How do I choose the right cue?

Choose Your Cue Tip Diameter

Cue tips come in many sizes, and the diameter of the cue tip can affect your play greatly. While pool cue tips of smaller diameters help more advanced players put a side-spin on the cue ball called English, cue tips with larger diameters help newer players pocket the balls more easily.

How do I know what pool cue is right for me?

What Oz pool cue to buy?

Pool, snooker and billiard cues range from 17 ounces to 21 ounces, and we recommend a cue between 17 to 19 ounces for snooker and standard English and Australian pool playing. A heavier cue (between 20-21 ounces) is often recommended for American Pool as the balls and table are bigger.

What makes a good cue?

A good-quality, brand new pool stick should be almost flawless, with little to no change in smoothness between the tip, ferrule, shaft and butt. We've all seen the local pool hall hero come into the bar and roll all the pool cue sticks on the table to ensure they get the straightest one.

What is the best cue weight for beginners?

Length & Weight

Cues usually weigh 18 – 21 ounces. For a beginner, we would recommend about 20 ounces.

Pool Talk: Episode 6: Choosing Your First Cue

Is it better to have a lighter or heavier pool cue?

In general, a lighter cue will allow more control over finesse shots, and a heavier cue will allow more cue ball (CB) speed with less apparent stroke effort. A heavier cue might also be easier for some people to keep on line during the stroke, but this is a very individual thing.

Is a heavier or lighter break cue better?

The idea is that the lighter the cue, the faster you can swing it. And the faster you can swing it, the harder you can break. Because this theory revolves around acceleration and speed, lighter break cues are good for players who are able to be accurate with a fast, athletic break stroke.

What weight cue do most pros use?

What is the standard cue weight? A: The pros use cues which weigh 19 to 19.5 ounces. Available pool sticks range from a low of about 15 to as much as 27 ounces, an extra half-pound over the pro cue.

What weight pool cue do professionals use?

The pros use cues that weigh 19 to 19.5 ounces. Available pool sticks range from a low of about 15 to 27 ounces, an extra half-pound over the pro cue.

What is the difference between cheap and expensive pool cues?

There is a big difference in the manufacture process. Making a Hand-spliced cue is a longer process and often involves extra splicing and includes more exotic woods. The cheapest cues that many suppliers sell are not spliced at all and are in fact painted to look like they are spliced.

Should pool cue be dime or nickel?

– On very small tips it's better to have a dime radius than a nickel radius. from Patrick Johnson (in AZB post): To avoid hitting on a tip's edge, it should be shaped to a curvature radius less than its width.

What is the most common pool cue tip?

Medium-hard tips

This is the most common cue tip, and it gives players a good balance of cue ball control and consistency. Medium-hard tips also require less maintenance than soft tips. Most beginning and intermediate players will benefit from the medium-hard tip.

What is the most common pool cue length?

Bear in mind that the average length of a pool cue is around 1.42 to 1.49 metres or 56-59 inches.

Do you look at cue ball or target ball?

Best results can vary from one person to another, but it is generally recommended to focus on the object ball (or the center of the ghost ball, desired contact point, ball-hit fraction, or a point on the cloth or cushion) instead of the cue ball during the final stroke.

Does a good pool cue matter?

A pool cue stick is so important to the game that most high caliber pool players will invest a great sum to obtain not only one but several individually customized billiard cue sticks, bringing even more firepower to the game. The first six to ten inches of the shaft is like the trigger on that rifle.

Is heavier cue stick better?

A heavier cue will tend to create more CB speed for a given stroke effort. A heavier cue might also be easier for some to keep on line during the stroke, but this is a very individual thing. More weight can also help prevent stroke deceleration.

What is the best weight and length for a pool cue?

Majority of cue sticks measure around 59 inches and their weight ranges between 17 and 21 ounces. 19-ounce cue sticks are the most common.

What is the best shaft size for a pool cue?

13mm comes standard on most pool cue shafts. 12.5mm are often started as 13mm tips, then reduced to a smaller size.

What is the difference between 19 oz and 21 oz cue?

Using a lighter weight stick (18-19 oz.) will create more "snap" in your shot; your cue ball will be dynamic and your object ball will go into the pocket at a slower pace. A heavier cue (20-21 oz) results in a more sluggish cue ball; the object ball will go into the pocket faster.

What is the standard cue weight?

Pool cues average around 59 inches (150 cm) long, are commonly available in 17–21 ounces (0.48–0.60 kg) weights, with 19 ounces (0.54 kg) being the most common, and usually have a tip diameter in the range of 12 to 14 mm.

What does a good cue tip look like?

A billiard cue's leather tip should have a rough texture, not smooth. This is to allow the billiard chalk to stick to the leather. A tip should also be convex or “domed”. Pool cues should have the same curvature as a nickel, while snooker cues should be like that of a dime.

Should you break with your playing cue?

It is best to use a dedicated break cue, which is beefier and has a hard tip (usually phenolic). Power breaking with your normal playing cue can cause damage over time, and it will flatten the tip.

What is the best cue diameter?

Generally speaking most pool players prefer and 8mm to 8.5mm tip for a 1 & 7/8 pool cue ball, and most snooker players prefer a 9.5mm to 10mm tip for a full size 2 1/16 snooker cue ball. American pool uses an even bigger cue ball so the tip sizes are normally between 12.5 mm and 13.5mm.

What is sneaky Pete pool cue?

A Sneaky Pete is designed to look like a poorer quality, traditional house cue instead of a custom cue. The idea behind this was that people would underestimate the capabilities of their opponent and be susceptible to being hustled.