Escalade Sports Minnesota Fats Hustler High Tech Grip Graphite Cue

I purchased the Metallic Silver stick, and I love it so much, I'm about to purchase the Burgandy model as well. How much do I love it? I have to fight for it in my own house!While playing some games recently, several friends were over and were all using the cue sticks from my collection. Several of them are the fancy "name brand expensive high end" models you find online and in billiard halls, behind the counters locked up. After a few hours of letting them try my stick out (everyone loved the grey which is why they wanted to try), they fell in love with it.They loved how it felt, how clean the shooting was with it, and how perfectly straight it rolled. Keep in mind the cues they were using were straight as an arrow as well, nothing wrong with them. They kept swearing something about this stick made the game better for them. Asking for it back wasn't working, I had to beg for it back. Needless to say, that speaks a lot about this cue, more than I could say in a simple review.Some reviewers noted they expected a rubberized grip but didn't get one. I would say you wouldn't want a rubberized grip because over time it will wear out, and you don't want rubber bits on your hand while playing billiards, nor do you want the handle to get messed up. On that note, I wouldn't say the handle is rubberized, but it has some sort of texture to it which provides a confident grip, regardless of how you stroke the cue. For me, I three finger and pivot, and this cue handle works well for that. No fear of slipping or having my grip change alignment.Whether you're new to the sport, an average player, or on a pro level, you'll enjoy this stick.Unlike some fellow reviewers, I did not have any issue removing the stickers. I didn't find them overwhelming in number either, there were like 3 stickers, and they all came off without issue with no residue left behind. If any residue is left behind, you can simply wipe it off.PROS:* Graphite composition means it's highly resistant to damage/warping over time* The tip is really nice! It's a nickle tip for anyone curious, took about 10 games to "break in"* It rolls straight and sharp as a razor, probably the straightest cue under $200 I've seen* Stick and shot control is VERY predictable with this stick, feels better than wood variants* The "sanded" shaft feel is great and doesn't appear to be wearing away like wood variants* Simple, clean color* Great value, for the price you pay you get a great product~~~~ Update 2012/10/29 ~~~~I have about 35-40 games in on the current cue, still loving it!I just received my second one, this time I ordered the burgandy. Like the first, it was easy to open, assemble and peel the stickers off of. Also like the first, it's the straightest rolling cue under $200 I've ever seen! Awesome!

I have four of these, they are all I use. I love the cue. I can't imagine why they are still PUTTING STICKERS ON THE CUE!!!!! Please stop!!!Best way to remove the bafflingly sticky stickers is to peel off the clear plastic waterproof sticker on the actual sticker, then scratch the sticker with your finger nails. Run the stickers under scalding hot water till they scratch off with relative ease, then use goo gone to remove the adhesive. It is quite a chore and there is no excuse for the stickers being on the actual stick as opposed to the wrapper around the stick.

I am not a pro by any means. I recently acquired a table and some cues on the cheap. The cues were pretty terrible though, so I decided to try out one of these. I must say, I do really like it! I seem to be able to shoot much more accurately and solidly. For the price, I think it's great.Why only four stars then? Well, like so many other reviewers have mentioned, I too had to spend 20 minutes removing stickers. There were no less than four of them, and they were not easy to remove! After peeling them off carefully with my finger nails, there was lots of sticky residue left behind. Happily, I was able to get it all off relatively easily with some olive oil and a paper towel.

This is a perfectly fine pool cue once you spend an HOUR scraping off three different stickers with your finger nail and using goo-be-gone. Why the heck would any company put nearly-unremovable stickers on a pool cue??? And the worst sticker of all was near the tip, exactly where you need the cue to be smooth. Also, the grip isn't grippy.... it's more like 300-grit sandpaper (the smooth, wet-dry sand paper) than a grip. That said, I'm happy with the cue... just wish they didn't put the stickers all over!!!!

Bought this as a Christmas gift for my husband, who has been playing in a pool league for a few months. He says he likes it and that it feels good and is easy to play with. I've asked him to be honest with me several times, and he swears it is a good stick.I had asked his pool friends for suggestions for a cue, and they all gave me cues that were at least $100, and said, "you get what you pay for".But those same friends have used this cue and said I got a good cue for my husband.I haven't told anyone the price I paid for it, because the mentality of "you get what you pay for" can sometimes make a totally good product seem like it is inferior simply because of the price.We did have a lot of trouble getting all the stickers off.

Quality has deteriorated. I purchased one of these three years ago and it is one of the nicest sticks that I have ever played with. The new one that I just purchased is barely bar room quality. The finish is noticeably rougher. The tip is misshapen and the shaft is gouged in two places. I feel like I got a return product, but it seem to be in new packaging. I returned the first one I purchased and received a second one. The quality was very similar between the two except the second one did not have the gouges in the finish on the shaft. I would definitely recommend looking elsewhere for a cue stick.

I'm not a pro pool player or even that great. I do all right but don't play enough to be real good. This is great cue I've fond for under $50. Beats the house cues any day and its something I can call my own. They say you should not break with your good cues, but this isn't exactly a very high priced cue, so I break with it. And I do a better job breaking with this than a house cue. I have more control over it. I find my shots are a bit smoother, although I still need a lot of practice.I showed this around at work, people liked it, were impressed by it's price.It's a great stick for those of us who are not pros and just wanna have some fun and use something clean and straight. Than gain I couldnt tell you what makes a great pule cue and if this isnt even one of them, maybe it is, maybe its not, all i know is worth the money.