New Cue Syndrome -- Real or Imagined

[8-ball Rat]

Very real, in my experience.

Greatest example I can offer is a custom sneaky I bought from Bamacues, a LONG time ago. Drove up to his local PH to pick it up...and instantly fell in love with it.

Break-and-runout, right out of the gate.

I played some of my best pool, ever, with that cue. Lasted a few months...then woke up one day and couldn't make a ball, anymore (my baseline).

 

[Maxx]

It doesn’t have to be new, sometimes if I’m struggling, switching to an old cue can revive the game.
Not sure why it works, I know it’s in your head, but isn’t the entire game of pool all in your head?

 

[Rickhem]

A few yrs ago they did a test with some women pro golfers and new putters. They all putted better to varying degrees but the effect soon wears off with most people. Its all psychological/confidence based.

Exactly. I was going to make this same reference. I know guys that play pro golf that have a couple of the exact same putter, and when they hit a little slump, they switch putters. All psychological, kind of a placebo effect kind of thing. It's real and measurable for the person experiencing it, and that's really all that matters. When it gets to the next putting slump, then either back to the first putter, or change the grip, or whatever else lets you mentally put the bad performance behind you.

 

[sudocrushms]

I have owned one cue that I connected with in ways I cannot describe. I’ve owned it for 27 years and every time I play with it, it is like the “New Cue Syndrome”.

I wasn’t looking for a cue 27 years ago. I was looking to buy a table. A the time, Mark Kalungian sold tables and cues. When I saw this cue he had for sale, I asked to try it and ended up buying both. I was pretty jazzed up about the cue. Mark tried to temper my enthusiasm and told me that it’s all psychological. I responded, “Yes, but when I’m playing with it, my psychology is really good.” He just laughed and walked away.

Same. Don't play with my OG Predator (2010 SP) much anymore, but it has a lot of value to me. Was my first actually nice cue (had a decent Players before that i wish i kept...), and was the cheapest Predator i could get with a 314 and wrap. On the occasion I do play with it, I always play well. I know it's me, not the cue. Focused and nostalgic is a good frame of mind for me.

 

[m00sebumps]

I had a bit of the opposite experience when i got a new shaft. I had been playing with a 314-3 for a long time and loved it. One of my friends has a Jacoby Black V4 and I really liked the way it hit when he let me try it out. I had been wanting to give a carbon shaft a try so I ordered myself one. The new cue syndrome was there for about a week then my game took a sharp dive similar to the drop of a continental shelf in the ocean. I ended up just putting it back in my bag for almost a year and even tried to sell it for a while. Long story short, I ended up taking about a 6 month break from pool because I had to address my drinking. I'm 8 months sober now and when I decided to get back into league I just started over with the Jacoby after having a new tip installed. I'm playing fine with it now, to be honest the decline was likely a combination of my alcoholism and some really difficult family stuff in my home life for a while. I really got off the rails here but I think our brains have a much longer lasting impact on our game than any piece of equipment.

 

[trob]

I think your just super focused when you have a new cue because it feels different and your excited.

 

[gregcantrall]

isn’t the entire game of pool all in your head?

Baseball is 90 per cent mental. The other half is physical.

 

[garczar]

Exactly. I was going to make this same reference. I know guys that play pro golf that have a couple of the exact same putter, and when they hit a little slump, they switch putters. All psychological, kind of a placebo effect kind of thing. It's real and measurable for the person experiencing it, and that's really all that matters. When it gets to the next putting slump, then either back to the first putter, or change the grip, or whatever else lets you mentally put the bad performance behind you.

Mental band-aids. Some pro, can't remember who, said the player that showed up with only one putter was the one you had to watch. The guys that show up with a handful are lost and searching.

 

[boogieman]

I was talking to Gail tonight over dinner about playing with my newest cue and told her I was playing exceptionally well with it and with a high degree of overall consistency.

I tried to describe the hit, feel, and... confidence I got from playing with it. Then I told her about "New Cue Syndrome" and how all pool players were familiar with the experience of playing better (most often for just a short while) with a new cue and that it all might just be a case of Festinger's cognitive dissonance.

So what say you? All in yer head or sometimes maybe real?

Lou Figueroa

I'll try to keep this brief.

Yes, new cue syndrome is a thing. But...

You can get the same effect using an older cue that you've not played with for a while. I even have a cheap 1 piece made with that ramen wood in the butt that has a good feel to it.

Your body craves new experiences. Each cue feels different and it's fun to "try to get onto them" or experience a perfect hit on a different cue that you're not used to. If you want your old cue to really sing for you put a hard tip on it. New cue syndrome at a fraction of the cost. If I'm playing like shit I'll switch up cues for a bit. Something different and your body pays attention again.

F E E L

 

[skogstokig]

Real.

I think it’s a simple case of paying closer attention to the new toy. A testament to the importance of focus.

pj
chgo

yes, 100% real. and your reason makes sense, because i feel the same when the pool room reclothes the tables, or i go somewhere with a gaff tight table. if only it lasted..

 

[DJKeys]

It is in one's head and that makes it real, at least for some amount of time.

-dj

 

[justadub]

I haven't had a new cue in almost 15 years so I dunno that I can speak to this...perhaps that justifies me getting a new one, just to be sure? Research, after all...

 

[The_JV]

Yes it's real but imo everyone gets the reason wrong. It's has nothing to do with "wanting to play more" or "focus".

Players push performance boundaries with what they are accustomed to. When you're fringing on the unknown (new cue) you play more conservatively. This in turn increases successful performance. The "wearing off" of NCS, is just returning to the state of comfort you had before the change.

I can grab any cue and pot like I've owned it for years. Not because I'm special, but because I know that the cue characteristics on a shot without side english are moot. Tip hardness, cue weight, material, the mystical balance point all means nothing.

NCS = conservative play.

 

[slide13]

Currently reading Pleasures of Small Motions and it has a section on this. Copied from the book:

“You attribute the improvement in your play to the new stick, though in reality the difference is simply that you are paying more attention to fine motor control and fine-grained sensations.”

I think this is accurate. Your concentrating on all the little things more closely when playing with a new cue (or an old cue you haven’t played in a while even) and that leads to an increase in performance.

 

[Rusty in Montana]

I can agree with the above comments and will add different shafts for your main playing cue can give you the same NCS or so was the case with my old stand by C -18 McDermott cue

 

[Baby Huey]

Garages all over America are chock full of golf clubs. Maybe I'll find that new driver and 3 iron that'll make me a player extraordinaire.

 

[slide13]

Garages all over America are chock full of golf clubs. Maybe I'll find that new driver and 3 iron that'll make me a player extraordinaire.

I finally accepted and fully embraced that I was never going to be a great golfer. Doesn't diminish my love for the game though, just my endless pursuit of trying to get better and getting frustrated at the results. I'm a bogey golfer on a good day, maybe slightly better on my best day but nowhere near approaching even a single digit handicap. I used to look at golf gear forums and plan my next purchase and my next range suffer fest. Gave it all up and these days I play with an old Titleist 913 D3 driver, more current fairway and hybrid just because I needed new ones, and a half set (4/6/8/P/56) of Miura CB 57 irons and my Byron Morgan DH89 custom putter.

I've had the irons, driver and putter for many years. Carry them in a nylon Mackenzie walker bag. It's probably been 5 years since I've played with more 10 clubs, usually just 8 or 9. It's brought me a lot of peace just taking that approach with the game.

 

[Cameron Smith]

One possible explanation lies in a concept called brain synchronicity. Essentially, this refers to how well different parts of the brain involved in a task are working together. When synchronicity is high, we’re better able to focus, learn, and perform.

However, over time, as we fall into routines—practicing the same way or playing the same opponents—this synchronicity can decrease. The brain automates familiar tasks, and the activity becomes less mentally engaging.

Introducing novelty into your routine helps re-engage the brain, boosting synchronicity. For instance, focusing on the feel of a new cue or how it performs can momentarily sharpen your attention. But eventually, that too becomes normalized, and synchronicity levels return to baseline.

You don’t need to buy a new cue every month to achieve this. Switching up routines, trying new challenges, playing different opponents, or exploring other games can have a similar effect.

 

[j2pac]

I was talking to Gail tonight over dinner about playing with my newest cue and told her I was playing exceptionally well with it and with a high degree of overall consistency.

I tried to describe the hit, feel, and... confidence I got from playing with it. Then I told her about "New Cue Syndrome" and how all pool players were familiar with the experience of playing better (most often for just a short while) with a new cue and that it all might just be a case of Festinger's cognitive dissonance.

So what say you? All in yer head or sometimes maybe real?

Lou Figueroa

The cue could play a role, since it is the object involved in the effect on the psyche. Certainly there are some cues that will perform better for some players in my opinion, just based on the fit of the cue to the cueist.

This reminds of the scene in the movie Bull Durham, where Kevin Costner famously says "If the kid thinks he's pitching better because he's wearing women's underwear, then he's pitching better because he's wearing women's underwear."

 

[j2pac]

I would also like to tip my cap to you Lou, as well as ShootingArts (Hu), JAM, SJM, Dr. Dave, Jay Helfert, and all of the story tellers/historians/pool aficionados, that continue to make this site, the cream of the billiards crop.
My hat is off to you all.