Break Cue

[KeithinFrance]

I've experimented with a lot of different cues for breaking and I've come to the conclusion that a break cue doesn't need to be that heavy at all, something like 17oz is fine for me. Lighter and I have problems controlling my break, heavier and I can't get the cue moving fast enough. As I posted elsewhere, I got my hands on a Dragon cue recently, and it's a 3/4 cue with 2 shafts, an 8mm tip ash shaft for playing and a 9.5mm tip maple shaft for breaking. With the ash shaft, the cue is 16.1oz, with the maple it's 17oz. Both shafts are tipped with Buffalo Diamond Plus tips and they grip the white just right. The shafts are right whippy, which is something I'd heard about Dragon cues, and I'd never use them for snooker, but for pool they play like a dream. I tried the cue just to see how it played and I loved it! Strange how it works, because if you'd told me about the cue, I'd have said that I don't want a whippy cue; it just goes to show that you should never say never!

So, to go back to the thread, I'd try and find a break cue with similar playing characteristics to your playing cue, and perhaps just a tad heavier and put on the tip you like and Bob's your uncle!

[Shanghai Matt]

I believe Break cues are lighter then playing cues in American pool.I don't know about 8 ball.

I've actually got a proper 9 ball break cue, and its 19oz. It does however have removable weights in the butt though so you can decrese/increase as you see fit.

break cue weight is a personal preference thing really as far as im concerned. a lot of people think lighter is better as you can get more speed, but equally as many prefer a heavier cue as you dont need to put so much effort in (and controll is better).

[noel]

*s*i*l*l*y*p*o*s*t*a*l*e*r*t*

I've never had cue that was a specifically built break cue...Any thoughts?

BR EAK CUE?

Sure... call John Parris... (+44) 0208 291 6288
He builds those specially for Ronnie.


=o)

Noel

[Rethunk]

I've actually got a proper 9 ball break cue, and its 19oz. It does however have removable weights in the butt though so you can decrese/increase as you see fit.

break cue weight is a personal preference thing really as far as im concerned. a lot of people think lighter is better as you can get more speed, but equally as many prefer a heavier cue as you dont need to put so much effort in (and controll is better).

In American pool the standard (or at least most common) cue weight is 19 oz, so most playing cues and break cues are the same weight. There are certainly players who prefer heavier cues, and some prefer lighter cues.

Break cues with a hard phenolic tip are quite common these days, as are combination jump/break cues.

In the early 90's a test was conducted using a cue-wielding robot and cues of different weights. The results from the test suggested that 19 oz. was the optimal weight. I suppose I could dig up the original article, which was probably published in Billiards Digest.

Above all: technique!