Tim Scruggs Sneaky

Jimmy_Betmore said:
Since it's a slow morning at work and some people respond better to data with graphs, I decided to do an experiment in my head. I took 100 each of D players, C players, B players, A players, and Pros. I let them use their cue of choice to play the ghost in a race to 10 to establish a baseline represented as "0" on the Y axis in the graph below. I then had them pick a number: 1 or 2. If they chose 1, they had to play the same race again with a $20k custom. Then they played yet another race with a broom handle (Model H-6424-HNDL, 60" Tapered Replacement Handle. $8.00 from Uline.) The picking a number part was to ensure that playing with one or the other in the first race didn't effect how they played in the second race as, statistically, half would play with the custom first and the other half would play with the broom handle first. The results are below.

View attachment 788613

Please don't ask about how I calculated the performance increase/decrease percentage. The math is way too complicated and completely made up. But, as we can see, the graph shows some undeniable truths.
  1. D Players don't care at all. They play perfectly with both instruments.
  2. C Players show a marked increase in performance with the custom cue and decrease with the broom handle. This has been attributed to the fact that C Players have gotten at least a little used to using a somewhat decent cue.
  3. B Players showed a minimal bump in performance with the custom but a notable decrease in performance with the broom handle. This is due to what's known as the "Bumpy Shaft Effect." B Players have gotten even more used to a decent cue and, in many times, a very nice custom with an exceptionally smooth shaft that the broom handle just doesn't provide.
  4. A Players showed no improvement with the custom but a notable decrease in performance with the broom handle. It is believed this is due to their ability to overcome the "Bumpy Shaft Effect" and to a slight degree, superior pattern play versus B Players.
  5. Once again, Pros showed no increase in performance with the custom and a minimal decrease with the broom handle. This is clearly a result of the "They're Just That Good" phenomenon.

If you've read this far, thanks for playing along. While this is exaggerated, it's really not too far from the way I see it in my head. Hopefully you at least got a chuckle out of it.

EDIT: I'm thinking about doing the experiment again, but this time having Tony from Black Boar sign the broom handle. I'll post the results if/when that happens.
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Honestly, I don't think you're far off. I love the reasoning,
 
Ascue said:
A Scruggs Sneaky cant be much better than any other custom sneaky can it?
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Even though I am a shell of a player that I once was and never play competitive pool anymore, I walked into my old stomping grounds in San Diego County a couple years ago, and they were having a pool tournament. My buddy brought an extra cue with him, a Bob Frey that he won in an online raffle. The tournament was a Diamond 7' Race to 2, 9-ball. I rarely play bar table 9-ball. Most of the players would be that APA 5-9 level, with a couple guys over a 600 FARGO. I won. Why? The stick. Could I have won with a bar stick? Well, since I did all the tips, possibly. But the Bob Frey fit me, felt comfortable from the get go, sounded great. Could I have won with any Sneaky Pete? Possibly, but I have two SPs at home, neither feels anywhere near as nice as the Bob Frey did. That said, I speculate given the exact same circumstances, I would have performed the same with a Keith Josey Sneaky Pete but probably not with a Schmelke Sneaky Pete.

For more context, I played that tournament again, and this time my friend let me use his Gina with Revo shaft. The shaft was fit on by Eddie Cohen. This stick felt absolutely stunning in my hands beautiful feel, beautiful hit. Eddie didn't do anything but fit the joint well. I didn't win. I missed one crucial shot late in the tournament.. a slow spin shot that is an absolute hanger. But the uber low deflection got me, even though I was well into the tournament. I couldn't help myself by naturally aiming that particular shot how I always aim it: blending deflection and swerve. I wish I had the Frey in my hand at that moment.

So, there you go. Anectodal evidence to lay all your money on that Frey is currently the top Sneaky Pete out there along with Keith Josey and a small handful of others like Rick Howard. But very small. And Keith's SPs have fanciness to them that should disqualify it as an SP. I'm sure I'll remember more names, but right now I can't think of another that I'd even mention in the same breath.

Freddie <~~~ hope this helps, but it really can't
 
Cornerman said:
Even though I am a shell of a player that I once was and never play competitive pool anymore, I walked into my old stomping grounds in San Diego County a couple years ago, and they were having a pool tournament. My buddy brought an extra cue with him, a Bob Frey that he won in an online raffle. The tournament was a Diamond 7' Race to 2, 9-ball. I rarely play bar table 9-ball. Most of the players would be that APA 5-9 level, with a couple guys over a 600 FARGO. I won. Why? The stick. Could I have won with a bar stick? Well, since I did all the tips, possibly. But the Bob Frey fit me, felt comfortable from the get go, sounded great. Could I have won with any Sneaky Pete? Possibly, but I have two SPs at home, neither feels anywhere near as nice as the Bob Frey did. That said, I speculate given the exact same circumstances, I would have performed the same with a Keith Josey Sneaky Pete but probably not with a Schmelke Sneaky Pete.

For more context, I played that tournament again, and this time my friend let me use his Gina with Revo shaft. The shaft was fit on by Eddie Cohen. This stick felt absolutely stunning in my hands beautiful feel, beautiful hit. Eddie didn't do anything but fit the joint well. I didn't win. I missed one crucial shot late in the tournament.. a slow spin shot that is an absolute hanger. But the uber low deflection got me, even though I was well into the tournament. I couldn't help myself by naturally aiming that particular shot how I always aim it: blending deflection and swerve. I wish I had the Frey in my hand at that moment.

So, there you go. Anectodal evidence to lay all your money on that Frey is currently the top Sneaky Pete out there along with Keith Josey and a small handful of others like Rick Howard. But very small. And Keith's SPs have fanciness to them that should disqualify it as an SP. I'm sure I'll remember more names, but right now I can't think of another that I'd even mention in the same breath.

Freddie <~~~ hope this helps, but it really can't
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So, Frey sneakies are better than Scruggs sneakies. Got it. :p
 
Icon of Sin said:
This is not an attack on you as I know you arent the person who coined that phrase nor are you the first to say it...

...but I can't fucking stand that saying... the cue plays a massive part in the players success.

"You don't climb a mountain in flipflops"
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True. But the better the feathers, the better they fly. Lol.
 
Cornerman said:
No big difference to each other or to any other Sneaky Pete? Frey made most of the Scruggs Sneaky Petes.
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for me, no big difference between Scruggs sneaky and Frey, both play great. Other sneakys are all over the place, some good, some not so much.
 
Ascue said:
A Scruggs Sneaky cant be much better than any other custom sneaky can it?
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Probably not, and not necessarily "better" than sneakies made by many other custom or even production companies. I have a MEZZ Sneaky Pete I'd put up against anything. No one with an opinion on this topic is right or wrong. Whatever a player likes the best is the best...for him.
 
ddg45 said:
Probably not, and not necessarily "better" than sneakies made by many other custom or even production companies. I have a MEZZ Sneaky Pete I'd put up against anything. No one with an opinion on this topic is right or wrong. Whatever a player likes the best is the best...for him.
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Yup a mezz sneaky at 600 vs tim scruggs at 1000 to 2000. Or a mike stacey at 1200 . What about a brand new joss sneaky for 300?
 
Stickman9 said:
Bob Frey made a lot (most?) of Tim's SPs. I have one of each, and both play great.
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That really was my point about my post and Frey Sneaky Petes as it pertains to the original post. My experience with judging a Scruggs SP is my one time playing with a Frey SP.
 
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