Has a new cue actually helped you play better?

Yes and no.

No, because when I initially got my last cue - the more important part was the Ultimate Weapon shaft - it took me about 2 months to adjust. It was just too thin initially. So I switched back and forth between this 11.65mm and the 12.5 mm The Pro.

After about 6 months I definitely played better with the 11.65mm than I played with the fatter shafts BEFORE. I know for a fact that it was my tenacity and the fun I had playing with a new cue that made me practice a lot more. Now I keep up my practice schedule and I don't need to buy a newer cue :-)

Oh, and sometimes I go back to my old Meucci with a Black Dot shaft just for a game or two. I don't play any worse with that one now, either. I believe this only works because I was used to it for many years and it is not entirely different from the Ultimate Weapon shaft. Changing back and forth between entirely different shafts might not be possible as easily. In general terms I don't think it is a great idea to change shafts a lot. It is much better to keep up a strict practice routine.
 
It did for about 7 years...then my eyes got worse. That's not anybody's fault...it just is what it is. Still love my Keith Josey despite not being able to run 3-4 balls now. Nobody beats father time.
 
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Well just not any new cue. Has to be the right cue.

Weight, balance, tip ferrule, and length of the shaft.


With the right cue, it will work like a magic wand.

If you never had the right cue, you will never know.


Yes the pool cue makes a huge difference.





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Yes, a few years ago I bought a Pechauer that made my game better, but not immediately. I had been shooting for a couple of years with a very plain Meucci which I liked, but when I got a chance to buy a much fancier Pechauer at a great price I jumped on it. However, when I started shooting with the Pechauer I didn't like it and I didn't do as well with it as I did with the Meucci. They were identical lengths and very close in weight and balance, but the Pechauer hit was a lot firmer. I didn't like the feel of that and I definitely wasn't able to move the cue ball around like I could with the Meucci.

Rather than just stick the Pechauer in a closet or resell it I decided to shoot with it for at least several months to see if I could adapt to it's characteristics because I really liked the look of it. I wound up shooting with it a full year, and in that time I improved my stroke to the point that I could control the cue ball nearly as well as I had with the Meucci. I also learned to do more center-ball shooting, using speed more than spin to get the cue ball into position. I never did like the feel of the cue, though.

After that year I went back to my Meucci, and low and behold I could shoot a lot better with it than I had been able to before! The Meucci is definitely a better match for me in terms of feel and performance, but forcing myself to get better with the Pechauer made my game with the Meucci better as well.

BTW, its a bit off-topic, but the Meucci is about 6 years old now and still perfectly straight. It stays in my trunk year round, and I break with it, as I have always done with any of my playing cues. A lot of folks on here seem to have had troubles with Meucci quality, but I can say that hasn't been my experience.
 
garczar said:
The effect of new equipment has been studied closely with golfers and new putters. There IS a uptick in performance due to greater concentration/confidence but the effect doesn't last that long. Soon you go back to your normal game. We've all had that "new cue rush" and the dismay when it fades away.
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Yep, got back into pool, bought a new stick and loved it, for a month.
 
yes

As has been noted, mostly you get a short placebo effect with new equipment. However, the right cue, the right shotgun, the right pistol, fits you so perfectly it is magic, instantly an extension of your arm. Feels like part of you. Even my stock car got to feel thataway.

Back to pool cues, the one that really changed my game was a twelve ounce snooker cue! It was low deflection decades before I heard the term, vibrated like a tuning fork when I hit the cue ball, and that twelve ounces made it seem as if I had to do all the work unlike a heavier cue that can seem to move the cue ball effortlessly. It also had an early milk dud on it before they even had a name.

Having to do all the work and working on spot shape the stick required focus on every shot. Took months to master that stick. After I did I could pick up house cues wherever I went and duplicate the skill level after a few shots at most. I was undefeated both players using various mops, brooms, and any handles we found lying around too. Vilest thing I ever shot with was a big industrial mop that had been sitting in dirty sour water in a bar for weeks! Still won but it was tough holding my breath while I shot.

Lately I tried a friend's cue with an 11.8mm revo shaft on it. It had a plain diamondwood butt and the factory tip I believe. It shot very well for me on a snooker table with the smaller lighter balls. Might have shot better long term, might not. Joey's Bender built POW/MIA cue plays very well too. I think after enough decades in the game JoeyA knows what he wants in a cue!

Hu
 
If the one you have is a brick then getting a decent cue will definitely help but once you settle on a shaft diameter, weight and tip preference everything over $300 is diminishing returns.
 
Yes, but it was more do to it coincidentally having what my stroke/game needed as opposed to me just taking the time to adjust to it.

I dont buy cues looking for the holy grail of players. I buy a cue I like and then I will adjust to it over time. Some take longer then others. My current required very little adjustment and I felt like I was playing better with it right out the gates.
 
I have "big" cue that I'll use for a session here and there. Compared to my other cues it's about 4" longer, a few ounces heavier, and the tip is .5mm larger. It's very different from my other cues in most respects, and lined-up with the rest it even looks like a beast.

I play "fine" with the big cue. Occasionally even noticing it's "advantages" on certain shots. It's actually a nice change of pace.

However, the real advantage comes when I switch back to my regular cue. Suddenly it just feels perfect again, like a finely tuned instrument. This feeling had worn off after days/weeks of playing with it, but after switching for a session, then switching back, it's like BOOM! The appreciation is completely renewed.
 
From my experience, in this culture of pool that we all share and love I've seen three camps.

The camp of good players who don't care much about cues. They're a tool. They feel confident they can play good with anything (given enough time), and they can. They're good players, competitors, etc. I've known players who used cheap cues, cared less about the cues, and were real champions. They thought it was foolish to spend big bucks on a cue. Some of these champs had nicer cues, but knew they could play good with anything...and often ended up selling their expensive cues.

Then, there is the camp of dedicated cue collectors. Perhaps they come to pool later in life. They want to belong to this world of billiards. What can they do to build their esteem within this community? Well, they have the means to start buying expensive cues so they do. They may not know WHY they're good. They can't really play good or even have a true interest in the many games of billiards.They find great satisfaction when people OOOH and AAAH at their cues. They befriend like minded individuals and they'll meet up, and show off their expensive cues, and have a grand time. This is their way of becoming part of their strand of the billiards community and standing out. (Edited to state this isn't a blanket statement about all dedicated cue collectors. I didn't mean for it to come across as totally negative)

Then you have the chameleons who live within all genres....big collectors, good players, love big cues, a lifetime within this world we all enjoy. From my knowledge some of our biggest collectors fall into this category. Like the family who has the largest collection of Balabushkas and Szambotis...and some of the long time players/collectors like Will Prout. Pooky was also a straight up monster player/gambler who now is a cue nut. These are just a few I can think of right off hand.
 
JessEm said:
I have "big" cue that I'll use for a session here and there. Compared to my other cues it's about 4" longer, a few ounces heavier, and the tip is .5mm larger. It's very different from my other cues in most respects, and lined-up with the rest it even looks like a beast.

I play "fine" with the big cue. Occasionally even noticing it's "advantages" on certain shots. It's actually a nice change of pace.

However, the real advantage comes when I switch back to my regular cue. Suddenly it just feels perfect again, like a finely tuned instrument. This feeling had worn off after days/weeks of playing with it, but after switching for a session, then switching back, it's like BOOM! The appreciation is completely renewed.
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I know exactly what you mean.

When I practice at home, which is almost daily, I use a 60" standard maple shaft cue (high deflection), but when I play in league/tournaments I use a 60" custom cue (Larry Vigus) with an OB classic shaft.

The Vigus cue instantly gives me a felling of confidence which in turn allows me to play better pool. It IS like a finely tuned instrument.

Maniac
 
JessEm said:
I have "big" cue that I'll use for a session here and there. Compared to my other cues it's about 4" longer, a few ounces heavier, and the tip is .5mm larger. It's very different from my other cues in most respects, and lined-up with the rest it even looks like a beast.

I play "fine" with the big cue. Occasionally even noticing it's "advantages" on certain shots. It's actually a nice change of pace.

However, the real advantage comes when I switch back to my regular cue. Suddenly it just feels perfect again, like a finely tuned instrument. This feeling had worn off after days/weeks of playing with it, but after switching for a session, then switching back, it's like BOOM! The appreciation is completely renewed.
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I think you describe the effect really well here. It's not as if an unfamiliar cue makes you a better player long-term; rather, it helps you focus in on fundamentals more as you try to compensate for the unfamiliar feeling. A new cue just feels different--so in turn I think we naturally and perhaps unconsciously focus on the variables we can control like stance, grip, stroke, etc. since there are variables outside of our control from the new cue that we have to compensate for.

If you have a cheap cue, upgrading to a quality cue will absolutely improve your play both in the short and long term. But once you're at a certain point, there are diminishing returns and you're really just tricking your mind when you switch between cues. Whatever works though, right?
 
Black-Balled said:
Yes.

Had a cue from a pretty well known maker that was a noodle and I never could figure out why, but deviate from center-ball and you might as well close your eyes and spin around 3x before you shoot.

Got a diveney and the world was right again.
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Interesting. I thought Diveney's were known to be thin but only medium stiff in taper.
 
logical said:
If the one you have is a brick then getting a decent cue will definitely help but once you settle on a shaft diameter, weight and tip preference everything over $300 is diminishing returns.
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noob here, but I'm rockin with this- and adding cue height, taper, and balance point to the list.
 
garczar said:
The effect of new equipment has been studied closely with golfers and new putters. There IS a uptick in performance due to greater concentration/confidence but the effect doesn't last that long. Soon you go back to your normal game. We've all had that "new cue rush" and the dismay when it fades away.
Click to expand...

This is very good answer and almost 100% true.

I would add that some cues make it way easier to manipulate with cue ball so its easier to draw and control cue ball be it because of cue balance, taper, weight or something else (will exclude tip).

Also some cues are better for cutting long shots to the side pocket while some give better feeling when shooting long shots where object ball is close to the rail, its taper that makes this difference.

I had McDermott, Joss, Viking, Schon and several other cues in search for a magic cue and almost gave up searching for perfect cue until I took advice from this forum and bought Mezz. That cue made me better player, I was capable of making lots of shots with confidence. Soon I sold it to look for even better ones and im still doing it, it become my new hobby.

Custom cues play better as long as cue maker took job seriously and selected top grade shaft wood. Right now im playing with Lambros that plays perfect.
 
i know one thing
everytime i losea big match,i sell my cue

i hate to play with a cue that starts dogging

i hate to admit it but most of my cues were playing pretty good till i jacked the bet

then they started dogging it
so i got another cue,i always have a few,and start over

a fresh start is a good thing

on another subject
many the time i have not been happy with my cue so i switch to one i like and i playbetter


i play terrible unless i like my cue
i like certain things such as tip,non pro taper,

nemic made me a deano cue with a big wood pin,billiard taper,smooth handle

i stated shooting better right way

i let it get away thinking i could get another one,but john didn't want to make me another one


there are other good cues i play good with vigus,schon ,mttey,owen,runde,south west
drexler

i prefer these to everything else,why i don't know for sure,schons are different from south west but both are easy to play with

tomorrow i have a Drexler coming,i am willing to bet that i play good with it right away
some way or another he knows what plays best for different types of players
 
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