Ratio of Pool Skill to Money Spent (or Given) on Cues

jsp

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If there ever is a way to objectively measure such a ratio, then think I just might be a world beater.

The carbon fiber thread got me thinking. I've never hit a ball with a carbon fiber shaft. Heck, I've never even held a Predator product (or OB product or any custom cue) in my hands. I am easily under $600 for total amount of money I've spent on cues in my entire pool playing lifetime (18+ years). I've only owned 6 cues my entire life (including a cheap $50 break/jump cue that I still use today).

But I did purchase my own Diamond Pro table 13 years ago, which is primarily the reason my skill level is where it is right now (low-A).

Anyone else can beat me regarding this metric? (Okay, probably not a "world beater" since there are probably hundreds of people in China and the Philippines that could whoop my butt only owning a $20 piece of wood.)
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If there ever is a way to objectively measure such a ratio, then think I just might be a world beater.

The carbon fiber thread got me thinking. I've never hit a ball with a carbon fiber shaft. Heck, I've never even held a Predator product (or OB product or any custom cue) in my hands. I am easily under $600 for total amount of money I've spent on cues in my entire pool playing lifetime (18+ years). I've only owned 6 cues my entire life (including a cheap $50 break/jump cue that I still use today).

But I did purchase my own Diamond Pro table 13 years ago, which is primarily the reason my skill level is where it is right now (low-A).

Anyone else can beat me regarding this metric? (Okay, probably not a "world beater" since there are probably hundreds of people in China and the Philippines that could whoop my butt only owning a $20 piece of wood.)
I own several higher end custom cues, and I own other production cues- one of which cost me $35 about 20 years ago- an Imperial, from a giant billiard/hot tub retailer from the late 80s/early 90s - if the ONLY cue that I ever owned was that $35 Imperial cue (I picked through about 200 of them at the time to find the best one in the store) - I would play today at about the same speed as I do owning all of those customs.

This game is so much more about stroke, timing, feel, confidence, mind set, etc. than it is about what cue you have in your hands- as long as the cue is reasonably straight ( another huge bone of contention for some) and, the cue has a good tip on it- well shaped; the cue is one of the least factors in your overall performance. This is not to say that a favored cue will not assist in fine tuning your game- it will! it is just a fine tuning though- a cue is maybe 5% of one's total game.
 

Greg M

Active member
I own one custom cue (main playing cue for pool), which cost me just over €500, and I also own four sub-€100 snooker cues - the lastest of which being my main playing cue for snooker. I had a hard time playing pool with my snooker cue as it was a little too heavy and had a tip just too wide for my liking.

But yeah, I'm decent (better than the average pub player, anyway) but nothing mind-blowing.
 
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boogieman

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
If there ever is a way to objectively measure such a ratio, then think I just might be a world beater.

The carbon fiber thread got me thinking. I've never hit a ball with a carbon fiber shaft. Heck, I've never even held a Predator product (or OB product or any custom cue) in my hands. I am easily under $600 for total amount of money I've spent on cues in my entire pool playing lifetime (18+ years). I've only owned 6 cues my entire life (including a cheap $50 break/jump cue that I still use today).

But I did purchase my own Diamond Pro table 13 years ago, which is primarily the reason my skill level is where it is right now (low-A).

Anyone else can beat me regarding this metric? (Okay, probably not a "world beater" since there are probably hundreds of people in China and the Philippines that could whoop my butt only owning a $20 piece of wood.)
I have the same cue I bought when I was 15 or 16. I'm 40 now. I posted this in the CF thread, but I recently got a Hsunami keilwood shaft. I didn't need it, my stock McDermott, non LD rock hard maple shaft was and is straight as an arrow and plays great. I got the new shaft because I liked the sound I heard on a youtube video, and the darker color of the wood. Paying attention to little things like the sound, the feel, the temp of the air on my skin keeps my mind from racing and lets me focus on the shot at hand. I have un-medicated ADD so concentration is tough at times, but these little things help me focus. The sound is worth $350 to me, but other than the sound as something to help focus my unfocused mind, I can shoot as good with my old shaft.

Pool is 95% mental and if I don't have little crap to focus on, I'm screwed. I'm not a world beater or anything so I'm nowhere close to your metric. :)

Honestly you don't need expensive equipment to be good, but I think most people just like spending money on hobbies.
 

KRJ

Support UKRAINE
Silver Member
I play with a $12.50 cue. Brunswick Willie Hoppe from 1940's. Paid $225 for it about 8 years ago, had it refinished, added a new joint, new shaft, new wrap, and thinned it out (the butt was huge) and that is my main player. I use to buy cues, and sell them, then buy something out. Not looking for a magic bullet but just looking for a style I liked. Just seemed like too much time and hassle to keep getting rid of cues all the time.

My 2nd cue is a Schmelke PJ (with glue lines where the butt broke when I dropped it) Never have to worry about anyone stealing it. Still hits a "ton". lol ($99)

Third is a Sneaky Pete by Omen. ($400)
 

Tony_in_MD

You want some of this?
Silver Member
I have 8 Scruggs cues. I got paid in cues when I did his first website for him. I rotate play between them, because you have to give them love.

They bring back memories of happy times goofing off with him and Mike.
 

Monti

Active member
I own one custom cue (main playing cue for pool), which cost me just over €500, and I also own four sub-€100 snooker cues the lastest of which being my main playing cue for snooker. I had a hard time playing pool with my snooker cue as it was a little too heavy and had a tip just too wide for my liking.

But yeah, I'm decent (better than the average pub player, anyway) but nothing mind-blowing.
Don’t snooker cues have much smaller tips, since they hit smaller balls?
 

Greg M

Active member
Don’t snooker cues have much smaller tips, since they hit smaller balls?
Yeah, as Thunder Thighs said, I play English pool, which uses a 1 7/8" cue ball. It's a touch smaller than the size of a snooker one, so a smaller tip is recommended. My snooker cue is 58" long, 19.5oz in weight, and with a 9.5mm tip, compared to my pool cue (57", 17.5oz and 9mm).
 

9BallKY

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I’ve owned a lot of cues over the years from the $20 Mali (my first cue) to the $1500 custom cue I got now. No matter if I spend a million on a cue I still won’t be able to shoot the cue ball down the table and hit the end rail. I do like it a lot so I’ll probably keep it.
 

judochoke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i Use a predator blak-2 cue, with a revo 12.4. It’s a very nice cue, that was 1400. But my problems in my game as i come up to 2.5 years of steadily playing have nothing to do with my cue. I play the same with my first cue, lucasi with a 314 shaft. I will probably never buy another cue, as I feel it doesn’t help me as I continue to work on my problem areas.
 

Tin Man

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I've probably got about $2,500 into pool cues (including jump and break cues) over my lifetime.

I expect to use my current equipment until I am done playing unless there is a breakthrough the level of low deflection.

I don't think I'm in the running for a record, but for a serious lifelong pool player that seems pretty reasonable.
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
I think you price yourself out of the "spent less to get more better" contest when you buy a new Diamond table to practice on.

Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
i find its inversely proportional
most of the really good players i know dont have fancy cues
and lived in a pool hall or maybe had/have a home table
if you add the cost of "lessons" paid for by gambling then the ratio might tilt alittle
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
If there ever is a way to objectively measure such a ratio, then think I just might be a world beater.

The carbon fiber thread got me thinking. I've never hit a ball with a carbon fiber shaft. Heck, I've never even held a Predator product (or OB product or any custom cue) in my hands. I am easily under $600 for total amount of money I've spent on cues in my entire pool playing lifetime (18+ years). I've only owned 6 cues my entire life (including a cheap $50 break/jump cue that I still use today).

But I did purchase my own Diamond Pro table 13 years ago, which is primarily the reason my skill level is where it is right now (low-A).

Anyone else can beat me regarding this metric? (Okay, probably not a "world beater" since there are probably hundreds of people in China and the Philippines that could whoop my butt only owning a $20 piece of wood.)
I certainly cannot say that today, but I was a low A player (whatever that means to you) in the early 90s with less than $200 in my Meucci, without owning a table.
 

jsp

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I certainly cannot say that today, but I was a low A player (whatever that means to you) in the early 90s with less than $200 in my Meucci, without owning a table.
Good point. With your first cue, you can rapidly increase your skill level. As as you purchase more equipment over the years, your skill level can continue increasing, but it most likely won't outpace the rate at which you spend on pool equipment. So that ratio for everyone probably peaks early on in their pool career, and goes down from there.
 

jsp

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think you price yourself out of the "spent less to get more better" contest when you buy a new Diamond table to practice on.

Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk
That's why I only mentioned pool cues. ;) If the metric is total money spent on pool, then I'm nowhere near a block favorite.

Asides from my TI-85 calculator I bought (or more accurately my mom bought) in high school, that pool table $ for $ is the best purchase I've made in my life.
 

The_JV

'AZB_Combat Certified'
In my prime I was at shortstop level of play. I guess that's the equalivent of an assortment of A's and +/- depending where you're from. Throughout that span of time I may have had $700cdn invested in the game. Was forced into buying a new $300 Falcon after damaging it during a demo (house cue prior), a used Z2 (can't recall the price I paid), a used jump/break Falcon ~$200, and of course cheap cases. I would always get comments from folks I'd occassionally see about my tired equipment. Kinda became my "thing"...

I don't give any credit of my level of play to my equipment. Unless of course I had bad stretch...lol

Played with the above for roughly ~25yrs, until I decided that I had stuck it out long enough to justify having nice things. Started off with a JB case which was worth more than all my equipment because el'cheapy gave up the ghost. Once the bandaid was pulled, I finally pulled the trigger on a new player (Exceed) about a month ago. None of that extra expense has made me any better...lol. Looking to pick up a new breaker that will also not improve my technique.

The difference between then and now....?... I have more money.
 
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