I'm disappointed with my new cue

It needs to be blessed! Here it is

are you sure it is a tim scruggs cue because everyone knows that pros play with tim scrugg cues and that no pros ever miss a ball when they are playing with there tim sruggs cue that is if the pro has the original shaft on their tim sruggs cue;)
 
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I think another main problem that adds to it is that not only do you expect to play just as well as you did before, you expect to play better. When I swapped out my stock viking shaft with an OB-1 a couple weeks ago I figured I'd go to a pool table and be on fire so I was dissapointed when I breiefly played worse in the time it took to get used to a very different shaft.
 
P.S. So far as the deflection of various shafts goes, I don't see any specifications or testing of deflection for "regular shafts" by manufacturers. They use various pieces of wood to make their shafts. Wood comes from trees which can grow differently depending on the weather.

Wood can have more density (heavier) or have less density (less weight).

The density (mass) of the shaft in the first 5 or 6 inches will change cue ball deflection.

Here is a little experiment I did. I unscrewed the shafts from various cues I have in my pool room. Then I placed just the tip of each shaft on my accurate scale (the joint end resting on the table).

Here are the various weights...
(This is not very scientific, but should get the point across.)

Predator 314 shaft A: 1.5 oz
Predator 314 shaft B: 1.55 oz
Predator 314 shaft C: 1.5 oz

Regular shaft A: 1.7 oz
Regular shaft B: 1.6 oz
Regular shaft C: 1.8 oz
Regular shaft D: 2.65 oz ("Laser Cue")

You can see that the predator 314 shafts were all pretty much the same. So they would have the same cue ball deflection (squirt) when using the same shape tip.

But the weights of the "regular shafts" were all over the place. Cue ball deflection (squirt) would be different for each shaft! You would need to aim differently for each shaft when using english. FYI these "house cues" I have are in the price range of $60 to $150.

For the "Einstein" types, here is the scientific stuff about shafts and cue ball deflection (squirt)...

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Cue Ball Squirt, But Were Afraid to Ask...
http://www.sfbilliards.com/Shepard_squirt.pdf
 
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It Ain't The Arrow!
It's The Indian!!

(any native american's please excuse me this is not to be taken derogatively...)
Dan
 
Steve Stough said:
I recently went to valley forge and picked up a Tim Scruggs titlist cue, when I first saw the cue I was hooked on buying it and I did, when I played 6 hours with it in 2 nites my opinion of the cue was complete the opposite, the first shaft the first nite was nothing but missed shots, missed kicks, I could not run out from the 7 ball(complete nitemare) the second nite with the second shaft was the same, constant pain of watching my decent game playing with a cuetec go right down the toilet, here I invested money in a custom cue that I felt has no playabilty what so ever, I keep telling myself what happened? I do not know what to do, put the cue away in the closet(plan for investment on the cue) trade up or down next year at valley forge or keeping frustrating my self with this cue, do I put 20 different tips on this cue, spend a year on reaiming with this cue, this just does not seem right, do I slap a predator shaft on it...my opinion of the cue is, it has to much whip to it, some deflection, and no consistency to it, I played both nites with making adjustment after adjustment...


From all the reply's --Thank you-I will make the effort and play with the scruggs for a while(no pain no gain)- From the one reply-it looks like a ivory joint(it's white-with small yellow grains)

Hey spider web cam-send me a pm(what's your name)
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nobody i noticed asked an important question. how long have you been playing? and how often?.

I have a friend who goes to UCLA I play with and I give him the 5 ball and its an easy game for me, he hasnt played long enough to tell one cue from the next, i know your well past that level so it becomes an important question. if you have been playing for 5 years read my other post-dump it it isnt for you, if you have been playing twice a week for a year then give it some time.
 
It's Not The Cue My Friend !!

If you put a shit cue in the hands of a pro , they will still run a 100 balls . The cue is only for feel ,how it feels in your hands. Pocketing balls is skill level . TS is one of the best cues in the world . It can take you mouths to get used to a new cue . I have been throu the same thing . Give it some time to become part of your arm . your brain needs to adjust to it . Focus on your machcanics. Try not to thing about the cue when you are shooting . Your thinking to much about the cue when your shooting thats why . Good luck buddy ! Don't give up on it . The feel and hit of a high end cue is a lot diffrenet then a cuetec .
 
rackem said:
Nah! Have an SST shaft fitted to it. :eek: :eek:
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LOL that would be funny!!!! I would love to watch good players try out his nice tim scruggs with a custom fitted cuetec shaft LMFAO.:D :D
 
Well, I have used a cue tec for a break stick, and hit a few balls here and there with those cues but never owned one, From the 10 or 15 times I hit with one either on the brake or just, here try this out. I didnt see any signifigant differance that would prolong adjusting to another cue.

The only situation is where you have played with nothing but an aftermarket shaft from day one, then try adjusting to a normal shaft, that would take longer than a week.

Here is a routine I do when I pick up a new cue or replace the tip.

I'll throw some balls on the table, for the first 20 shots or so I hit the cue ball with extreme side spin, so that only half the tip is making contact, and I do not shoot these hard, every shot, turn your cue a lil so that you do not hit the exact same place on the tip, you also need to make sure you chalk up every shot. If you do this correctly and do not miss cue your tip will be seated in and will have a Nickle radius. sometimes 20 shots will do it, sometimes it takes longer depending on the tip.

Once you have this task preformed, try to run out 15 balls in any order, but no big draw shots, or extreme english. stay near the center of the cue ball.

Now set up some easy position shots and notice how this new cue or tip reacts differnt from the last. If you do this exactly in this order your new cue should feel contfortable to you in less than 8 hours. then you can play as useual. within a week you shouldnt have any problems.


SPINDOKTOR
 
bigpocket said:
LOL that would be funny!!!! I would love to watch good players try out his nice tim scruggs with a custom fitted cuetec shaft LMFAO.:D :D
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That would be worthy of some jail time,lol.

Nice avatar btw. :D
 
Are you sure you ain't getting the business from all your buds for losing with the custom stick while they still using the plastic fantastic? Sounds a little like buyers remorse also.
 
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Fatboy said:
nobody i noticed asked an important question. how long have you been playing? and how often?.

I have a friend who goes to UCLA I play with and I give him the 5 ball and its an easy game for me, he hasnt played long enough to tell one cue from the next, i know your well past that level so it becomes an important question. if you have been playing for 5 years read my other post-dump it it isnt for you, if you have been playing twice a week for a year then give it some time.
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Hey , when everybody found out he was playing with a cuetec no futher questions were needed !!~!!
 
i gotta agree i say give it 2 months solid and if you can't adjust to it sell it and hold onto the cash until you find something else that you think'll suit your taste more. take good care of the cue though so you can get back what you put into it
 
If the harder hit is what is throwing you off. Here is a couple of suggestions. Change the tip on one shaft to a Triangle that has been pressed. If that does not soften the hit up to the feel you like change the ferrule to a softer high action ferrule and same tip you had on your cuetach and I suspect you will like the hit a little better than your cuetech.
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
Hey,

A similar situation happened to me last year when I pusrchased my first custom cue. I played with a Joss before that. I thought that since I spent all this money, that the cue would work magic immediately. Truth is, it didnt work that way.

I played with the custom cue and was not making the shots that I did with my joss. At first I was dissapointed and put the cue away. But it hit so hard I decided to use it as a break cue. That worked great.

Then one day after a few months, I was in a little rut with my Joss and decided to try the custom for a little switch. I dont know what happened but the cue seemed to read my mind after that. Every shot I took seemed easier, I was getting the perfect position I was seeing in my mind.

After thinking about it, I think that all the time using the cue as a break cue only, helped me subconsiously "learn" the cue better and how it played differently than the Joss.

Now I can not imagine using anything else. So it sometimes takes a little time. Like you said, take some time and dont expect magic your first time out.

Vic
 
Switching cues can be a nightmare.

I think there are two main things it takes time to adjust to, they are:

1) Tip size. If the tip is larger, on english shots you have to move it over to what feels like a little further off center to get the same spin, because the contact point is different. Same with draw and follow, a little lower and a little higher.

2) The 600 pound gorilla is known as squirt, less is easier to adjust to, and more is harder. If you have a lot more or a lot less squirt, on english shots the aim point will be a lot different. Combine that with a much bigger or much smaller tip, and you can see where there will be a big adjustment time.

I use a Predator 314-2 shaft and can put it on almost any cue and it plays just fine. My two JossWest shafts sit there and look pretty with their ivory ferrules and all. I just can't play with them.

Chris
 
I agree with what was said on here but sometimes what others
like just won't work for you. Some cues that have been praised
on here that I just can't shoot with include Mike Bender, Dominiak,
Predator SP W/ Z shaft and Lucasi.
Sometimes I think I like them & then decide I don't: Jacobi, Keith
Josey.
Others it takes me a while to get used to: I didn't like Paul Mottey
at all til I switched to a Tiger X shaft.
I have 2 Scruggs. The sneaky pete is decent but I have an unwrapped
$1300 Scruggs that is outstanding. Not a real stiff hit but that's why
I liked it. I gave my cuetec to my daughter.
 
Steve Stough said:
I recently went to valley forge and picked up a Tim Scruggs titlist cue...
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Just and FYI: Conversion cues are not (and can not be) made to the same specifications as Scruggs' (or any other cue maker's) custom cues. The technology and understanding at the time regarding wood, composites, glues, and joining techniques are somewhat outdated as compared to what today's cuemakers have available. All conversion cues were made with a different standard for "state of the art" at the time. This is similar to a 1985 Porsche vs. a 2005 Porsche. Sure the technology has improved, but your 1985 car is still awesome.

In the same way, your cue is great, but odds are, it won't match the hit or feel of a new construction. In fact, as I understand it, one of the great cue makers today (with a 5+ year waiting list) won't do conversions as the starting materials are not up to his standards.

Personally, I have a Rauenzahn conversion, and, although it hits differently than my Black / Mottey / Scruggs, I find it a very nice cue to play with.

-td
 
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Fatboy said:
i have played 10 years straight full time and once in a while for the next 12 years, during that period of time i had 6 cues that were my main weapon of choice and a coupe of back-ups. I have owned 100's of cues(i flipped them for pocket change). What I have learned over the years if a cue is going to "work" for me I know right away, now it might take 2-3 weeks to get there but I know ahead of time,

I bought a Bill Stroud once from Bobby hunter for $1500 before bobby was building cues, i loved it it was the most expensive and first non-production cue I ever had. I had the same problem your having 2 months later I still couldnt make a ball with it....I was sad and sold it. perhaps thats why bobby sold it to me who knows, i ended up real sweet on a trade.


I just started back playing serious a month ago first time in years, and fell into a G.szam, game over i knew in 5 minutes it was perfect for me, I have a fanct Southwest i want to retire its too expensive etc to take to a pool room, the Szam is low key, but it plays better than any cue i have ever owned, Tad's are close as are South Wests, I cant stand TS cues, they look great and i have been beaten with them so they work for some and not for others, sell it now in like new condition and move on, it might just be a bad cue it happens, but you should be able to tell if you can adjust in a day or two to a cue, BTW the Tad and Szam are the only 2 cues I ever owned where i didnt need an adjustment period.
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Same here. I can pick up a cue and hit a few balls and know right away whether I like it or not. I never picked up a Tad I didn't like. The old Ginas were the best.

Shane came in last night. He is practicing on my tight ass Ernesto table right now. He has an old Joss East with a new shaft and it just feels great.
Tang came over earlier and picked up the cue and hit a few balls with it. His first comment, "Now I know why Shane plays so good". He kept hitting balls with Shane's cue for about an hour, he liked it so much. And he was firing them in on the 4" pockets.

Shane said he has had this cue for 14 years.
 
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