Sound and feedback of a cue

alstl

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I hear a lot of people talk about the sound and feedback of a cue. I have to admit, when I'm shooting I don't focus on the sound or feedback, I'm focused on hitting the right spot on the object ball with the proper speed to make the ball and get position.

Am I the only one?
 
For most expert players, there are three senses that come into play, with pool. First is visual (eyes)...next is tactile (feel, or feedback from holding onto the cue, while striking the CB). Third, and just as important, is auditory (hearing). The sound of the tip striking the CB squarely, and the sound of OB's falling into the pocket, are integral in providing instant feedback to the brain, with information about the stroke and shot. The 'hearing' part is commonly overlooked by many players.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
Scott Lee said:
For most expert players, there are three senses that come into play, with pool. First is visual (eyes)...next is tactile (feel, or feedback from holding onto the cue, while striking the CB). Third, and just as important, is auditory (hearing). The sound of the tip striking the CB squarely, and the sound of OB's falling into the pocket, are integral in providing instant feedback to the brain, with information about the stroke and shot. The 'hearing' part is commonly overlooked by many players.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Very nicely described Scott... When I was first introduced to this theory I was amazed. Its way more then just hearing... Imagine playing pool with mittens or gloves on.
 
OK, This might stir something up. The best feeling cue to me is the one that I get the least feedback from. That is what a solid hit means to me. Going right into the follow through without feeling or hearing much at all.
 
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hiya all,

on the same topic and i hope this isnt a treaht hijacking or something, but its about sound. im a former snookerplayer, and we all know snookercue's are completly different then poolcue's..

now i hear everyone talking about a solid hit, a stiff cue etc.

my questions are:

A/ what other type of hits/sound do you have? only stiff or not stiff?

B/ how would u discribe the hit and sound of a snooker cue? how could i describe this to a cuemaker? (does the fact that snookercue's are alot smaller in diameter have anything to do with the hit or sound? or could i have a poolcue make by a cuemaker that would hit like a snooker cue?

(solly being in proces of having a custom cue made, but as NO ONE in my country has a custom cue, i cant just play with them and see wich feels best..) so i have to discribe something i dont know... only thing i know is i love snookercue's, but i dont like the small tips and shafts. im scared of making powershots with them.

the only cue ive played with that some people over hereplay with is a predator :s and actually... i loved how the cue hitted. it felt WAY more controled then my 30$ J&J... as im going to spend quit some money on a custom, id like the hit and sound being right. can anyone explain me more about the different hits etc?
 
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Well, I usually prefer to just sit back and watch these forums, but in this case I have a pretty strong opinion.

The best part of having a good hitting cue is the instant confirmation you get that YOU did YOUR job right! If your shooting a power draw shot and hit it perfect, there's the feeling of the impulse through the shaft, right through the handle, followed by the sweet sound of "thoink", then the balls hitting each other and falling into a pocket (hopefully).

The "hit" of a cue is totally subjective but any discussion about it has to include the sound it makes, which is kind of ironic. But if you think about it, the sound it makes comes from all the components it was made from and how they were installed.

A suggestion to help getting in touch with these senses would be to hit some easy shots with your eyes closed.

Thanks,

Eric
 
CaptainJR said:
OK, This might stir something up. The best feeling cue to me is the one that I get the least feedback from. That is what a solid hit means to me. Going right into the follow through without feeling or hearing much at all.
Click to expand...

Oh no... Please reconsider. I hit some balls with a black-dot shaft with a soft moori tip once...it felt exactly how you described: terrible.
 
alstl said:
I hear a lot of people talk about the sound and feedback of a cue. I have to admit, when I'm shooting I don't focus on the sound or feedback, I'm focused on hitting the right spot on the object ball with the proper speed to make the ball and get position.

Am I the only one?
Click to expand...
Maybe. My worst experience with sound from a stick was when my cue started pinging. I couldn't find the loose ferrule or joint or any problem in the butt. It was like an ice pick to the eye each time I hit a ball. It turned out thatthe screw and washer that held the rubber bumper in place were slightly loose, and they would slap together. Of course this was insignificant to the actual shot, but the psychological irritation really brought my game down.
 
I thought this might be an interesting addition to the discussion on how sound plays a part of playing high level pool. It's not a new concept! Here's a direct quote from Jersey Red, admittedly one of the best poolplayers ever, made 40 yrs. ago:

"I'm looking forward to the the day when I will hear the referee say 'playing for one', and the next sound will be that of the cue striking the ball just right. Then comes the sound of the ball being pocketed, and the the roars of the crowd when they announce that I'm the champ."

Jersey Red, National Billiard News, February 1967

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
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CaptainJR said:
OK, This might stir something up. The best feeling cue to me is the one that I get the least feedback from. That is what a solid hit means to me. Going right into the follow through without feeling or hearing much at all.
Click to expand...

I would agree with this thought. Took me a minute to think about it, but I think there is some merrit to it.

It is nice when you are making balls and moving the CB any way you want and you really don't hear much sound besides the CB/OB hit which can be subtle as well.

Good stir :)
ez
 
I prefer to call it "resonance" of a cue, it's very important to me. A sharp PING is what I like, usually achieved with a hard tip and dense pieces of wood. Some people don't care, but to me it's one measurement on how well a cue hits.......a very important measurement.
 
alstl said:
I hear a lot of people talk about the sound and feedback of a cue. I have to admit, when I'm shooting I don't focus on the sound or feedback, I'm focused on hitting the right spot on the object ball with the proper speed to make the ball and get position.

Am I the only one?
Click to expand...

You know, I'd have to mostly agree with on this. If there's something structurally wrong with your cue then obviously that can make a big difference in feel and sound, but when you have a cue that you're comfortable with in both looks and hit that's all it takes. I do believe that the tip shape and hardness effect those things more than the cue itself. I've shot with soft hitting cues and stiff hitting cues and once I get used to them the only sound and feedback I care about is the object ball hitting the back of the pocket and dropping... I love that.
 
I have to say I pay very little concious attention to the sound or feel of my cue when I'm playing. I say "conscious" because as soon as I hit the shot badly or miscue alarm bells start ringing! If something is wrong I notice it. Perhaps it's something to do with how comfortable you are with your cue? Anyone else get this feeling?
 
Resonance

I heard somewhere that a blind man can easily determine who is the best player in a poolroom....just by the sounds.

I recently bought a custom SP and the words "feedback" and "resonance" now have meaning and (they) add new richness for every shot correctly hit.

I also think quality of stroke has a lot to do with quality of "hit".
 
Fart sniffer said:
I prefer to call it "resonance" of a cue, it's very important to me. A sharp PING is what I like, usually achieved with a hard tip and dense pieces of wood. Some people don't care, but to me it's one measurement on how well a cue hits.......a very important measurement.
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IMO a cue only hits as well as the person shooting with it.
 
It might or might not have any effect on the cueball or your performance at the table, but to me pool is loaded with aesthetic pleasure, and the sounds involved are a huge part of the experience. The sound of your cue striking the cueball, the click of the cueball making contact with the object ball, the sastistfying slap between the OB and the back of the pocket, and finally the slow roll down the ball return...all of that is important to me when I shoot pool.

Now the feedback/resonance of a cue also adds to my aesthetic pleasure. I like a pingy hit, hard tips and hard nose woods in general.

-Roger
 
It might just all be in my head, but one of the characteristics of players that I've liked and tried to imitate actually sounded good when playing. By that I mean obviously the crisp dry 'dink' of their cue stroking the CB, but my ears tell me that there is also a significant difference between players in the sound of the CB hitting the first OB. Hard to explain, but I'm sure many of you know what I'm talking about.
dave
 
seymore15074 said:
CaptainJR said:
OK, This might stir something up. The best feeling cue to me is the one that I get the least feedback from. That is what a solid hit means to me. Going right into the follow through without feeling or hearing much at all.
Click to expand...

Oh no... Please reconsider. I hit some balls with a black-dot shaft with a soft moori tip once...it felt exactly how you described: terrible.
Click to expand...


I think anyone that likes a hard tip is going to disagree with me on this. It is just what I like. It is why I did use an Elk Master tip and why I use a Sniper now. The absolute worst hit I've ever felt was a 314. Felt like I was using a long piece of concrete that didn't weigh as much as concrete somehow.

Notice I said 'the least feedback', there are none that give no feedback that I know of. Because mine give less feedback that just means that I must be more sensitive to the feedback I get.
 
The sound of the cue hitting the ball is very important to me. The proper sound, the "click" (subjective as hell!) really improves my level of enjoyment.
 
My Jensen makes a sound that is about the same as the when the CB hits the OB. It sound and almost feels like a echo. A very nice sound. Other players have made comments to me about how my cue sounds different than others. The problem I have is when you are playing and the jukebox is playing really loud. You cannot hear the cue.

I cannot understand how some players will be wearing head sets when playing.

Many instruction books and DVD's will tell you to feel and be aware of everything about the cue, how it feels in your hand, in the bridge, sound and etc.

Another way to prove that sound is important is to try shooting while wearing some sort of sound protection. The shot doesn't seem the same.
 
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