Style and Preference

The most important parts of a cue is the shaft and the tip. Thats what pros and teachers point out all the time.

Having said that, I've seen people turn their $200.00 shafts down to get the same high deflection rate as the old shaft that they were used to, to make the ball dance like it did with the plain old no frills wooden shaft. 

While it's true that these new shafts are the leading edge tech stuff, they don't handle at all like the shaft that loads, and unloads, like the single piece wood shafts. These shafts actually bend on impact, and straighten giving the ball added english. It really is a matter of preference on what your playing style is. Some companys dot or line mark the single piece shafts to deflect the same way every time. Giving them a known deflection rate with every shot. There are records, that still stand today, of over 500 ball runs with old shafts. True style...

The tip is just as important as the shaft. If you shoot with a harder tip, it must be shaped with a near perfect arc, for consistancy on impact. Medium tips that are the most common for most players. They come in layered or single piece, and are a little more forgiving to the intermeadiate player. I 've seen soft tips that can't be shaped, that give added english, or impact deadoning. It is a matter of preference....

Now for the butt of the cue. If what the pros and teachers say, about the shaft and tip being the most important, then, the butt could be a broomstick. Absolutly not true. The butt of the cue, solidly connected to the shaft, provides the rate of impact. In other words, the impact is delivered from the tip, to the shaft, thru the joint, and into the butt. The impact travels in a straight line all the way thru the cue. The tip may deform on impact, the shaft may deflect, and the butt of the cue is like the gunpowder in a gun. It delivers the power to the ball directly. A hard tip, a low deflection shaft, and a hit that travels all the way thru the butt, or a soft tip, high deflection shaft, are the things that dreams are made of...pick yours. 

Now that we have the mechanics and the variables out of the way, lets talk about style and preference, and cost.

Pick your cue based on you, the way you like to play. The butt of the cue is a reflection of you. With inlays, or soft wood tones, wrap or no wrap, it is a reflection of you. With time, patience, and practice, you will become a formitable foe on the field of green. You will determine for yourself, what  type of cue fits your style, preference, and type of play. You will find out that the cost of the cue is not the true issue. I have owned, and played, hundreds of cues, yet, I am not a pro. I have to admit that I collect cues. Out of all the cues that I have owned, I shoot well with only two. Thats right, two. One is a low budget meucci, that never really hit production, the other is one that I had made with the expensive shaft that I changed out to play like the meucci. I love the tech stuff, I own a cell phone, and a computor. It just not the same. My brain says that I feel comfortable with these two cues, they fit me, no matter how little, or how much, they cost.........

I play pool, I love playing the game, I play to the level of my opponent, no matter what their skill level is. I love games that come right down to wire, with everybody on the edge of their seat. Thats a damn good game. This is my......

Style and Preference....