Nick Varner Cues & Predator 314

[Karl]

Hey all! I bought a Nick Varner cue a few months back, broke the shaft and replaced it with a Predator 314. I am really happy with the set up. However, does it make a difference if you put a really good front end with a really average back end? My shooting has improved, but I wanted to make sure I am not doing something "technically" bad with my equipment set up. Thanks!

[djkx1]

The playability of a cue will be most affected by the 'front end'. The shaft: taper, weight, ferrule, and tip contribute a lot to the way it plays. The butt and especially the joint will affect it as well but to a lesser degree.

As far as putting a higher end shaft on a lower end butt? I feel that almost any time you add a better shaft to a cue you will be adding to the performance. It will change the way it plays and may take some getting used to. This is especially true when you switch to a lower deflection shaft like the Predator. However, if you feel it works for you then there really is no downside. The only exception might be that if you intend to sell the cue, having a replacement shaft instead of the original might lower the resale value.