I shoot league twice a week, and an opportunity to shoot a masse shot comes up at least every other week. Masse shots are not just straight up and down 90 degree benders. I shoot masse shots that gently curve around slight hooks that could be length of the table. The butt may only be elevated 10 inches to give a slow turn. It's another tool in the tool box for me. But I use my regular player cue.
That's a swerve shot though, and is done softly with a standard cue since it doesn't damage your tip. We're talking about full blown masses here that require special cues. I fully agree with everything you said though.
In a lot of the leagues and tournaments we've seen, the players are rather advanced in their strategy, offering many extra opportunities for the use of jump and masse' cues. Also, if you look for the shot, you can find it more often, rather than having to figure out how to save your butt with a 3 rail shot.
Advanced strategy? I strongly disagree. I mean, if that we're the case, then why don't we see masse shots executed in World Championships?
Why? Because the masse is too unpredictable, and far too limited. Sure, the worlds best can control the curve and such, but try to control position after the masse. It's nearly impossible to masse out of a hook and into a safety because the execution of the curve requires specific speed and spin, while executing the safety afterward will likely require a different speed and spin.
It's the same reason why you see many pros kick when they could easily jump at a ball. The jump is easy, but to clear the obsctructing ball they would need to hit the ball at a certain speed. That same speed may not offer a high percentage safety. So instead they opt to kick at the ball, as the kick shot can accommodate different types of spin and speed. League players jump far too often, as they do not take the time to properly learn the kick shot. If they did, they'd see how precise and useful it can be, as well as how easy it is to kick-safe in many situations. In my opinion, the masse shot suffers from the same oversight as the jump shot.
Plainly put, masse shots are a horrible idea in almost every possible situation unless there are absolutely no alternatives. I think masse cues are awesome for artistic pool, but using them for league play is pretty ridiculous.
On a side note, I hate to be so negative, so please accept my apologies. I'm just baffled by this. Anyway, if it helps, I get a lot of emails about the Venom DVD, asking me where to buy masse cues. I'll start sending them in your direction. Regardless of what players are doing with these cues, the customer is always right. I fully support your efforts.
