Advice about a new cue

[quasar]

Dear friends,

I am a newcomer in this forum and not a very much experienced player in snooker. I am planning to play regularly though. I would like to buy my first cue. Are you kind enough to advise me about the requirements that a snooker cue should have according to your opinion? One is enough or I should buy one short and one long? What about the tip's diameter and generally what else should be kept in my mind before the purchase? I dont need a very "professional" level cue, but a rather good one...

Thank you

Aris

[HemiRR]

You need to try many different types of cues to get a 'feel' for what suits you.

Eg. I am 6'2" and I play with a streched out stance so I use a 60.5" cue with a thinish english tapper and a 9.8 mm Talisman hard layered tip. I played with a maple shaft for years but I switched to ash 20 years ago. I tend to have sweaty hands if it gets warm so my cue has a cork fishing rod handle fitted over the butt; also I like a front weighted cue so my balance point is further forward than most cues. (of course this is a custom cue but I played with several different store bought cues before getting my first custom - the ash was my second)

If you are new then a few lessons to get the basics down will help you determine what cue length you need.

Cue specifications that matter:
weight; length; balance point; type of wood; shaft taper; whether a to go with radial spliced shaft; tip diameter; butt diameter; ferel type; Then you need to decide on what type of tip soft medium or hard - layered or one piece - I sure are there must be other considerations as well.

If you can find a cue with 2 shafts that 'hit' the same then you will always have a spare with a played in tip to fall back on. Nothing like playing a match and having you tip fall off or split. With the 2nd shaft you just change over. Then when convenient get the other shaft re-tipped and be sure to play it in so it is ready to go when you need it.