What Cue?

[haggishunter]

For me, i started playing again after only touching my cue about once a year for about a decade, i then sent it off to have a little work done to it, while it was away i played with a few different rack cues, when i got my cue back, i found i just couldn't get on with it, the weight, tip size and balance were all factors in it, i ended up buying one of the rack cues that i had been using for £15, i practised with it, played my matches with it, but it was not to last, the cue was a mess when i got it, wood starting to split all over the place, i was a bit gutted, the ferrule was done for too and it got worse. My brother bought a parris a few weeks back and although the tip size is way too small for me, it felt very nice. I bought an exquisite cue a week or so after, and although im still getting a feel for it, i love it, i placed an order for a custom not long ago, at the rate im going with the cue from raymo i wont need it.... I dont care about badges etc, i liked turning up to matches with a knackered one piece cue with my towel tied around it and no case, but i do like my new one. As far as what i would expect from a cuemaker, yeah, I'd expect it to look perfect and i would expect that they would use good materials, but as how they play? That's the arms problem, i know this. Why do people care if someone of my level or worse wants to spend £1000 on a cue? Who cares? I bet the makers are happy. My mates thought i was nuts to spend almost £250 on a wooden stick that gets used around 3-5 times a week, yet they'll happily spend £250 on football boots or £1500 on golf clubs that get a dozen outings a year...... If i had the money, i get a custom cue with the same design from them all, i enjoy the game. A cue wont CHANGE your game but maybe it's a placebo for some?

[matt926_uk]

I think a good cue is one made accurately to the specifications you provide and aesthetically perfect. Of course aesthetics don't make any difference to your game but are nice nonetheless. Its up to you as a player to figure out what you want from a cue, although cuemakers can point you in the right direction from their experiences.