Francisco Bustamante used that same type of grip to win a world championship at 9 ball. A few years ago he came very close to winning a world championship at 14.1 with the same grip, so it can't be that bad. I didn't really copy that from Bustamante, I copied Edgar Acaba. When you play around with different grips and finger placements, it opens up an entirely new world for you.
My set up bears an uncanny resemblance to Cisero Murphy's. Most of my 14.1 style is a combination of Cisero Murphy, Cowboy Jimmy Moore, and The Miz.
My cussing style, 100% Walsh.
[...as Sean does his best MacCauley Culkins "Home Alone" impression... "Yyyyeesssssssss!!" with a fist pump. Got 'im!] 
I was having fun with ya, Dave. You know that.
Seriously though, you're preaching to the choir when it comes to experimenting with different grips, hand placement, feet placement, head/eye placement, etc. I went through the veritable *gamut* over the course of many years, trying to re-discover all those nuances that I used to know "by rote" before I'd put the cues down for 14 years. (Quite literally -- after leaving the service, I put my cues in the back of the closet so I could focus on my career. For 14 years I didn't play any pool [not of any consequence, other than a very rare barbox game] during that whole time.)
Then, I got bit by the bug again about 5 years ago. And I had to go through "rediscovering" all those nuances, because during the service, I never kept a notebook -- and I regret it to this day that I didn't. Yes, as I was getting back into the game, I initially toyed with the "teacup handle" grip, because, like you, I admired Bustamante's smooth style. Then I went through an Allen Hopkins style, then Steve Mizerak style, then a Buddy Hall style, then a Thorsten Hohmann style (yes, emulating the stance, grip, stroke, etc. of *all* those players). Until finally, a regimented snooker style (which addressed *more* than just the grip -- it also fixed my stance, too). That is where I am today. Interesting, for when I was a pure pool nut, I used to think the snooker style "looked kinda pansy" with that one straightened leg, the other leg bent, and the person bent over the table purely at the waist, derriere sticking out in the air. It's interesting, because now I
totally "get it" about the snooker stance, and I take back all those thoughts I used to have in my immature pool days. That is progression, though.
So you can see, I'm not one of those close-minded types that ridicules that which he doesn't know. I actually traversed *through* the teacup grip phase, so I know what it's about. Nice try, though, Dave.
All in good fun,
-Sean
P.S.: if it wasn't clear, I was partially kidding about the latter half of my hand being completely "useless." I did smash my hand under the hood of my car, but not that bad. I did use it as an excuse to leverage an opportunity to have fun at your expense, though.
