Couldn't Agree More......
Switching cues certainly can affect your play until you transition to the new cue. What I learned by experimenting, which involved buying & selling several other ivory joint cues.....including a dandy Joss West that I sold to Ray F. and still harbor regrets over doing.....is that if you keep the joints, cues weights and shaft sizes really close, then the only other meaningful variable is whether there's any difference in tips.
My Mottey cue, recently traded, was within 1/10th ounce of my Scruggs cue weight.....my Owen cue is within 1/10th ounce of my Scruggs cue weight and both cues have the same tips & hardness. That's why I'm so fussy and pretty rigid when I shop for cues.....it has to fit within close proximity to the other cues in my collection or it just doesn't work for me. And I really do understand that pool truly is a game played between the ears, just as much as it's played on the table.
So by keeping cues really close in specs, moving from one cue to another is pretty easy to do and really enjoyable the same time. It also allows me to evaluate cues made by different cue-makers a whole lot better when the specs of these cues are really close. In fact, I'm transitioning with my EP cue now and frankly, it needs a little tweaking. I spoke with Mr. Prewitt last week, and let me tell you what a sweetheart of a guy he is to speak with. After I receive the new shafts Ed's making, my EP cue weight should only become 1/10th - 2/10th heavier than my Scruggs cue while it presently weighs just over 1/2 oz. heavier than my Scruggs cue and exactly 1/2 oz. heavier than my Owen cue. Talking about differences, I even debated re-directing the Cortland Linen #12 just sent to Jerry R. to Ed Prewitt since I don't care for the elephant ear wrap on my EP cue.
Earlier when I wrote that pool being a game played between the ears, well, I recognize that for me I can let it become my nemesis. I'm not going to be changing the elephant ear wrap on my EP cue. If I have to go that far to better like the play of a really wonderful cue, OMG...I have some serious issues with my pool game and ability to focus on what's important. Well, the wrap shouldn't matter, and besides, lots of players love elephant ear as a wrap. You'll sure never have the cue slip out of your hand with the way this wrap grabs. However, personally speaking, the cue weight & shaft size are important considerations and I think that applies to lots of pool players and not just myself.
That's why I try to keep all my cues really close in weight and have flat ivory joints & ferrules. Let's face it, cues are a individual thing and what matters to one of us might not even be a consideration to someone else.
Matt B.
