Things to consider for those forum members buying their first pool cue

[Paul_#_]

Sticking a chunk of metal in the ass of a cue does not help nor improve its balance.

What is your (and Manwon's) opinion of McDermott's weight system that allows weights to be placed ANYWHERE along the length of the butt in its H-Series cues?

Second photo is the weight system being inserted in the butt with all the shiny weights that would end up nearer the butt end. They could have been placed, however, anywhere along the butt, evenly spaced along the butt length, or whatever you want.

Picking up a cue with a forward or extremely neutral balance after only ever having felt cues with the weight added in the butt is one of those magical moments in our pool lives. It simply did not compute in my little monkey brain that a cue could weigh an ounce or two more but feel the same or even lighter

What is your opinion of the McDermott weight system? I suspect this may be more important for newer players than more-experienced players who are used to playing with whatever they have used.

One cue can be just like another cue to the lesser-sensitive of us, but the H-Series? It can show how different cues can be --- even to the dullards.

 

[Bavafongoul]

Manson…..coring the butt is not hard……a cue maker that uses a single 1 oz bolt in a 18 oz. pool cue so a customer can receives a 19 oz. cue they want is not doing the customer any favors. At least distribute the weight within the butt and that’s not asking for much if the cue comes that short of the target weight. I’m not accusing all cue makers of being lazy or lousy workmanship. But It’s hard to defend when I’ve seen a well known brand contain a 35 grams weight bolt in a 19.5 oz. cue. Anything like that, or approaching it, seems equivalent to basically cheating on cue workmanship, IMO.

 

[manwon]

What is your (and Manwon's) opinion of McDermott's weight system that allows weights to be placed ANYWHERE along the length of the butt in its H-Series cues?

Second photo is the weight system being inserted in the butt with all the shiny weights that would end up nearer the butt end. They could have been placed, however, anywhere along the butt, evenly spaced along the butt length, or whatever you want.

I have never had one of these cues in my hands. But in principal, it looks like a great idea.

What is your opinion of the McDermott weight system? I suspect this may be more important for newer players than more-experienced players who are used to playing with whatever they have used.

One cue can be just like another cue to the lesser-sensitive of us, but the H-Series? It can show how different cues can be --- even to the dullards.


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[Bavafongoul]

I think anytime you can neutralize the additional weight by distributing and positioning the added weight in locations otherwise not considered before is a very good thing. When I say neutralize, I am referring to not having any form of added weight in one specific region, unless that was what was desired. Instead, the same amount of weight is distributed more evenly, albeit in a certain portion of the cue, but it is not a fixed location. Instead, it is positioned for improved, better weight distribution. When I say better, I am referring to tactile feel and resonance of the wood shaft.

I don’t know squat about CF shafts but I know pool cue anatomy inside and out after having conferred with some world famous cue makers over the many decades I’ve played pool and had cues built to my specs instead of buying cues from the resale marketplace. And don’t get me wrong. I have and still would. I am the 2nd owner of my Scruggs and Prewitt pool cues so I had no say other than I looked for cues that met my specs. However, the other cues I own I actually designed so there was lots of detailed conversations with the cue makers over the course of building my cues.

Weight proportionality, which I’ve preached about on this website for 15 years, is the most indispensable criterion for
being pleased with your pool cue. And weight bolts can become one of a few key factors that could help or hinder your
overall satisfaction with how your pool cue feels. And the best cue makers always respected cue weight proportionality.

 

[bbb]

@manwon
great thread
should be useful for many....
my only advice is when its time to sell it
be sure to say
It hits a ton !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Couldnt resist......sorry)

 

[manwon]

@manwon
great thread
should be useful for many....
my only advice is when its time to sell it
be sure to say
It hits a ton !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Couldnt resist......sorry)

That is one sentence that goes into every cue for sale thread on this forum. I could never figure out why these cues were for sale if they truly hit a ton.

Thanks for the laugh. I needed it this morning.!!!

 

[boogieman]

Picking up a cue with a forward or extremely neutral balance after only ever having felt cues with the weight added in the butt is one of those magical moments in our pool lives. It simply did not compute in my little monkey brain that a cue could weigh an ounce or two more but feel the same or even lighter. It made sense after I thought about it for a little bit. But, man... I'd been playing with an older 19 oz Schon with a weight bolt and a dude at the pool room let me play around with his Cog for a bit. I told him it felt way too light for me. Then he told me that because of its balance it felt lighter but it actually weighed 19.25 oz. I flat out didn't believe him. We managed to find a scale and, sure as shit, it weighed 1/4 oz more than my Schon. I'll never forget that because I learned something that went entirely against my intuition.

I was used to my McDermott. This is how I felt after picking up a Diveney at his shop. It's like the cue disappeared in my hands. It felt alive.

Balance is huge, and a lot of times production cues have a weight bolt in the back, yes you can change the weight but the balance never changes much.

 

[Jimmy_Betmore]

What is your (and Manwon's) opinion of McDermott's weight system that allows weights to be placed ANYWHERE along the length of the butt in its H-Series cues?

Second photo is the weight system being inserted in the butt with all the shiny weights that would end up nearer the butt end. They could have been placed, however, anywhere along the butt, evenly spaced along the butt length, or whatever you want.




What is your opinion of the McDermott weight system? I suspect this may be more important for newer players than more-experienced players who are used to playing with whatever they have used.

One cue can be just like another cue to the lesser-sensitive of us, but the H-Series? It can show how different cues can be --- even to the dullards.


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I honestly don't have an opinion on it because this is the first time I've seen it. Haha! But if it does what what is says it does and doesn't negatively affect the hit of the cue in any way, I'm for it.

 

[Bob Jewett]

I think anytime you can neutralize the additional weight by distributing and positioning the added weight in locations otherwise not considered before is a very good thing. When I say neutralize, I am referring to not having any form of added weight in one specific region, unless that was what was desired. Instead, the same amount of weight is distributed more evenly, albeit in a certain portion of the cue, but it is not a fixed location. Instead, it is positioned for improved, better weight distribution. When I say better, I am referring to tactile feel and resonance of the wood shaft.
...

According to physics, it's nearly impossible to tell how the weight is distributed in a cue. The main thing you can measure is where the center of gravity is, and that does not tell you how the weight is distributed. A cue that has two one-ounce weights 10 inches from the bumper will feel in the hand just like a cue that has one weight at 8 inches and one weight at 12 inches. Those two conditions have the same CG and the same weight.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

If I was new to Pool, knew what I knew today, I would buy a Cheap Cue with Decent Tip. Like ask Entry Level McDermott, or Player Cue, depending on budget. Then learn to use that Cue before upgrading to anything pricy.

 

[Bavafongoul]

According to physics, it's nearly impossible to tell how the weight is distributed in a cue. The main thing you can measure is where the center of gravity is, and that does not tell you how the weight is distributed. A cue that has two one-ounce weights 10 inches from the bumper will feel in the hand just like a cue that has one weight at 8 inches and one weight at 12 inches. Those two conditions have the same CG and the same weight.

Bob, doesn’t the fulcrum point change? When you change your grip position for different shots, you can tell the
balance is affected if you had a heavy, not just any, but a heavy weight bolt that I’d describe as 1 oz or heavier.

I can feel the difference in some of my cues that don’t have any weight bolt or bolts (7 grams) positioned within
the cue butt. People who have picked up my cues have noticed it felt different than their cue but obviously there
are many reasons for that. I’m talking about how it felt when they hefted the cue and just practice stroked with it.

I can’t tell you why a cue feels different since I don’t have X-Ray vision but I could tell you when it felt different.

 

[Paul_#_]

According to physics, it's nearly impossible to tell how the weight is distributed in a cue. The main thing you can measure is where the center of gravity is, and that does not tell you how the weight is distributed. A cue that has two one-ounce weights 10 inches from the bumper will feel in the hand just like a cue that has one weight at 8 inches and one weight at 12 inches. Those two conditions have the same CG and the same weigh

doesn’t the fulcrum point change?

_________

 

[Jimmy_Betmore]

According to physics, it's nearly impossible to tell how the weight is distributed in a cue. The main thing you can measure is where the center of gravity is, and that does not tell you how the weight is distributed. A cue that has two one-ounce weights 10 inches from the bumper will feel in the hand just like a cue that has one weight at 8 inches and one weight at 12 inches. Those two conditions have the same CG and the same weight.

Is there a difference between center of gravity and balance point in this context that I'm missing or are they the same thing?

 

[Rusty in Montana]

My suggestion is to go to your local pool hall or bar on league night and ask questions of the folks in there playing pool .
With hopes they may allow you to hit a ball or two with their pool cue , if its a high dollar cue they may not go for it but the you will have some idea of what is out there .

Another thing to consider is a 2 x 4 case to carry it to and from the pool hall or bar , because chances are when they get addicted to playing pool they will need the extra case capacity for an extension or maybe even a extra shaft or jump cue ?

 

[pt109]

I sold a lot of cues in the 80s and 90s in my area….I had show cases in a bunch of rooms but sold most out of home room.
When a beginner came shopping, I would suggest a Dufferin sneaky Pete…I would explain that they didn’t know what they needed….in a couple years come back and see me if you feel the need for a higher quality…and you keep this cue as a breaker and a dive bar cue.
I had a lot of repeat customers….and they thanked me for my advice.

 

[Bavafongoul]

According to physics, it's nearly impossible to tell how the weight is distributed in a cue. The main thing you can measure is where the center of gravity is, and that does not tell you how the weight is distributed. A cue that has two one-ounce weights 10 inches from the bumper will feel in the hand just like a cue that has one weight at 8 inches and one weight at 12 inches. Those two conditions have the same CG and the same weight.

Bob, I am talking about a single ounce bolt in the bottom of the cue butt versus say 2 or 3 seven gram small weights spaced 3-5 inches apart within the butt. If my cue maker had to rely on more than say 1/4 - 1/2 oz. of weight bolts building my cue they did a poor job of building what I want. I made that clear in every cue I ordered after Bob built my Schon cue in ‘84. I wanted a 14.5 oz. butt on a cue Bob Owen built but sans any weight bolt. That cue weighs 14.52 ozs; he had to make the ivory cap smaller so the weight would be on target. IMO, a pool cue should not require heavy weight bolts but so many do.

 

[George the Greek]

Although the title addresses members, I think the point is really more for the masses than members. AZB forums are indexed by Google.

It's always an interesting discussion, and I think has changed a lot in the last few years because I think many will start out with a CF cue now.

I was at the pool hall a few days ago. A dude and his lady were at the next table playing/practicing. It seemed they were in some local league. They both seemed pretty new to the game judging from their skill level, but both had CF cues, gloves, etc. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.

On the table to the other side of mine were two very experience players. Once had a full CF cue, the other a CF shaft on an old school cue. Both had gloves.

And there I was playing with my Joss.

I know some of the names of entry level brands. Crical. Rhino. But I honestly know nothing about them.

I bought a Crical for $224 CDN off Amazon and it's pretty impressive for a cheap cue. It feels good ( no wrap) , the balance is ok in my hands and it hits the ball . I didn't think I would play with a CF shaft but I'm liking it. Ive had guys ask me about the cue and I tell them I had it imported lol

 

[GoldCrown]

Just curious how many AZ forum members would be buying their first cue?

How many bought their last cue? It's never over...it's a frikn curse.

 

[Chopdoc]

I bought a Crical for $224 CDN off Amazon and it's pretty impressive for a cheap cue. It feels good ( no wrap) , the balance is ok in my hands and it hits the ball . I didn't think I would play with a CF shaft but I'm liking it. Ive had guys ask me about the cue and I tell them I had it imported lol

A few days ago I saw a Crical on eBay and was curious about the price. So, I hit Google and found the same cue on Amazon for $200 and on Walmart for $125. $125 new? I almost bought it just to see what it's like.

Then I happened to see an Overcomer cue on eBay and went to find their web site. Does anybody know anything about these?

eBay sale: LINK

Overcomer Pool Cues - Precision Crafted Billiard Cues

Premium handcrafted pool cues with superior performance and elegant design

overcomerpoolcue.com

Right now I am much more willing to spend $150 on an unknown custom to see what it's like than a CF cue. That may change soon.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

That's not an accurate statement obviously there's a lot you don't understand about cue building. In many cases, weight bolts must be used due to the choice of wood. There's much more to it than just sticking a piece of metal in the ass and moving on balance must be maintained and this is all part of the planning process that goes into building a cue. For instance, in many cases, the weight bolt is designed to offset the weight of the pin for the joint and the screw at the A-joint. This will also throw off the balance of the cue if left unattended.

Not all butts are cored, so bolts in the manner you're speaking of are not always possible to use. However, when they are, I agree with you they are the right choice.

You're very opinionated however your knowledge is limited obviously you've built no cues.

JIMHO

Best to just laugh at that clown. He will spout off all the time about his antiquated belief about the magic of elephant teeth and claim that 'all the best cuemakers' have told him that a shaft needs to weigh 19.627% of the total cue and be over 4.1oz.