SPM Billiards Magazine Issue 33

Ko Brother Cues,Zen Custom CuesPart 4

By Patrick Sampey

Tuesday, September 27th, 2022 –

Zen Custom Cues are the cues the Ko Brothers – Ko Pin Yi, Ko Ping Chung, and Ko Ping Han use – “was co-founded by 2 Taiwanese A-Zen & Chady in 2012 and named after A-Zen which means the same as it implies ‘Zen – peaceful & calm’” and the “Zencue” they “initially design the cue and the decorative ring with high-purity silver inlay as the classic design.” Very nice, high end cues, for the cue connoisseur that wants only the best.

“For Zencue, we provide a 50% off shaft trade-in service that allows our customers to upgrade/replace their shafts we have plenty of shafts for our customers to try for a perfect fit ( Currently Taiwan only ) so our customers could have seamless change over on their cues,” Zen Custom Cues.

“Revolution & Improvement: To accommodate the change in the pool game ( e.g equipment, table, shooting style ), we also need to make changes to the performance of our Zencue.

In 2019, we made a tremendous improvement on our shaft by changing the taper of the cue which provides better cue ball & spin control with almost no deflection. In 2020, we also released our new structure on the bottom piece, which gives more power & stability. With our latest development, we truly believe our players would be able to outperform any other players in the world,” Zen Custom Cues.

“Tailor-made customization: Compared with other custom cues, Zencue provides a large array of personalized choices (wood/inlay/warp/ring types/stiffness of the shaft ) for our customers so they could feel the sense of belonging to their cue.

In terms of the shaft, we also have ‘I’ and ‘II’ 2 types of stiffness, ‘I’ being stiffer. Also, we have 5 types of tapers, ‘XPRO’, ‘95PRO’, ‘83’, ‘CQ’ and ‘AR’, first two are being used in Americanstyle pool, and the last 3 are being used in Chinese 8-ball which American pool focus more on position and Chinese 8 ball focus more on precision.” – Zen Custom Cues.

Ko Pin Yi and Ko Ping Chung have said this about their Zen Custom Cues:

“We ( Pin Yi / Ping Chung) have been using S brand cues ever since we started shooting pool. Early this year ( Feb 2022 ) A-Zen and Chady approached us with their Zen cues and we felt Zencue is much better than SW in terms of power and spin control ( lower deflection ) which provided a higher confidence level when we were in a tough spot. Zencue is not only our lethal weapon but also really an art piece.” And the Zencue is a work of art, as you will see in the images of the Ko Brothers Cues, which are each individually intricate works of billiards art, and also some of the best playing cues, that serve as both an artistic piece to marvel at, and an piece of equipment to perform the task of pocketing billiards balls, the pool players “samurai sword,” their stock in trade.

I can’t be certain how they play, but with endorsements by all three Ko Brothers, and the obvious ingenuity of the cues Zen Custom Cues feature, one can easily rest assured they are receiving the best of the best, when they purchase a Ko Brothers, Zencue. They definitely appear to be for the player that wants only the highest quality it would appear: craftsmanship.

“1. Ko PinYi Shooting Cue : Zencue Holy Cross with Gold Ring ($30,000) Tip : KO Tips (S) Jump Cue : KO Jump Cue Break Cue : BK Rush

2. Ko Ping Chung Shooting Cue : Zencue Holy Cross with silver ring ($13,500) Tip : KO Tips (M) Jump Cue : KO Jump Cue Break Cue : BK Rush

3. Ko Ping Han Shooting Cue : Zencue Classic 6 pointer ($7,500) Tip : KO Tips (M) Jump Cue : KO Jump Cue Break Cue : BK Rush,” Zen Custom Cues.

All in all, the three Ko Brothers Cues totaling $50,000 worth of gear, just in their playing cues alone, much less cases, jump cues, break cues – which is to highlight some of the best billiards cues the pool scene has ever seen; Zen Custom Cues, when you want Ko Brothers quality cues.

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