Choice of cue

[Straight strike]

I saw great recognition for TW and MW cues on this forum, but yet there were so few top 16 pros chose to use any of them. Can you suggest any reason for that?

[sanman]

I saw great recognition for TW and MW cues on this forum, but yet there were so few top 16 pros chose to use any of them. Can you suggest any reason for that?

No freebies i guess

[Straight strike]

Considering the prize money, few hundred is nothing to them. Besides, no all the top 16 used JX cue!

[KeithinFrance]

I saw great recognition for TW and MW cues on this forum, but yet there were so few top 16 pros chose to use any of them. Can you suggest any reason for that?

Most of the time we don't KNOW what professional snooker players play with.

The only person who advertises that players use his cues to any great extent is Parris, and so now everyone thinks that all pros play with a JP cue, which is simply not true!! JP has given free cues to almost all the pros who play with any success, but a lot of them don't use his cues at all. Take Ricky Walden as an example: JP gave him a cue when he started becoming successful; Ricky doesn't play with his Parris any more, but a Trev White cue he asked Trev to make for him after having received his JP.

A lot of players play with the 1st cue (good or not) they ever had, and never change. Quite a lot of those cues are given to them by a relative or an older player who recognises their talent (eg. Steve Davis!) so they're likely to be oldish cues. If they live in the north and buy themselves a new cue they're more likely to use a Craftsman or a North West cue. Lots of snooker players live or come from London or further north, and so Mike Wooldridge cues are difficult to find just because of geography, as are Trevor White cues. On top of that, both of these guys work from home and don't have a physical shop people can choose cues in. They don't go in for the same sort of aggressive advertising JP does, eg. when Hendry "lost" his cue, JP sent him 3 or 4 cues and told him to keep the one he liked the most, something you'd not find Trev nor Mike doing ... and what does he play with now? An Acuerate!

JP's marketing skills would lead us to believe that all the good players play with one of his cues, but the players themselves don't say a lot about their cues, as they're just "tools of the trade" and to them it's not important WHO makes the cue as long as it does what they want.

[jrc750]

Most of the time we don't KNOW what professional snooker players play with.........eg. when Hendry "lost" his cue, JP sent him 3 or 4 cues and told him to keep the one he liked the most, something you'd not find Trev nor Mike doing ... and what does he play with now? An Acuerate!.....

You sure Hendry is still using the Acuerate cue Keith ???
Sure i read he wasnt anymore - just goes to prove your first sentence is true

ps whats with all the cues your buying lately

[KeithinFrance]

You sure Hendry is still using the Acuerate cue Keith ???
Sure i read he wasnt anymore - just goes to prove your first sentence is true

ps whats with all the cues your buying lately

It looked like he was still using one last week in Glasgow ... or at least it did to me!!

Lots of people over here are looking for new cues for the new season, and I can help them find them on eBay at a cheapish price - the fact that I can communicate in English helps too I have to admit. Some others are for me to try out and keep or sell, and others are for my own wee collection. Got to keep myself busy somehow!

[cally]

Aint hendry's cue now a parris...:snooker:

I thinks it is ya know...

[KeithinFrance]

I honestly don't know - he did have a Parris before his Acuerate, but last I heard he was stil using that, and as I said, the cue he was using looked like an Acuerate, the little I could tell from the image on the computer!! Maybe someone knows!

[cally]

I'm sure he had a new parris last season, it would look a bit like his acuearate i spose, he always has that hanging green veneer...

[KeithinFrance]

I thought he got his 147 at the Worlds with his Acuerate ... maybe it is the green veneer confusing things!

[Straight strike]

I do have the following assumptions:

The less successful pros are always tempted to get hold of better tools to save their career;

They stay in the profession long enough to know which are the better cumakers out there in the market;

They should be able to try out some cues from friends or other players at their workplace;

They can pay a visit to anywhere off season.

So I do not quite believe that lack of information and geographical barrier are the answers.

[cueman]

Well I've always said that the makers name shouldn't really come into it, if you have a good cue then look after it because its not always easy to get hold of a cue you have full confidence with.

However one thing that I would never argue is that Parris, love him or hate him, is without doubt the guy with the best reputation for making cues, particularly when you see how many titles players using his cues have won down the years.
Look at the majority of the top 32 players and most have either used or currently use a JP and have won more titles than the rest put together, particularly if you discount Hendry and Davis who won their titles with older cues. Whether Parris gave his cues away for free or they payed for them shouldn't come into the equation, none of these players were forced to use them so that argument is a bit silly really. However the current top 6 players in the updated list have or currently use a JP, which any cue maker with that claim to boast should be proud of!

[poolqjunkie]

I think a lot of players are just used to a certain cues that they have been using for a number of years.
"Why change if it is working" is probably what most of them feel like.
Some cue makers do not really care if a pro plays with his cue, and they will never give any deal to any pro. Some are willing to give cues away as a promotion. Although no one is forced into playing with a cue, but when two cues of similiar preceived quality are in question, the free one will likely get the vote.
Unless a cue is seriously wrong, or a player is playing very poorly, why would a player travel many miles just to try out a cue when there is a reputable cue maker close by who would give him a cue for free. So, free cues do make a difference, and if money is paid on top of it, then it becomes a very different decision.
I know it may sounds strange but I dont think it is as big a deal as you may think to some cue makers whether they have pro players playing with their cues. Just my opinion.

[Straight strike]

Parris's strategic approach and personal service rendered must count.

The cost of not getting along well with the new cue is huge.

I just have a question in mind that is TW and MW are in fact no better than JPU or other big names in terms of playability?

[poolqjunkie]

Parris's strategic approach and personal service rendered must count.

The cost of not getting along well with the new cue is huge.

I just have a question in mind that is TW and MW are in fact no better than JPU or other big names in terms of playability?

A big name does not guarantee the best playability for you, because it is very subjective what you like in a cue when it comes to how it plays.
John Parris is very experienced with working with pro players, and he is an excellent cue maker, I have had a few of his cues and I like them very much in terms of playbility. I am sure he knows how to suit the needs of pros and deliver excellent cues for them.
The forum members here like MW and TW cues not only because of the playability of their cues but also for their top notch craftsmanship. Craftsmanship might not be a top issue for a pro player but for cue collectors it is very important. I believe it is because of the very precise craftsmanship, excellent finish, consistent quality, and the very good re-sale value of their cues on the used market that they have received such high recommendation on this forum.
On a side note, I believe quite a few pro players are playing with TW cues, and I know one Chinese player from China plays with a MW cue (his last name is Guo I think).