Ideal cue length

[Seeker147]

Greetings, everyone.

I'm a female & very short (height 5'1"--sorry, no idea how much that is in metres). I used to play snooker tollerably about 6-8 years ago, but didn't do so very often for a period of about 5 years & then had an accident which stopped my playing completely. I am now recovered & have rediscovered my urge to play snooker again. The cue I used to play with is nearly my height, minus approx 2 inches (146cm/57in), & somehow I am not finding it quite as easy to handle it as I seemed to before. I try holding it a bit further into the cue from the butt, but I still feel it being so long hampers my game. Is the length of my cue important in terms of how comfortable I am playing, or is it just a matter of getting used to it all over again? If so, what would the ideal length of my cue be in relation to my height?

I hope someone has some ideas for me. Sorry if the answer is obvious and I'm just being dim.

[MattCash]

57" is about average, but the length of the cue is dependant on how comfortable you feel.

Try cues that are shorter in length, perhaps around 55 or 56 inches to see what works for you.

[Seeker147]

Cheers, Snookerloopy, I'll try that.

Shorter cues are not easy to find, but it's a good excuse for me to go out cue shopping one of these days to see what different ready-made lengths I can find in the shops.

[RGCirencester]

If you can get somewhere like craftsman cues they have a table to try them out in the store.
http://www.craftsmancues.com/acatalo...sman_cues.html
Personally i like having a bit of extra length behind my hand.

The traditional thinking on cue size is around the height of your armpit, but its dependant on the length of your arms as well. Best advice is to try a range of different sizes to see what feels best to you

[cocked hat]

cue length

Taller players have an advantage at snooker.A lot of successful players tend to be tall.A six foot sixer can easily play around the blue spot,where a shorter person will need the rest.This is something which has to be accepted and it can't be overcome by using a long cue for those occasions.

Imagine trying to use a cue with 2 feet behind the butt,it would be very difficult to control, as would one foot.It stands to reason that it is better to hold the cue towards the end of the butt to retain best control and whilst holding it there,there should be a comfortable amount beyond the bridge hand on an ordinary stance.

People with long legs don't always need long cues, so the 'armpit or shoulder measurement' can sometimes be misleading.Try leaning against a wall with the tip of your elbow just touching and then point the finger of your other hand as far away as possible.Get a friend to measure how far from the wall this is (or use your cue) and add on three inches.This should be a good starting point.

[Seeker147]

Thanks, RGC. My arms are not particularly long. Up to my armpit would be a 48", but somehow I am under the impression that that would be too short. Maybe the 52" is the answer, but they are hard to come by.

If I can get to a shop like the one you suggest, I will try both and see what happens.