Advice about a new cue

[sifon4o]

Okay, so here's the story - I used to play for quite some time with a Peradon Joe Davis 3/4 cue. I liked it because it was light and it was 59 inches which is great because I'm 6'3. Also it's made out of some very soft wood - it twisted whenever I did a more powerful shot. But it was not until I went to a local snooker coach to tell me that my cue is very curved. He said that snooker is a difficult enough game even if you play with a straight cue and that reaching any progress will be very hard with this cue.
So, I sold my cue to a friend and bought myself a new one - a Chinese 3/4 Omin cue. I didn't know a lot about Chinese cues but a lot of people recommended them so I thought they're worth a shot. The cue is just a little bit heavier, 58 inches but it's made of some very hard wood. It doesn't twitch at all even when I hit with a lot of power. I gave the coach a look at it and he said it's awesome - perfectly straight and he also said it has a nice balance so it's great. But the problem is that it's been 2 weeks since I bought it and I've been playing terribly ever since. Somehow my previous cue although crooked gave me a very good feel of the shot and I didn't need a lot of feathering - it all just came naturally. But with the new one I play very bad, it's like I've lost my touch - I try very hard and concentrate, try to keep my cue action as good as possible but at the end it doesn't happen. After 2 weeks of not being able to pot even the easiest balls I decided to try once more my old cue and play a frame with it - I started potting everything, and without thinking at all, it just felt right.
So I'm wondering how is this possible? Considering everyone's opinion that the new cue is better, I'm starting to think that maybe it's because I'm used to playing with a twisted cue that now that I have to create new habits of playing with a straight one. Has anyone ever came across this problem?

[crispian jones]

each and every cue is different mate, ive got a bend in my own cue and still havent straitend it as i dont want to jinks the cue as im playing really well with it !
why sell the old cue if you were potting the balls ?
can you buy it back ? you can always get the bent removed !

[jaffa.johnson]

Crisipian is spot on,

If you wanted a new cue then I suggest trying more than one and it will take longer than 2 weeks to adapt depending on how long you have been using the previous cue.

[mattyshinobi22]

yeap spot on advice, i think a coach can teach you a lot, but cant tell you which cue to play with. thats a personal thing

[Stupree]

You will have to create a new 'habit' or action based on the new cue, especially as it is 1" shorter. With a bent cue you established a repeatible action that compensated for it's bends & twists. I've known a few players play brilliantly with bent cues.

You have a few options:

1) Practise, Practise, Practise until you create a comfortable new cue action with the new cue

2) Get your old cue back and enjoy your game, the cue may have been bent but you made it deliver the same results time and time again!

3) Get your old cue back, get it straightened and practise, practise, practise

4) Find a new cue 59" long and practise, practise, practise

My advice would be to choose any of the above that involves a 59" cue :snooker:

[hotpot]

It could be that along with the weight difference the taper is different , for me this is an important aspect of a cue .

[sifon4o]

Thanks for the feedback. There are quite a few reasons I decided to change my cue:
1. A lot of people told me that Peradon cues are awful and that the best Peradon cue is the sold one.
2. My cue was the only one in the club that could be twisted in any way you want so I figured that the wood isn't good enough.
3. I felt a lack of progress and I figured that the bent cue might be the cause of this.

Otherwise, the 2 cues are very different so it may take quite a lot of time for me to adjust - the old one had a 10 mm tip and a delayed taper while the new one is a 9.2 mm and it has a constant taper so it feels like I'm hitting the balls with a needle.

I'm in a dilemma between options 1 and 2, but I have to know one thing - do you think that light cues in general give you a better feel of the shot or it's just a matter of habit?

[hotpot]

You could get a cue that fels perfect but just dont feel right when hitting the ball and vice versa . First thing you need to do is try a range of cues and one that feels right , then you just have to find one that plays well and does what you expect of it . Its always a problen when buying blind even for experienced playes who know their specs .
If possible go a shop that stocks a good range .

[Stupree]

If you can get all the measurements from your old cue including the weight you are off to a good start in finding a more suitable cue, and depending on where you are in the country if you can get to a dealer with a good selection of cues and practice table that is your best option.

In finding my specs I discovered that a 58 1/4" cue was perfect for my action and was amazed just what a difference that 1/4" made for me at 6' tall.

Good luck mate

[sifon4o]

No, I live in a very small town and it's incredibly difficult finding a new cue. When I bought my new one my only criteria was for it to be completely straight and that's what I got. But now I know that playing with a bent cue isn't a problem so I'm thinking more and more about buying my old one back.

[hotpot]

Cant you buy your old one back and have it straightened .

[sifon4o]

Yes, I can buy the old one, but I'm not very sure if I can find someone who will be able to straighten it, so I'll have to do some research

[hotpot]

Plenty of people who can do that , there are quite a few on here .

[DG GIBERT]

Correct me if im wrong but did Hendry play with a old bent power glide?

[Stupree]

Correct me if im wrong but did Hendry play with a old bent power glide?

He did indeed and he wasn't a bad player at all with it