Why does my cue play so well?

I used to play in a room in N.J were there were a number of Szamboti's and they all hit great except this one.The owner of this cue asked me to hit some balls with it and i told him it hit ok but something just didn't feel right. Even a master like Gus can make one that's not as good as the others. I was playing 9 ball with a Szamboti owner and he picked up my Schon with out knowing it and ran a rack on me and i said you are using my Schon ( I didn't tell him while he was shooting)He said i didn't notice.
I then said you ran a rack with it would you like to trade ? I would repeat his answer but it might offend the faint of heart.
Also "rearranging atoms hmmmmm......."
 
"my cues" stayed in the racks but I knew exactly which ones I was looking for

SJDinPHX said:
Hu,

We've touched on this before. Like you, I spent the first half (or more) of my life playing "off the wall".
Click to expand...


I have to say that it is easier to play with one stick but I was a hell of a lot better player when I could adjust to a different stick, table, lighting, everything, after just hitting a few shots. The stick could be badly warped and it didn't matter much. I did let a stick that rattled bug me though. Everywhere I played pretty regularly I had one to four "pet" sticks. My casual walks over to the wall racks weren't nearly as casual as they appeared. :smile:

I'm pretty sure that the house sticks, a BRAD, and a little something to smooth the shaft would still work. I think I'll leave my cue case at home the next few trips to the pool hall. Should be interesting.

Hu
 
It's magic. What else can you say? Some cues just stand out and if anyone knew why they'd bottle it and make a mil. Everybody would make cues just like it IF it always worked...... but it doesn't.

Your's is a question that can't be answered.
 
I think it's the basic design, the time it takes to make the cue, and the time spent aging the wood.
Interesting post on David Kersenbrock, though.
 
undeniably true....

ShootingArts said:
Your cue is one that suits you well to begin with but equally importantly it is the one that you have tuned your game to. As a general statement it is no better or no worse than hundreds of other cues but once you get tuned to one cue the odds of another playing equally well for you might be one in thousands.

When I played with house cues I could play with anything. When I started using one cue only it took me months to get my game back to the best level after major changes. The old billiard and snooker players often never regained their form if something happened to the cue that they had played with for many years.

Hu
Click to expand...


I had switched cues a couple of years ago from the cue I played with for better than a decade and my game started to suffer without me even thinking about the possibility that it was the cue. I was always of a mind to say it ain't the wood it's the driver.

One of the MOP rings on my 74 rich cracked while it was being loaned to my brother (mistake, j.k. bro). so I had shelved it.

I've since found some replacement MOP ring material and started playing with that cue again and BAM right back into old form again.

Now I had gotten pretty sporty with my Bryan Fisher and I have to say that it's one of the best playing cues I've hit with, but nothing hits as strong as my 74 Rich.

If you guys see me and want to try it just let me know.

Jaden
 
Then don't change anything. If your having someone else make the travel cue send your SW to them for inspection. No guarantee since all woods even the same species can act different. Consider yourself lucky to have found your holy grail. But consider this. I thought I had the best playing cue till I was handed a different Dieckman to try. Holy cow!! I think he was just stringing me along all this time and knew someday I'd have to have another.;)

All the things you mention potentially have a roll. Some major like balance point, taper, shaft weight and taper, joint, butt diameter, .... some minor like veneers.
 
maxeypad2007 said:
Why does my cue play so well?

This is not me just tooting my own horn here but I have wondered why does my cue play so well.

I play with a six point cocobolo southwest with triple veneers into a maple forearm at 18.9oz. There are two shafts and the shaft I play with is 12.8mm using a moori medium and the standard southwest taper.

I've played with lots of other cues with 3/8 x 11 pins and one with a taper designed to match my playing cue however I've not been able to find anything that plays similar to my cue. The hit is very stiff, which I believe to be because southwest takes so much time cutting down the shafts and curing the wood.

So what is it about my cue that makes it such a unique snowflake? Is it the wood, the taper etc. I know its probably a combination of all of them but what specifically about my cue is it that plays the biggest part in the hit. Previously I thought this was the 3/8 x 11 joint but I was proven wrong after owning about ten other cues with the same joint pin but very very different hits. Any insight here would be helpful because I am looking for a secondary player cue to travel with.
Click to expand...
Of all the things you're considering, the joint pin is probably the least of it.

Tip, Taper, balance, and weight. IMO, these above all else are the most important assuming that the construction and materials are of high quality. The latter three are more of how you personally are able to swing the stick. The tip... well since that's what strikes the ball, its importance is obvious.

Eveything else is how it feels and sounds from a feedback point of view. But these other parameters either affect the actual hit from tip to ball or have a profound effect on your ability to swing the stick in a repeatable, consistent, and accurate manner.

South West doesn't core their cues, so different woods will sound/feel different.

Fred
 
pwd72s said:
I'd chalk it up to luck of the draw.
Click to expand...

I'd tend to agree with this. Of course the better cue makers will eliminate some inconsistencies that other cuemakers make which will lead to a more consistent hit.

I went to Billiards and Bagels in Portland, OR one day to hit with a bunch of cues with hopes of finding the great hitting one. The owner had many custom cues and would let you test them out if you were serious in buying them. I tried 7 different Coker's one day and two Southwest's (liked the simple look of a Coker or Southwest). They all had a different hit being made of different woods/weight/etc. The one that hit the best was the ugliest Coker of the bunch. I couldn't bring myself to buy it due to the asthetics.
The next day ran into a guy I knew and he had started making cues. I tried one of his and it hit like a dream. He let me borrow it while he was making my designed cue. When the cue was finished it didn't hit as good as the one he leant me but I was stuck with it. I have since had a better shaft made for it which made a huge difference.
 
Last edited:
Southwest Cues

Monstermash said:
It's a combination of all the things that make up your Southwest. The taper of the shaft, the very small cuts on the shafts over long periods of time and the tip and wood that it's made out of.
Construction methods make a big difference as well. There is a reason why SW cues sell for so much money even though most of them are just 6 points with a few veneers and ringwork.
I have played with several and they have all hit great.

Another example is Ed Prewitt cues. I saw my first one last week. I spent some time speaking with the owner and when I ran into him again this week he let me play a rack with it.
The second I picked it up I knew it was special. It was effortless and needless to say I ran the rack with ease.
Click to expand...


Well said Monster

I also think it is a combination of their process including the wood, and the time they spend on the balancing.

I have a nice SW, it's a little heavy but you wouldn't know it, and I have a new one coming Friday.
Don't ask me why because I play with a James White cue, but I couldn't turn this one down.
Southwest just makes a great cue, and when you get one that fits your game like maxey did, it doesn't get any better.

I just wanted to comment because I think you hit it right on the nose.

Peace & good karma

Ted
 
maxeypad2007 said:
Some cute responses here.

Regardless I'm just trying to figure out what elements make this cue hit the way it does and what I need to do to ensure the next cue I have built for travel meets those requirements.

Veneers...although somewhat sarcasticly could slightly effect the play of the cue as it is another cut in the wood.
Click to expand...

Okay you force me to be serious. I doubt very much you can duplicate one cue's performance in another cue. You probably come quite close, but it sounds like that cue just happens to fit you like a glove and it is probably as much chance as good construction. Good construction gets you in the ballpark, but pure chance gets you in the perfect seat.
 
OK fellas all have great answers but I went to Church last nite and asked baby Jesus, why does his cue play so well and Baby Jesus shine his pacifier at me and said in a surprisingly deep voice for an infant that resembles Morgan Freeman's voice and said... "It is the bumper my child, the bumper."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top