Sledgehammer
- Thread starter gulyassy
- Start date
At the first bi-annual Sledgehammer appreciation festival
You win Wednesday's first prize for the correct answer.Tank138 said:Your shop??
Well now I took it to a very famous 9 ball tournament in Charlotte, N.C. At this tournament Allison Fisher defeated Tommy Kennedy in the finals like 9 to 2 after Tommy got there destroying all his opponents. It was an awesome finish. It happened at J. Reginalds Pool Room. I let a lot of people try the cue out and it was a hit. Even Allison tried it out and said it was quite remarkable. I also got a challenge that someones break jump cue was the best ever and would beat mine jumping and breaking for $100.00. I told this person that it was a bet. He asked me who would judge and I said he could judge the results. Needless to say the contest never happened. This same person did a lot of checking out of my new idea over the next 2 days.
gulyassy said:
How would you judge this contest? Which break cue offers the best control, or pockets the most balls? I could hammer the crap out of the rack, scratch, and that would be bad. I may make a ball on the break, but lose control of the cue ball. As far as jumps go, how can you prove you're the best jump cue? It jumps the highest? The most balls?
I love bets based on subjective things. Objective things can be measured. Subjectives are based on "feel". I always laugh that EVERYONE who makes a jump/break cue makes the best one on the market. For once, I'd love honesty from a cuemaker. "If you really want to improve your break, practice. If you're trying to buy a better break, such a concept does not exist."
I want to make one thing perfectly clear during these debates. I have nothing against Mike Gulyassy, and think he makes one hell of a cue. He's an upstanding cuemaker, and is a valued contributor to this board. There are many here that make fantastic cues, and fantastic jump/break cues. I just think the public needs to know that the best break cue on the planet isn't going to improve your game. Phenolics should never have been allowed as a tip on a cue. I know there will be arguments regarding innovation, but my feeling is that the player with the greatest skills should have an advantage. Earl was able to jump balls with a full cue AND leather tip. Now, with the advent of the phenolic tipped jump cue, Travis Trotter can jump as well as Strickland. That ain't right.
I agree with you on the skill advantage. I made break jump cues back before the phenolic tips and they worked plenty good. But this whole thing was started by Earl Strickland. He jumped balls before any one else could with a full leather tipped cue. The first answer to Earls jumping was a short cue made by Pat Fleming. Pat could jump over balls like Earl. Then another player came up with a house cue cut short and he could jump balls and this was in 1985. Now Meucci and Huebbler made cues cut in half to jump balls. Then the jump rod and Bunjee starting making jump cues with phenolic tips. It was the leather dust that made me come up with my idea. I knew that leather dust in the phenolic was kind of too far out for me to swallow so I decided to make my own phenolic tip and came up with my ferrule/tip and just by accident used canvas because I was using the material for inserts in my shafts. I agree with you on the skill level and jumping but lets go all the way and ban jumping. Then all the problems are over. Earl and the Asians win all the tournaments like they should. The best players who can stay in line will dominate the shot makers and big breakers. It is not the jump cue that is on trial but the jump shot. Should golfers not be allowed to use big Bertha and drive the ball 50 yards shorter? Should tennis players go back to a slower racket, should we go back to no jumping and let skill determine winners instead of luck? What about the corner ball going on the break. Should this be stopped also. Back in the prehistoric times the break just started the game, the corner ball never went. It was a gunfight all the way till someone dominated the running out or wore out the opponent. If they ban the jump shot and make the break less of an advantage for this new age of shot makers and big breakers, I will be back on the tour.Shawn Armstrong said:
I say ban the jump cue. The jump shot was never a thought in the game of pool. However, players discovered a way to jump the ball. Here's a concept. Players are allowed two cues - a break cue and a playing cue. You can choose the configuration of these cues. All tips have to be leather. If you want to use a short cue, that's fine. The BCA can make a ruling as to shortest cue allowed. You are allowed to switch cues after the break only. No going back to the bag, no unnecessary delays in play. If you can jump with your playing cue, go right ahead. You've learned that skill, so it's at your disposal.
To me, Strickland's jumping ability goes hand in hand with Efren's kicking ability. One will never be as good as the other at what they do.
There's a point where technology can make the game look stupid. Jump cues look dumb - they only look good when my 4 year old son uses mine as his "short cue" for playing pool. To me, they have no place in the game.
To me, Strickland's jumping ability goes hand in hand with Efren's kicking ability. One will never be as good as the other at what they do.
There's a point where technology can make the game look stupid. Jump cues look dumb - they only look good when my 4 year old son uses mine as his "short cue" for playing pool. To me, they have no place in the game.
Shawn, I do not know who you, but I respect your opinion. My opinion is ban the jump shot. I think we should use one cue like we used to. It had an extra shaft just in case the tip flew off. One cue and everything is good. No problems, just good pool.
If new technology was banned from pool we would all be playing with a mace instead of a cue, when the leather tip was invented people were amazed, every sport has new technology, what's so wrong with a jump cue?
Sue Earl was the master of jumping with a full length cue, so what?
Ben Hogan could drive the golf ball 250 yards with an old wooden golf club and now any decent golfer with a souped up titanium driver can do it.
Lets ban two piece cues,layered tips, cue extensions, break cues, phenolic balls, tip tappers and all other advancements that makes the game easier.
Bring back the mace !
Sue Earl was the master of jumping with a full length cue, so what?
Ben Hogan could drive the golf ball 250 yards with an old wooden golf club and now any decent golfer with a souped up titanium driver can do it.
Lets ban two piece cues,layered tips, cue extensions, break cues, phenolic balls, tip tappers and all other advancements that makes the game easier.
Bring back the mace !
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Gulyassy for President..........of the BCA Rules Committee!gulyassy said:
This response is getting OLD really fast. If you're going to ban the jump cue, then ban leather tips, chalk, blah, blah, blah.bigshooter said:
The jump cue is the only device that you can buy that will give you INSTANT results, and radical improvement over a standard cue for the purpose it was designed for. Leather tips are the norm, and have been for over 100 years. Laminated tips give no advantage, performance wise, over a one-piece tip. However, take your standard jump cue and put it up against your full length cue, and try to perform a jump shot with a full ball blocker 5" away from the cueball. Jump cue - EASY. Full length cue - IMPOSSIBLE. That's why the jump cue should be banned. It's BOUGHT skill, not learned skill. No one sells a tip or any other equipment that so radically changes your ability to execute a shot as the jump cue does.
Shawn Armstrong said:
Your resistance to game improving equipment is getting really old really fast, whats wrong with instant improvement?
Instantly makes the game better and more fun.
Oh, I don't know. I worked hard on learning to kick. Who knew I could have saved time and effort, and been a slacker when all I had to do was spend $99 and learn dart stroke.bigshooter said:
Shawn Armstrong said:
I guess it just comes down to a matter of opinion and we are on opposite sides of the fence, just for the record I was playing a long time before break cues came along, I had to learn to kick too and I am a pretty good jumper with my shooting cue.
If we ever play I will respectfully leave the jumper in the case.
No need. I own a jump cue, purely for tournament play. The rules allow for them, so you're allowed to use them. I'll use them if the rules allow them. I just don't really think they have a real place in the game. I think a good safety should be rewarded. I've seen safes that would be impossible to kick out of, but are a breeze to jump out of. To run out, we rarely require PERFECT shape, except the odd shot. Due to the jump cue being allowed, there is no such thing as a good safety anymore. It's either PERFECT, or you can jump out of it.bigshooter said:
When golf club makers improved the wooden drivers courses had to
change and get longer to due to product improvement. I applaud stick
makers for trying to come up with new ideas and product improvements.
Mr. Gulyassy of all people should respect that..he who is known for not
always thinking in the box(which I admire). Banning something that is new
just because it changes or modernizes the game isn't necsessarily the
answer. You don't get unlimited timeouts in football maybe only allow 1
Jump per set or game(compromise).
If your going to ban something MAKE IT USEFULL-BAN BARBOXES
change and get longer to due to product improvement. I applaud stick
makers for trying to come up with new ideas and product improvements.
Mr. Gulyassy of all people should respect that..he who is known for not
always thinking in the box(which I admire). Banning something that is new
just because it changes or modernizes the game isn't necsessarily the
answer. You don't get unlimited timeouts in football maybe only allow 1
Jump per set or game(compromise).
If your going to ban something MAKE IT USEFULL-BAN BARBOXES
I actually got the last Sledgehammer pre-McDermott that was made in Taiwan per MG specs and I did pocket on 8 ball yesterday 3 to 4 balls all the time. My swing on my break is not 100mph. I just aim dead on 1st ball and that is it. The tip holds chalk extremelly well and it is as perfect as it can be. This cue might be a rare run that was done (I do not know the details). Also with this model I can control the ball like no other MG jb cue.
I love this MG jb. I will be ordering another one from MG, this cue is the nutz.
I love this MG jb. I will be ordering another one from MG, this cue is the nutz.