Mcdermott cues "feeling heavy"

[maxeypad2007]

I have a couple of mcdermott cues. Although the butt of cues are the same weight on the scale they feel much heavier than a predator cue of the same weight. why is this?

I realize this is balance but i'm struggling to articulate it and is there anything what can be done to address?

 

[BigBoof]

An extension between the butt and shaft will help.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

 

[skor]

Definitely a balance thing.
I have two Schon cues, with the same shaft, one is 19oz and the other is 19.5oz.
The 19.5oz feels lighter because it is more forward balanced

 

[slide13]

Measure the balance point from both and see how they compare. My guess is the Predator is more forward balanced, which is my preference. Measuring from the end of the butt cap I like a balance around 19-19.5". Anything below 18" is an absolute no go for me.

 

[billiards_watch]

Balance.

I appreciate 'balance' when I shot a cue that was put together by a cue hobbyist. He bought pre-made blanks and assembled them. One of his 19oz cues tired out my arm within the first 5 minutes of shooting. Swapped it with another of his and it was just fine.

Mezz are like this too. Feels heavy.

 

[Chopdoc]

I have some very seriously fat butt antique cues. Not a single one of them is "rear balanced".

I have had people say my Joss with the traditional piloted stainless joint is too front heavy, then I have had people play with it and say it is "rear balanced". Sev played with it, he felt it was rear heavy. He's one of the few that have hit with it other than me in the last forty years. To me it just plays "right". But of course, he only played it with one shaft that I have for it, the Scruggs if I remember correctly. The other shaft I had with me at that time was an original, but I never even screwed it on the cue. I think I have seven shafts for it IIRC, including two originals and two Stroud shafts.

I have had people tell me what they thought about the balance point compared to their cue, then we pick up their cue and my cue, check the exact balance point, and they were wrong.

I am in the habit of occasionally taking out several cues, up to a dozen, to compare and contrast. I own many, I can do that.

What I have found over the years is that the perception of "balance" and perceived "weight" are similar to "hit"...very subjective. The difference is that you can indeed measure a balance point, and you can measure the mass (weight) of a cue. The "hit" cannot be quantified.

I have spoken to several prominent cue makers about these qualities over the years and several prominent makers told me flat out the "balance point" is whatever it comes out to be when they are done with the cue. Joint selection and other matters will contribute to that, but if you ask for XX.XXX balance point they will tell you they will not guarantee that. Sure, they can add or take away weight in various ways in parts of the cue, but then it will change other aspects of how it plays and starts messing with how their cues are known to "hit", "feel", and play. It can even transgress their own philosophies of what makes a good cue.

I have had the experience of putting an over $1,000 respected maker cue in someone's hands and they say it's too stiff, same cue in another's hands felt too soft, same cue to another too heavy, and another too light. Same cue to one was too forward balanced and to another too rearward.

 

[skor]

Of course balance feel is subjective, as different people will grip the cue at a different point on the butt.

I have only one cue that was made for me from scratch, and it is spot on in weight and balance point. The only change we made from our original plan to achieve the balance point was to go with a metal joint pin instead of the G10 we planned on.