How do you compare two cues?

[GoldCrown]

Alternate sessions.
Sooner or later you will get into a zone with one of them ie. have a really good session.
Odds are that one will be your new favorite and that one will be the one that you get used to playing with.

Yep. There are no rules. The one you like/play best with is it. No different than golf clubs, bats, racquets, bowling, etc.

 

[Guy Manges]

I have two nice production cues that I want to make an objective and maybe subjective comparison of. One is a Predator SP2/Revo and the other is a Mezz EC9 with the Ignite shaft. I like both, but if I want to make a "true" assessment of which cue is better (for me), what kind of drills/shots could I use to definitively gage this? Both shafts are ultra low deflection and I don't need to make any major adjustments if I switch from one to another.

The reason for my post is although the Mezz is better visually, I feel it sometimes doesn't "listen" to me. With the Revo; my gripe is that on stroke shots it doesn't feel as good as the Ignite which has a nice thumpy hit.

inb4 "The shaft tapers/diameters are different" I am quite comfortable playing with both shafts, although sometimes I do feel I have to be a bit more accurate with the Ignite which is 12.2mm in contrast with the Revo which is 12.9

Advice? Opinions?

Is this like you have to sell one ? Whole different ball game... Guy

 

[Guy Manges]

I usually set one on the right side and one on the left.

What ever feels best wins

Best
Fatboy

I got a good one for you Eric, Your in NYC and SD has a 3.8 earth quake, playing 9 game . 9is up on line, Can quake ruin your game ? Guy

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Play pool with each.

Which do you like better?

There’s always one. Whether you want to admit it or not, you know which one it is…

Well I have two Cues in my Case, both weight same. Balance is different.

Both are ball sinkers, when I doing stuff 110% correct.

Had Cue by Ted Harris years ago, old friend who was SHOT STOP SPEED could do more like Draw Three Rails then I could with Cue.

Gentleman had more & better skills then me.

Most Cues are like good brand production rifles, shooters skill get best performance out of tool.

 

[garczar]

Very simple…….Do a comparison of the two cues using the same drills or set up shots.
Don’t just rely on a single day’s comparison playing with both cues. Do it over 3-4 days.

Some days you are going to feel and stroke different than the prior day, maybe better or not.
Personally, I have 7-8 drills I’ve used for decades. Notate on a chart your stats. How detailed
is totally up to you. You don’t need to do all your drills the same time day either. Ultimately,
you want to play a couple of racks of straight pool with no opponent either. This is the best.

Play 2 games of straight pool to 150 points with both cues. One game a day so that would
cover 4 days. This way every day’s comparison starts and ends the same way. Maybe give
yourself 15 mins of warm-up, or longer. The idea is to play pool the same way everyday. You
don’t want to play for an hour or longer and decide….OK, let me do one of the drills right now.

So in each game, keep stats and notes. How many innings should it take you? Guess before
you start. Don’t be surprised if you require more than you anticipated. How many times did
you average 0 balls, 1 ball, what’s your average balls per inning, how many break shots were
successful, bank shots attempted & bank shots completed, scratches, did you draw the ball
better with either cue, stop the ball better, shoot better long straight shots or cut shots, how
about follow shots, is deflection more apparent with either cue, what about controlling CB speed?
Easier, harder, more consistent, less consistent or in other words form a impression. Imagine you
we’re going to write a review of the cue for a billiard magazine. Show the readers what you know
and make it a fair comparison. After every rack, just rate your shot performance…..how many innings
were needed, highest run, missed shots( 0 run), BIH how many times & avg # balls in that inning.

Do it right and you likely know before you’ve completed the four game comparison which cue you
prefer and why. Do it wrong and you’ll still have a 50/50 chance of being right. What’s that saying?
Even a broken clock gets the time right twice a day. Actually, you can use any method you want to
decide but the only thing is to aim to be fair & objective which is hard to do since choosing is selective.

seriously?? do you ever answer with less than a novella? none of this story is required to figure out the OP's question. You hit with two cues and its blatantly obvious within 20-30 shots which one you prefer.

 

[Fatboy]

I got a good one for you Eric, Your in NYC and SD has a 3.8 earth quake, playing 9 game . 9is up on line, Can quake ruin your game ? Guy

Nah I’m used to earthquakes haha!

 

[GoldCrown]

I got a good one for you Eric, Your in NYC and SD has a 3.8 earth quake, playing 9 game . 9is up on line, Can quake ruin your game ? Guy

An ant belching could ruin my game

 

[fastone371]

An ant belching could ruin my game

Is that something similar to a gnat fart???

 

[GoldCrown]

Is that something similar to a gnat fart???

Gnat fart?..... one a Southerner would leave before bedtime?

 

[hang-the-9]

I have two nice production cues that I want to make an objective and maybe subjective comparison of. One is a Predator SP2/Revo and the other is a Mezz EC9 with the Ignite shaft. I like both, but if I want to make a "true" assessment of which cue is better (for me), what kind of drills/shots could I use to definitively gage this? Both shafts are ultra low deflection and I don't need to make any major adjustments if I switch from one to another.

The reason for my post is although the Mezz is better visually, I feel it sometimes doesn't "listen" to me. With the Revo; my gripe is that on stroke shots it doesn't feel as good as the Ignite which has a nice thumpy hit.

inb4 "The shaft tapers/diameters are different" I am quite comfortable playing with both shafts, although sometimes I do feel I have to be a bit more accurate with the Ignite which is 12.2mm in contrast with the Revo which is 12.9

Advice? Opinions?

There is nothing to do aside from your personal preference. Nothing anyone tells you should affect your own decision of what you want to play with. Sometimes it's hard to make a decision but asking random internet people about what you should like is not really the solution LOL It's called "normal life" and happens with every single thing. Do I get a higher paying job or stay where I like the people and the city, do I get the chicken or the steak, do I exercise or sit in and watch 3 hrs or movies... etc... etc... At some point a person just needs to decide and move on, it's not like you are going to be forced to use the cue till you die. If you think you made a bad choice, get the other one later. Or keep both now, or get a second shaft for whichever butt you like better. Between my son and I we have about 6-7 cue butts and double that in shafts, because sometimes it's hard to decide, or we just feel like using something else.

 

[Woodshaft]

Clearly the best way is to ask the people on AZ

Duh!!!

 

[spin-right-round]

After doing a bit of statistics, shooting pool with both, I still can’t decide
I think the fatter shaft inherently has more margin for an imperfect stroke, whereas the thinner one has absolutely no room for error, and is also less effective deflection than the Revo (which is already LD). But it can be a good thing when I’m shooting dead accurate with the Mezz because stroke shots not only land where they should but feel good also.

Keeping them both. Thank you all for the inputs.

 

[DaveK]

By height.

Dave

 

[Sealegs50]

A/B comparisons are too complicated. One choice may have more benefit initially, but the best option may need more extensive experience. I don’t choose between two. When I find something I like, I buy and decide later if I need to look farther.

 

[TheBasics]

spin-right-round, Howdy;

After doing a bit of statistics, shooting pool with both, I still can’t decide
I think the fatter shaft inherently has more margin for an imperfect stroke, whereas the thinner one has absolutely no room for error, and is also less effective deflection than the Revo (which is already LD). But it can be a good thing when I’m shooting dead accurate with the Mezz because stroke shots not only land where they should but feel good also.

Keeping them both. Thank you all for the inputs.

I don't think it would be possible to give a true evaluation of 2 cues, because they are
inherently 'different'. So would 2 cues made from the same tree's woods. They come from
different parts of the trees involved. They may weigh the same measure out the same, they
are just 'different'. Accept what you have, If they both shoot well for you, albeit on different
days then tote'em both along, arrive early see which is your cue-de-jour.

hank

 

[MajorMiscue]

After doing a bit of statistics, shooting pool with both, I still can’t decide
I think the fatter shaft inherently has more margin for an imperfect stroke, whereas the thinner one has absolutely no room for error, and is also less effective deflection than the Revo (which is already LD). But it can be a good thing when I’m shooting dead accurate with the Mezz because stroke shots not only land where they should but feel good also.

Keeping them both. Thank you all for the inputs.

There is no reason you should part with either of them.

 

[bbb]

i havent read all the replies but here is my 2 cents
its like having 2 girlfriends at the same time....
you spend time with both of them and very often eventually one means more to you than the other
jmho
icbw

 

[xX-Wizard-Xx]

i havent read all the replies but here is my 2 cents
its like having 2 girlfriends at the same time....
you spend time with both of them and very often eventually one means more to you than the other
jmho
icbw

or you discover polygamy and just cant choose and fear giving both up ... lmao

 

[philly]

After doing a bit of statistics, shooting pool with both, I still can’t decide
I think the fatter shaft inherently has more margin for an imperfect stroke, whereas the thinner one has absolutely no room for error, and is also less effective deflection than the Revo (which is already LD). But it can be a good thing when I’m shooting dead accurate with the Mezz because stroke shots not only land where they should but feel good also.

Keeping them both. Thank you all for the inputs.

I have never sold a cue that I have bought.
However I recently purchased a Revo 11. 5/16x 14 that I played with for about 20 hours total
and have gone back to my wood shafts.
It wasn't for me.
If anyone is interested in it I am looking to sell it.
Looking for $400.
Original purchase $500.
Switched out the original garbage tip.
It has a hard pressed Triangle on it now.

 

[Island Drive]

My answer to the OP, let a top pro from your area give you feedback.