My take..sorry so long...
Cue collecting 101:
- Any time you buy a cue to "reward" yourself, put it away in your closet for at least 28-days, then hit a rack or two and forget you own it.
- Never allow the temptation of buying unnecessary billiard related items affect your game.
- Learn by the mistakes of others>>:smile:
In other words, just because you have a bunch of cues, you don't have to play with them.
For instance, I've got 5-dozen different tip shapers but I don't go around shaping tips all day>>
Ted..nice post...I absolutely agree and like your take on things. Collector's guilt/buyers remorse especially
over cues you really wanted or wanted to make a player can be a mo-fo to get over. I'll try your advice
To the OP... Nothing wrong with rewarding yourself with a new cue that you really like and it doesn't
have to become the new daily player. I've also over time collected some cues thinking they were to be
the new player I really wanted to use, to soon put them in a case, only occasionally taken out as a main
shooter. I think I brought them out at times from the odd feeling of not wanting to have something that
isn't getting used
. I used to even rotate cues in my case to make sure that I used them all. There is
something at the table to appreciate about every cue I have acquired but I no longer pull them out all
the time. I've settled on the ones that feel good and I stroke well with to be in my playing case. It's
really hard to win if you let things like slightly uncomfortably thick or thin shaft tapers or butts, fear of
dinging the cue, or odd cue feedback in feel or noise get in the way. If the cue fits you, I think it's at least
a little easier to get into that very happy place we all call the zone. That's why I am now at the try before
I buy phase or only buy cues from specific makers that I know hit my playing comfort zone when making
their products. I recently purchased a cue used that came back on the radar for me that I had tried new 15
to 16 years ago at the dealer. It hits as sweet as I remembered and it is now my daily player taking the top
spot in my case
Of course a good player can adjust to and play with anything but I say if you're going to
spend your cash to own the equipment it might as well be something that's enjoyable to play with especially
if you appreciate the feeling and sound of the game.
A good guideline for whether or not to acquire a new playing cue, is if that new cue doesn't deeply impress
you in fit, balance, feel and performance therefore making you want to put your other cues away to
only shoot with that one cue, then continue to shoot with the one that DOES until you find another one
that builds on that good feeling or hits the same comfort zone you reserve for your player.
The cues you get might all be real players but there will always be cues that will feel better to you even
if it's just a tiny bit. The way I look at it, all cues will put a ball in the hole well if you have a straight
repeatable stroke and good aiming skills. Some will do so more efficiently, some will feel better
or even perfect to you, some will look better while pocketing those balls and may even feel better too
but what counts is which one can you forget is in your hands while you're shooting and just keep your
game sharp.
Good shooting to you,
Kevin
