I have a nice hitting cue.. Birdseye into ebony 4 pointer. I had an old shaft with a brass 5/16 joint I didn’t like so I plugged it and tapped it for a 3/8-10 screw. The shaft hits the best I’ve ever felt with a nice ping to it. I was finishing another shaft and tried it out on a different butt, it hit ok. So then I tried the same shaft on the ebony and Birdseye butt and wow hits the same as the other one ...sweet. I realized this was the butt making these shafts hit like this. Anyone else experience this? With so much focus on shafts, ferrule, tips, grain etc..... does anyone ever think the butt has a lot to do with how the cue hits? Any thoughts?
The butt makes a difference
- Thread starter Mike81
- Start date
I'm with on you on this one. The butt makes a difference, that is rather obvious. It affects the balance, therefore plays a big role with your stroke. Not to mention all the variables with different woods and construction that affects how the cue resonates and gives that "feel" to the stroking hand 
You can find great answers to your question in this thread for example https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=476566&page=2
My short answer is everything in the cue has a certain meaning and from my experience the butt (its construction, woods and other materials used) makes a big difference at the end in how the cue feels while playing.
My short answer is everything in the cue has a certain meaning and from my experience the butt (its construction, woods and other materials used) makes a big difference at the end in how the cue feels while playing.
To expand on that I would say some makers deliberately construct the butt to have particular aspects including carrying over proprietary tapers and others more conventional and rely more on the shaft to produce changes to the hit. But yes def makes a difference.
Seen butts make shafts play less or more whippy as a decent example.
The butt has a whole lot to do with how the cue plays. I have been saying it for decades. Some listen and others don't.
The feedback energy starts at the tip when it contacts the Q-ball.
The feel and feedback energy then travels thru and is modified by the shaft as it travels back toward the joint and your hand.
The energy your butt hand feels travels thru the butt to get there so YES the butt of the cue does have an effect on the "hit" and "feel" of a cue in as much as it can dampen or absorb that energy before it reaches your hand. There used to be a small device that was attached to the butt of a cue that dampened this energy and you could feel a distinct difference in hit when it was attached at the bumper.
The feel and feedback energy then travels thru and is modified by the shaft as it travels back toward the joint and your hand.
The energy your butt hand feels travels thru the butt to get there so YES the butt of the cue does have an effect on the "hit" and "feel" of a cue in as much as it can dampen or absorb that energy before it reaches your hand. There used to be a small device that was attached to the butt of a cue that dampened this energy and you could feel a distinct difference in hit when it was attached at the bumper.
I just thought it was interesting and surprising. Obviously the butt has to be constructed well, wood choices affect that, balance, length and weight are all important factors. I just think it’s importance is overlooked from what I read on here. I couldn’t believe the difference.
Ah...the LimbSaver lol.