So, I've been a casual player for about 2 years now, not enough time to dedicate to the game, but love it more than anything else. Region (India).
I have a custom cue, an O`min Perfect - and it is good enough for me, and I can tell the difference between a shit parlour cue and a nice custom cue, or a cue with even weight distribution, but I can mostly tell it only if they are side by side.
Being able to judge a cue, or compare it to a benchmark, just by memory, I am not able to do that.
Something similar with cloth also. When I started out playing and practicing the game, i played on a really, really shit cloth, and seldom got to experience good tables and cloth.
What I want to understand is how does one gain enough knowledge or understanding about the game, to be able to just pick up a cue, play a few shots, and pinpoint exactly whats bad about it, how that affects the game, by how much, what needs changing etc. Same with the table cushions and cloth.
Similar points with tip aswell but i havent had the chance to experience good tips yet so wouldnt get into that yet.
TLTR: How does one instinctively judge and compare cues and cloth.