I-sleep-with-Pitbull
Member
I did have a similar story where the guy wouldn't play me so I threw $5 and only used the rubber bumper on the butt of the cue, don't know how but I beat him lol
Worst and best cue you have ever used
- Thread starter I-sleep-with-Pitbull
- Start date
I have three that I really like, depending on biorythms I guess. It's day to day. Over the long haul I keep going back to a Bob Frey sneaky.
I've seen a million junk cues in my life! Too many to even begin to list them all. The best playing cues I've ever owned were a Bushka in the 1970's, a plain jane Tad in the 80's and a four point Tascarella in the late 90's. All three played perfect imo. The only problem was that I was the one pushing the balls around. 
I did not have many cues in my 22 years in this game. I guess I was just lucky to have the best teacher/coach/mentor in my life Jorgen Sandman who helped so much to promote pool in my country and without him we would not have billiards among the other kinds of sports in our National university of physical education and sports of Ukraine so as the billiard school in it and all that knowledge and experience he helped to get ... orginizing here in Kiev from 2000 to 2005 two European championships for youth, Artistic Pool both EC and WC with such great ambassadors as Mike Massey, Tom Rossman and others and so much more to remember.
So in our billiard school we had a bunch of 20$ house cues in the amount enough for a group of students learning there. We were also taught how to replace/put a tip on them and so as the others I started to learn the game with one of those cues with a simple Triangle tip on it. It worked just fine at the time and I would not ever call it the worst...
So as me and two of my classmates who came in billiards with Basketball background ...well we were not so standard when it comes to height ... Jorgen helped us to get 60" cues from Dan Prather. I loved that simple cocobolo/bem wrapless merry widow ... so much memories, matches, tournaments won with that no fancy cue.
Six years later I've ordered my second 60" custom Prather cue with a design, woods and all the details I asked ... all embodied by Jeff Prather. I started to use my first playing cue for breaking and my new player for playing and continued to enjoy both for the years to come.
Till a few years ago I started to be interested in getting some new knowledge/skills/experience in this sport and now enjoying some of my free time with cue-building. One of the reasons for my interest was my certain needs/preferences when it comes to the cues plus being a coach ... having pupils who need cues to learn ... living in a country where pool is still not and I doubt will ever be a main billiard game (piramid is still the most popular).
So I got my learning curve ... experimenting and building first 62" (even split) cue with my first LD solid maple shaft for myself and afterwards a few cues for my students.
My full spliced ABW/Pau Rosa cue came out so special and having such a hit that it seems to become my standard/gauge when it comes to the hit for the years to come and building the cues using different constructions I'm trying to get as close as possible when it comes to its hit.
Last summer among some orders I've experimented once again and I finished 62" wrapless merry widow cue built on a full length core where I experimented on a shaft's taper and tip's size so as some other changes in construction. This shaft came out with a lowest deflection I've ever had (tested and compared it to Revo 12,4 , Ignite and it's on par) while having great feel/feedback and what is the most important in length I need.
This second cue came out very special too and I can tell woods/materials used contributed so much. I was lucky to get the board of very old / stiff hard maple 120+ sm in length for my future shafts. So the shaft, forearm, butt sleeve for my second cue are from the same blank afterwards divided accordingly. It has some character, honey color, more yellowish and darker at one side the grain at the forearm is straight like it was drawn under the ruler. Should I add about the sound). Plus of course Pau Rosa full length core from the same board I used for my first full spliced player and Pau Rosa handle contributed to the hit a lot too among with some other nitty-gritty details.
For breaking & jumping purposes I've built very stiff purple heart shaft with a hammerhead tip at the end. Joined with my full spliced butt it transfers so much energy ... no need for those hi-tech toys if we talk about power ...being honest the main advantage of those expensive cf break shafts is their very low deflection which of course is an important factor to consider but I'm happy with what I have.
So all in all in 20+ years only 4 cues I've owned ... no worst and these two I'm using now have everything I love when it comes to the hit ... now I'm just happy being able to embody some ideas, having some fun and enjoying the process while building some cues I have an interest to build.
P.S. Just last week I filmed myself doing the same routine big position zone drill with both of my cues plus one more I've built for sale (same shaft on three different butts) because one of the AZers had some questions and I've tried to make it possible to hear if there is a difference in a hit. Unfortunately so as it is a billiard school it is very seldom you're alone at the room with no others hitting some balls. This time it was a student practicing at the piramid table interfering but anyway it was fun experiment to feel the difference.
So here is me hitting some balls with three different butts
So in our billiard school we had a bunch of 20$ house cues in the amount enough for a group of students learning there. We were also taught how to replace/put a tip on them and so as the others I started to learn the game with one of those cues with a simple Triangle tip on it. It worked just fine at the time and I would not ever call it the worst...
So as me and two of my classmates who came in billiards with Basketball background ...well we were not so standard when it comes to height ... Jorgen helped us to get 60" cues from Dan Prather. I loved that simple cocobolo/bem wrapless merry widow ... so much memories, matches, tournaments won with that no fancy cue.
Six years later I've ordered my second 60" custom Prather cue with a design, woods and all the details I asked ... all embodied by Jeff Prather. I started to use my first playing cue for breaking and my new player for playing and continued to enjoy both for the years to come.
Till a few years ago I started to be interested in getting some new knowledge/skills/experience in this sport and now enjoying some of my free time with cue-building. One of the reasons for my interest was my certain needs/preferences when it comes to the cues plus being a coach ... having pupils who need cues to learn ... living in a country where pool is still not and I doubt will ever be a main billiard game (piramid is still the most popular).
So I got my learning curve ... experimenting and building first 62" (even split) cue with my first LD solid maple shaft for myself and afterwards a few cues for my students.
My full spliced ABW/Pau Rosa cue came out so special and having such a hit that it seems to become my standard/gauge when it comes to the hit for the years to come and building the cues using different constructions I'm trying to get as close as possible when it comes to its hit.
Last summer among some orders I've experimented once again and I finished 62" wrapless merry widow cue built on a full length core where I experimented on a shaft's taper and tip's size so as some other changes in construction. This shaft came out with a lowest deflection I've ever had (tested and compared it to Revo 12,4 , Ignite and it's on par) while having great feel/feedback and what is the most important in length I need.
This second cue came out very special too and I can tell woods/materials used contributed so much. I was lucky to get the board of very old / stiff hard maple 120+ sm in length for my future shafts. So the shaft, forearm, butt sleeve for my second cue are from the same blank afterwards divided accordingly. It has some character, honey color, more yellowish and darker at one side the grain at the forearm is straight like it was drawn under the ruler. Should I add about the sound). Plus of course Pau Rosa full length core from the same board I used for my first full spliced player and Pau Rosa handle contributed to the hit a lot too among with some other nitty-gritty details.
For breaking & jumping purposes I've built very stiff purple heart shaft with a hammerhead tip at the end. Joined with my full spliced butt it transfers so much energy ... no need for those hi-tech toys if we talk about power ...being honest the main advantage of those expensive cf break shafts is their very low deflection which of course is an important factor to consider but I'm happy with what I have.
So all in all in 20+ years only 4 cues I've owned ... no worst and these two I'm using now have everything I love when it comes to the hit ... now I'm just happy being able to embody some ideas, having some fun and enjoying the process while building some cues I have an interest to build.
P.S. Just last week I filmed myself doing the same routine big position zone drill with both of my cues plus one more I've built for sale (same shaft on three different butts) because one of the AZers had some questions and I've tried to make it possible to hear if there is a difference in a hit. Unfortunately so as it is a billiard school it is very seldom you're alone at the room with no others hitting some balls. This time it was a student practicing at the piramid table interfering but anyway it was fun experiment to feel the difference.
So here is me hitting some balls with three different butts
I have owned 50 plus custom cues...the best were Mottey,Scruggs,Black and my current Owen.My worst were a Southwest,Horn and a Black, I had a few of Verl's cues that played good but I picked up a 6 point steel joint cue from him when I lived in Ok and I had to work to make any ball that was not a hanger.I let many players much better than me try it and nobody cared for it. There was so much deflection that any use of english might result in missing the ball completely.I think that any cuemaker can put out a dud once in awhile.
surlytempo
Member
Worst ~ K-mart 2pc aluminum
Best ~ Rick Howard
Best ~ Rick Howard
Worst I ever played with, a 12 ounce snooker cue shooting pool. It was miserable to play with. Also it was low deflection long before it was cool so I had to relearn how to aim shooting it.
Best I ever shot with? That same cue. Once I learned how to use it I could make a cue ball do everything but sit up and beg with it.
There might be a moral there somewhere.
Hu
Best I ever shot with? That same cue. Once I learned how to use it I could make a cue ball do everything but sit up and beg with it.
There might be a moral there somewhere.
Hu
The worst cue I ever played with was a Mike Lambros cue (yes that M.L). If anyone is ever interested I will tell the Lambros story... Lol.
The best cue by far is my Jacoby. The forward balance feels great to me. I ordered my cue custom and Jacoby delivered on time and budget. Perfect!
The best cue by far is my Jacoby. The forward balance feels great to me. I ordered my cue custom and Jacoby delivered on time and budget. Perfect!
fattirewilly
Member
Worst: Highschool, probably 1990, bought a 2-piece cue from some athletic store, Budweiser branded, linen wrap, probably $35. It constantly vibrated apart, the wrap came off the handle in 10 games, and I re-wrapped with that white athletic ankle tape. I probably spent more money making the case for it in shop class.
Best: In 2003, I loan a 6x12 cargo trailer to buddy whose uncle died, so he can move stuff and clean out the house. He comes back with un-played cue and hands it to me as thanks for loaning him the trailer. He thought it was $50 stick and I had no idea. His uncle had table and lots of old cues, so no big deal... I played it for a week at home. To compare it to my late 90's Meucci, this mystery cue felt better, had a noticeable quality difference, and I loved it. Like comparing Chevy Cavalier to Audi A8.
Billiards Digest had a forum back then and I signed up to figure out what I had. I described it as a warthog on the butt with an "88". The forum folks quickly figured out it was a Black Boar with the "BB". After a quick Google search on the price/value, I called my buddy and told him I think he made a "mistake" giving me a cue which was north of $3k for a trailer fee. He gave the cue back to his cousin. I felt bad for playing the cue, but really good about speaking up and handing it back.
Now 17 years later, I have a itch I'd like to scratch LOL.
Best: In 2003, I loan a 6x12 cargo trailer to buddy whose uncle died, so he can move stuff and clean out the house. He comes back with un-played cue and hands it to me as thanks for loaning him the trailer. He thought it was $50 stick and I had no idea. His uncle had table and lots of old cues, so no big deal... I played it for a week at home. To compare it to my late 90's Meucci, this mystery cue felt better, had a noticeable quality difference, and I loved it. Like comparing Chevy Cavalier to Audi A8.
Billiards Digest had a forum back then and I signed up to figure out what I had. I described it as a warthog on the butt with an "88". The forum folks quickly figured out it was a Black Boar with the "BB". After a quick Google search on the price/value, I called my buddy and told him I think he made a "mistake" giving me a cue which was north of $3k for a trailer fee. He gave the cue back to his cousin. I felt bad for playing the cue, but really good about speaking up and handing it back.
Now 17 years later, I have a itch I'd like to scratch LOL.
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When I first started playing in the 80s a well meaning soul gave me one of these. Here's a pic exactly like the one I had. Mine had removable weights in between the sections of the cue.
Edit: Oh, wait, this one has the weights too. They're the silver discs you see between the sections. Just awful rickety junk.
The best is my current Lucasi Butt/Jacoby carbon shaft combo.
Attachments
Yep same cue...it was/is junk. Gene
Worst would be a Viking I owned which had a dead hit. Have had a few customs which had dead hits or excessively loud, pingy sounds.
Best would be a couple Hagan cues, a rosewood Dave Tice which pings like an orchestra and a Rick Howard sneaky which makes balls easier than any cue I've had.
Best would be a couple Hagan cues, a rosewood Dave Tice which pings like an orchestra and a Rick Howard sneaky which makes balls easier than any cue I've had.
Geosnookery
Well-known member
I’d have to play for a couple weeks to know it’s really bad (other than some obvious flaw). I use a Snooker cue for both Snooker and American pool. If I pick up an American pool cue it always feels like an unrefined club for the first couple games: blunt tip that it’s awkward for aiming and doesn’t generate much spin. However, after a few games I adapt and I almost forget about the cue.
I also play and collect Fender guitars. My favourite guitar played like a disaster when I first tried it. Now it’s my ‘go to’ guitar. It’s likely the same when someone gets a new baseball glove or fly fishing rod,
Among the best cues was my Barracuda cue. Wooden joint. About 9.5 mm. Played with it for 16 years. My current cue has been fine fior 14 years and likely has as many years as that left.
Anyways. I’ve only used a few cues for more than a couple weeks. I’d need to know what was the issue..,The wood? the shaft? the tip? Perhaps they are fine and just not my style. What I do know is a $50 American cue or $1000 makes no difference to me. In fact the more basic and less fiddled with, likely better.
I also play and collect Fender guitars. My favourite guitar played like a disaster when I first tried it. Now it’s my ‘go to’ guitar. It’s likely the same when someone gets a new baseball glove or fly fishing rod,
Among the best cues was my Barracuda cue. Wooden joint. About 9.5 mm. Played with it for 16 years. My current cue has been fine fior 14 years and likely has as many years as that left.
Anyways. I’ve only used a few cues for more than a couple weeks. I’d need to know what was the issue..,The wood? the shaft? the tip? Perhaps they are fine and just not my style. What I do know is a $50 American cue or $1000 makes no difference to me. In fact the more basic and less fiddled with, likely better.
