Great topic. The fact that so many pool fans in this thread think it's almost some myth or incredibly difficult to play with anything but a normal cue, proves the point of how effective this gaff is. I played with just about every implement you could find in a pool room at one time or another; my favorite, though, was using just the shaft of my 2-piece to shoot. I'd let the other guy try a few shots with it, make a game, and take down the score. If you're a pretty good player and in dead stroke, it's really not as hard as you think. Like other posters said, rough up the end if you can, use middle ball, and simply outmove the other guy. Presupposing you're playing a weak player, you really don't want to blast through him and have him quit after 1 set, and stalling can lead to problems, so the "broomstick gaff" is the perfect hustler tool. You look like you're getting the worst of it (tho you're not), you don't have to hustle, and when you take down the dough, the guy will shake his head, then shake your hand, smiling all the while. Best I ever saw at "gaff pool" were Ronnie Allen (especially jacked-up one-handed) and Mike Massey, who would use everything from his nose to a pencil (this was in his youth, BTW...he was, and remains, a high-class guy). Any future hustlers wanting to perfect a gaff, start practicing opposite-handed playing (it will help your game, anyway); if you can get close to your normal-handed game, you are ready to "bring it".
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