I set some of the best students at University of Florida to participate and while a reporter conducted interviews and a photographer ran about the table to keep pace with us, we ran some racks of 9-Ball, of course, as young students are addicted to the game.
Not wanting to lug my personal billiard cues and cue case about on a day marked by incessant rain, I went to the poolroom of choice for the shoot and grabbed a decent house cue from a nearby wall. After all, I usually offer trick shots for a photo shoot, and wanted to create some lovely massé strokes for the camera, and why risk one’s own cue on a hard-stroked massé? (Not that they are ever to be stroked with excessive force.)
I Should Have “Brung” It With Me
As we played through the interview I felt a bit off in my game. I was winning consistently but as I chatted with my opponents something wasn’t up to par in my billiards. It took a few minutes to discover that the I needed to strike lower on the cue ball for draw and other stick techniques than I would with my personal cue sticks.
Once I had deduced the proper “formula” for the house cue I held, everything started falling in and I was complemented on my skills. My conviction was reestablished that a buying the right personal pool cue is essential to performing your best at all times. Had I not discovered the secrets to the cue I held so quickly, I would have begun to doubt my stance and stroke basics as reported throughout this About.com site.
Having your own pool cue or several billiard cues will double your results in most cases. There is enhanced quality in your billiards game when you are consistent in aim, cue dimensions, weight and balance, and more. There is also a slight psychological edge to shooting with your personal billiards cue(s).
