WARNING: Self-aggrandizing and whining follow.
I used to bowl. Then equipment fever ruined it. I'd go to league with two bowling balls. One for strike shots, and one that didn't grab the lanes for spare shooting. Guys would show up with six or even eight bowling balls. As the lane dressing broke down, I'd adjust with knowledge, line, speed change, and technique. Guys wouldn't change a thing; they'd simply pull out a different $200 bowling ball.
That soured it for me. I wasn't without some skill. 1994 Broward County Men's Champion. In the tournament, my first two games were 245, 259, 504 so far. I turned to my doubles partner and said "I have 800 in the wood." I KNEW I was going to do it. I was "in the zone". I KNEW I was going to shoot 300 the last game. 245-259-300. Thirty-one of possible 36 strikes. Twenty in a row the last two games. That was a good year for me bowling.
The situation with pool and equipment isn't exactly like that; players don't really show up with eight expensive cue sticks. But there are expensive cases, break cues, playing cues, jump cues, and some pros even have different cues for different games (e.g., Lion's recent "What's in the bag" video where he describes using different cues for, I think it was 1p, vs other games). But he's not your average Joe at the bowling alley compensating for lack of talent and technique by changing equipment.
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