Why do pro players do it?

T

the scorpion

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was watching the wpc the other day and I was wondering why all the pro players take beautiful cues and sand them down to within an inch of existence and make them look like the crappy house cues we are all used to playing with in our local pool rooms.

I mean surely a cue of beauty should stay that way in my opinion instead of making it look cheap and nasty. :mad:
 
they can change cues; they can be given/afford better looking & better hitting cues.

cue is just a tool to achieve an end; it isn't the end itself.
 
Unless you use a glove, having a sticky shaft is a big distraction.

If these guys are in a tourney and have a chance to win some decent money, sanding a shaft down so they can concentrate on their game means nothing to them. New shafts cost 100-200 bucks and it takes a while to sand them to the point the start hitting differently. Seems like it's worth it to me, especially when I hear stories like the WPC tourney room was 100 degrees and first place was 75K.

Besides, like countessdracula mentioned, a lot of these guys are sponsored and just have to get another shaft from their cue rep.
 
I dont see how sanding a shaft can make a cue look cheap and nasty?? :confused:
Getting a new shaft is hardly a big deal for most of these guys.
 
deep said:
I dont see how sanding a shaft can make a cue look cheap and nasty?? :confused:
Getting a new shaft is hardly a big deal for most of these guys.
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hmmmmmm interesting thread, I don't have an expensive cue and if i did then i don't i would sand that puppy down too, for two reasons to give it that smooth feel and the other reason i don't like to see my shafts all dirty and stain with blue chalk. Cole 'TheConArtist'
 
Well, i remember reading i think in Inside Pool lol, a small article about a players Equipment, and the guy had the same cue for like close to 20yrs and the still had the original shaft to the cue, but it was worn down to about 11mm from being brandnew at 13mm.

I know i myself, will hit up my shaft with a scotch brite pad, when need be, and dont care about how thin the shaft gets.


dave
 
StormHotRod300 said:
I know i myself, will hit up my shaft with a scotch brite pad, when need be, and dont care about how thin the shaft gets.
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Those Scotch Brite pads are a fairly course abrasive to be using on a cue shaft. There are plenty of other products on the market, made for cue shafts, that you can use. They will make your shaft smoother than the Scotch Brite pad and your shaft will last a lot longer. Give them a try.

If you prefer to shop in the hardware store, and you don't mind searching for something that may be hard to find, look for an abrasive called crocus (sp) cloth. It comes in sheets like sand paper. It is a very fine abrasive used to polish metal and it works great for cue shafts.
 
What I was told ...

Bob Owen, partner and cuemaker in Shurtz Custom Cues, told
me when I got my playing cue to never use sandpaper or a
scratchy on the shaft to smooth it out. He said to only use
a chemical cleaner, and a polish.
 
I do not think that all pros do sand. However if I were in a match and my cue shaft was gritty or sticky, the first thing I would want to do is fix the problem. Sanding has been used for a long time, even snooker players sand quite a bit. I use to sand the shaft down to nothing and then buy a new shaft and get use to the thickness all over again. Worse is that somedays, I would almost sand after every shot. Much of the reason for grit is the waxes used that break down and mix with chalk particles. Moisture from hand sweat and humidity are the cause for stickiness.

Anyway, it does not matter what your choice is, the most important thing at the time you are playing an important match and the cue shaft plays uncomfortable - fix it and if sanding is your choice, go for it and stay focused.
.
 
Clarification of Question

:confused: Ummmm, Scorpion, are you talking about the whole cue or just the shaft? I don't think I've ever seen a pro player sand the butt of the cue. If you are talking about the shaft, Bruce and Deep are right, it's not done for anti-cosmetics, but for smoothness.
 
ScottR said:
:confused: Ummmm, Scorpion, are you talking about the whole cue or just the shaft? I don't think I've ever seen a pro player sand the butt of the cue. If you are talking about the shaft, Bruce and Deep are right, it's not done for anti-cosmetics, but for smoothness.
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I aint no pro player but Ive taken a pretty coarse sand paper and sanded down my very first cue... a mooochi.. sanded the freaking finished off the wrap by hand.... Took me forever!!! Hate those damn things.
 
dooziexx said:
I aint no pro player but Ive taken a pretty coarse sand paper and sanded down my very first cue... a mooochi.. sanded the freaking finished off the wrap by hand.... Took me forever!!! Hate those damn things.
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Good point, Erik. OK, USUALLY no one sands their butt; unless they are a cue maker or have that itch that just won't go away.
 
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