Has switching cues/shafts made a significant difference in your game?
- Thread starter Bob Callahan
- Start date
Absolutely, yes!
I stopped playing with the house cue with the narrow shaft and the one inch dent just below the ferrule. It gave me the weird feeling when I stroked that the shaft was crooked although it isn't.
I switched to the house cue with the slightly larger diameter shaft that shows just a little light underneath the shaft when I roll it on a table. My shotmaking has improved 30% with the same number of miscues.
I stopped playing with the house cue with the narrow shaft and the one inch dent just below the ferrule. It gave me the weird feeling when I stroked that the shaft was crooked although it isn't.
I switched to the house cue with the slightly larger diameter shaft that shows just a little light underneath the shaft when I roll it on a table. My shotmaking has improved 30% with the same number of miscues.
Voted no!
like Softshot said
"wood cannot change bad lines to good lines or vice versa.."
What everyones game would increase, if the player would invest time in table-time and practice and getting perfectly *fit* with his cue- no matter if it s laminated or non-laminated, LD or non LD.
It s a fact, that laminated shafts has their advantages- but on the other side also disadvantages. But however-before the year 2000 i heard that some players could shoot some balls, too ^^ without laminated cues and laminated tips
lg
Ingo
like Softshot said
"wood cannot change bad lines to good lines or vice versa.."
What everyones game would increase, if the player would invest time in table-time and practice and getting perfectly *fit* with his cue- no matter if it s laminated or non-laminated, LD or non LD.
It s a fact, that laminated shafts has their advantages- but on the other side also disadvantages. But however-before the year 2000 i heard that some players could shoot some balls, too ^^ without laminated cues and laminated tips
lg
Ingo
I have a buddy that swears that the predator Z shaft has improved his game ( or got it back to where it was 35yrs ago...lol ). I cant spin the ball with a predator and pocket the OB. But, my game did improve when I switched to a much lighter cue. In the " old " days, on wool cloth with less lively balls and 5 1/2 oz cue balls, you needed a heavy cue to move the CB ( 19 1/2 - 20 1/2 oz was the norm in the 60's and 70's for most players I knew...and me...lol ). I had JOSS cues make me a 19 3/4 oz cue in 1974 ( which I still have ). I played as good as I could play with it from 74-80. I " retired " in 1980 and didnt play until 1989. I came back to pool in rooms using 760 and 860 cloth. I had problems with the heavy cue ( broke well ..lol ). Later in the 90's the 6 oz cue balls showed up and I had more trouble. Lucky for me, an old friend was back in the cue business in baltimore ( Bob Frey ). I went to Bob and we worked on a new cue made to the same specs as my JOSS ( 28in butt...27 1/2 in shafts ....57 1/2 total cue length ). But we made it lighter at 19oz. Good idea, but still to heavy ( problem was overpowering the CB ). WE fooled around with it until HE got it right...lol. It is now 18.48oz ( yea..Bob went digital ) and plays great. I have 3 of Bob's cues made to my specs between 18.48oz and 18.59oz and they all play great ( cost from $300-$2200 ). As long as pool tables stay fast, theses cues will work ( if it gets any faster...I'l have to quit...lol )
Good luck all
Good luck all
I had Bud Diehl make me a cue to my specs last year and had it mated to an unused D2 shaft. I had the butt made with a very small taper so it feels the same until you get to the butt cap. The cue is also forward weighted so it feels like it has a perfect balance. Something about the way it was put together just makes it so sweet. I can move the cue ball with ease when I play with that cue. Every other cue I use makes it feel like work.
I agree with the other guy. It is just a matter of finding a cue that feels good and makes you enjoy playing. If it feels good and you find yourself making balls you'll want to play more pool.
Clay's (Gunnslinger) Bob Frey cue is about as nice as they come.
Clay's (Gunnslinger) Bob Frey cue is about as nice as they come.
I have yet to see a cue that can turn a bad line into a good one
You seem pretty set on your opinions here, and I don't care to argue with you. But simply put - Some cues you come across just feel like they're a part of your arm, some don't. If you don't think that a person would play better with a cue that just feels "right" in their hand - then I'm going to have to disagree. And it's not because the cue itself is better, but the level of comfortability most people who know what a good cue feels like recognize immediately when they play with a good cue.
I'm sure several of the posters here can attest, when you have that dream cue that plays just the way you like and it feels like an extension of your arm, you hit shots with more confidence, and that leads to better overall play.
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dom_poppa
Banned
Always was a pretty good player...when I purchased my first cue, I improved dramatically. Then that cue got stolen and I purchased a Jacoby production cue...that Jacoby made my game worse because it hit like crap. Traded that thing for a Falcon...it shot well but my game stayed the same. Sold that crap and played with a house cue for the next 3 years.
Finally this year, I have started playing pool again and bought a custom Jacoby and this cue is the best hitting cue that I ever shot with and I have shot with a lot of higher end cues. This cue has definitely improved my game.
I past on a Tim Scruggs that someone try to sell to me for $700 because I didn't like how they shooot.
Finally this year, I have started playing pool again and bought a custom Jacoby and this cue is the best hitting cue that I ever shot with and I have shot with a lot of higher end cues. This cue has definitely improved my game.
I past on a Tim Scruggs that someone try to sell to me for $700 because I didn't like how they shooot.
I'm just looking for consistency and low squirt. Each time I changed, I think my game improved. First, a 314 (for about 5 years) then an OB Classic (for about a year) , now a Tiger Pro X (for about 8 months).
I have no intention of changing from the Tiger Pro X - it does everything I want, gives precise feedback and I have 100% confidence in the shaft. For my stroke, it's "just right". It took several motnhs to completely adapt to the smaller tip, but I'm sure glad I made the change to tjhe Tiger. I have two and they play identical - the only difference is tip feel.
My game improved because I will play a greater variety of spins with confidence. I don't feel a need to avoid any shot because my shaft might react unpredictably. If I had to switch to a house cue, for example, believe me there are a lot of shots I would avoid altogether.
Chris
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There are two areas (and 2 alone), that I think get necessarily weaker with the low deflection cues. One is playing with unknown and house cues, two is slight curve masse shots. For me, those have been the only two areas my game has weakened-- and the advantages far outweight ths disadvantages for me.
Surpisingly....Yes
I just went from a custom made R series Schon cue from 1983 that was 20oz and had Micarta ferrules (13mm & 12.75mm) to a 70's Joss West that's 19 oz and has ivory ferrules...(13.2 mm & 12.75mm). Both cues have stainless joints with a 516-14 thread. And yes, over the last 30 days of playing with the Joss West (only got the cue a month ago), I found that my cue ball control has improved, and the overall feel of the cue seems to have a softer hit & feel with the Joss West vs Schon. The Schon cue shafts have Moori medium tips and the Joss West shafts have Le Pro tips and I'm not sure about the hardness. However, based upon how the tip reshaped, I'd guess the hardness to also be a medium. For me, there's definitely a difference in hit, feel, playability, deflection, speed control (especially when playing a safety shot) and the overall application of English to obtain cue ball control for position play. Anyway, that's what my experience has been so far.
I just went from a custom made R series Schon cue from 1983 that was 20oz and had Micarta ferrules (13mm & 12.75mm) to a 70's Joss West that's 19 oz and has ivory ferrules...(13.2 mm & 12.75mm). Both cues have stainless joints with a 516-14 thread. And yes, over the last 30 days of playing with the Joss West (only got the cue a month ago), I found that my cue ball control has improved, and the overall feel of the cue seems to have a softer hit & feel with the Joss West vs Schon. The Schon cue shafts have Moori medium tips and the Joss West shafts have Le Pro tips and I'm not sure about the hardness. However, based upon how the tip reshaped, I'd guess the hardness to also be a medium. For me, there's definitely a difference in hit, feel, playability, deflection, speed control (especially when playing a safety shot) and the overall application of English to obtain cue ball control for position play. Anyway, that's what my experience has been so far.
I think almost anything new you buy for pool gives you the placebo efect for awhile, plus we don't want to admit we spent money that really didn't change our game for the better at all. We tend to focus more with new stuff wanting it to work. JMO. Johnnyt