What's the best hitting cue? Some thoughts

poolandpokerman said:
Just to make a little comparison to golf, the best players on tour are the ones that find a putter and stick with it forever. Very few good players change equipment every week or two. Just my 2cents.
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That's a really good point.

I recall reading an article within the last 6 months about Tiger Woods and his putter. It's a Newport 2 style Scotty Cameron putter, custom made to his specs, of course. But the article said that in the last several years Tiger has tried out 10-12 other new putters that Cameron has made for him and none compares to the feel of his current one. The same one has been in his bag for several years now. And beginning on the 4th hole today he used it to card 5 birdies in a row and then an eagle on #9.....to take the lead by 3 at the Tour Championship at East Lake in ATL.
 
cueaddicts said:
That's a really good point.

I recall reading an article within the last 6 months about Tiger Woods and his putter. It's a Newport 2 style Scotty Cameron putter, custom made to his specs, of course. But the article said that in the last several years Tiger has tried out 10-12 other new putters that Cameron has made for him and none compares to the feel of his current one. The same one has been in his bag for several years now. And beginning on the 4th hole today he used it to card 5 birdies in a row and then an eagle on #9.....to take the lead by 3 at the Tour Championship at East Lake in ATL.
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Actually I think most golf players are similar to cue junkies. They are constantly trying new equipments and adjusting their current equipment. I think it's more exception rather than norm for a golf player to stick with equipment for a long time. They are also looking for the edge and the Holy Grail of driver, irons and especially putters.
 
and I actualy like 5/16 x 14 piloted SS joints ............ Balance seems to be a big ticket thing for me, more than weight, pin etc, whatever moves whitey and floats your boat!
 
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The best hitting cue I ever hit with is a Chester Krick cue with an old growth shaft from Lake Superior, btw I have tried my fair share of custom cues. It is my playing cue for the last 4 years, from the first time I hit with the old growth shaft everything else became history.
 
It's all in the shaft, tip and ferrule

I think way too many of these conversations head in the wrong direction. I think at least 90% of the playability is in the shaft, ferrule and tip.
 
Jimmyrayk said:
I think way too many of these conversations head in the wrong direction. I think at least 90% of the playability is in the shaft, ferrule and tip.
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No it's not.
A nice shaft with a lousily built butt, you got yourself a slug.
 
JoeyInCali said:
No it's not.
A nice shaft with a lousily built butt, you got yourself a slug.
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You got that right. I tried my sugartree shaft on a mcd butt, just to test it out, got myself a slug. Great shaft, lousy hit with that combo.
 
I would think that there is no special cue that is better than the rest. If that cue did exist then all the top players would be using it. I think it is more of what you feel and how the cue reacts in your hand. Top players can play with just about any cue they pick up. On the other hand "WE" non pros don't play like them. I would like to hear from some of the top players for their opinion. I've just received a Southwest that I waited over 9 years for and was using for my playing cue. Had to put it up and go to a cue made by Wolfgang Souquet because I play better with it. JMO
 
Good point Casey

It is not how good a cue hits or plays but how well you like any particular cue.
All the time young hot rod players sell the cue they have learned to play with just to find out their stroke fit that cue. And then they are s-o-l.
Then they spend years trying to duplicate something they didn't have to think about to play with and play well!
Get used to a cue and keep it. Collect others if you like but play with one cue period!
Nick :)
 
greeneyes_ocean said:
Dear AZ ers I decided to share some thoughts about a the mighty question that bothers many of you.

The Quest for the best hitting cue out there is well known .

My experience with cues is well over 2 years and I have read a lot and got knowledge for many of the best cue makes out there.
I have people come to me with the question:
Vass,since you had so many cues in short time what's the best hitting cue to you?

After all I can proudly say the right way to go is just get a nice titlist blank and have it converted by well known cue maker and this is it.

I had over 35 sw cues,tascarellas, and many more great hitters but the most consistent hit is coming from my titlist conversions done by well known makes.

I hope I helped some people looking out there for the Holy Grail hitting cue.

Good luck to all of you!

The above mentioned is my personal opinion and of-corse it's subjective:)

Vass
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Whichever cue you play well with!!!;)
 
Jimmyrayk said:
I think way too many of these conversations head in the wrong direction. I think at least 90% of the playability is in the shaft, ferrule and tip.
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I have to agree that there is a bunch of truth to that statement. As long as there is nothing loose or vibrating on the cue, nothing past the joint really makes much difference in playability. I agree with the statement about wood or phenolic joints transmitting feedback to your grip hand. Stainless can dampen this feedback. How the joint is constructed ( as far as how tight fitting , etc can play a big part also. Barring any real flaws in construction, the shaft, ferrule and how the first 3 or 4 inches of the shaft flexes has more than just about anything else to do with how a cue plays. The butt is primarily a handle to hold on to and to decorate. I love fancy cues, and art and inlays add desireability and value to cues, but do not enhance playability.

The highest percentage of pros do use predator shafts. There are many different butts that they are put on, but they all have the shafts in common. My girlfriend has a lucasi cue with a predator shaft I have a predator cue with a predator shaft, I also had a jacoby with a predator shaft. While the weight and balance can be different and on will feel better in your hands than another, the way the shaft hits and plays will affect the way the cue plays.

The hit, which is what you are ultimately talking about when discussing playability is separate than the weight, balance and overall feel of a cue. I just tried out a guys cue yesterday that felt fantastic when I first picked it up, the wrap felt very nice, the weight and balance felt very solid and comfortable, but when I actually hit a ball, I did not care for the feel at impact. This is playability. And this is determined PRIMARILY by the tip, ferrule, and shaft. How this hit is transmitted to your hand is also influenced by the type of joint, and the quality of it's construction.

As far as I am concerned the shaft is the cue as far as playability goes. You pay the most money for the part that has the least to do with playability.
 
If anybody is in the Los Angeles area, let me know. I have a couple of Brunswick one piece 26 1/2's that are lightly used (they're like new) with full shaft diameters. They're from the 1920's I would like to invite you to try them out. These cues have seasoned now for over 80 years and are still perfectly straight. This aging process and the one piece design, for some reason, give these cues a hit that cannot be duplicated.

Chris
 
Hay Chris

Asked a friend to call you about a Palmer supreme he picked up Saturday! Yikes!!! :D He is a seller!
Nick :)
 
If you sneak up behind Efren, but we must be vewwwy , vewwwy qwwwwiet. We're hunting cues.


Dude, everyone will tell you something different. Whatever you feel comfortable with over a tough shot, and plays consistent.
 
35 cues in 2 years? doesn't matter how good something hits you'll never get used to anything at that rate. but i'm sure you know that.
If you played pool 40 hours a week for 2 years with 35 cues, that's like mmmm 120 hours with each cue or 3 weeks.

I have a 30 year old birdseye shaft that i've used on most of my cues, since 1990.hit's great regardless of what hacks butt I put it on. There's construction methods used that I prefer more than materials. Although a one piece bocote butt with an ivory joint is pretty tough to beat. Of course that's my very humble opinion. I think it matters what equipment you play on too and what game.

Andy
Geez, I still start sentences with prepositions. Sorry Mrs Gallagher
 
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Totally agree...

Jimmyrayk said:
I think at least 90% of the playability is in the shaft, ferrule and tip.
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I agree with this statement, that's why I'm using an Olney now. I have played with SW, Pete Ohmen's, Nittie, Fanelli and Carolina plus a couple of production cues but after trying Jeff Olney's cue I got hooked.
To me his cues are the hitting cues out there, this is just my opinion.
 
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