Shortening a cue

[Danger Steve]

I’m starting to feel like my new SP cue is maybe 1/2” or so too long... reason being I like to hold the cue quite close to the end of the butt. When I get down on a shot and my bridge hand is where I’m comfortable and I’m holding the butt of the cue where I like, my arm seems to be just slightly too far back behind the vertical, so much so that I have to alter my grip to feel comfortable, but then I feel like I’ve lost some of the weight behind my action...

Is it possible to get 1/2” chopped off the end but still keep the tip size? I’m assuming the further up the cue you go the tip size will grow in 1mm increments and that would mean sanding down the shaft to keep the same tip size.

Any ideas who’s best to speak to and roughly what this might cost?

[Starsky]

If you look on Robert Osborne’s site you will see an alteration price list . He is not the cheapest but it will give you an idea of cost . I’ve had work done by him recently and his workmanship was top notch.

[itsnoteasy]

I think they take it off the tip end then retaper the shaft back down to the right size.

[DeanH]

I have used Andy Travis many times for alternations, usually very quick and good value
He is on TSF but not often, I believe he is on Facebook.
Andy Travis located near Sheffield

Yes, usually they would work on the tip end and reshape the shaft - I believe this does not affect the balance as much as if dong the same amount off from the butt

[DeanH]

If you look on Robert Osborne’s site you will see an alteration price list . He is not the cheapest but it will give you an idea of cost . I’ve had work done by him recently and his workmanship was top notch.

he does do great work but when I last contacted him, he said, you can send stuff to him but he does not post out anymore and you have to arrange collection yourself - don't know if this is still the case in Covid-times but...

[Starsky]

he does do great work but when I contacted him, he said, you can send stuff to him but he does not post out anymore and you can to arrange collection yourself - don't know if this is still the case in Covid-times but...

You are correct , I’ve just remembered he told me that .
I dropped my cue to his workshop and picked it up as he is only 20 mins from my workplace .

At least I got the price list correct ...

[vmax]

It's a new cue so give yourself time to get used to it, alter the length of your bridge to cue ball instead, it's only half an inch so should be a subconscious alteration anyway. If you go down this altering the cue route the shaft will need to be re-tapered and it will feel different, you can't stick it back on if you don't like it and then it will be another new cue plus the cost of the alteration

[mikee]

Steve , Dave Coutts is a mate of mine ,he built my cue ,we have played snooker together for years ,half inch off not a problem I don’t think ,I’m speaking to him today anyway so I can have a word about when ,how ,price etc if you want .

[Danger Steve]

Hi Chaps! Thanks for the advice and recommendations very helpful, Mikee if you could get a price that would give me something to consider! Of course like being in a doctors waiting room and feeling better, yesterday I had a good 3-4 hour practice and my cueing felt bloody good! Although my arm did feel slightly behind me still I tried to play at a faster pace which felt more natural... Later I set up a phone mount and started videoing a few shots to analyse my cue action. Firstly I noticed I was holding the cue close to the back which is how I like it, the arm was slightly back of vertical but not as much as I thought, my bridge (finger tips to cue ball) you could probably fit another hand in between kinda distance? Probably a tad too much? When I take the final backswing to me it feels like my arm comes way back and yet the tip is a good inch or 2 in front of the V still. I noticed my follow through kinda comes to a dead stop also.... I definitely noticed it affects the consistency of my long distance straight pots, if I try shortening my back swing to give me more control I then suffer from a lack of power on the follow through...

I don’t know maybe it’s more me than the cue? I’ll probably give it a few more months and see how I progress and then make a final decision on it! As you say, I can’t stick it back on once it’s been chopped off! Lol