How important is having your own cue?

Zphix

Zphix

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey guys --- title pretty much says it all =P

Currently I play with a 19 oz. 12.5mm turned down shaft made by Dufferin and that's my standard cue when playing.

Some players stress the importance of having your own cue - but how important is it really?

Does it affect playability? or English? or anything like that?
 
Zphix said:
Hey guys --- title pretty much says it all =P

Currently I play with a 19 oz. 12.5mm turned down shaft made by Dufferin and that's my standard cue when playing.

Some players stress the importance of having your own cue - but how important is it really?

Does it affect playability? or English? or anything like that?
Click to expand...

Is this a house cue that you use? When I was a kid, we used to hide our favorite house cues so we would have them when we played, under the table, on top of the light, in the broom closet, wherever other bangers couldn't choose it. Dufferin house cues and two piece cues hit pretty darn good. As for whether or not you should have your own cue, I think most on here (and I) would say definitely, your own cue will do a lot for your game. Familiarity with the cue, its weight, balance, hit, etc. will make it seem like a part of your body, and you'll shoot better in the long run. You'll still shoot good with a house cue, but your own cue will play much better for you. Whatever it is, so long as it's a good quality, soundly built cue, you'll come to love that feel and will search for it with every cue you buy in the future, with minor adjustments you run across that work best for you. My personal shooter is perfect for me, you might hate it. Same as in all things in life.

There's a famous story of Larry Liscotti (the straight pool player from the '60s-'70s)...Somebody might know the story better than me and correct me, but here goes...he was tearing it up as a teenager shooting with a slightly warped house cue conversion. His father decided to buy him a Balabushka, and took him to Long Island to put in an order with George. Larry wanted a sneaky pete made that would have the exact same wobble in it (!). Balabushka refused to make a warped cue, but finally relented after the young Liscotti insisted. It cost him (IIRC) about $100. He would later buy a much higher end Balabushka, I don't think it wobbled! The point is, he found his "perfect" cue as a teenager and when given the opportunity to have a custom cue made by the greatest maker ever, he chose a carbon copy of the piece of junk he was shooting with from the beginning. It wasnt' junk to him, but what he preferred at the time.
 
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House cues

West Point 1987 said:
Is this a house cue that you use? When I was a kid, we used to hide our favorite house cues so we would have them when we played, under the table, on top of the light, in the broom closet, wherever other bangers couldn't choose it. Dufferin house cues and two piece cues hit pretty darn good. As for whether or not you should have your own cue, I think most on here (and I) would say definitely, your own cue will do a lot for your game. Familiarity with the cue, its weight, balance, hit, etc. will make it seem like a part of your body, and you'll shoot better in the long run. You'll still shoot good with a house cue, but your own cue will play much better for you. Whatever it is, so long as it's a good quality, soundly built cue, you'll come to love that feel and will search for it with every cue you buy in the future, with minor adjustments you run across that work best for you. My personal shooter is perfect for me, you might hate it. Same as in all things in life.

There's a famous story of Larry Liscotti (the straight pool player from the '60s-'70s)...Somebody might know the story better than me and correct me, but here goes...he was tearing it up as a teenager shooting with a slightly warped house cue conversion. His father decided to buy him a Balabushka, and took him to Long Island to put in an order with George. Larry wanted a sneaky pete made that would have the exact same wobble in it (!). Balabushka refused to make a warped cue, but finally relented after the young Liscotti insisted. It cost him (IIRC) about $100. He would later buy a much higher end Balabushka, I don't think it wobbled! The point is, he found his "perfect" cue as a teenager and when given the opportunity to have a custom cue made by the greatest maker ever, he chose a carbon copy of the piece of junk he was shooting with from the beginning. It wasnt' junk to him, but what he preferred at the time.
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Your opening story sure brought back some memories.

I played with house cues from '55 to '68. The last year before I bought my first cue, I picked up more than four grand playing with a "wall" cue...mostly at one and two dollars a game!

Even after I had a cue, I would usually go into a new bar without it...back then just carrying a cue would cost you action!

Speaking of warped cues, I had a buddy who played with a severely warped cue. He adjusted by always using the same bridge, and turning the cue to achieve a different hit on the cue ball. Sounds crazy, but he was a pretty decent player and was MVP on the first VNEA National Champion team!
 
Zphix said:
Hey guys --- title pretty much says it all =P

Currently I play with a 19 oz. 12.5mm turned down shaft made by Dufferin and that's my standard cue when playing.

Some players stress the importance of having your own cue - but how important is it really?

Does it affect playability? or English? or anything like that?
Click to expand...

If you want to play at your full ability without the equipment telling you what you can do, yes you need your own cue. Not having one is equal to playing on all sorts of different tables. One has a roll to the left, another to the right, one has a dead rail, one has 4 dead rails and one that is fast, one has a pocket cut wrong, one is 7 foot, another is 8 foot, one has a rip, etc...

If you are already a Pro level player, you can probably play at a Pro level with almost any cue out there, if the shaft is similar to what you play with, as long as you keep sane amounts of spin on. If you are a C player and you start playing with 10 different cues a month, you will have a tougher time getting better.
 
Sounds like you already use a "personal" cue unless the hall you play in has nothing but customized house cues available. Do you use it all the time? If you do then theres not much sense in getting another one.
 
DAVE - I definitely play enough for a personal cue. I spend at least 15 hours a week playing and practicing, and more often than not it's over 20 hours a week (and would be even more if I had more money to spend freely). 5-12 P.M. twice a week on league, 11 am - 6pm every other week for $10 special, and an hour or two when I immediately want to practice something I've learned or seen.

JBB - It is the cue I use all the time - I'm about the only player who uses a house cue and I immediately look for the one I shoot with on the wall. Most players don't recognize the difference in the shaft turn down and grab whatever they see first (and usually grab the 20s and 21 oz cues).
 
Playing with the same cue all the time will allow you to know how the cue will react all the time. Different cues react differently, despite what some people will say.
 
metallicane said:
Bada bing, we have a winner.
Click to expand...

Hells yeah, now we're talkin. Taking this home to the g/f.

consistency.jpg
 
it makes a big difference to me
and since just about every player of reputation
has their own cue

it would seem like this issue has been settled
 
If you bring your nice cue into some places, do you also have your own bridge that slips onto another cue? One scratch was enough for me to buy one. I take my own chalk also.

When I don't have my own cue, and can't find a decent tip on the house cues, I prefer not to play. A little wobble can be tolerated if the tip is in good shape.
 
A certain amount of pride comes with ownership of a personal Cue, much like
a custom fit bowling ball, a pair of perfectly fitted ski's, a personal baseball bat,
and for me ... Hand-crafted Firearms for Competition.

Also, when my Son and I build a Custom HotRod or Muscle Car for someone
I usually ask "How fast do you want to go" ? That will determine how much
you need to spend.

It's not that finite when it comes to Pool Cues, though. There are lots of great
playing cues out there in the $100-$300 range. More importantly (at least to me)
is the quality and playability of the Tips on my Cues. Once you find that "perfect"
Tip it will help to improve your game and become more consistent (as mentioned).
 
I think it's vital, personally. Sounds to me like you already have one in that you seek out the same cue each time. What happens when and if you venture out to another room though? All that familiarity and consistency is left behind. Even custom cue owners go through a level of inconsistency every single time they change a tip. Playing house cues all the time, every time is akin to changing your tip to some different brand every time you play.
 
You should definitely have your own cue. Could you imagine a chef not having their own knives? A more than once a decade golfer using rental clubs? Bowler using a house ball? No you can't. They want their equipment to be a known quantity that gives them the best chance for success. Same in pool.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
And yes, I agree with taking your own bridge head, chalk, scuffer etc. anything to minimize the variables you'll have to overcome that can inhibit the consistency you're used to.
 
Zphix said:
DAVE - I definitely play enough for a personal cue. I spend at least 15 hours a week playing and practicing, and more often than not it's over 20 hours a week (and would be even more if I had more money to spend freely). 5-12 P.M. twice a week on league, 11 am - 6pm every other week for $10 special, and an hour or two when I immediately want to practice something I've learned or seen.

JBB - It is the cue I use all the time - I'm about the only player who uses a house cue and I immediately look for the one I shoot with on the wall. Most players don't recognize the difference in the shaft turn down and grab whatever they see first (and usually grab the 20s and 21 oz cues).
Click to expand...

Zphix,

If you're playing 15 hours a week and in two leagues I would definitely recommend that you get your own personal cue. You also said that you go practice things you have learned or seen. That tells me you are committed to improving your game. Make another commitment to yourself and your game by buying yourself a cue. It doesn't need to be anything fancy to start with. I am on my second cue, which is a Viking that I bought at a pawn shop for $120.

Having my own cue allows me to trust my equipment. I play with it regularly and know how well it is maintained. Having my own cue is one less variable that I have to worry about when I play.
 
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