my cue theory

[Fatboy]

PLEASE GIVE ME A LETTER GRADE ON THE WRITING ALONE, EVEN IF YOU DISAGREE WITH MY THEORY 100%, i WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR OPINION OF MY WRITING(NOT SPELLING) Thanks in advance, i'm really working on my writing skills. I'm going to do a thread like this once a month +/- for a analysis of my writing, not the content.

this was a post in another thread and I read it several times(it was my writing practice too), I thought it was a good enough post to be a thread so here it goes:



We were talking about people putting alot of stock in the theory that a cue can really elevate your game,(the more you spend the better it is theory is BS) and i disagree with that to a limited extent. I believe that the right cue can bring out your best, but a cue will never make a player out of anyone. Its not like JA can hand me his cue and I'm gonna jump up 5 balls better playing 10 ball. It dosent work like that. However the right cue can help your game by a ball maybe on the high side. A bad cue will make your game way worse than a good cue making your game better-wish it was the other way around we would all be champs with broomsticks and mops.


i have spent a few $$$ over the years on cues, because I love cues. I never gave any concern to what my player cost me-I just bought the best cue I could with what I had to spend. Before I could afford a Szam I had friends nice enough to let me use them and I did play a little better with them, if I could have afforded one-I would have shoved it all-in and bought one. price or looks has nothing to do with my player-infact i like simple player cues, and I enjoy owning the fancy stuff as art. I do hit balls with the "Art" cue's now and then to keep them alive.

I have had about 5 or 6 cues in 25 years that were my daily players that I stuck with for more than 2 years. My game (fundamentals) has changed a bit over the years, and the tables are fast now so a lighter cue is better. So for those 2 reasons I made changes in cues. I have all but one of the cues I spent 2 or more years playing with(hold that thought)


I got a break in life and was able to afford any cue I wanted period, So I set out and fufilled a dream of mine(that dream was very near the top of the list of goals I made when I was a kid). This plus being around pool for so many years I have played with many famous to unknown cue makers work. Just being in Vegas I have hit balls with over 100 SW's cause they are made here and back in the day alot of people would and probably still do come to Vegas to pick up their SW when its finished and go right to the pool room. I dont go to the pool rooms now so I dont know if that still happens often, point is I have hit balls with more different cues than most people.


So you know, I count my blessings everyday and dont take any of my good fortune for granted. infact im in a tight spot now and it a reminder of the past which makes it even more important to chreish family, friends, health more than ever. It was a amazing feeling tobuild a modest cue collection and have the oppertunity to experience what I have. If it all goes away tomarrow-at least I did it. Thinks arnt that bad yet, but you get the point. To some people cues dont matter, Carl Boyes dosent know or care much about cues and he is on the M-cup(i'm very happy for him) that was his dream, I love to see my friends achieve what they want in life-I wish more people in pool had this attitude. He dosent know the brand of tip on his cue and is a top champion, then there are guys who cant make a ball thatknow more about cues than 99.9999% of the world, i fall in the middle.

I have a theory, talented players like JA, Mike Deschaine can make anything work, I just mention those 2 guys cause I know them both real good and they dont work as hard on their game as SVB does, SVB is talented but he has paid his dues and if he didnt work so hard he wouldnt play the speed he does. Mark Tadd might not pick up a cue for a year and in a week he is a world beater. Ok to my point the more natural talent you have the less important the cue(with in reason) really is, JA played with a Schon that weighed 22+ ounces and beat the world-and a Scorpion cue that weighed less than 18 oz and beat the world again. He can play with anything, Bugs played off the wall and was perhaps the best bank pool player ever. Talented players are not equipment sensitive as boarderline guys like me.<-----thats my theory, it took me many years to arrive at this conclusion.

comming back to me and my cues that I put alot of miles on my main squeeze for 3+ years cues, they all bring out the best in me to this day, but one or two of them bring me up another notch. I believe that middle of the road players are more sensitive to cues because of their lack of talent.

Since I was so lucky to be able to buy, try, borrow so many cues over the years I'm a expert cue judge not player speaking for my self. No the arrow dont make the indian-But the right cue can bring out the best of a middle of the road player. The cue I'm currently using is by far the best hitting cue I have ever played with, 20+ champions have used it and they say the same thing about it, it just happens to be the wood, balance etc. However it might feel better to them but really improve their game as much as a middle of the road player like me, I'm very sensitive and the slightest thing wrong with a cue(that dosent fit my style) destroys my game, meanwhile Bugs could play with any ol' cue and beat them all.


So some of us have to search for that magic cue and that in itself is fun. I firmly believe I have discovered the perfect cue for me, but it we go back to slow cloth it wont work as its to soft of a cue.

I enjoy experienceing new cues, but I blame me not the cue if Icant make it work because I have seen the top players make anything work. its the player 99.74535% the rest is the cue.

I enjoy trying new cues, If I woke up tomarrow and played like Mika, I'd still enjoy trying new cues. Pool first cues second. Keith could play with anything too as a after thought. Thats why you see alot of the middle oftheroad players switching player cues so often-THEY ARE JUST LOOKING FOR WHAT BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN THEM-not the silver bullet that might turn them into a champion,cause that aint gonna happen.

I believe the cue I'm useing now will be my last cue(unless we go back to the slow cloth-my cue dosent have the backbone a cue needs on Stevens/Mali cloth), I have finally found the cue that brings out the best in me. wish more people had that oppertunity in life-I got lucky. I shot drills with all my old players out and other cues that felt real good, i looked at the % of balls pocketed or shape and one cue stood out ahead of the rest-I I just wish it wasnt so fancy, i'm self conscious about things like that. The bling is nice but has no place on a player cue IMO.



I spoke to the cue maker about painting it matte' black over the clear coat, that way I could be under cover.

 

[Shawn Armstrong]

Great post. I'm in the process of selling all of my cues I have accumulated over the years. I went out the other day, and bought a Riley Snooker cue and a Dufferin spliced butt ebony cue. When I run the Dufferin across the rail when I shoot, I don't care. Replacement shafts are $40 for the cue, and I can buy a new cue for $140. I couldn't buy a new shaft for my Samsara for that much.

 

[lstevedus]

Good Post

I think you are right. I always take more time reading your posts because I think you know what you are talking about. I am one of those middle of the road players that is helped a little by a better playing cue. Most of the players I compete against are also middle of the road players, so if I have a cue that helps my game a little, then I have an edge on them, hopefully.

I still think there are a lot of overpriced cues out there today, but if it helps the economy and pool, then I say its a good thing if people are buying them.

 

[justadub]

Eric, fine job.

I give your writing a B, only because of some grammar and punctuation issues, which are minor. Your entire post is very easily read and understood, so the little mistakes are only nit-picky in nature. You said you would like opinions on your writing, as you had been working on it, and that is the only reason I would ever mention it. The errors are truly that inconsequential, especially for a post on an internet forum. they do not detract from the meaning of what you have written, or make it more difficult to read.

The content, however, gets you a grade of A+. I love your perspective, and how you explained what you felt about differences in cues. And I truly hope you are correct, because I'm working on becoming a better player, and am following your theory regarding my own cue purchases.

Nicely done.

(Since I was going to try and give my opinions on your writing, I had to make sure I wasn't doing anything too badly myself. How did I do? )

 

[poolfool1957]

Nice job and easy to read/understand/relate

 

[Rethunk]

I'm one of the many people who will skim lazily through a thread but then stop to read a reply by Fatboy. You've got our attention, which is a good start.

Were you planning to edit your original post? If so, I'll wait to vote.

Writing is like playing pool. Sometimes it's fun to just shoot balls around or write a few paragraphs and then click the Submit Reply button. For nearly all of us, though, improvement requires focused drills. Improving one's game might also mean working with a mentor.

Here are a few writing drills:

1. Find sentences that start with "I" and change the word order. While you're at it, rewrite the sentence from scratch. (An analogy: don't overuse draw for shape.)

2. Write shorter sentences. Find long sentences in your first draft and tighten them up. (Find the short cue ball path to the desired position.)

3. Eliminate smileys, abbreviations, and other stuff you wouldn't see in a book. (Don't allow yourself to be lazy at the table.)

4. Measure the time you spend writing the first draft. Measure the time you edit that draft. Compare the two. (Practice more than you compete, unless you're "so good" you don't need to practice any more.)

5. Print out your first draft. Identify the worst paragraph and circle it. Write "5" next to the circled paragraph. That's how many times you'll rewrite that paragraph from scratch: five times. Repeat this exercise with other paragraphs and sentences. Work yourself up to 10 rewrites. Even if there is noticeable improvement after just three edits, keep going until you hit your designated number. (Shoot the same shot 10 times, and don't stop early.)

6. Find the sentence that sticks out because it's so damn good. Eliminate it. Optionally, make the rest of the post as good as that one sentence. (Eliminate unnecessary spin, 5-rail shape, and flourishes.)

7. Play more snooker. (Play more snooker.)

8. Write an essay to explain which of these exercises helps the least.

If your audience will be AzB readers who are already willing to read whatever you write, then you can take it easy.

If you want to reach a wider audience, or if you want people to say "Holy crap, Fatboy is a monster writer! He could crush Stephen King!" then I think time spent with writing drills would be time well spent.

 

[Powerlifter]

Here are a few writing drills:

1. Find sentences that start with "I" and change the word order. While you're at it, rewrite the sentence from scratch. (An analogy: don't overuse draw for shape.)

3. Eliminate smileys, abbreviations, and other stuff you wouldn't see in a book. (Don't allow yourself to be lazy at the table.)

These are probably the easiest quick changes that you can make. Obviously,there's going to be times where you have to use the word "I",but it reads more fluently without overuse. It also makes it seem a little more professional imo. I think it also makes an article seem more personal to the reader without it.

 

[pwd72s]

Kinda lengthy, but I think I got the point(s) you were making.

If you paint that beautiful BB cue black, you should be horse whipped! :wink:

 

[rackem]

Don't practice making mistakes.

Eric, I know you said to ignore the spelling, but actually that is the easiest problem you can fix. Please try the firefox browser I suggested to you a while back. It has an automatic spell checker. It will red underline a misspelled word right after you type it. You then right click on the word and the correct spelling pops up. You can fix the mistake right then, just by clicking on the correction. You don't even need to retype the word.

Here are some other suggestions that will help reduce a lot of your convoluted sentences.
Reduce your use of the word AND.
Reduce the Parenthesis you use.
Reduce the use of -hyphens-
Instead of the above just add another sentence

Work on your capitalization especially new sentences and the word "i".
Work on using apostrophes with contractions.

A big part of being a good writer is makind it easy to read.

i give ya an -D- only becauze you didnt has (E) :grin::grin:
Loking Farward too you're improvmint.

Your content is right on and I totally agree with your thought process. :thumbup2:

 

[alstl]

Clear and well written but I don't entirely agree. Van Boening and Strickland are examples of pros who only play with a long pro taper. Earl has switched cues a couple times since losing the cuetec sponsorship but still has that long pro taper on his cue.

If at the U S Open you took away the cue from every player and handed them a random cue to play with you would hear a lot of complaints.

 

[nelldrake]

Sorry, I am a retired school teacher

Sorry, Fatboy:
I like reading what you write but find the errors (grammatical, spelling, usage) distracting. Reread what you write before you hit the "Post Reply" button. I am sure you will correct a lot of your own errors.

A couple of hints:
(1) Never use contractions such as "I can't". Spell out "I cannot".
(2) The indefinite article "a, an" should be used correctly as in "an article"
or "a book"
(3) Capitalize the beginning letter of each new sentence.
(4) Use the spell check feature on your computer.

Keep the articles coming. I like your comments and would be glad to edit your writing free of charge.
Nell

 

[Fatboy]

thanks,please keep critizm comming in, i can learn from it

 

[luke]

Good article, good slant on things, good content. I tend to like more concise conclusions when making a point.

 

[JimS]

Nice post Eric. I've found my "dream cue" as well.

 

[DaveK]

My cue theory : You need one to play pool.

Dave <--- likes playing pool

 

[asiasdad]

C+

Look at your draft a few times before hitting submit for basic errors.

Writing, like pool for TV needs to be transmitted to its' audience
like a 9 ball game, not a one pocket game.

condense, be concise.


Personally, a TAD-1 is a better cue than I would ever be a player.
My take on cues is anything over 2 grand is just buying a bigger penis,
as their "investment value" is highly questionable outside of the
dead legends.

 

[Scaramouche]

I write short sentences.
Clarity communicates.
Here on AZB I write one sentence per line.
That way it is painfully obvious when I start producing the literary diarrhea that wanders all over the place and it forces me to go back and look at what I have created and by analysis and trial and error try to come to some resolution about whether or not I really want to express myself with a long and convoluted sentence structure to get my point across like that master of the English language Charles Dickens who wrote many books containing sentences that rambled on for hundreds of words and that were serialized in the newspapers of the day and paid him most lucratively - by the word.

Seriously, do your composing using Word or some other word processing program.
It will help identify possible errors in spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure.
The feedback is immediate.
The secret of good writing is rewriting.
Wish I had time to do some.

Familiarize yourself with style guides.
Every major newspaper chain has one.
You may be able to buy a hard copy.
Here is one on line:
http://www.economist.com/research/styleguide/

Also useful:
http://thesaurus.com/

 

[gunzby]

I thought it was a good post Eric. I gave it a C+. The message you were conveying was fairly clear, but not concise. The only thing I would consider not good was your sentence structure.

I hope you don't take that in a negative fashion as I don't normally post negative things on here (I actually don't think I ever have here), but you did ask for it

 

[thefonz]

i'm with you

hello eric,

I liked your thread topic. Somewhat like yourself: i go through cues faster than socks, however on a smaller monetary scale.

In regard to your writing skills, it should be noted that literature from some of the greatest authors history were not always grammatically correct. Although I do not know your motive behind improving your writing skills, and don't personally know you: i would assume that you are an intelligent person with great ideas, seeking the ability to articulate them in a better fashion. Unfortunately I am not an english teacher, and cannot make any critique specific to what you had written, however from my own experiences, you could perhaps benefit from the following:

- enroll in a writing class, or at least attain a basic grasp of what good grammar is (ie. basic sentence structure: simple, compound, complex)
- try changing the way you talk, most people tend to articulate thoughts differently than when we are writing them, this need for translation can lead to writing that appears stilted or unnatural. Poor verbal grammar and poor writing go hand in hand.

It is well known that the art of proper grammar in the english language is quickly diminishing. Pop culture, and the technological revolution are the two potential culprits responsible for the demise of good grammar. It's very good of you to make an effort in improving your own writing skills, if not just for yourself, than for the preservation of a dying art.

 

[greyghost]

awesome post........keep them up as usual brother......