I don't think starting with tougher to use equipment is a good idea. You would want to start with something that helps people to learn. A beginner tennis player does not start with a small face racquet that is hard to hit well, they use a larger one with easy power. In the case of billiards, you can start with an LD shaft and learn to play with one, there is no need to start with a standard shaft and move to LD when one is better, just easier and more useful to start on LD and stay with LD. You just won't be able to adjust as easily when using a different shaft, but I would not suggest a beginner start with cue A then go to cue B when they are better outside of simple cost incase they don't like the game and stop playing. If someone can afford a $500 cue as a new player, and they know they want to stick with the game, I would not tell them not to get one.