What's the best hitting cue you've played with?

Over the years I have had the chance to hit with quite a few custom cues: Paradise, Szamboti, Balabushka, Southwest, Omega, Robinson, Tad, Padgett, Schuler, Scruggs, Schraeger, Romero, Dayton, Cognescenti, Coker, Southeast, Searing, Webb, Buss, Prewitt, Capone, Hebert, Drexler, Harris, Parrot, Martin, Woodworth, Josey, McWorter, Carmeli, Fanelli, Runde, JossWest, Mottey, Zyler, Davis, Byrne, Bludworth, etc. etc. You get the idea.

Also I've had the pleasure of beating balls with the majority of production cues ranging anywhere from $10-$1000 that were produced anywhere around the world.

The best feel, balance, hit and resonance liked the best is by far a Carmeli with Robinson coming a close 2nd. If Ariel made a cue with a flat faced aluminum to aluminum joint with the conical forearm taper that John Robinson used I'm sure it would hit even better than his cues already do...........love the way that Robinson cue go almost straight back from the top of the wrap to the bumper. Damn, guess I should start looking for my next cue thank you to whomever came up with this great thread!!

Just my $.02, hope it helps.
 
Growing up my dad was a guitar tech, and I often spent my summers on tour with him. One summer we spent 4 hours at the fender factory while the artist played almost 100 white strats....

The purpose of my anecdote is to illustrate that you can perfectly play with any cue. What you want is that cue that speaks to you....feels good in the hand. It is not the guitar that plays the notes its the musician. Same goes for cues.
 
Mike Capone with a brass pin is by far the best hitting cue I have ever hit with.
I would say John Showman was 2nd
 
I'm hooked on a Predator 2K5 I bought in 2002. I have many cues, but when it comes down to crunch time, this is the cue I always go back to.
 
The absolute best hitting cue I ever hit was an old steel jointed Joss West with Ivory ferrules. It had the sweetest hit I can remember. Other great hitting cues I have had are a Tim Scruggs, Mike Cochran and Harry Richards. I also have some Carolina cues that play great and I will not sell.
 
This could be so subjective by type of joint you like weight, balance point, ferrule size, and tip...

I wish people would explain why they like a certain makers cue with some evident to how it matches their taste in feel/hit. This would make this thread a lot more interesting.

Personally I love Jon Spitz cues.

I have not tried very many cues in my pool career but his cues best match my taste in (fee or hit)

I happen to like more of a wood to wood hit, vocal cue. Meaning I like to fiscally hear the cue hit the cue ball and feel feedback vibrations to my hand. But Jon can also make a cue with a softer hit and many like this type of hit more than a stiff hit.

Either way like I said people should explain other then just posting a name.
 
Best hit is Subjective

I read every post in this thread so far, and enjoyed every single one ! Best hit is certainly subjective; HOWEVER there is 1 common thread,(pardon the pun), amongst us all. Everyone seems to like a solid hitting cue with some level of positive feedback.

My father played a Scruggs, it did have a special hit to it. When he wasn't around, I would play it just because it hit so differently than my plain cue. Having come back to pool recently, I have not had much opportunity to play every cue on the market, but playing in leagues has let me try the cues of many other players.

For me itsa "Black & White" ,.... aka any well built Ebony butt/Hard-maple shaft. Give me a good solid pin with a wood or fiber joint and a medium tip and i'm in pool-hog-heaven.

It is interesting to note that many tournament pros play black & whites.(fully customized i'm sure).
 
I read every post in this thread so far, and enjoyed every single one ! Best hit is certainly subjective; HOWEVER there is 1 common thread,(pardon the pun), amongst us all. Everyone seems to like a solid hitting cue with some level of positive feedback.

My father played a Scruggs, it did have a special hit to it. When he wasn't around, I would play it just because it hit so differently than my plain cue. Having come back to pool recently, I have not had much opportunity to play every cue on the market, but playing in leagues has let me try the cues of many other players.

For me itsa "Black & White" ,.... aka any well built Ebony butt/Hard-maple shaft. Give me a good solid pin with a wood or fiber joint and a medium tip and i'm in pool-hog-heaven.

It is interesting to note that many tournament pros play black & whites.(fully customized i'm sure).

NOW! Thats what im talking about, that was like a breath of fresh air for me. Nice way to add some sugar and spice to this thread:thumbup:

Nothing like reading something and actually being able to relate and picture what someones talking about... Instead of just a name, this helps none of us that have not had the pleasure of hitting with any of these well know and talked about cues.
 
1968 Balabuska.......made probably ten yrs before this date. Moved whitey forward better than any cue I ever hit with. Perfect tool for straight pool, tho might not of been the right tool for 9 ball, balance point seemed waaay forward compared to other cues at that time, but hitting a high rolling cue ball to break up a full rack was effortless.
 
I have had a lot of really good cues. The best hit I can remember came from an old 70's steel jointed Joss West. The cue had Ivory ferrules. It was a simple four point cue with no inlays but was that hit something to bragg about. I have since never found a hit as sweet as that. The cue that has come closest to that hit is my Richard Black Hoppe. Both cues are similar in build, steel joint 5/16-14, four points, Ivory ferrules on the shafts. The Joss West had small shafts around 12mm. If my Richard Black had smaller diameter shafts it would probably hit even closer to the Joss West. A friend of mine traded for that Joss West and later sold it on Ebay. I kick myself for not buying it.
 
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