Is there a method of choosing between 3 butts that I like.

[smoochie]

I know that nobody will tell me what I like and that it is all a matter of preference etc, all of this I know, but here's my situation.

There are three butts of cues that I really like, note that I use the same shaft on all of them, however, the three butts are from the same brand, they are almost the same but a little bit different feel may be due to butt diameter or construction I do not know. Moreover, I enjoy playing with each of these 3 butts and also I think that there are few departments where I feel that one butt excels over the other and vice versa, ill just give an example, maybe it is all inside of my head but maybe it is true but that's how I feel, example: Butt #1 does really well on long shots, however, butt #2 does great with controlling the cue ball, few stuff like these are what I think of, but again maybe it is inside of my head.

Now I want to choose one for once and for all, I want to choose one to stick with and just shoot with for a month or a year, I've been stuck in the mind-set of changing butts and rotate between the 3 butts each day, which may do me no good, I just need to do what the pro's do, they stick with one butt, one shaft, one tip for 10 years, maybe that's how it should be.

Now, I post here not to ask you what to choose, obviously you can't choose for me, but I want a known method, or instruction of what can I do to choose the correct butt for me by statistics, not by how I feel, I don't care about how I feel, what I care of is results, so for example, I'm hoping that someone was in the same boat as me, then he found a method/exercise which yields points, where you can compete the 3 butts against each other, then after certain days or points you can find out which butt won the challenge, ergo this way I can find the butt that I can stick with, I want the one that can give me the best results.

Sorry for the long msg.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... I want a known method, or instruction of what can I do to choose the correct butt for me by statistics, not by how I feel, ...

You need a scored drill or practice routine and see how you score with each butt. There are lots of such exercises/drills. The ones at https://billiarduniversity.org/ come in several levels.

If you want to actually measure your performance with various cues, it's going to take a while and you have to get used to a particular cue combination before you start the test. Figure several hours of shooting for each measurement after you have settled in.

My guess: any difference will be small.

 

[mdavis228]

You're right about having to make your own choice, but... I'll key on your belief that you do better on long shots with one - whether you do or not...
Maybe set up and shoot a lot of long shots. Off the rail, long follow, long draw, center... Shots where the distance from the CB to the OB AND the OB to the pocket are long enough stress accuracy.
Whatever you feel about CB control, feel, etc - if you can't stroke straight with it, you'll struggle.
Good luck!

 

[HNTFSH]

Just close your eyes and pick one. Never look back. Problem solved. Then find something else to obsess about.

 

[smoochie]

Just close your eyes and pick one. Never look back. Problem solved. Then find something else to obsess about.

hahahah this actually made me laugh, funny, how can I uprate this. new to this site.

anyway, I'm gona do an exercise tomorrow and write scores on a paper, but anyone have a great exercise for that which can be setup easily? I checked drdave site and his is a little complicated, I need a quicker, easier one to do with less of a setup, which also can be scored and then make a comparison between cues.

 

[7stud]

I checked drdave site and his is a little complicated, I need a quicker, easier one to do with less of a setup, which also can be scored and then make a comparison between cues.

Line up all the balls across the table from one side pocket to the other side pocket:

Use ball in hand for every shot. Start with the ball closest to one of the side pockets. Put the cue ball two diamonds away from the object ball and try to line up the cue ball so that you have a perfectly straight shot into the corner pocket. Try to sink the object ball and stop the cue ball in its tracks when the cue ball hits the object ball. If you miss, reset the object ball in the same place, and try again. If you make the object ball, take cue ball in hand and setup the same way for the next object ball over--one diamond away, straight in, stop shot. When you get to the middle object ball, switch the corner pocket you are aiming at, so that you can continue to line up the shots straight in. Score how many shots it takes you to sink all 15 balls.

With the same setup, this time use follow on the cue ball and try to make the cue ball stop two diamonds down table from the object ball. Score how many shots it takes you to make all 15 balls.

With the same setup, this time use draw on the cue ball and try to make it back up two diamonds. Score how many shots it takes you to make all 15 balls.

Now line up the object balls across the table the same way, but put them on a line parallel and one diamond away from the side pocket-side pocket line:

The cue ball will now be three diamonds away from the object balls for these shots. Do the lineup with stop shots, follow and draw. Count the shots as above.

The lowest scoring cue wins. Maybe do the drill for each of your cues on different days.

 

[boogieman]

I know that nobody will tell me what I like and that it is all a matter of preference etc, all of this I know, but here's my situation.

There are three butts of cues that I really like, note that I use the same shaft on all of them, however, the three butts are from the same brand, they are almost the same but a little bit different feel may be due to butt diameter or construction I do not know. Moreover, I enjoy playing with each of these 3 butts and also I think that there are few departments where I feel that one butt excels over the other and vice versa, ill just give an example, maybe it is all inside of my head but maybe it is true but that's how I feel, example: Butt #1 does really well on long shots, however, butt #2 does great with controlling the cue ball, few stuff like these are what I think of, but again maybe it is inside of my head.

Now I want to choose one for once and for all, I want to choose one to stick with and just shoot with for a month or a year, I've been stuck in the mind-set of changing butts and rotate between the 3 butts each day, which may do me no good, I just need to do what the pro's do, they stick with one butt, one shaft, one tip for 10 years, maybe that's how it should be.

Now, I post here not to ask you what to choose, obviously you can't choose for me, but I want a known method, or instruction of what can I do to choose the correct butt for me by statistics, not by how I feel, I don't care about how I feel, what I care of is results, so for example, I'm hoping that someone was in the same boat as me, then he found a method/exercise which yields points, where you can compete the 3 butts against each other, then after certain days or points you can find out which butt won the challenge, ergo this way I can find the butt that I can stick with, I want the one that can give me the best results.

Sorry for the long msg.

In my honest opinion, lay the three butts out on the table and pick the one that calls to you. Forget statistics, you can do anything with any butt. Grab the one that calls you, be it looks, feel, or whatever. Just pick the one that's "yours" and play with it. You'll learn to trust your tool and adapt your game to that particular tool. I'm guessing you may already know which one it is. If not, flip a coin, you'll know if it's the one you want if the results of the coin flip make you anxious. Whichever one you care about the results of the flip the most is "your" cue. Our brains like to over analyze but that moment of a coin flip tells you all you need to know.

 

[David in FL]

eeny meeny miny moe...

 

[pwd72s]

I pondered on this for a short while...then decided you'll figure it out.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... I checked drdave site and his is a little complicated, I need a quicker, easier one to do with less of a setup, ...

Go to the best player you know and ask him which one he would choose. Or put on a blind fold -- sorry for the complication -- and have one hand each of the three to you in turn and pick the one that feels best without seeing them.

 

[Johnny Rosato]

I know that nobody will tell me what I like and that it is all a matter of preference etc, all of this I know, but here's my situation.

There are three butts of cues that I really like, note that I use the same shaft on all of them, however, the three butts are from the same brand, they are almost the same but a little bit different feel may be due to butt diameter or construction I do not know. Moreover, I enjoy playing with each of these 3 butts and also I think that there are few departments where I feel that one butt excels over the other and vice versa, ill just give an example, maybe it is all inside of my head but maybe it is true but that's how I feel, example: Butt #1 does really well on long shots, however, butt #2 does great with controlling the cue ball, few stuff like these are what I think of, but again maybe it is inside of my head.

Now I want to choose one for once and for all, I want to choose one to stick with and just shoot with for a month or a year, I've been stuck in the mind-set of changing butts and rotate between the 3 butts each day, which may do me no good, I just need to do what the pro's do, they stick with one butt, one shaft, one tip for 10 years, maybe that's how it should be.

Now, I post here not to ask you what to choose, obviously you can't choose for me, but I want a known method, or instruction of what can I do to choose the correct butt for me by statistics, not by how I feel, I don't care about how I feel, what I care of is results, so for example, I'm hoping that someone was in the same boat as me, then he found a method/exercise which yields points, where you can compete the 3 butts against each other, then after certain days or points you can find out which butt won the challenge, ergo this way I can find the butt that I can stick with, I want the one that can give me the best results.

Sorry for the long msg.

Post a picture on here and I'll tell you which one to keep, simple as that.
And to be sure you don't change your mind, immediately send the other 2 to me!

 

[34YearsOfPlayin]

Great advice from very good players above. pro players who are very good have owned one cue for years like Earl Strickland for example.

 

[garczar]

Line up all the balls across the table from one side pocket to the other side pocket:

View attachment 574959

Use ball in hand for every shot. Start with the ball closest to one of the side pockets. Put the cue ball two diamonds away from the object ball and try to line up the cue ball so that you have a perfectly straight shot into the corner pocket. Try to sink the object ball and stop the cue ball in its tracks when the cue ball hits the object ball. If you miss, reset the object ball in the same place, and try again. If you make the object ball, take cue ball in hand and setup the same way for the next object ball over--one diamond away, straight in, stop shot. When you get to the middle object ball, switch the corner pocket you are aiming at, so that you can continue to line up the shots straight in. Score how many shots it takes you to sink all 15 balls.

With the same setup, this time use follow on the cue ball and try to make the cue ball stop two diamonds down table from the object ball. Score how many shots it takes you to make all 15 balls.

With the same setup, this time use draw on the cue ball and try to make it back up two diamonds. Score how many shots it takes you to make all 15 balls.

Now line up the object balls across the table the same way, but put them on a line parallel and one diamond away from the side pocket-side pocket line:

View attachment 574961

The cue ball will now be three diamonds away from the object balls for these shots. Do the lineup with stop shots, follow and draw. Count the shots as above.

The lowest scoring cue wins. Maybe do the drill for each of your cues on different days.

Seriously???

 

[Thunder Thighs]

Whichever you chose, you will be thinking about the others. Buy all 3.

 

[ShootingArts]

Choices are tough! Sometimes I like a nice tight little butt almost as firm as a pool ball, then again a larger softer one a bit on the plush side can be nice!

Moving on to pool, what you like and what is best for you may not be the same! Seems counter intuitive but the one that is most comfortable to play with may not give the best results. One of the most difficult cues to play with gave me the best results. Pistols were the same, my favorite pistol to shoot didn't give the best results in competition.

If it was me, after a warm up session I would run racks with each one. Check which one you play shape with by cutting out a a round piece of paper a couple inches across and drop it where you are trying to play shape to before each shot. Have a ruler handy and jot down how far you miss that paper every shot. A coin would work but hitting it could skew results.

I would play with the cue that really gave me the best shape. It might or might not be the one that seems to give the best shape. If it is very close, then use secondary considerations, the one that you shoot long shots the best with if it gives good shape too or simply the one that feels best. If one proves to give best shape over several sessions it would be an easy choice for me though. Better the one that prevents needing to make long shots than the one that makes them best. When you start shooting with one cue all the time I think you will find shooting accuracy levels out to match the one that seems to shoot best now. It can be much more difficult to get one to play shape well that doesn't do so now.

My opinions of course, based on a lot of play and testing. We generally miss because the other player left us tough or we missplayed shape.

Hu

 

[terpdad]

I think you'll always find yourself thinking "I wish I still had that old butt" when you miss certain shots. Don't sweat it & good luck.

 

[Texas Carom Club]

Musta been a slow Sunday

 

[Sealegs50]

Don’t think about it too much. Eventually, you may come to prefer one over the others or you won’t.

 

[Z-Nole]

I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can’t deny

 

[alstl]

If you have a table at home play 10 sets of equal offense with each butt and do the math. The numbers won't lie.