Ash v Maple

[itsnoteasy]

Sorry if this has been done to death, but what's the difference between ash and maple, by way of how they play, thickness for thickness is ash stiffer , does maple need a thicker taper. I have only played for twenty mins with a maple cue and that was a John Parris. Something or other,( sorry not up on cues names etc etc bought it to sell it on ) but it was a lovely feeling cue but was a thicker taper than my ash cue with the same tip size, I am considering having a wee go with a maple cue so thought I would ask others opinions as I guarantee you know more about it than me.

[Terry Davidson]

Itsnoteasy

I have tried both and I think it's a matter of personal choice for each type of cue. Hendry and Maguire use maple but almost every other products uses ash. As the British have been at this for around 100 years or so (snooker that is) I figure the consensus of opinion ion favors ash.

But if you find a maple cue that you like that might increase you confidence and general,you maple cues have a thinner taper and less grain so that may suit you if you look at the cue at address. Personal preference, as you may find an ash cue you like too. Try out every cue you can as you never know which specs will suit your technique. But remember any player can get used to and play well with any cue if he uses it long enough, even a broom handle (ash or maple). Check what John Spencer used up until he won his last world title.

Terry

[sprogbasket]

Hi,

I played with an Ash cue for years and tried out a Maple cue out of curiosity and never looked back. Ash has more grain and open pores and as a result , unless it is finished to a very high standard , you can feel the grain when cueing. I also find the grain a distraction when sighting. Maple on the other hand has little grain and is much smoother across the bridge hand.

As for how the cue plays in terms of touch play, and "throw" when playing with side etc...this is relative to the weight, tip,tip diameter and stiffness of the shaft and is more to do with each cue spec rather than the wood in shaft.

It really is a matter of personal taste...but Maple is a very viable cue shaft material..some of the greats have been Maple users- Hendry, Maguire as mentioned- Stephen Lee, Dennis Taylor, all the old Canadians Thorburn, Werbeneck etc, John Spencer- only real reason Ash is more popular in Britain is that it is more plentiful.

Hope this helps.

regards Sprogbasket

[Bigmeek]

Really depends on what you get used to I think but if you're a "chin on cue person" I think Ash tends to stick on your stubble. Probably not an issue if the cue is finished to a high standard. Interesting to note that cue makers tend to charge more for Maple cues. I prefer Maple myself and have never understood why most folk (and the pros) prefer Ash but they all must have their reasons.

[humperdingle]

I prefer maple. The finish is generally smoother (purely based on the cues i've tried) and there are no chevrons for my peripheral vision to get annoyed about .

[pottr]

You'll get used to anything you buy mate so don't worry.

[SouthPaw]

I have tried a few maple cues and just couldn't get fully comfortable with any of them, my main problem was my long potting which i thought was related to the throw of maple but i guess it could have been the density of the shafts! Or maybe it was just in my head like a lot of our problems in snooker... I usually get used to a new ash cue with considerable ease...

[WelshPhantom]

I prefer ash.
Only thing i like about maple is it dont tug on my stubble

[itsnoteasy]

Thanks for the replies, I know what you mean about the ash and the stubble , I have had to get up off a shot and back down again as the grain has caught my stubble whilst feathering and put me right off, but it hate playing with a smooth chin, the cue sticks to it lol.
I think I might be pinning for the Parris cue I sold on, it really felt great but there was money for nothing in it for me, think I'm suffering a bit from sellers remorse.
That's interesting that maple usually has a thinner taper as I'm sure that Parris cue had a thicker one than my ash cue, but it was a custom built cue so it may have been the customers request.
Have to agree with Pottr, I reckon I could play with either ,not having played for that long I don't have a favourite or a prejudice towards either, I still don't know what I need in a cue really.