Silly Question

pwd72s

recreational banger
Silver Member
But I'm going to ask it anyway. Prompted by the thread about top pros dropping out of a tournament over a sponsorship dispute.

Has anyone here selected their playing cue mainly because a pro uses the same brand?
 

dirtvictim

Ignore the entitled they haven't earned respect
I never bought one based on that. I gravitate to a certain style, the southwest so over the years that's the style I've stuck with.
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
Of course not, advertising doesn't work at all on anyone, thats why companies spend so much on endorsements, ambassadors and ads...they like wasting money.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

3kushn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well, yes, I did. I had to have the same brand and style as Irving Crane. I managed to do that.
I recently purchased a Harvey Martin because many of the old time greats also went with him.
Not sure if I'll ever play with it but that was the reason.
Maybe someday I'll have a Rambow, at which time I'll have about 80% of the old greats choices covered.
 

mrpiper

Registered
I saw and really liked a Scorpion cue with a leather wrap. I was on the fence about buying it but I wanted it. When I realized it was endorsed or recommended by Johnny Archer I bought it, expecting it would be a decent cue. The butt split and broke after about a year :) Total piece of crap. He should really take his name off that association in my opinion. Not a reflection on him personally of course, but the cue I got was junk. Even for only about $180, you don't expect it to just split open and break. It looked nice sticking out of the garbage can when they truck came to pick it up. LOL
 

Rocket354

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been shopping for an LD, CF cue. I'd only ever test hit a few, but since I'm revamping my entire stance/grip/bridge/stroke I figured might as well simultaneously make the jump to LD (and, since I'm doing that, might as well enjoy the ding- and warp-resistant CF).

So which do I choose? Every manufacturer has a CF shaft, the "best one" at that! Coming from wood I wanted one that played/felt more like wood. And the person whose stroke I've been watching the closest to try to emulate? Why, SVB. Who, if the marketing materials are to be believed, helped design the Cynergy cue. Reviews seemed to all agree the Cynergy plays about as close to wood as CF can, so in a sea of options it stood out, in part due to SVB's input. So I bought it. I mean why not, all CF shafts are the "same" to me at this juncture, so might as well get used to that one.

Should arrive this week. If you see it listed in the For Sale section next week, you'll know how I felt about it. :)
 

3kushn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm just curious here. There's no way I can purchase a CF shaft for my cue, so I'm out of that market.
So I'm hearing the pitch is "our shafts play just like wooden shafts, but no worry about dings or warping."

So for 1.5X - 3X the money???? There's no other improvement??

Dings are easy to remove, if you're not being an idiot when you create them.
A quality wood shaft may move a hair once in a while, and I'm talking a hair. That shouldn't throw off anything, if you're paying attention.

In other words, most strokes are way more crooked than their shafts.
 

Rocket354

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Dr Dave has a good summary here about the advantages of carbon fiber shafts. I don't know how much is "too much" to copy and paste, but these are the advantages as he sees them:

It is smooth and has very little friction, especially with an open bridge. • It stays cleaner than a wood shaft, which can be difficult to keep sealed, clean, and smooth (with no scratches or dings). • It is easy and safe to clean with a damp towel. • It doesn't warp even under humidity and temperature extremes (so you can leave it in the trunk of your car in any weather). • It doesn't scratch easily. • It doesn't ding when you hit balls, bang up against furniture, or drop it on a hard and dirty floor.

So "clean" and "smooth" seem like additional nice advantages. And, as someone who's been playing with standard maple shafts for 25+ years, I agree that as long as you aren't an idiot the dings shouldn't be that bad. Unfortunately, not everyone at the pool hall will be as careful. I've had fistfights break out feet from my cues, people walk into them and knock them over while they're leaning in their Q-claw, you name it. Having something a little more durable is a nice feature, even if I hope that I never have to actually test that durability.
 

straightline

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
But I'm going to ask it anyway. Prompted by the thread about top pros dropping out of a tournament over a sponsorship dispute.

Has anyone here selected their playing cue mainly because a pro uses the same brand?
MFGers only care that people flock to their brand. Investing some scratch in flag bearers seems to be the most convenient way. Trying to forge a monopoly is a little much.
 

MitchAlsup

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I recently purchased a Harvey Martin because many of the old time greats also went with him.
Not sure if I'll ever play with it but that was the reason.
If you are never going to play with it; it is not a playing cue--which was the original question.
 

3kushn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you are never going to play with it; it is not a playing cue--which was the original question.
IDK if I'll play with it or not. It needs some minor work before I make that decision.
Let you know, but mostly I was ribbing Bob.
 

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
But I'm going to ask it anyway. Prompted by the thread about top pros dropping out of a tournament over a sponsorship dispute.

Has anyone here selected their playing cue mainly because a pro uses the same brand?
Never.

None of the pros can handle a “Jackpot”! :)

But I do have the actual cue that CJ Wiley used to win the Million Dollar Challenge Tournament.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
But I'm going to ask it anyway. Prompted by the thread about top pros dropping out of a tournament over a sponsorship dispute.

Has anyone here selected their playing cue mainly because a pro uses the same brand?
No.
 
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