I spent a lot of money and time looking for a cue that felt just right for me: It took a few tries, but in the end I got what I was looking for. This got me thinking: Do pros struggle with the same kind of issues, only the differences in equipment being smaller. Meaning that a pro most likely knows exactly what weight, balance, type of shaft, wrap etc. he or she wants for their playing cue, where as I had to experiment to find my taste and the right combinations to come up with something that feels great on every shot.
As we all know, many top players are sponsored by certain companies, so that will have some influence with the decision they make when choosing a cue to play with. I highly doubt the common saying that they will play with a cue thats manufacturer pays the best. I dont think that Thorsten would play with a Lucasi if he hated it. He makes a lot money by winning games, why would he play with equipment that would put him at disadvantage to the other players with other cues if they were far superior to his? Of course we will probably never know how much the companies pay for top professionals to play with their equipment, but its hard to believe that it would exceed the prize winnings from the biggest events.
Also, do you think that top pros find a specific shaft they like and stick with it for loooong periods of time, or do they change to a new one every now and then? Darren Appleton seems to have found something pretty dear to him, he even got a thread here about his old looking shaft a while back. He seems to change butts every now and then, but the same shaft is always on them. Do others do this too?
I also remember reading about Shane getting like a dozen shafts from Cuetec and picking the ones he likes for his personal use, do the same production shafts differ that much from each other to really make a difference or is this just some internet tale that has taken off?
On to Predator: Have any of their top pros changed from their trusted 314/2's and z2's to the new generation versions? I looked at predator pro list, but it seems a bit outdated so I thought to ask here if anyone happens to know a thing or two
Not that it matters, but this just crossed my mind the other day 
I have finally found a shaft that feels just right for me, so im sticking to it as long as it lasts together, hopefully a very long time that is :embarrassed2: If it breaks down on me (if internet is to be trusted every predator will explode in to a million pieces after a month or so) I'll have think about getting another cue altogether to get a new one, as they cost a ton with a Mezz joint, the 2nd gen is getting harder and harder to find and the 3rd gen aint even available with it. Untill then I'm happy with my cue. It outplays my skills any day, likely for the rest of my life. None the less, I get to enjoy the feeling of a quality cue that feels just "me" for just that long. That is what matters to me, not the lowest deflection, best CB action or some of the other high tech stuff
Went a bit offtopic in the end, please forgive me that, I just wrote what got in my mind
As we all know, many top players are sponsored by certain companies, so that will have some influence with the decision they make when choosing a cue to play with. I highly doubt the common saying that they will play with a cue thats manufacturer pays the best. I dont think that Thorsten would play with a Lucasi if he hated it. He makes a lot money by winning games, why would he play with equipment that would put him at disadvantage to the other players with other cues if they were far superior to his? Of course we will probably never know how much the companies pay for top professionals to play with their equipment, but its hard to believe that it would exceed the prize winnings from the biggest events.
Also, do you think that top pros find a specific shaft they like and stick with it for loooong periods of time, or do they change to a new one every now and then? Darren Appleton seems to have found something pretty dear to him, he even got a thread here about his old looking shaft a while back. He seems to change butts every now and then, but the same shaft is always on them. Do others do this too?
I also remember reading about Shane getting like a dozen shafts from Cuetec and picking the ones he likes for his personal use, do the same production shafts differ that much from each other to really make a difference or is this just some internet tale that has taken off?
On to Predator: Have any of their top pros changed from their trusted 314/2's and z2's to the new generation versions? I looked at predator pro list, but it seems a bit outdated so I thought to ask here if anyone happens to know a thing or two
Not that it matters, but this just crossed my mind the other day I have finally found a shaft that feels just right for me, so im sticking to it as long as it lasts together, hopefully a very long time that is :embarrassed2: If it breaks down on me (if internet is to be trusted every predator will explode in to a million pieces after a month or so
) I'll have think about getting another cue altogether to get a new one, as they cost a ton with a Mezz joint, the 2nd gen is getting harder and harder to find and the 3rd gen aint even available with it. Untill then I'm happy with my cue. It outplays my skills any day, likely for the rest of my life. None the less, I get to enjoy the feeling of a quality cue that feels just "me" for just that long. That is what matters to me, not the lowest deflection, best CB action or some of the other high tech stuff Went a bit offtopic in the end, please forgive me that, I just wrote what got in my mind
