Playing US Pool with a Snooker Cue?

[morpheous]

I am new to this forum so......hello :-)

I am an Englishman, now a resident of the USA. Before crossing the pond seven years ago, I played snooker on a regular basis. I now play US pool three times a week using an available house cue off the rack.

I am in the market to buy a new cue, which leads me to my questions.....

Can I play US pool with a snooker cue? Everyone I have spoken to appears to think it is not a good idea. Members of the US Pool Forum "AZ Billiards" think it is poor idea as well?

I would be interested to know whether there are Englishmen out there that play snooker who also play US Pool - and use their snooker cue? I would be interested to hear the views of the snooker cue craftsmen as well (Trevor White....if you read this post I would love to hear your opinion).

If the general consensus is a resounding "No", I would like to know the reasons for your response?

Many thanks and I look forward to your replies.

[andy carson]

very bad idea due to the size and weight of the balls on a small tip of a snooker cue...

buy yourself a cue of around 11mm rather than wrecking the snooker cue

[missneworleans]

I play snooker with pool cue...and it's quite good

[Mr O]

Don't they forbid brass ferrules for American pool ? I remember when some of the top English pool players went to join the IPT 8ball tour (Kevin Trudeau scheme) they used predator Z shafts.

[magicman]

I've known a few snooker players who became pro 9 ball players and they all use specialist pool cues. The weight of the balls and their size means you really do need a pool cue. If you're now resident in the states then getting hold of a decent pool cue should be no problem surely?

[H.Al-Rahma]

Well its a bad idea, i mean it wouldnt even feel right, and as u said you've been playing on regular basis.

playing with a small tip would diffenety damage the cue, it might give u some more cue ball control, but why risking your cue sir.

[RGCirencester]

http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...ad.php?t=20335

[morpheous]

Thank you for all your replies, it is greatly appreciated.

I can see from the last post that this topic has been covered in a previous thread, but I would like to voice where my head is at the moment.

After playing playing US Pool for about a year, one day just for kicks I took my snooker cue down to the pool hall (it is not a fancy cue - weights 16.35 oz, 58" in length, balance at 17.5" from the end of the butt and a tip of 9mm). To my amazement I played "lights out" - had amazing vision and when amongst the balls was able to have good cue ball control to get onto the next ball. The only down side was when I had to hit the cue ball hard, with follow, so that the cue ball had to come off three rails to get on the next ball - my snooker cue I felt was under stress.

A month later I met with a pool cue maker to discuss making a custom pool cue for me. To cut a long story short, I was devastated to find I could hardly pot a ball; no vision, over compensating etc. I told him regretfully could not take a chance and proceed with the building of the cue.

All this leads me to wonder whether I would be better off with a snooker cue. It is what I am used to and cut my teeth on whilst in the UK. My thinking was to have a snooker cue craftsmen build me a snooker cue slightly orientated to suit playing US Pool.....something on these lines:

Length - 58"
Join - 3/4 length
Wood - Stiff Ash
Balance - 18" from end of butt
Weight - 18.5oz
Tip - 10mm
Customized the butt so that is rounded like a pool cue rather than flat like a snooker cue.

Any further views on this topic would be appreciated.

PS. From the previous thread on this topic there was a great deal of discussion of whether a snooker cue could be used, legally, to play US Pool. In actuality there are very few rules applied to what forms a legal cue in US Pool. You could, if you so wished, use a snooker cue to play US Pool.

[RGCirencester]

think tghe best idea is to ask a snooker cue maker to make a cue in pool spec. i think weight and tip size are the most critical of these personally.
I think length balance could be kept the same but a little extra weight to compensate for the heavier balls and a bigger tip would help. Tip being the most critical thing.

[BoBnoGG!n]

well, we had oursleves the biggest 9ball tourney in australia recently, and 3 of the top 4 that made it werent 9ballers using 8 ball cues. 2 of them, are pool players, one, marc robertson, neil's younger brother, who used a house cue. another guy, michael scerri, who is one of the top 8ball(2 shot) players around, also used a house cue, and the guy who won it is an A grade snooker player, who used his 9mm parris snooker cue. lol i find, to be honest, having done it, it doesnt make too much difference, it actually helps if youre use to the feel of the snooker cue. i also find it easy to generate heaps of spin with it.

[visionaire]

I've played pool with a snooker cue for a year now, it works fine, although it has advantages and disadvantages. Several snooker pro's have competed in large 9-Ball events using snooker cues.

[the montrealer]

thank you for all your replies, it is greatly appreciated.

I can see from the last post that this topic has been covered in a previous thread, but i would like to voice where my head is at the moment.

After playing playing us pool for about a year, one day just for kicks i took my snooker cue down to the pool hall (it is not a fancy cue - weights 16.35 oz, 58" in length, balance at 17.5" from the end of the butt and a tip of 9mm). To my amazement i played "lights out" - had amazing vision and when amongst the balls was able to have good cue ball control to get onto the next ball. The only down side was when i had to hit the cue ball hard, with follow, so that the cue ball had to come off three rails to get on the next ball - my snooker cue i felt was under stress.

A month later i met with a pool cue maker to discuss making a custom pool cue for me. To cut a long story short, i was devastated to find i could hardly pot a ball; no vision, over compensating etc. I told him regretfully could not take a chance and proceed with the building of the cue.

All this leads me to wonder whether i would be better off with a snooker cue. It is what i am used to and cut my teeth on whilst in the uk. My thinking was to have a snooker cue craftsmen build me a snooker cue slightly orientated to suit playing us pool.....something on these lines:

Length - 58"
join - 3/4 length
wood - stiff ash
balance - 18" from end of butt
weight - 18.5oz
tip - 10mm
customized the butt so that is rounded like a pool cue rather than flat like a snooker cue.

Any further views on this topic would be appreciated.

Ps. From the previous thread on this topic there was a great deal of discussion of whether a snooker cue could be used, legally, to play us pool. In actuality there are very few rules applied to what forms a legal cue in us pool. You could, if you so wished, use a snooker cue to play us pool.

hi i am from canada montreal quebec. Alain robidoux who was once ranked 9 in the pro snooker circuit plays nine ball with his snooker cue however he got someone to make him a pool shaft mil size 12 for pool. All you have to do is get someone in the usa to make you an extra shaft to play nine ball hope this helps you cheers leonard from montreal quebec canada.

[snookerfan91]

It's called a "snooker cue" for that reason, different size cues altogether and I just wouldn't personally use one to play it, but hey whatever floats your boat.

It is personally up to you but if you have asked other forums and people it does kind of speak volumes?

[Billy_udd]

Get the right tool for the right job ! Need a fatter tip and the shaft is designed stronger. Can be expensive for a good 1 but that's life ! Even a cheapo 1 would be better, wouldn't play cricket with a hockey stick wud u ! Good luck

[snookerfan91]

Get the right tool for the right job ! Need a fatter tip and the shaft is designed stronger. Can be expensive for a good 1 but that's life ! Even a cheapo 1 would be better, wouldn't play cricket with a hockey stick wud u ! Good luck

You basically just hit the nail right on the head, perfect example