is everything lost?

Jimbojim

Jimbojim

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have been playing seriously for about 7 months now and I'm rated B but I can play like an A now and then. I asked my instructor to change my tip but he couldn't because of the ferrule material so now I'm stuck with a tipless cue until he sees his friend(he knows how). My instructor lent me his custom cue 3 days ago I have never played that bad since I got the cue. I don't see a damn ball...its like I'm blind and the cue is high-end. My instructor says its normal because I'm not used to it and the deflection is not the same.

I'm scared, FQSB starts in 2-3 weeks and I don't feel confident anymore. Am I freaking out for nothing and everything will be fine when I get my cue( I don't even know when I will get it back) or I should re-do the basics?
 
First question: Can you use the other (new, to you) cue that your instructor lent you if you use center ball (high, low -- no sidespin)? This would discount the deflection theory. I'm pretty easily adaptable to new shafts/cues so I think your inability to use the other cue may be a mental block. Maybe your cue is like a security blanket, and without it you don't feel right playing the game. As more than one person here will be happy to tell you, it's the Indian -- not the arrow.

Second note: Learn to replace tips yourself. It's something I started doing a couple of years ago. I prefer that a cuemaker with a lathe do it for me, but if I'm in a pinch I've always got spare tips laying around in case I pop off a tip and need to replace it by the next morning.
 
its just that cue that I have problem with, I play good with the others I have tried but I'm not making an excuse that the fault is all on the cue. As you said, its the indian...not the arrow. I was just wondering if its a coincidence.
 
If you want to be a pro be like one. Get another shaft for your cue that matches the one you now have usnig the same type ferrule and tip.

Can't believe that a local PH doesn't have a cue repair source.

The other problem you will have is you probably don't know anything about the tip you had. Therefore a new tip will also cause you problems.

I think the problem is more than the cue. You should be able to shoot decent with any cue and a tad better with your own. As stated above you need to shoot on the vertical center line and eliminate english.
 
My question is you said you've been playing for only 7 months and you are already a B player. Did I get that right?

If your a B player, you should be able to grab any stick and shoot as well as a C player, but if his stick is so bad and you said you shoot fine with others. You then have given a good solution to your present problem...

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but wow good for you being that good. I guess I really suck. I practice between 700 and 1000 hrs every year, and take lessons. I've been playing now 4 years, and I'm just breaking through to the B level...:o

I hope I get better....:(

Pete
 
I used to play everyday when I was 12-13 years old but I was just putting the balls...no cue ball control at all. And I kept playing occasionaly until last winter (I'm 22). I had alot of experience with the angles.


I will play B in the FQSB. I regularly play against better players so I analyzed different strategies. Maybe it has nothing to do with the cue and its just a bad period because when I don't have my cue I play with my friend's cue and I play the same or better as if I would be playing with my cue.

I'll specify my cue so maybe it will help.

Cuetec natural series with shaft in fiberglass

Instructor Cue:
Custom Layani without the conical joint...a really nice cue

Friend's cue:
Mizerak model...I don't know if there is a lot of variety though.
 
TheBook said:
If you want to be a pro be like one. Get another shaft for your cue that matches the one you now have usnig the same type ferrule and tip.

Can't believe that a local PH doesn't have a cue repair source.

The other problem you will have is you probably don't know anything about the tip you had. Therefore a new tip will also cause you problems.

I think the problem is more than the cue. You should be able to shoot decent with any cue and a tad better with your own. As stated above you need to shoot on the vertical center line and eliminate english.
Click to expand...


I'll go try some center ball shots tonight. I admit that maybe the problem is in my head because I don't feel confident at all when I saw that I couldn't have my cue for a few days or even weeks eventhough my cue is one of the worst...I was comfortable with it. I was sad and I think that ended up screwing my game. I think everybody's posts made me realize that. Hopefully I will get my cue AND confidence back:D soon enough (before the tournaments)
 
Jimbojim said:
My instructor says its normal because I'm not used to it and the deflection is not the same.
Click to expand...

I think your instructor is wrong; this is not normal. My game with somebody else's cue is only a tiny step below my game with my normal cue. Even playing racks with my Sledgehammer break cue (with phenolic tip), I play almost the same as when I shoot with my predator shaft. Cues don't get more different than a phenolic break cue and predator shaft.

If your game has dropped off significantly, it's probably a self-reinforcing confidence problem. You hit a couple balls with the new cue and they were bad shots. You started to think you couldn't shoot with the new cue, and you lost confidence. The loss of confidence made you shoot even worse. This made you sure the cue was killing your game. It's a vicous cycle.

Do this: find a relatively straight house cue with a decent tip. Play with that until your normal cue is fixed. House cues usually have a good hit and nice feel. There's no reason it should make you play poorly. If you're missing, don't blame the cue, just relax and focus on your shooting. The only way to be cured is not to think about shooting badly; just relax and let your game come back out of hiding.

-Andrew
 
Jimbojim said:
I'm scared, FQSB starts in 2-3 weeks and I don't feel confident anymore. Am I freaking out for nothing and everything will be fine when I get my cue( I don't even know when I will get it back) or I should re-do the basics?
Click to expand...

Oldlady : I can't stand it anymore, I've got to get outta here.
I've gotta get outta here.
Elaine : Calm down get ahold of yourself.
Gentlmn : Stewardess, please, let me handle this ( grabs her and
starts to shake her )
Gntlmn2 : Calm down, now get back to your seat, I'll take care of
this. CALM DOWN, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF !
Nun : Mr, your wanted on the phone . . . Everything's going
to be alright < SLAP >! Please.
Gntlmn3 : Sister, I'll handle this. < SLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAPPP >
( There is now a line of people with baseball bats and whips
waiting to help the woman )
 
Am I the only one that thinks that people should be responsible for thier own equipment(for minor things like changing tips).

Your game shouldn't depend that much on one particular cue, however, I can understand the comfort and confidence a person can have using thier own cue. Your problem as I see it is you've put too much faith in your cue and not enough on yourself. Concentrate on your basics, stance, alignment and stroke and use a house cue like someone else suggested.

Have a little faith in yourself. A B player should be able to play with any cue.

JMO
 
Get your shaft back and go to the Ask The Cuemaker Forum, start a thread and find a guy in your area you can take it to, or send it to.
DHL,Post office, UPS and Fed-X all have shipping tubes if you have to send it off. Also get a second shaft and always have it with you.

Allot of the guys on the board like to replace the tips themselves, but I am a retarded moron when it comes to stuff like that and I have to have it done for me. It is nothing to be ashamed of. 8 bucks at the local pool hall gets me a LePro tip installed.:)

My game only falls off a trace amount when I have to shoot with a house stick, after a while you will become more comfortable shooting with different Cues. It just takes time.:)
 
CaptainHook said:
Get your shaft back and go to the Ask The Cuemaker Forum, start a thread and find a guy in your area you can take it to, or send it to.
DHL,Post office, UPS and Fed-X all have shipping tubes if you have to send it off. Also get a second shaft and always have it with you.

Allot of the guys on the board like to replace the tips themselves, but I am a retarded moron when it comes to stuff like that and I have to have it done for me. It is nothing to be ashamed of. 8 bucks at the local pool hall gets me a LePro tip installed.:)

My game only falls off a trace amount when I have to shoot with a house stick, after a while you will become more comfortable shooting with different Cues. It just takes time.:)
Click to expand...

I will play with a house cue for a while.

my insructor wants to give my Cue to Denis Garron..if anybody knows him.
 
Just pick up a half decent rack cue and pot a couple of thousand balls just playing along the center line of the CB. It will probably do your game wonders. At least it will keep your eye in and allow you to feel steady over the table when you do get your cue back in shape.

Obstacles are often unrecognized opportunities.

Colin
 
The problem probably relates to the new cue's shaft sliding over/through your bridge instead of dragging like the Cuetec.
 
how long did you play with the cue?

I just got a 19.5oz cue and shot a little worse with it than my old 19oz cue Im most used to shooting with, and I dont have my nice sniper tip on the new one :) I love that tip, and the hit...

anyways I didnt shoot terrible with it though....I just have instances of hitting a harder than usual I think, as my position at times was off, and its just a matter of getting used to a heavier cue that requires less stroke than a lighter cue.
 
Gregg said:
Oldlady : I can't stand it anymore, I've got to get outta here.
I've gotta get outta here.
Elaine : Calm down get ahold of yourself.
Gentlmn : Stewardess, please, let me handle this ( grabs her and
starts to shake her )
Gntlmn2 : Calm down, now get back to your seat, I'll take care of
this. CALM DOWN, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF !
Nun : Mr, your wanted on the phone . . . Everything's going
to be alright < SLAP >! Please.
Gntlmn3 : Sister, I'll handle this. < SLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAPPP >
( There is now a line of people with baseball bats and whips
waiting to help the woman )
Click to expand...


Seems to be the scene that I just seen in "Airplane" while flipping thru the channels.
 
Bazooka Tooth said:
how long did you play with the cue?

I just got a 19.5oz cue and shot a little worse with it than my old 19oz cue Im most used to shooting with, and I dont have my nice sniper tip on the new one :) I love that tip, and the hit...

anyways I didnt shoot terrible with it though....I just have instances of hitting a harder than usual I think, as my position at times was off, and its just a matter of getting used to a heavier cue that requires less stroke than a lighter cue.
Click to expand...

I have played 3 consecutives nights with my instructor's cue and tonight will be the fourth but I will play with an house cue as well to make a comparison of how I feel.
 
Last edited:
Jimbojim

Its all in your head!!!! I usta be the same way, if i didnt have my own cue, i wouldnt play at all, even if someone told me to use thier Expensive custom cue, i wouldnt do it.

Now i just dont care lol. I can pick up any decent production cue, and play just as well as if i was using my own cue. Two weeks ago when i recieved my SP from ZimsRack, i scuffed up the tip and began to use the cue no problem. And havent had a problem playing with it. If anything i think it plays better than my Espiritu !!!

Now when i get my other Cue from ZimsRack, I will do the same thing, start to use that cue, and have the SP cue as a back-up cue, just incase.

Also, I like to have two shafts for my cues, just in case a tip pops off, or something happens to a shaft.

dave
 
well I went to play a little bit and I used a house cue and I played weak but better. Surprise, my instructor (Danny Hewitt) arrives with my cue that has a new tip on it. It feels like home and my game came back to where it originally was:D
 
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