What really makes a great playing cue?

A good hitting cue is any cue that doesnt rattle, vibrate or make noises a cue should not make.

A great hitting cue is any cue that consistantly makes balls that you thought you might have missed and you don't know why they still went in.

Everything else is subjective. :)
 
manwon said:
If you watch this forum many of the same people who buy a number of cues also sell them in short order. They are not selling them in most cases because there is anything wrong with the cue, in most cases the cue just does not have the right feel for them.
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I'm guilty as heck with this one!!! Being stuck in the middle of nowhere with NO ONE who has custom cues, I don't have the opportunity to take cues for a test drive like people who live in larger pool player populated areas (e.g. friends, league players, etc.)...so that leaves me with the only option of "renting" some cues for awhile...most of the time it's at a loss, once in awhile I break even, and I don't think I've ever sold my "rental cue" at a profit!

I've weeded through a bunch...kept a bunch...got rid of a bunch...I try never to do it the first time I don't like a cue...somedays a cue feels better than other days...so, I wait to see if I have a continual dislike for the way it plays before I put it up for sale...there's nothing wrong with it, it just isn't for me...

Like someone else said (I think it was cocobolocowboy) he doesn't like Meucci...but there's a TON of people who do! Different strokes for different folks...
 
JAMSGOLF said:
however, for me, the difference in a "good" cue and a "great" cue is how much I feel the cue doing the work (great) versus me putting effort into it (good)...

When it feels like the cue goes through the cueball like a hot knife through butter, I know I've found a great playing cue...for me...

Jason
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I had this same question for pro player Corey Harper when I stopped by his shop earlier this week and this is basically what he said.

A cheap bar cue will force you to work harder and exert more energy whereas a good cue, its almost as if you just have to begin to get it going and it takes over from there and does the rest.
 
mohrt said:
Say someone in a pool hall hands you a cue and says "go hit a few balls with this, tell me what you think." The cue has no visible markings of its maker.

So, tell me what do you look at, what do you look for, what do you feel for when trying this cue? This is with no outside influence of a brand name, reputation, or vouches from other players.

I know a lot of this may chalk up as personal taste and appearance will play a role. But what I'm really looking for is the difference between a good hitting cue and a *great* hitting cue. How do you spot the difference?
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For me it's balance and sound. I like a cue that feels lighter than it is and one that has a soft but firm sound. I can get past a higher pitched sound if the hit is responsive.
 
theeviltwin69 said:
FOR ME FROM ME
It's how well the cue plays for you!It's NOT;the sound
the finish
the balance
it's not even the feel
It IS; Does the rock go where I tell it to go,can I make this or that shot,and get the shape I want with this cue consistently!
STRETCH
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Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner!
 
I am friends with Cuesblues a well known pool cue collector. I see him at the pool room every week end. He brings several cues from top makers.
White-Stroud-Buss-Martinez-Cog-Varny-Rambo-AE-Byrne and on and on.
While all of these makers cues differ a little in size of the butt-joint type-shaft taper I find they all hit solid and there is not much difference between them.But I am not hyper sensitive to small differences between cues.And I think my McFadden cue plays as good as all of them.
 
bbb said:
what makes a great playing cue
is the cue that feels like an extension of your arm and brain
the cue that can effortlessly make the cue ball do what you want it to
THATS A GREAT PLAYING CUE

to the quote you are looking at the cover not the book:yikes:
its how a cue PLAYS that makes it great
not all that other stuff

now i will concede a great playing cue will have many features you describe
BUT it still comes down TO how IT plays FOR you
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Read the original question. He asked what to look for. The hit and playability is also affect by those things. That is why some cue makers get more for the cues and are in high demand. It is because they know how to put it together and choose the right materials.


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TheBook said:
Read the original question. He asked what to look for. The hit and playability is also affect by those things. That is why some cue makers get more for the cues and are in high demand. It is because they know how to put it together and choose the right materials.


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i did re read the original post
he asked how do you SPOT the difference between a good playing cue and a great one
i stand by my beleive is you have to play with it and see how it feels to you
the wood the perfect veneers the number of inlays dont count
to me
its how does it feel in your hands
i agree some cuemakers demand more for their cues because they can consistently produce great players

but the op said you wouldnt know who made the cue
so GO HIT SOME BALLS AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF
jmho
icbw
 
bbb said:
i did re read the original post
he asked how do you SPOT the difference between a good playing cue and a great one
i stand by my beleive is you have to play with it and see how it feels to you
the wood the perfect veneers the number of inlays dont count
to me
its how does it feel in your hands
i agree some cuemakers demand more for their cues because they can consistently produce great players

but the op said you wouldnt know who made the cue
so GO HIT SOME BALLS AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF
jmho
icbw
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He asked what do you look for, and I told him. You can tell him anythiing you want. I told him what he asked. Those are the things that I would look at. In case you didn't notice it there were many things pertaining to feel.

The person is asking for input to see what others do. That is what I would do.

What is your problem?


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A great playing cue

I think that is something you will have to decide for your self.
The way I decide what is the best playing cue is to play a few racks with
one out of three cues move to cue #2 and so on, I may do that with the same three cues all day. At the end of the day it is the cue I don't want to lay down, is it for me. What I have found out for my preference of a great playing cue is a 19 -19.5 oz with the balance point of 171/4 - 18 inches. take care john
 
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