Why are Masse Cues not used in normal play?

Thanks for posting this as it helps make my point...

I tend to think that a shot like this is tougher with a pool cue than even a snooker cue or a masse cue.


Gary

Well it's certainly easier with a masse' cue. That's why they make them. But that particular shot was tough with any cue. I think White was showboating a little as he certainly had the two rail kick and the one rail kick available to him.
 
I don't really see the need for a masse cue in regular pool play. The huge, high power "big" masses are usually to low a percentage shot to even be worth trying. A regular cue, or if you have an expensive, soft tip, a house cue will do the job on all shots I would consider shooting in regular pool. I actually tried a masse cue in 3-cushion and was not very impressed with the results. I guess I am too used to my playing cue, and I would need a lot of practice to find buying such a cue worth the investment.

Like a jump cue the masse' cue makes it easier to do all types of masse' shots. So the little full ball masse shots with a ball hanging or a wired combination would be much easier to perform. You'd still need to practice so as to be accurate though.

But in general I agree which is why I don't use a masse' cue.
 
I'm sorry but I have played 100s upon 100s of hours of this game and never have I seen a full masse shot come up where a higher probability option didn't exist. For all saying this isn't true I challenge you to come up with just such a situation.

Until then I will stick to curving the ball with my playing cue. If someone ever pulled out a masse cue on me I would probably start laughing and laugh even harder when they miss.
 
I'm sorry but I have played 100s upon 100s of hours of this game and never have I seen a full masse shot come up where a higher probability option didn't exist. For all saying this isn't true I challenge you to come up with just such a situation.

Until then I will stick to curving the ball with my playing cue. If someone ever pulled out a masse cue on me I would probably start laughing and laugh even harder when they miss.

here you go. I am guessing by full masse' you mean the object ball is completely blocked so that the cue ball has to go around the blocking ball?

I saw Efren do it in a one pocket game where he made the cueball go completely around the object ball for a 100% reversal of position.
 

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here you go. I am guessing by full masse' you mean the object ball is completely blocked so that the cue ball has to go around the blocking ball?

I saw Efren do it in a one pocket game where he made the cueball go completely around the object ball for a 100% reversal of position.

Ok sir maybe I misspoke. An example from a real game layout and not some fake trick shot layout followed by a 'hey, it could happen.'

We are talking about the viability of buying a cue that costs over $1000 for a shot that may come up once in a century.

http://www.pro9.co.uk/html/theproshop/main.php?P=product&pid=MEZZ0011
 
Ok sir maybe I misspoke. An example from a real game layout and not some fake trick shot layout followed by a 'hey, it could happen.'

We are talking about the viability of buying a cue that costs over $1000 for a shot that may come up once in a century.

http://www.pro9.co.uk/html/theproshop/main.php?P=product&pid=MEZZ0011

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k4awgTZ_hnw
Go to 1:17. Lou shows a shot he played in a gambling match against Cardone. I myself have shot curves and masse shots in money games and tournaments. It doesnt come up super often, but sometimes it is a very viable option.
Lous Canoga Park Curve pushes the limit, but for someone who was a world champion player and trick shot exhibition player after his tournament days were over..... It wasnt as much of a hail mary as one might think.
Chuck
 
I really think it's a potential option and sure there are scenarios where having one would be advantageous.

Without having one in the case it's obviously something I don't think about. Regarding my playing cue, maybe I need to get a cue that plays, jumps, breaks and masse' all in one. :thumbup:

I can see why it seems impractical but I'm just trying to think out of the box so to speak. Jump cues were probably looked at with raised eye brows once too.

Maybe having a game where we were required to at least once in a match to jump, masse, kick and shoot with our playing cue would get the general public interested more. :boring2:

Again, I'm just throwing stuff on the wall to see what may stick. Maybe the masse cue doesn't have a place in regular play but failing to look at all options is elementary.:smile:

Thanks again for all the constructive feedback!


Gary
 
Ok sir maybe I misspoke. An example from a real game layout and not some fake trick shot layout followed by a 'hey, it could happen.'

We are talking about the viability of buying a cue that costs over $1000 for a shot that may come up once in a century.

http://www.pro9.co.uk/html/theproshop/main.php?P=product&pid=MEZZ0011

I don't know where you buy your masse' cues but anyone can make one for less than $50.

Since you asked, this is about what I left my opponent yesterday in league. He opted to try and jump this instead of the masse'. what would you have done? (he gave me ball in hand and I ran out)
 

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The reason why jump cues are popular is because of the industry switch to 9-ball 30 years ago. Simonis came out with the faster 860 cloth to showcase 9-ball, rather than straight pool. Texas Express rules for 9-ball made for faster paced game on TV. Jump cues came out because not everyone could master jump shot with their full sized cues.

If you were a masse cue maker, maybe push a rule change or even a new game where there is need for more masse shots.

I really think it's a potential option and sure there are scenarios where having one would be advantageous.

Without having one in the case it's obviously something I don't think about. Regarding my playing cue, maybe I need to get a cue that plays, jumps, breaks and masse' all in one. :thumbup:

I can see why it seems impractical but I'm just trying to think out of the box so to speak. Jump cues were probably looked at with raised eye brows once too.

Maybe having a game where we were required to at least once in a match to jump, masse, kick and shoot with our playing cue would get the general public interested more. :boring2:

Again, I'm just throwing stuff on the wall to see what may stick. Maybe the masse cue doesn't have a place in regular play but failing to look at all options is elementary.:smile:

Thanks again for all the constructive feedback!


Gary
 
I don't know where you buy your masse' cues but anyone can make one for less than $50.

Since you asked, this is about what I left my opponent yesterday in league. He opted to try and jump this instead of the masse'. what would you have done? (he gave me ball in hand and I ran out)

I would have just curved the ball and made the 8 but that is very easy with a playing cue. What im saying is the need for a full masse happens so rarely that I dont see the need for a specific cue. Partial masses and curving the fireball is easy with a playing cue and shouldn't require a special cue.
 
I would have just curved the ball and made the 8 but that is very easy with a playing cue. What im saying is the need for a full masse happens so rarely that I dont see the need for a specific cue. Partial masses and curving the fireball is easy with a playing cue and shouldn't require a special cue.
Curving the ball is a masse'. You will not get around the blocking ball without elevating your cue to masse' position.

I understand what you are saying. I am saying that shots do come up where a having a masse' cue would make performing the masse' easier. It is not about the percentage of time that it's needed but whether or not the success rate is worth trying or not.

If you have a masse' cue then your make percentage goes up IMO. Even so I don't carry one because I agree that the need to masse' is rare. But is isn't nonexistent.
 
Or it sounds like maybe you need to play more. Sometimes the opponent leaves you in a position where the masse' is the best shot.

And the fact that my masse' shots are often successful is proof enough that I have indeed put in plenty of practice on them.

I guess that I would want to play guys who don't know how to masse' the cue ball. That greatly improves my chances when they face those shots. Because they are scared and unable to shoot them they are forced to consider kicking or jumping when the masse' is the best shot.

This happened to me two nights ago in league. I left my opponent hooked where a shallow masse' would have been the right and high percentage shot but he was scared to shoot it and went for a jump that was very low percentage instead.

Very true John. They don't come up often, but when they do, they can be a real life saver!
 
This type shot comes up often in One Pocket. Jump cues are not normally allowed in One Pocket...but I'm not sure about masse cues.

 
This type shot comes up often in One Pocket. Jump cues are not normally allowed in One Pocket...but I'm not sure about masse cues.


The masse is a lower probability shot than almost any bank and that three railer is pretty standard. I would never attempt a masse there unless all rails were blocked. Even then I would probably play a safe instead of a masse.
 
Nothing against masse shots (I often shoot moderate curve shots in matches myself), but I would never purchase a special cue for them. To me, a masse is one of the most demanding shots with regard to having a feel for the deflection and spin characteristics of a cue, and the only cue in my bag I trust for such a sensitive shot is my player. Unless you are devoting a portion of each practice session to just masse shots, and I don't know why anyone but an artistic player would do that, I don't think you would ever develop the necessary feel to be more proficient than you would be with your normal playing cue.

I have played quite a bit of pool with this guy - would be interested in hearing his input.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpJGZMjPPqw

Part of me thinks he would say "Masse cue? You don't need no stinking masse cue!", LOL.

Regardless of his actual answer, I can tell you that he can pull a stump off the wall and do things with it that most of us wouldn't dream of being able to do with the very best masse cue, and even if he agreed that some masse shots couldn't be made with an ordinary cue, I would argue that 99.9% of us have no business playing those shots in a match anyway.

Aaron
 
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