Are Modern Cue Sticks Better Than Yesteryears?

[TomBrooklyn]

No! Modern Cue sticks Are Not Functionally Better Than Cue Sticks Made In The Past.

A cue stick is basically just a straight piece of high quality wood. Virtually all the functional differences between them are determined by weight, taper, balance and type of wood. The first three are a matter of user preference. The last has not changed in a hundred years. Rock maple was and still is the generally accepted premier material for a shaft. The butt wood does not seem to matter much according to many experts.

Within certain limits, there is no particular balance, size, or shape that is superior to others for all players. If you get two cue sticks made by two different people from two different eras, but with those same four qualities, the two sticks will perform virtually the same.

The quality of the wood, primarily the straightness and tightness of the grain are factors; but if anything, it was probably easier and less costly to find good quality wood years ago.

The availability of more exotic woods and better inlay techniques in modern times are strictly aesthetic enhancements. And they are only used in the butt which once again, is widely considered to have no effect on the hit outside of the weight and balance.

The low squirt technology utilized by Predator and Meucci might be the one area where modern cue sticks are superior to those of the past. However, many experts and professional players prefer not to use them, so their superiority is a matter of debate and not clearly definite for all players.

Cue sticks are unlike tennis racquets or golf clubs where the use of modern composite materials and substantial changes to the size and weight of the head have created functional differences in how they perform. Those implements unlike a cue stick, are swung in an arc and strike the ball from the side causing lateral bending and rebound forces which is where virtually all of their enhanced qualities stem from.

=Tom

There are graphite and fiberglass sticks available... though I don't like how they play at all. It amazes me when I see Allison Fisher playing with the cuetech cue.

I would have to think that the industry of cue making in general is better than what it was say fifty years ago. There seems to be more cuemakers than one can count. It seems that there would be greater accessibility to high quality cues as well(thanks to more cue makers and the internet.) I am just speculating, as I wasn't alive fifty years ago. [img]/ccboard/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

There are probably alot more tip varieties now as well, though again I am just speculating. Of course this lack of variety didn't stop Mosconi from running hundreds of balls... but I would wager to guess Mosconi could chalk up his pinky finger and beat me. Players like that might as well be labeled as wizards so I won't judge cue quality based on the ability of a wizard. [img]/ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Though the equipment may not be significantly better, the increase in options certainly makes me happy. Pool is certainly my top recreational activity, so the more things I have to play and tinker with the better. Further, there is an endless array of products I can blame bad performances on besides my ability(or lack thereof.) If nothing else, that is
certainly an improvement over the days of yesteryear.

[Pizza Bob]

ABSOLUTELY! Beyond the woods used, and the aforementioned variety of things like tips, the methods used to build cue sticks has greatly improved over yesteryear. Glue technology alone is a huge area - and also affects a cue's playability. The fact that cuemakers can now use laminates (not like predator) for under the wraps and are also coring cues, makes for more consistency of hit from cue to cue, regardless of cosmetics. Also allows the cue's balance point to be governed by the woods used, rather than having to add wieght artificially via weight bolts. I don't think you'll find a cue builder today that will say today's cues aren't better than those produced 50 years ago. Just my $.02 worth.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[JPB]

I have no doubt that the best old cues played great. But as far as a given lot of production cues, there can be no doubt that modern cues are better. Look, a modern Toyota Camry is vastly better than a 1947 De Soto or something. Everything is better. I picked up a cheap Lucasi recently because I liked the way that particular one played and liked the way I hit with it. (I will be getting something better too.) That Lucasi is 10 times better than the old Willie Hoppe I have. And I got a predator shaft along with the other one - a production shaft made by another manufacturer that fits the cue and plays fine. Buy it, screw it on and play. That didn't happen back in the day. I like my old Hoppe, but to compare two production cues from different eras shows how much better modern manufactured stuff is. Sure, I'd like a Balabushka, but the average now is just so much better. No comparison. The vast majority of pool players are playing with much better cues now. Except of course for the ones playing with Meuccis. [img]/ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Deeman]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote JPB:</font><hr> Except of course for the ones playing with Meuccis. [img]/ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] <hr /></blockquote>

I agree on the Meucci and remember the old saying, "Someone broke my car window and dumped a Meucci inside."

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote JPB:</font><hr> Except of course for the ones playing with Meuccis. [img]/ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] <hr /></blockquote>HEY! I resemble that remark... [img]/ccboard/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I dislike the new Meucci's too, but I love the old Originals from the 80's. Mine still has both original "no-dot" shafts and with the new Hercules tips I just had installed, still plays great.

David

[JPB]

My only experience with them was back in the '80's. I had one, and looking back on it, there was no question it was the worst cue I have ever used. It simply was not acceptable. I didn't really understand it or know it at the time, but only after I had played with more cues. The Meucci simply was unplayable because of the total deflection and flexibility. I don't think there was ever a worse cue made in that regard, except for the $15 ramen wood cues or something. Maybe they are better now. To be fair I don't know. In the case of the cue I had, it was not a question of likes or dislikes or preference in feel. The cue was horrid. Didn't really matter to my game though, and good players were able to play fine with them in those days. If they are still as flexible now as they were then, however, they are not good enough.

[Jack Jr]

Did you ever play with an authentic Balabushka?

If you did not, then you cannot answer truely.

If I remember back when, Meucci cues always hit with a slight PING.

By the way, I own an original 1977 Palmer Cue which still plays great!

although it's true that you can get a pretty good cue for less today-dollars than you used to i suspect the real change is in the table.

with simonis cloth, lively rails and air conditioning it just does not take as much stroke to get the job done as it used to. those old cues had to hit right and play true at much more power than the new ones do. may not be accurate to compare the old and new tools. they are for somewhat different purposes.

dan

[JPB]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Jack Jr:</font><hr> Did you ever play with an authentic Balabushka?

If you did not, then you cannot answer truely.

If I remember back when, Meucci cues always hit with a slight PING.

By the way, I own an original 1977 Palmer Cue which still plays great! <hr /></blockquote>

No, never did play with a real Balabushka. I have only seen one. But I have played with cues from the early '70's which played fine. I hit a few with a Palmer once, but don't know the vintage. Much older than the new ones, but I don't think it was a real valuable one either. I don't know. And my Hoppe from the '60's, although to play with it I had a shaft made by Dave Kikel. The original shaft was cracked. I am assuming Balabushkas were better. If I'm wrong tell me.