What's in a cue?

jed1894

jed1894

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Please excuse the question, but I've always wanted to know:

Here's my thought: A butt is a butt, right? Or is it? Other than the joint, why wouldn't any type butt, say a Meucci, Viking, or even a custom cue, play as good as the next butt with a good quality shaft on the end of it. What exactly makes the cue feel good? If it's the shaft, tip and joint, why not just buy good shafts to go on any butt?

I own 2 custom cues and they do play, at least to me, better than my production cues. What is it that makes them play better?

JED
 
Better construction methods. Meaning, on some production cues, you never know what you will find when you dissect them ie air spaces etc. On custom cues, for the most part you do not run into this problem. The tolerances the parts are spec'ed and machined to are tighter, and the more solid a cue is..... the more solid it feels.
Chuck
 
I have a sneaky pete made by custom cuemaker A.

I have a custom cue built by cuemaker B.

The SP has a slightly "harder" hit than the custom cue. Both cues have the same Moori M tip of about the same thickness. The ferrules are made of different materials. I believe the custom cue has a stiffer taper than the SP.

Since both cues have the same joint, I swapped shafts one day to see how the feel of the cues changed. Much to my surprise, there was little difference. The stiffer shaft still played stiffer. However, the SP still hit a little "harder" than the custom.

Certainly two cues is much too small of a sample size on which to base any conclusions. Still, I am led to believe that the butt of a cue does contribute significantly to the cue's feel. YMMV.

Good Rolls,
Rasta
 
The wood in the cue has much to say as well, if it is cored or not and if it is spliced. Plus the "stiffness" comes down to the shafts for me, not the butt.
Maybe the joint a little, but mostly the shaft. And the balance has more impact on how the cue feels than most people think, if you say a cue feels soft it might be that the cue has the weight in the arse. But this is just my opinion, and I'm probably wrong. :D
 
I would have to agree with the above posts. I think Sneeky Pete's play stiffer then most cues because there are fewer design/details cuts and you are playing with a stiffer more solid piece(s) of wood. Especially if you have a wood to wood joint. I have played with $30.00 SP's and $500.00 SP's and they always seem to hit stiffer. I know my Mottey SP hits stiff and straight like a ton of bricks verses either of my Joss or It's George customs.

I also agree that the wood(s) used in the cue creation play a big part. As does the tip, the shaft, joint and wrap material. I think it all has to be taken into consideration. Ask other players if you could hit a couple balls around with different style cues and you will learn different "hits" and "feels" based on the materials and craftsmenship.

Lastly, I always carry two cues with me at all times. One of my SP's and my older Joss Custom(my right hand as I call it). Depending on how I am feeling/shooting I will start out with the Joss as it feels natural and I get lots of action and confidence with it. But if I am off a lil bit in my english, cuts, rolls or jumps I will switch to a SP or even a house cue for a few games and play more center ball to bring my stroke back in line, gain my confidence and switch back to the Joss later on. I do stress to everyone though, dont get used to one type of cue as you may not always have that cue with you and utimately this will become a mental handicap for you. But once you find a cue you love, don't let go of it.

ez
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hal
feel

Everything in front of your hand or under it and weight & balance contributes to feel. The rest of the stick does add a tiny but sometimes critical bit more.

There are maybe a dozen different basic construction methods to build a cue and literally thousands of variations on the basic methods. All contribute to feel in some degree.

The shaft, including all components, the joint collar and pin in the butt, the grip area, plus weight and balance have the overwhelming majority of effect on feel. However, the slight bit of difference that the rest of the cue contributes can make the difference between a good cue and a great cue for an individual player.

If you find a cue that fits you perfectly, buy it. Not one "just like it" or close. Every shaft is unique unto itself and can never be duplicated with any certainty of playing the same.

Hu
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top