Lambros
Mike Lambros has his own interpretation of how a cue should play. I copied this from his website and have used it in the past, seems like a pretty good test to me so I have pasted it below:
Lambros Tip #1: How to Test Any Cue
Here is a very simple test that any player can do with any cue, to help get a feel for how well or how poorly the given cue is designed and constructed. This test is structured for a pool table, but something similar can easily be done on a carom table, too.
Place an object ball on the center spot of a table. Now place the cue ball on the head string (or foot string), such that the two balls form a straight-in shot to the corner pocket.
Next, take your stance and stroke the cue ball in to the object ball, with just enough force so that the object ball barely reaches the pocket. For this test, it is not important whether or not the object ball goes in the pocket. What is important, is for the player to remember what the cue felt like in the hands and what it sounded like to the ears.
Next, set up the exact same shot and shoot towards the pocket. But this time, use a full force, break-shot speed stroke. Once again, remember what the cue felt like in the hands and what it sounded like to the ears.
The cue should feel and sound exactly the same for both shots. If the cue vibrates more during the more forceful stroke, or makes any audible noises like a "tink" or a "groan", then there is a flaw in that cue's design and/or construction. For these vibrations and noises that you feel, are energy from your stroke, being wasted by the cue, which is very undesirable trait.
Mike Lambros has his own interpretation of how a cue should play. I copied this from his website and have used it in the past, seems like a pretty good test to me so I have pasted it below:
Lambros Tip #1: How to Test Any Cue
Here is a very simple test that any player can do with any cue, to help get a feel for how well or how poorly the given cue is designed and constructed. This test is structured for a pool table, but something similar can easily be done on a carom table, too.
Place an object ball on the center spot of a table. Now place the cue ball on the head string (or foot string), such that the two balls form a straight-in shot to the corner pocket.
Next, take your stance and stroke the cue ball in to the object ball, with just enough force so that the object ball barely reaches the pocket. For this test, it is not important whether or not the object ball goes in the pocket. What is important, is for the player to remember what the cue felt like in the hands and what it sounded like to the ears.
Next, set up the exact same shot and shoot towards the pocket. But this time, use a full force, break-shot speed stroke. Once again, remember what the cue felt like in the hands and what it sounded like to the ears.
The cue should feel and sound exactly the same for both shots. If the cue vibrates more during the more forceful stroke, or makes any audible noises like a "tink" or a "groan", then there is a flaw in that cue's design and/or construction. For these vibrations and noises that you feel, are energy from your stroke, being wasted by the cue, which is very undesirable trait.
