How close should the tip be to the white ball

[cazmac1]

I been experimenting with different cue sizes recently and have gone from 57.25 to 58.25 and back down to 56. My question is simple I've always been taught that on addressing the white ball the tip should be as close to the white as possible. Now when I play with a cue of 57.25 my tip is almost touching the white ball and when I play with a cue of 56 the gap is around an inch. The problem I have is that I'm scoring heavier with the 56 inch cue, so am confused as to what is best. When I watch John Higgins I notice that he also has a gap between the white ball of around an inch on address.
What I want to know is what a coach would recommend. The reason I'm asking this question is that I've got a new cue on order and can't make up my mind whether to get it as a 57 or a 56. I also have the added problem that I have changed every aspect of my game, stance, grip and action since seeing Del Hill so it might not be the length of cue that has effected my scoring at all.
This is why I want to known what a coach would recommend.

[franksandellsnooker]

If you have the cue made to a full 58"and play it in until you get the true feel of it you may then decide to shorten it to suit your needs. Your question is always a problem because untill you have tried it you'll never know how the cue FEELS however much you've paid for it. most coaches will recommend that you cue up to the ball as close as possible but they should also say as long as it's comfortable.
If you've paid for coachong from DH. surely you should ask his opinion.

[Bigmeek]

Very interested in the answer to this if there is one. The guy I had a couple of lessons from recommended I move my hand closer to the cue ball OR hold the butt a couple of inches further back. What he was trying to help me with was getting the cue through the cue ball sufficiently to stop "jabbing". I have to say I don't feel comfortable putting my hand really close ( like Jimmy White) to the cue ball as there is a risk of me feathering the white. My preference would be to hold the butt further back but I guess if you've got really long arms you can run out of butt?

[Bigmeek]

cazmac1 I'd like to add another question to this thread if you don't mind.
Q. How far should you push the cue through the cue ball? I'm never sure but suppose it differs depending on what sort of shot you're playing?
Any guidance would be appreciated.

[Terry Davidson]

cazmac:

The tip of the cue should be 1/4" or less from the cueball. To ensure your cue length is correct first place 2 light pencil marks at 9" and 12" from the top of the tip.

Then get down into the shot and ensure you have your right foot directly under your grip hand with the grip arm forearm exactly vertical.

Now, bend your left (bridge arm) forearm until the 'V' of your bridge is between the 2 pencil lines somewhere, but try and keep the bridge arm as straight as possible with just a slight bend in it.

Check again your grip arm foremarm is exactly vertical. If the back of your grip hand is either at the end of the butt or perhaps up to 2in in then the cue length is correct for you. If you have to grip the cue off the end of the butt then you should consider a longer cue that fits.

The reason for having the cuetip against the cueball at address, when the forearm is vertical, is because that length comes right off the amount of follow-through you can achieve.

bigmeek:

The amount of follow-through a player can achieve (without dropping the elbow) is measured as the distance from the FRONT of the grip hand to the point where it hits the chest. If you are lined up correctly this should be somewhere around 5-6" with normal arm length. Six inches of follow-through is considered sufficient for most shots however on power shots a lot of the pros drop their elbows and achieve 9-10" of follow through.

Terry

[hotpot]

Paul Hunter was way further than 1/4 " away , more like an inch or so but used to hit the ball lovely .

If you feel comfortable and are hitting the ball well then why change .

[Luke Hooper]

another thing ive never really thought about...sometimes i find that i cue really closely, however on a normal day id say i cue around half an inch away thinking about things...

[nrage]

I been experimenting with different cue sizes recently and have gone from 57.25 to 58.25 and back down to 56. My question is simple I've always been taught that on addressing the white ball the tip should be as close to the white as possible. Now when I play with a cue of 57.25 my tip is almost touching the white ball and when I play with a cue of 56 the gap is around an inch. The problem I have is that I'm scoring heavier with the 56 inch cue, so am confused as to what is best. When I watch John Higgins I notice that he also has a gap between the white ball of around an inch on address.
What I want to know is what a coach would recommend. The reason I'm asking this question is that I've got a new cue on order and can't make up my mind whether to get it as a 57 or a 56. I also have the added problem that I have changed every aspect of my game, stance, grip and action since seeing Del Hill so it might not be the length of cue that has effected my scoring at all.
This is why I want to known what a coach would recommend.

It's interesting that when the cue is ~1 inch shorter the gap is ~1 inch larger. It must mean you're getting down the same distance from the white with both cues, and placing the bridge hand in the same place with both cues, and the only difference is therefore that one cue is ~1 inch shorter.

The grip forearm must be in the same position with both cues as well, is it backward of vertical by any chance? If so, then with the shorter cue you may be striking the white with the arm actually vertical, and that might be giving more consistent results.

Or, maybe you know subconsciously that the shorter cue is farther away and you're making more effort to drive through.

Or, maybe there is a wiggle in your action just forward of vertical that sorts itself out 1 inch later, and the shorter cue does that before ball contact, as opposed to on ball contact.

Or, it may be nothing to do with the gap, the shorter cue may be better in some other way, or the balance etc may just suit you better.

[hotpot]

Why not try 56 1/2 or 56 3/4 Caz and see which one you feel most comfortable with .

[old school]

I agree with nrage and hotpot.I have played with everything from 52" to 59",but I have longer arms.I can say that to me balance point and taper are more important than length,but one of the best cues I played with was 56 5/8 to the end of the ferrule.Put a tip on and you get close to 56 3/4 playing length.Why not try hotpots suggestion or move your grip higher on a longer cue.

[hotpot]

I thought 57" felt great until i tried a 56 3/4 which felt even better and i felt more in control .

I,m going to have a quarter take off the cues that i play with .

[franksandellsnooker]

I agree with nrage and hotpot.I have played with everything from 52" to 59",but I have longer arms.I can say that to me balance point and taper are more important than length,bue one of the best cues I played with was 56 5/8 to the end of the ferrule.Put a tip on and you get close to 56 3/4 playing length.Why not try hotpots suggestion or move your grip higher on a longer cue.

This is precisely why I suggested he has his cue made at 58". It's a damn sight easier to shorten a cue than lengthen it. Once the general grip position has been established the final length decision can be made.:snooker:

[cazmac1]

Narge has almost got it stop on, I have sorted out my grip and walk in, and found that this is the same all the time it's doesn't change, I think I have got used to a certain lenght of cue and therefore stand a set distance away from the table and then walk in the same. This is why the gap changes with the lenght of cue, the reason I don't want to get a longer cue and shorten it, is because it will muck up the TW finish. I have two cues of 56 one with a slim butt and one with a thicker butt, the size of the butt also changes the distance from tip to white, as Del has taught me to always get down on the shot with the butt touching the plam of the hand( hand closed) this has the effect of pushing the cue further forward the with the slimer butt cue.
I think I might take hotpots advice and go for a 56.5 maybe with a slimmer butt.
I might just buy another cheap cue of ebay and see how that feels.
I'm so close to hitting the kind of form I was used to when I gave up the game years ago, just need to find a few more % . Just want to get this call right.

[old school]

Sincerely good luck to you.Cue length,weight,balance,taper,tip and butt diameters are so subjective,but reading earlier posts of yours,I believe you are getting close.

[cazmac1]

Sincerely good luck to you.Cue length,weight,balance,taper,tip and butt diameters are so subjective,but reading earlier posts of yours,I believe you are getting close.

Thanks old school, The cue is very important and little things do make a big difference. I think the biggest change in my game came when I changed my grip and action, I started to pot again, this also had the effect of changing everything I thought I wanted or needed out of a cue. My game is improving all the time I'm just hoping that my game and the right cue come together soon
If I hadn't seen del or changed any thing else apart from shortening the cue things would have been so much simpler, but as we all known nothing is simple in snooker.