advice for newcomer on buying a cue

[Smeeagain]

Hi

New to the forum and new to snooker. Upgrading from being a pool player. I play both snooker and pool with a two piece BCE cue. Cant even remember where or when I bought it. It's adequate, I think, but I suspect that that it all it is

Looking for advice please - do i buy a new cue. if so one piece, two piece, where do i go for decent cue (ie not a 'sports' shop), how much should I expect to pay., will I really notice the difference etc etc etc

Smee

[ewanthug]

if you on budget, then go buy a decent cue , between 1 pc and 3/4 joint its up to your choice, if you trouble taking 1 pc cue out of your game and practice then 3/4 cues are easier for you . Cant say much , its all personal choice. happy shopping!

[sberry]

how much do you play and expect to play? if you're looking at taking the game up seriously and practicing/playing several times a week plus then it's worth getting a new cue, if you're just a once a week or so game with mates player then what you have will do for now

always better if you can visit a club or shop that has selections you can try so you can get a feel for them as we all have slightly different tastes but as a rule, 57 to 58 inches long and about 17 to 18 ounces is standard and tip size 9.5 to 10mm - beware of getting smaller tips particularly if you're a pool player, what might work on a 5 or 6 foot table can become unmanageable on a 12 foot table unless your cueing is perfectly consistent and straight, in which case you'll already be knocking in fifty breaks as often as clearing the 8 balls in pool

then it's budget, doesn't matter if you're a once a week player or serious player, you'll have a budget and just as a good player can play well with a budget cue, a once a week bosher can have a top of the range cue if he can afford it, it won't affect his game either

if you can't get to a shop or club and try some cues you could buy one of the Chinese 3/4 cue kits from ebay, they're standard specs and unbeatable value for money, otherwise get something standard-ish from a shop or online, there's good enough stuff there for under a hundred

once you start playing regularly with a standard spec cue and get a few hundred hours under your belt you'll probably start to know what you really want and get particular, one piece or 3/4 is just preference these days, 3/4 is easier to carry about

you'll see people on here selling cues all the time as they are "half an inch too long" or "an ounce too light" or because they need a really small tip - ignore that and stick to standard to start with unless you're a dwarf or seven foot tall - a standard spec cue for under a ton will be ideal for 99% of players

then again, if money is no object, just buy the first Parris you see offered on here or ebay and you'll be able to tell your mates you have the same cue as all the semi-finalists in the recent world championship and half of the top 32 players, every time you miss with it

think standard, buy a cheap snooker book or two from ebay and get practicing, it will either all come to you from there or like me with tennis you'll realise it's something you'll never be able to do and move onto something else

[warren132]

Very good answer sberry.

[Phil C]

how much do you play and expect to play? if you're looking at taking the game up seriously and practicing/playing several times a week plus then it's worth getting a new cue, if you're just a once a week or so game with mates player then what you have will do for now

always better if you can visit a club or shop that has selections you can try so you can get a feel for them as we all have slightly different tastes but as a rule, 57 to 58 inches long and about 17 to 18 ounces is standard and tip size 9.5 to 10mm - beware of getting smaller tips particularly if you're a pool player, what might work on a 5 or 6 foot table can become unmanageable on a 12 foot table unless your cueing is perfectly consistent and straight, in which case you'll already be knocking in fifty breaks as often as clearing the 8 balls in pool

then it's budget, doesn't matter if you're a once a week player or serious player, you'll have a budget and just as a good player can play well with a budget cue, a once a week bosher can have a top of the range cue if he can afford it, it won't affect his game either

if you can't get to a shop or club and try some cues you could buy one of the Chinese 3/4 cue kits from ebay, they're standard specs and unbeatable value for money, otherwise get something standard-ish from a shop or online, there's good enough stuff there for under a hundred

once you start playing regularly with a standard spec cue and get a few hundred hours under your belt you'll probably start to know what you really want and get particular, one piece or 3/4 is just preference these days, 3/4 is easier to carry about

you'll see people on here selling cues all the time as they are "half an inch too long" or "an ounce too light" or because they need a really small tip - ignore that and stick to standard to start with unless you're a dwarf or seven foot tall - a standard spec cue for under a ton will be ideal for 99% of players

then again, if money is no object, just buy the first Parris you see offered on here or ebay and you'll be able to tell your mates you have the same cue as all the semi-finalists in the recent world championship and half of the top 32 players, every time you miss with it

think standard, buy a cheap snooker book or two from ebay and get practicing, it will either all come to you from there or like me with tennis you'll realise it's something you'll never be able to do and move onto something else

Well said mate.

[vmax4steve]

then again, if money is no object, just buy the first Parris you see offered on here or ebay and you'll be able to tell your mates you have the same cue as all the semi-finalists in the recent world championship and half of the top 32 players, every time you miss with it

Brilliant sberry, my thoughts exactly.

An expensive cue won't make you a better player.

[Smeeagain]

how much do you play and expect to play? if you're looking at taking the game up seriously and practicing/playing several times a week plus then it's worth getting a new cue, if you're just a once a week or so game with mates player then what you have will do for now

always better if you can visit a club or shop that has selections you can try so you can get a feel for them as we all have slightly different tastes but as a rule, 57 to 58 inches long and about 17 to 18 ounces is standard and tip size 9.5 to 10mm - beware of getting smaller tips particularly if you're a pool player, what might work on a 5 or 6 foot table can become unmanageable on a 12 foot table unless your cueing is perfectly consistent and straight, in which case you'll already be knocking in fifty breaks as often as clearing the 8 balls in pool

then it's budget, doesn't matter if you're a once a week player or serious player, you'll have a budget and just as a good player can play well with a budget cue, a once a week bosher can have a top of the range cue if he can afford it, it won't affect his game either

if you can't get to a shop or club and try some cues you could buy one of the Chinese 3/4 cue kits from ebay, they're standard specs and unbeatable value for money, otherwise get something standard-ish from a shop or online, there's good enough stuff there for under a hundred

once you start playing regularly with a standard spec cue and get a few hundred hours under your belt you'll probably start to know what you really want and get particular, one piece or 3/4 is just preference these days, 3/4 is easier to carry about

you'll see people on here selling cues all the time as they are "half an inch too long" or "an ounce too light" or because they need a really small tip - ignore that and stick to standard to start with unless you're a dwarf or seven foot tall - a standard spec cue for under a ton will be ideal for 99% of players

then again, if money is no object, just buy the first Parris you see offered on here or ebay and you'll be able to tell your mates you have the same cue as all the semi-finalists in the recent world championship and half of the top 32 players, every time you miss with it

think standard, buy a cheap snooker book or two from ebay and get practicing, it will either all come to you from there or like me with tennis you'll realise it's something you'll never be able to do and move onto something else

Thanks for the info. To add some info relative to what you've said

I play a couple of times a week pretty much every week. I want to up that to 4 or 5 times a week (two hours a time) I've hit a maximum of 50 break but can only do so when its red/black all around the bottom end of the table. If need to go up to baulk to get on a colour and then back down for a red then it all seems to go wrong.

I play pool on an English (pub size) pool table not American pool. I use my BCE snooker cue there but to your point
its got a very narrow tip (maybe7/8mm?) - great with small pool balls but on snooker balls I struggle particularly with a lot of side or screwback which I can do relatively easily on a pool table.

I'd pay up to £500 if I thought it would genuinely make a difference with practice obviously - I don't believe for a moment I'm buying a magic wand.

Can anyone recommend clubs/shop in around Hampshire/Dorset/Surrey/Sussex as I don't mind travelling a bit. From time to time work takes me to Yorskhire as well I believe there is a place called craftsman cues in Leeds - any good?

Smee

[j6uk]

Great post sberry

[rimmer10]

could'nt agree more with sberry. 50 quid for a robin scott or similar on ebay and you're in business

[Smeeagain]

Thanks very much for all the advice. But if I read correctly you're all saying get a cheap basic standard cue. So why not stick with the BCE cue that I have ? Surely it is the same thing.

[ADR147]

Brilliant sberry, my thoughts exactly.

An expensive cue won't make you a better player.

umm yes and no, there is a very good reason why almost all good players own good cues and it because the cue must be able to perform the same shot the same way every time and an expensive cue is more likely to do this than a cheap one. but yes if you can't play the game you can't play whatever the cue.

[jrc750]

Buy a quality cue, so much better than a cheap one

[GeordieDS]

I'm currently using a club cue which i borrowed when rumours circulated that the said club was closing down and i'm getting more reaction than any other cue i have ever had and i have spent a few quid on supposedly good cues in the past.

Don't fall in to the trap of thinking the more you spend the better you will play as it's simply not true,just find a cue you feel comfortable with and look after it and use the money you have saved on a good psychiatrist because as you begin to practise more and take the game more seriously you will need one............enjoy

[SouthPaw]

Well... excellent write up by Mr Berry, I started of with a BCE Marco Fu(dragon £20) and really learned the game with that, as i got better i treated myself to better cues, one thing i will say about more expensive cues, i do believe they are consistently better players compared to rack/sport shop specials and more care and better materials, only leads to you treating it like a baby, though you can find good rack cues... people usually steal them like that geordie above!

The Chinese kits is what you should invest in, around £40 and you can really learn the game with one of those, i didn't have the screw in extensions when i first started playing, but it's a bonus now as they're invaluable on ones game, inside of using the dated tackles on the side of the table...

[rimmer10]

if you are happy with your cue than by all means stick with it, but what sberry so rightly pointed out was that if you buy a chinese kit on ebay like a robin scott or a yian ying you are getting a very well made cue with all the add ons- like mini butt and telescopic extension, which is a necessity for snooker- for peanuts relatively speaking. I myself bought 2 robin scott's for xmas presents and I was very impressed by the quality of both. It doesnt mean you have to bin your old cue, you've got nothing to lose