I don't agree that "just playing" is the most efficient path to quick improvement. I'd much rather grab all the information I can right at the very beginning. If I conclude I want a longer cue, I don't want to do so after 2 years and then need to get used to a "new" cue.
Also, asking a question certainly isn't taking away any practice time for me!
No but if you dont stick with something now and constantly change you will only set yourself back. Also you have a pretty long bridge to begin with so an extension will probably lengthen it. I have been playing for over two years now and wish that I had listened to the people that told me to just play. I probably set myself back by about a year in the scheme of things because I'd try to have a long stroke with all sorts of random wrist flick and other BS that did help at all and just looked kind of cool. The only benefit that I got is that I could draw my ball more than 80% of the people in the pool room, but thats no good playing pool because it comes up 1% of the time.
Seriously, play the 5 ball ghost until you can beat it consistently and then move up a ball. learn how to use 1,2, and 3 tips of english. Learn YOUR OWN systems and clues for kicking and banking and steal ideas from others. If you want to get better play a lot of 9 ball and 8 ball and if you can gamble a little, do. If you can play in tournaments, great. NO cue, extention, system, tip, ferrule, shaft or anything else can replace solid fundamentals and wont help you improve quickly, because there are 3 types of pool payers: true talent who go on to be short stops and better in a 2 year period of time, Naturals who can pick up a cue and not look like a complete idiot at a bar or on a table, and people who look like complete idiots on a table.
I am a natural athlete and the first cue I bought felt like the best until I found out there were others. I stunted my growth as a player by changing equipment, stance, grip, etc. No I just try to stay loose with a fairly compact stroke. My bridge length and follow through are almost always the same distance now and sometimes I use a 4" bridge, other times its an 8". Guys like you and I can't emulate players like Shane who play with a long cue and a long bridge and still hardly ever miss. WE have to learn how to play them game. I saw the video you posted and I'm sorry to tell you that you are like me. Its gonna take a few more years before you learn to play proper postition and run out consistently and if you start playing one pocket then you will gain a bunch of tools but also slow down your development in 9 ball.
Just remember that its not an easy game but you will improve if you accept that you aren't god's gift to pool and dedicate yourself to practice rather than finding solutions.
