Cue dilema

[safe t boy]

Recently I got back into 8 ball pool and started playing it quite regularly. I've been mostly using a freinds cue and playing really well with it. Its nothing special but seems to play really really nice. So I decided to get my own cue but being on a tight budget I needed a cheaper option. Knowing my freind had some old busted cues I made him an offer for a Peradon Atom with a broken butt. He also had a spare ebony butt from another cue. I figured the spare butt would be an ideal replacement to get the Atom up and running.

Being simmilar spec I felt to Atom would play as well as my mates cue that I was getting on so well with. So, off the bits went to be jointed up into a functional cue. As I was sending the cue off for repair I figured I might as well tinker with the spec a bit. The cue I was borrowing was 55" in length and had a 8mm tip. Balanced quite near the butt but overall about 16oz in weight. Alltougth I was playing really well with it I had a niggling thought that 55" was just a bit short for me and I wanted a ever so slightly bigger tip. However when quoting the ferrule size I required to the cue maker I made a error. The mistake was that I thought the tip on my freinds cue was 8.5mm, so I requested a 8.75mm on my cue. Of course when I got the cue back I was quite suprised how much bigger it was than what I had expected. Apart from that the overall workmanship put in by the cue maker was top notch and I couldnt fault it. So I decided to play with the cue and see how it went....

This is the problem, I dont feel as comfortable with it as I do with my mates cue, and feel this is affecting my confidence. Im really not paying as well wit hthe new cue. Looking at the specs of the 2 cues there is quite a difference though.

Freinds cue:

Tip/ferrule, 8mm x 9mm.
Length, 55".
Balance point, about 15/16" from butt end.
Weight, about 16oz.

My cue:

Tip/ferrule, 8.75mm x 11mm.
Length, 57".
Balance, 17" from butt end.
Weight, 17.5oz.

Lateley all I can think about is either having the cue altered toward the spec of my freinds cue, or having one made from scratch to those specs. Incidentally, I have checked my ideal length by getting in my normal address position, placing bridge hand at my usual distance from cue ball (about9/10"), and measuring the position of my grip hand with the arm vertical. Im holding the cue at aroun the 54" mark so maybe 55" is a better length for me.

I dont know if all this is down to spec's, or that the new cue just has a more flexy shaft, more deflection, or something else. I guess lots of things can be attributable to the 'feeling' or a idividual cue and the way it plays. Im not really sure what to do

Come to think of it, my ferrule is quite long and .75mm bigger in diameter, maybe my cue is deflecting quite a bit more than the other one?

Help me please TSF, I'm confused!

[jaffa.johnson]

They are quite different spec cues.

One thing to bear in mind is u can have 2 cues with exactly the same spec that play and feel different.

I would also not suggest altering ur 57 inches cue as if it dont feel confident with it now, u might never feel comfotable. not worth wasting money changing its length, weight tip size and this could be costly.

I wouldnt order a custom cue until u sure u have the right length etc. Weight u may be able to get used to but for me changing a inch shorter has made be fair bit better.

Where abouts in the country are ya?

[safe t boy]

Hi jaffa.

Thanks for your reply. I do feel the length may be significant as I seem to over bridging (too far from white) with the 57". I do compensate by shortening my grip but this make's the balance feel sort of odd. Its probably just psycolgical, I dunno.

Im in Sussex byt the way.

EDIT: Im going to start playing leauge pool again in the local summer leauge. Will be playing for my freinds team who just won the top division with a couple of games to spare. Theyre probably the most sucessfull local team in recent years. Won the leauge several times. He's captain and rates me quite highly. Its not amazingly high standard here but I want to be at my best and do do well. We have a Berkshire county player hwo I have beaten a couple of times. Hes taken me under his wing and is teaching the art of 'world rules'

[nrage]

Bridging too far away will likely affect your accuracy striking the white, especially with the 8-9mm tip sizes.

Shortening your grip i.e. moving your hand 2 inches up the butt of the cue should not make very much difference, except in how it feels (initially), unless your grip relies on having your 3rd/4th fingers actually off the end of the cue. So, provided your grip is nice and loose and opens on the way back, allowing the cue to travel on a level plane, then it should not affect your cueing adversely.

The 8.75mm tip should be improving accuracy, potentially at the cost of cue power/screw etc. However, that may not be true as having too light a cue tip can limit where you can strike the white. Too light, struck too near the side/top/bottom can result in a miscue. So, what you really want is a balance between size and weight which allows you to strike where you need/want.

The length of the ferule (11mm) should not make a heck of a lot of difference, it may mean your cue throws a little more, which is something you would have to adjust/get used to. A little extra throw is not a problem, once you adjust.

In short, the cue should be fine, just shorten the grip by 2 inches, and give yourself some time to get used to it, and in the meantime stop using your friends cue IMO, you will need at least 10-20 1hr sessions with the cue to really give it a chance.

[safe t boy]

Cheers Narge.

provided your grip is nice and loose and opens on the way back, allowing the cue to travel on a level plane, then it should not affect your cueing adversely.

Original Source: http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...#ixzz1HOwYncO0
TSF - TheSnookerForum.com

Hadnt thought about this. Im going out for some practice this evening so I'll work on keeping the grip loose and opening on the way back. Will let you know how I get on later this evening.

[safe t boy]

Narge, what can I say man. I did what you said about the grip and played much better tonight. Potting was more consistent. I found I could get more power for less effort. I noticed how the cue stays flatter on the back swing rather than rising up, and delivers through the cue ball much straighter. Everything felt more solid and I got some confidence back. Thanks man

[nrage]

Narge, what can I say man. I did what you said about the grip and played much better tonight. Potting was more consistent. I found I could get more power for less effort. I noticed how the cue stays flatter on the back swing rather than rising up, and delivers through the cue ball much straighter. Everything felt more solid and I got some confidence back. Thanks man

That's what I like to hear! Glad I help.

[safe t boy]

That was the one bit of advice I've never been given, lol! Allways had people saying to me how great my cue action was. All the time I was thinking 'why am I so inconsistent then'? This might be that missing link I needed to find.

[nrage]

That was the one bit of advice I've never been given, lol! Allways had people saying to me how great my cue action was. All the time I was thinking 'why am I so inconsistent then'? This might be that missing link I needed to find.

I got the idea originally from a video by Nic Barrow, and when I tried it myself I found it had the same effect, especially on shots off the cushion where any scooping or rising in the action will cause a miscue. So, full credit should go to Nic and I recommend watching as many of his videos as you can find online, and if you're really serious perhaps check out his coaching course/videos. You can sign up to his site get the lowest level membership for free .. or at least you could at one stage. The site is a bit tricky to navigate IMO, finding the actual videos took me a few attempts, but once you've worked it out it's fine.