In my experiences, I have done anything with a cheapo cue that I have done with my custom cues. The difference is that I don't like as much the FEEL the cheaper cues offer me as opposed to the cues that were made either to my specs, or were built to specs that I prefer.
Example: In my home cue rack there are eight cues. Now, I didn't want company or friends that don't have their own cues to use my trusty playing cues for fear of dings and scratches, so I filled the home cue rack up with cheap Rage, Viper, and Tournament Choice brand cues. Sometimes if I feel like popping a few balls around but I'm just too lazy to dig my cue out of the case and screw it together (not to mention the j/p's), I'll grab one off of the house rack. I've come to find out after 5-plus years of doing this, that I shoot just as well with these cheapo "house" cues as I do with my best cues. The difference once again is that they just do not feel as good in my hands or offer the feedback/vibrations that I want to feel from a cue. But as far as putting the balls in the hole, they are just fine.
I cannot, in my honest opinion, ever recommend someone purchasing a high-dollar cue for the sake of becoming a better ball pocketer, as there is no assurance that that will happen. All one really needs is a decent, straight butt with a shaft of good maple, tapered to one's preference, and a tip of one's choosing that holds chalk and doesn't deform every game or two.
FTR, a few of the cheapo cues I own actually have some fairly decent shaft wood on them. I've had (since sold) some Viper cues that I bought at Academy Sports & Outdoors that had really nice shafts and the butts were nothing to turn your nose up at (if you can see past the decals
). I'm talking about cues that were under $50 here. Had some Players cues that were well built with nice shaft wood (like I said in a previous post, I still have one that I will probably never sell). The people I eventually sold these cues to were estatic with them.
People are different. Not everybody will feel the same way as I do about what a person needs in cues. But, when it gets down to the real nitty-gritty, a pool cue has never missed a shot
!!!
Maniac
Example: In my home cue rack there are eight cues. Now, I didn't want company or friends that don't have their own cues to use my trusty playing cues for fear of dings and scratches, so I filled the home cue rack up with cheap Rage, Viper, and Tournament Choice brand cues. Sometimes if I feel like popping a few balls around but I'm just too lazy to dig my cue out of the case and screw it together (not to mention the j/p's), I'll grab one off of the house rack. I've come to find out after 5-plus years of doing this, that I shoot just as well with these cheapo "house" cues as I do with my best cues. The difference once again is that they just do not feel as good in my hands or offer the feedback/vibrations that I want to feel from a cue. But as far as putting the balls in the hole, they are just fine.
I cannot, in my honest opinion, ever recommend someone purchasing a high-dollar cue for the sake of becoming a better ball pocketer, as there is no assurance that that will happen. All one really needs is a decent, straight butt with a shaft of good maple, tapered to one's preference, and a tip of one's choosing that holds chalk and doesn't deform every game or two.
FTR, a few of the cheapo cues I own actually have some fairly decent shaft wood on them. I've had (since sold) some Viper cues that I bought at Academy Sports & Outdoors that had really nice shafts and the butts were nothing to turn your nose up at (if you can see past the decals

People are different. Not everybody will feel the same way as I do about what a person needs in cues. But, when it gets down to the real nitty-gritty, a pool cue has never missed a shot

Maniac
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