Pool cues are like golf clubs. If you can play, there's not a lot of difference in performance between expensive and inexpensive, if any. For expensive pool cues, generally, you're paying for fancy inlays in the butt. For a player looking for his first cue, there is no reason to spend more than a couple of hundred dollars. My first cue was an Adams I paid 60 bucks for around 1975. I might be still using that cue today had I not lost it. My second cue stick, a Meucci, I paid 200 dollars for in 1990. Lot of money in 1990. Still using that Meucci today some 34 years later. I did pick up a Players Sneaky Pete off Amazon a couple of years ago for 135 dollars. It's a great no frills cue I would I highly recommend for a players first cue. Your Gator looks like a nice cue. Any newbies viewing this video and reading this comment, you don't need to spend a lot of money on a cue stick. Expensive does not, I repeat, does not equate into better performance.

I got a Schmelke, American made family owned.. it's nothing 'fancy' but it's a damn good cue..!

Could be a water buffalo hard tip... I only use Players cues, 21 oz. 11 1/2 mm pro taper, with soft cheap blue elk tips. When I first got into pool, I just used house cues, then after I got hooked, I finally bought my first 2 piece cue from Sears for 12.00 and a single cue case for 6.00. Don't remember what kind of tip, but Blackie, the pool hall / bowling alley owner, put the elk tip on it, just like all the house cues had....that was in 1963, for me, seeing I was not out to become a pro, just loved the game, I was never in to buying a real expensive cue. Though I have owned a dozen or more over my life time, the only real expensive cue I ever bought was a McDermott for 225.00 in in 94....when I later got back into pool I looked online for pool cues and ran across the Players cues, bought one for like 80.00 and loved it.!! I now have 3 of them, don't need anything else..lol 😊

Good post. I shoot with a Samsara jump/break tip on a 12.9 Revo shaft. The sound is not pleasing but I'm able to play very well with this super hard tip. I also have the same tip on a 25 oz Action cue - for breaking. I have a Revo with a ' normal ' hard Zan tip and I can shoot okay with it , however , I still prefer the Samsara tip. If you want to see what that would be like get a hold of a BKRush breaker and try playing with it. . Almost identical to the Samsara jump/break tip.

Thanks!

I bought last year a Revo 12.4 HOW hard tip shaft with the Peri dragon break butt(Jayson Shaw's old breaker) , a Peri break(Jayson Shaw's old break shaft) with an Aska(Canadian brand) sport wrap butt so both my play cue and break cue are uniloc and I also bought a Becue Carbon Jump Cue. Before that I had a break jump cue from Amazon and a 40 dollar cue butt from Walmart with a viper shaft and KO brothers medium tip on it

Honestly Champion Gator cues are great for their price because they have multiple series of cues and all kinds of different designs and they also are low deflection cues for like 150 bucks and recently they've released their carbon shafts too.

Just get a better shaft and tip 5/16/18 for a cheaper butt. Purex shaft comes with Kamui soft tip. Not piloted mind you and match it. Action, etc.

Thanks for the video Ron. I have a question for you, what kind of extension is that for your Player pure-x cue? I am looking to purchase one

The Champion Gator model you refer to I can't find online. Do you have a link to it??

Stick to 5/16/18 or any popular joint size so you can mix it up.

Ron, I have about 20+ Cues and a couple of them were homemade. I have 2 MangoRun carbon fiber, Cues and play quite well with them. They’re only about $230 on Amazon

We pay a lot of money for brand names and it's good to know that champion makes quality cues

I’m in process of getting a cue, I’m going to look at the gator or dragon, spider. Your gator is discontinued on Amazon. In a year or so, I’ll get a Jflowers with SMO shaft or a predator as a reward if my game improves. I want to try a low deflection carbon fiber shaft and see if I like. For a break cue, you recommend hard tip? Great video

I have a cue that looks similar to your gator,it's a collapsar R Series with pro taper 11mm tiger tip, identical but different names, unfortunately unable to put pics up.

Best cue is your own cue) But best cue for the money in 2024 is still cuetec avid.

You know you can change the butt to an adapter butt and get the extension. Did this on my Meucci.

Am a pool lover, I can play but not too good at it. But I don't have any good cue. Can I get one from your old cues please?

For the record, I had a conical tapered $400 shaft and I spend another 4 to get a pro taper of the same OEM (GO Customs) and I regret nothing. Just feels so much better.

Cuesoul makes a 110 dollar stick it’s the best stick I ever played with no matter the price

Purex is great

What are your thoughts on the Carbon Fiber shafts - Revo, Cynergy etc? Have you tried one and if so, why do you not play with one? Great channel.