racket make the tennis player...is it the shoes in basketball....]

You can't throw out corked bats....That should tell you right there that (if it were allowed) players would have modifed bats....and incidentally yes they do use different "balanced" "thickness" "lengths" of bats...

Golf clubs????? Have you seen Tigers clubs??? You can not buy them at your local store...actually you can't buy them at all... Most all of the Pro players of that caliber are using prototype clubs.... They have VERY specific set ups......for some of them all the way down to the type of epoxy used and the number of wraps of tape under thier grips....(That is not even talking about putters)....

Tennis Players....I am no Tennis expert, but I will bet money that they have different balance points in rackets...Different String "types" and tensions...and probably even stringing patterns.

In Basketball they can't use a different ball...but did you notice that a lot of players "ball handlers" were complaining when the NBA changed balls???

 

[Hail Mary Shot]

OK...one more crack at this for me...I would assume that all of the top players have about the same quality of cue stick, so the cue factors out of the equation....

[Does the baseball bat make the hitter, (forget about corked bats though)...do the clubs make the golfer...does the racket make the tennis player...is it the shoes in basketball....]

the answer is yes ! there is even a discussion on how the tennis players nowadays are lucky to have racket preferences which could affect the outcome of their shots as compared with the past eras where they use wooden rackets with simple strings. as to baseball, there are specific types of baseball bats according to their use, such as for grounding balls or bunting. bats with thick diameter, rough surface, girdled bats, etc...even the great Bambino had his own bat. as for golf, you wouldn't use a putter driving the golf ball out, that would be plain stupid. and lastly, being a former college cager, the shoes does help a lot. I use a highcut,lightweight shoe for maximum ankle protection + speed and leap advantages.