"Perfect Balance Point"

[sanman]

if for every time i read up either on ebay or here the term Perfect balance point" someone gave me a quid I would have oodles of dough> Maybe enough to retire but sadly that is far off at present. anyway i wanted to find out other opinion on what constitutes a perfect balance point because as yet no one can give me a proper definition of what a perfect balance point is.

[Oldgit]

The perfect balance point is different for every cue. For an average (58in) cue then the balance point will usually be around the 17 - 18in area. The only true way to gauge 'perfect' balance point is to pick up a cue and if it 'feels' right then it has the correct balance point. It's very difficult to describe but some cues feel heavy, even if they are not and some cues feel light even if they are not purely because the balance point is not right. I'm sure that the cue experts like Trevor White or Mike Wooldridge will give a better reply than mine!!
Oldgit

if for every time i read up either on ebay or here the term Perfect balance point" someone gave me a quid I would have oodles of dough> Maybe enough to retire but sadly that is far off at present. anyway i wanted to find out other opinion on what constitutes a perfect balance point because as yet no one can give me a proper definition of what a perfect balance point is.

[cris0000food]

In theory a perfect balance point will mean the cue neither drops or lifts when cueing. Or another way to put it would be just enough weight on the bridge. The cue will feel almost self propelled. For me a heavier cue responds better and if the cue is balanced correctly it won't feel heavy. Personally I think a 58" cue is better served balanced at around 16". Then again everyone is different and weight distribution can play a role. Hence a long butt such as Jimmy White's.

[nrage]

I think the 'perfect' balance point depends on 2 things:

1. The length of the bridge.
2. The position of the grip.

And therefore the distance between the two and where the balance point is in relation to each.

The balance point is going to be closer to the grip than the bridge simply because most of the mass of the cue is at the grip end. The closer it gets to the butt the more butt heavy the cue feels, and the more the cue will pull down (tip up). The closer it is to the bridge the more tip heavy a cue will feel.

As for where is 'perfect' that depends first of all on the persons setup, #1 and #2 above and then on personal preference, or what they're used to. Simple as that.