Tip size

[Matt_H]

Complete novice here, when I was 10 I got a 6ft snooker table, then had a better cue bought when I was 13, stopped playing when I was 15 other than play odd game of pool in the pub....anyway fast forward to today am 52 and my wife bought me a cue for my birthday as have started to goto a local club with friends once a week.

The cue is a Baize Master Gold Series Midnight Collection 58 Inch ¾ Joint Premium Ash Snooker Pool Cue and Case Set 9.5mm Tip...officially received it today as its my birthday, but it came a week or so ago, showed it to brother in law who remarked at the time that the tip size is tiny.

He liked the cue so ordered one as well, he was using his last night for the first time and struggled remarking that his cue tip is tiny also - anyway I have a micrometer at home so he asked me to measure mine...its 8.5mm.

Long story but as a newcomer is it an issue with the tip being this size ....Old cue tip is just below 11mm. In my mind at my age and level (happy to pot odd ball) it won't make much difference but thought I'd ask on here.

Matt

[Cue crafty]

Hi Matt - welcome back to the game.

As a general rule, not lower than 9.5mm is recommended for snooker. A smaller tip like 8.5mm would be more common for playing UK pool, where the balls are smaller. Basically the smaller tip will make it more difficult to avoid unwanted side on the cue ball, which will throw the cue ball offline much easier.

A bigger tip obviously has more circumference so has a larger contact area on the white. And before you think 1mm is nothing....it is in snooker. Try a larger tip and experiment for yourself.

If you can't return the cue, try fitting a 10m. Tip and don't trim down the edges much so you can still play with a larger tip. Or if the wife understands, cues sell well on eBay second hand, trade it in and get a 9.5mm.

All the best. 😉

[vmax]

Send it or take it back to the seller as it's not what is described, 8.5mm is far too small and what your wife has obviously been sold is a UK 8 ball cue by mistake.

[Matt_H]

Hi,

Thanks for the responses, the place it was bought from is taking it back nd replacing with the correct size cue.

matt

[Cue crafty]

Good news, that was definitely option A. Best starting out on the right foot to begin with, enjoy your games. 😉👍

[OscarTheFish(pak)]

8.5 mm is unusually thin for snooker these days. But tastes differ. For me personally, 9.5 mm is too thick for snooker. I'd almost use something like that for American pool. (No joke)
Some snooker pros also use smaller sizes. Shaun Murphy used to use 8.75 mm, and he's probably now using 9 mm, as the 8.75 mm became 8.5 mm over time due to polishing of the ferrule.

For English pool, I own a 6.2 mm cue. That's also extremely thin. In American pool, I feel at home with 10.2-10.5 mm.

I would have tried the 8.5 mm and seen if it suited my playing style. The reason I prefer such thin diameters compared to others is that I almost always play subtly with spin. This makes it much easier for me to dose.

[Matt_H]

Good news cue turned up Friday and is the correct tip width at 9.5mm will try to get out and try it in the morning, thankyou to cues and cases for rectifying the issue hassle free.


matt

[philip in china]

My favourites are 36D