Explain cues to me please part 2

Sell the Schon. You were talking about Karma the other day and if you really believe in it then believe that you won it so that you can afford to invest in your game. Dave is 100% right. Cues come and go but skill must be earned. With skill you can walk into any tournament and be a threat to win it. Without skill you are just another guy with a fancy cue who is donating to the prize fund.

I regret selling a few cues in my life but not so much that I would give up the resulting experiences they paid for.
 
Well I guess the answer to your question depends alot on how dedicated you are to improving and how well you play now. Are you in a league(apa, tap,bca) or any thing that would give you a skill rating? Novice can mean alot of things. If you are absolutely incapable of running 3 balls then yes, by all means sell the schon and get help with your fundamentals in a pool school. However if you have a good grasp of the basics, keep your nice schon and practice with it daily. Find some players in your area (perhaps join a league if you arent in one) that are a little better than you and play with them. Also consider watching some dvds of the pros playing, nothing helps more than watching the best and learning from them- patterns, decision making, safeties, etc. Long story short- Don't sell your schon unless you are absolutely in desperate need of instruction, you will regret it.

I owned a schon for a while, had a custom cue made and GAVE IT AWAY like a dumbass. My father has it now, I can still pick it up and play lights out, man they are nice cues.
 
Well I guess the answer to your question depends alot on how dedicated you are to improving and how well you play now. Are you in a league(apa, tap,bca) or any thing that would give you a skill rating? Novice can mean alot of things. If you are absolutely incapable of running 3 balls then yes, by all means sell the schon and get help with your fundamentals in a pool school. However if you have a good grasp of the basics, keep your nice schon and practice with it daily. Find some players in your area (perhaps join a league if you arent in one) that are a little better than you and play with them. Also consider watching some dvds of the pros playing, nothing helps more than watching the best and learning from them- patterns, decision making, safeties, etc. Long story short- Don't sell your schon unless you are absolutely in desperate need of instruction, you will regret it.

I owned a schon for a while, had a custom cue made and GAVE IT AWAY like a dumbass. My father has it now, I can still pick it up and play lights out, man they are nice cues.
You shot real well with it if u werent busy smashing in Valley Forge...
 
Well, I own 3 Schons and love them all. I have a Schon jointed OB2 shaft and will likely get another for the off-chance of a needed spare.


Having said that, I agree with everyone who suggests selling and spending that money on some good personal instruction. But with one caveat.

The personal instruction is really the best thing to do if you are new to pool and are not reaching your potential at the table due to flaws in your mechanics. A teacher will show how to play so that you get the most from your game as it is now, then all you do is learn to play smarter. Which a teacher can also help with, but at some point you must learn to rely on yourself, and what shots you are comfortable with.

If you've been playing pool for a while and have a well grounded game mechanically, I'd say keep the Schon, and focus on playing smarter. You can learn that for little or no money by:

Practicing
Watching skilled players
Reading forums like this
Reading books or watching DVD's


Above all, nothing and I mean NOTHING will ever replace practice on your part. A teacher can tell you what you are doing right and wrong, but he/she will never be able to step into your body and make your hands do what they can do. Good pool is a result of a practiced stroke coupled with a thoughtful approach to a table.
 
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My .02

I truthfully will say this and its my humble opinion.



No matter what you do, no matter which cue you sale or keep, no matter who you take instruction from, no matter what you play with You will only improve at the rate of your dedication to the game. I personally have never taken lessons from an instructor, I've had lessons from the other side of the coin. Learning by figuring out what works, what doesnt work, gambling and taking risks. Not suggesting that you do this but honestly i learned when I first started playing and Practiced every single day for at least 2 hours a day that My game improved immensly, when I let my play nosedive due to work and other issues my game nosedived. You will progress at a rate parallel to the investment you provide.


Will lessons boost your learning curve? If you invest the time to practice what they teach and preach then yes. Will dvd's and books help? Amazingly so, but for my personality and learning type I have to do it my way which is to set it up 100 times until one goes and I recreate it and try to remember.


It's entirely up to you and to be honest. You shouldn't sell a cue you value, or love to take lessons at the whim of several opinionated people like us.
 
This is how I would do this if it were me, but it ain't me so these only suggestions/opinions.

If you think that somewhere down the line you are going to want another cue than the Lucasi, but may never be able to afford it, then I'd keep the Schon. The Schon is the last cue you may ever need, if taken well care of.

I have a Lucasi and NEVER feel disadvantaged when I pull it out of the case to use it.

I took lessons from a certified BCA instructor for two days at a cost of $600. While the instructions helped my game, I don't feel as though I got $600 worth. Day 2 was a total waste, IMO.

I would see if there is a good player locally who may give you free or cheap instructions on whatever you need to work on. If you were near my home, I'd give you free lessons up to a certain degree of my own skills/abilities.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!! I thought I would reach a plateau with my playing because of my age (almost 57). Although my learning rate has slowed down, I still see my game progressing. This is due to countless hours of practice. Play all that you can.

If you are not in a league, then join one. You will learn much by watching the better players when they match up. Many are willing to answer questions you may have about a shot/shots they took during their match, once their match is over. A warning here: It is recommended to NOT approach the player who has just LOST their match ;).


Hope this post helps you some. Good luck with whatever decision you go with. It sounds to me like it's gonna be a win-win decision no matter how you go!!!

Maniac
 
First off... It's a cue. Just because it happens to be partially made of wood does not make it a STICK!!!

[/ok pet peeve greveance aired.]

Well, I'm not a collector of cues, so I'd say if (and its a big if) you find the correct instructor, you would be much better off.

I wish I could afford some instruction. I've been playing for nearly 50 yrs. with 14.1 being my favorite game. I'm a 40 - 50 ball runner with a rare occasional higher run showing up.

If I could afford an instructor, I wouldn't consider one who couldn't run more balls than me on a regular basis and be a great instructor to boot. But that's just how I look at it.

Now, as for the pet peeve about calling it a stick.... LOL, that's just what it is according to the dictionary. Please note #1 letter "d"

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/stick :shrug:
 
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I play at least a couple hours a day. I am getting better. I am sure my mechanics could use some work. my eye for cut shots I am happy with 90% of the time. My ball control sucks, If I try to play any kind side spin I usually miss the ball. but is getting a little better. Bank shots and combo shots are my weak spots.

I will read and use dvd's for now and try to post some video of my stroke. Thanks Everyone.
 
All this advice about selling the schon and taking lessons is is 99% of the time youll sell the cue and spend the money.all the time if you watch people thats how it happens everyone says not me bs enjoy
 
I have decided to keep the Schon and get lessons at some point down the road. I never thought I would own a cue that would cost as much as this Schon. I will keep it as I have been provided with books and dvd's and even a good case coming. So after reading everyone's advice and thinking about it I have decided to play with the cards I was dealt so to speak. I think things happen for a reason and to many things fell together to make it all happen this way.

Thanks everyone
 
lessons vs cue

Ok I got a lot of replies in my first part. Now I will tell you why I ask.

I own a Lucasi its straight and 19oz. The taper feels nice. It retails right now for $151. I can not blame the stick for any bad play.

I also had a cheap cue bottom of the line that I sometimes break with at home. Its ferral is cracked and has duct tape around it and has a flat tip thats almost worn down to the ferral. Its warped as well. Yet it breaks the balls harder and leaves them spread out better than any other stick I have. Why I have no idea?

Now I just won a Schon CX-36 which is no longer made but seems to probably be a $600-$800 stick.

Now my mind is debating whether to keep the schon which might give me a little confidence knowing I have a good stick. OR selling the stick to help with getting some professional instruction. Pride says keep the stick but the logical part of my brain (and my shooting) says I would benefit more from the lessons. Chances are the only way I will ever own another $500 stick is to save my money for a year or more.

So in a nutshell. is a lower level player better off keeping a $500 stick because he may never be able to afford another or is he better off getting lessons and continuing to play with his $150 stick.

Lessons will make an infinitely greater contribution to your learning curve.
 
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