62" cue for a 6'6" guy. Too long or just right ?

[tallguy]

Hi Folks,

I am 6'6" (around 198 cms) tall and I find 57/58" cues woefully short for my size. So what I have been doing is play with a 6" extension attached to a 57" cue . Yes attached all the time . I find this pretty ok (not too long). For playing most shots I hold it such that there are about 1-2" left as overhang. Since I find this comfortable I figured I needed a 57+6 = 63" cue. (This still comes up a tad short of my armpit)

In the peradon cue wizard I could design a 62" cue which i feel is long enough. What do you guys think ? Some advice I have recieved is that its too long. Is there anyone who actually has/ knows someone who has such a long cue ?

For those who are interested here is the cue wizard description.

"The cue will be 62" (157cm) in length, with a finest quality, specially selected, kiln dried Ash Shaft and a Machine Spliced Ebony Butt.

The cue will have a Brass Quick Action 3/4 joint 16" from Butt

The cue will weigh approximately 18.5 oz and will be fitted with a brass ferrule and a 10mm (tolerance 0.1mm) Elkmaster tip, and the butt will be finished with a nameplate engraved as requested.

The price of this cue is 128.00
All prices are quoted in GB pounds "

I am open to having the 3/4 joint about say 17/18" from Butt if that will improve stability of shaft.


A related question : What would be absolute cheapest 61/62" cue that I could get. Just so that I could try playing with it to help me decide . Since I am in India it isn't possible for me to visit cuemakers personally to try out cues.

Thanks in advance.

[richman]

I am 6'4 and am playing with a Parris ambassador 61". I find when I'm in amongst the reds playing delicate shots, I have less control of the cue.
A friend of mine gave me a shot of his 59" and this to me is the perfect length.
Steve Davis who is over 6' uses a cue smaller than the standard length of 58"

If you can, I would try a cue 59"-60" first.

[archalf1471]

62 inches is way too long for a cue..Period

there are always exceptions to every rule I guess, but there are so many tall players around that simply do not use a cue that long. An example being Mark Williams @ 6.4 and uses a cue barely 57 long.

I am only 5.8 and used to use a cue nearly 59 inches long, but when you talk to players, cuemakers etc who really know their onions it soon becomes apparent that you really do not need a cue that long. More so than your height you should consider the actual arm length and how much cue you have between bridge and cueball.

Good luck

[MikeWooldridge]

it doesn't matter how tall you are, never go longer than 60". in my humble opinion.

and in fact, i wouldn't even recommend that, cos cues start to feel a bit strange the longer they get....

[Watford]

I've played with a mates 61" cue and it's weird.
Well it was 61", it snapped at the ferrule 3 times before it got binned.

[spartacus_ck]

I've got a friend who's 6'5" and he only uses a 58" cue, and another guy who's 5'5" that uses the same 58", although he holds it and plays like a 9-ball player. I think it's down to how you hold your cue, and how comfortable you are at holding and striking with the cue. Different people have different stance.

[spartacus_ck]

Let's talk weight too!

Seeing as how we're discussing about cue length, could I also borrow this thread instead of starting a new one and ask about cue weight? Can someone tell me what differences does it make between having a lighter cue and a heavier cue? We know a person's height has something to do with the cue length they're after, but what about the person's physical weight? Is there some sort of ratio to go with the cue you choose?

[ADR147]

nope it has no bearing otherwise stephen lees cue would be 30oz

[totlxtc]

Seeing as how we're discussing about cue length, could I also borrow this thread instead of starting a new one and ask about cue weight? Can someone tell me what differences does it make between having a lighter cue and a heavier cue? We know a person's height has something to do with the cue length they're after, but what about the person's physical weight? Is there some sort of ratio to go with the cue you choose?

I dont know if this is what is meant to happen but up until a few months ago i used to use a 17oz cue. But i always seemed to put too much power on some shots..hence the whispers from my fellow team mates "touch of a rapist". I then went to a 19oz cue and i can play the softest of shots with ease and put pace on a ball perfectly.

[archalf1471]

people are misinformed when i comes to the weight of a cue

you see some of the ads on Ebay "20oz cue great for screwbacks" total and utter B*&@.....A heavy cue such as that demands much more effort from an individual to keep the cue on an even plane and thus the control will become iratic. What really matters is a superbly balanced cue. If a cue is well made and well balanced then even a cue as light as 16.5 - 17oz will feel very substantial and solid in the hand compared to say an old billiards cue where the weight of the cue is more butt heavy, backwards of say a balance point of 16 inches.

I used to use a 19.5oz cue for about 10 years, and thought nothig of it until I spoke with one of the worlds best cuemakers, and I now use a 17.75oz cue, does exactly the same job only I have more control over the white with less effort...And I am thinking of reducing that down to 17oz.

[trevs1]

62" is very long for a cue, no matter who is using it.

If the individual feels it's of benefit to them, then try it and give it some time to see how you are getting on, as it can always be shortened to a more 'normal' length later.

As Mike says above, a cue of over 60" can feel a bit odd at times, unless it's made to make some allowances for the increased length. Very long cues can, and often do feel as though they push the ball offline a bit, and, this becomes even more evident when striking the ball with lots of power and over longer distances. It gives the impression that the cue vibrates though the shaft and just does'nt feel accurate and reliable.

Tallguy....

Having the cue made with the joint position raised above 16" or 17" is not in itelf going to be the answer to making the shaft more stable. That is as much down to the timber used for the shaft and the taper of it, along with the weight of the cue and the balance point.

As Archalf mentiones above, there are many players who have used cues of less than the typical ideal length given their height, with Mark Williams being the example provided.
When Mark was winning everything in sight, he used a cue of just under 57" long, and now he uses a cue of a more technically correct length for him, he is struggling a bit in matches he'd be expected to cruise through just a few years ago. It does have to be said though, that Mark does play with his bridge arm bent, which does bring him closer to the cueball, allowing his technique to be more compact.

For you, I'd say give the cue a go at the increased length, then see where you are from there.

[tallguy]

Thanks!

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I will go for a 59"-60" cue and try that for some time. Even now I have a couple of inches on the Butt beyond my little finger as overhang so I reckon 59-60" should not require any major changes in stance or bridge. I will keep you guys posted on what happens.

@ Trevs : shortening the cue later is not really a practical option for me. I don't believe there are people in India with the expertise to do that.

[Son of Cliff]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I will go for a 59"-60" cue and try that for some time. Even now I have a couple of inches on the Butt beyond my little finger as overhang so I reckon 59-60" should not require any major changes in stance or bridge. I will keep you guys posted on what happens.

@ Trevs : shortening the cue later is not really a practical option for me. I don't believe there are people in India with the expertise to do that.

Got to agree the longer you get over the 58 inch mark the worse the cue sometimes feels :snooker: I play with one that is 58.5 long which I play well with, and I play with my mates cue which is 58 inches and his cue seems to play better for me on times than my own. Also I have a mate who is 6' 2" and he had a Parris built that is 60 inches long and its only fit for holding up a tomato plant.

[tallguy]

Got to agree the longer you get over the 58 inch mark the worse the cue sometimes feels :snooker: I play with one that is 58.5 long which I play well with, and I play with my mates cue which is 58 inches and his cue seems to play better for me on times than my own. Also I have a mate who is 6' 2" and he had a Parris built that is 60 inches long and its only fit for holding up a tomato plant.

Hmm... 60" Parris cue didnt turn out well, eh? Well I guess I wouldn't ever know what length suits me without playing with different cues for sufficient time. If I get a 58/58.5" cue I would always be thinking whether a slightly bigger cue would have been better for me ! . By going for a 59-60" cue I hope to atleast find out for myself the answer to two questions.

1) What cue length would suit me ?
2) Playability of cue at that length ?

Knowing the answers would help me take a better decision next time I buy a cue.

Anyways 95% of the equation is about you rather than the cue you are holding , right ?

[tallguy]

Thanks to all the folks who gave their advice. I got a 60" cue custom made by O'Min. Bought it from JH of originalomin.com. Been using it for a couple of days now and it feels good. I can only compare it to the cheap machine made cue I had been using before and frankly there is no comparison. Playing my shots with a lot more confidence now.

I already improved my line up highest break from 47 to 51 ( made 51 twice !!) and had a "split" break of 83 (Missed a red at 49 but kept playing assuming it had been potted ).

I really want to thank the guys who suggested that 62" would be too long and that I don't need it. You were absolutely right and it saved me a good sum of money !! Thanks again guys.