What cue do you use ?

[void]

Maple vs Ash

An ash shaft has a grain whereas a maple shaft is pretty much clear. You're right in that most, if not all 9ball cues made in the US are maple. However, there are a few top snooker players who use maple cues, the obvious example being Steven Hendry.

I have played with ash cues but not with maple. How do maple shafts compare in terms of smoothness and stiffness to ash shafts?

[reverse_side]

my two-penneth though I've only ever bought 2 cues... mine's ash but playing 1 shot with a maple cue last weekend, the difference was startling, I can see why pool players want maple for their cues; when they use break-off cues they want as much power as possible, the maple one I tried felt like it was a piston on a huge steam engine, accurate for a long pot to black corner from the white behind the baulk line but a mile away from the finesse of an ash cue... didn't think there'd be much difference and maybe that was a one-off feeling that it was some sort of howitzer, the guy I played after was using it for billiards and the weight and fell of it he said really helped his game.... got mashed up, but still learning.

[cueman]

Maple cues are very nice but its hard to find good ones, if you do then look after it well cos you may never find another quality one. I have played with both and prefer ash mainly because I started out using an ash cue. I played well with my maple cue after I got used to it but you really need to stick to one or the other. In the end I went back to ash as I didn't find the consistancy I was looking for. I suppose thats why Hendry decided to have another maple cue after his old cue was smashed up.

Maple cues are usually much smoother than ash as the grain is very tight, maple should be stiffer than ash too as whippy or flexable maple makes for a poor playing cue.

[Shinsakuto]

I ordered some leather cue cases directly from Mr Ukrit in Thailand but so far I havent been charged any custom fees, maybe because Master cue dont declare the actual cost? The prices are a lot cheaper than the UK even if you include tax. I got a lovely Croc feet cue case for a good price but then I do know Ukrit fairly well.

About the type of wood use for cues I think it is because maple is more plentiful in America were pool is popular while ash is more accessible in England were snooker is played more.

[cueman]

All ash and maple is mainly sourced from North America and Canada so it doesn't really mean that's why ash is used in England for snooker over maple.

I think that maple has a more solid hit and probably feels better for pool, whereas ash is a softer wood and gives better feedback with lighter balls used in snooker.

[Shinsakuto]

That is not quite true. Less so recently but ash is or was at least available in England for many years, they may have import much from America now but ash has its root in the UK long ago and that is how the tradition of using ash cues in billiards and snooker which continue today, maple on the other werent available in any quantity in England but remain plentiful in the US so thats why fewer maple cues for snooker.

All ash and maple is mainly sourced from North America and Canada so it doesn't really mean that's why ash is used in England for snooker over maple.

I think that maple has a more solid hit and probably feels better for pool, whereas ash is a softer wood and gives better feedback with lighter balls used in snooker.

[Shinsakuto]

Actually its the opposite. Maple is whippier and less stiff than most ash. As I have mentioned previousely not all ash is the same so it could be that the cue you were using may be determined if its a single piece, 3/4 butt joint or centre joint. If the maple is centre joint it tend to become stiffer than a one piece ash but generally ash is stiffer than maple.

[reverse_side]

nah I'm afraid if you talk to the Pro cue makers, maple is stiffer than Ash. There are variations in natural materials, but you'll find that Ash is more flexible than maple.

[Shinsakuto]

Which pro cue makers? Certainly wouldnt have a cue made by him. This isnt just a personal opinion its a well known fact ash is stiffer than maple, done enough experiment myself I dont need further fact finding on this matter. The reason why maple can generate more spin on a cue ball and sometimes more power is due to the whippy nature. The stiffer the cue such as ash tend to push the ball away before the full momentum of the spin is reached, the whippier the cue such as maple puts the spin in earlier before striking the object ball, close grained ash which is whippier has similar playing effect as maple. Not surprising some people mistaken this for maple being stronger and stiffer which is wrong. Maple are also more vulnerable to warping therefore more flexible, dont believe me have a look at club cues and see for yourself.

nah I'm afraid if you talk to the Pro cue makers, maple is stiffer than Ash. There are variations in natural materials, but you'll find that Ash is more flexible than maple.

[cueman]

This is a stupid argument really as you can get soft and hard ash and soft and hard maple as there are so many species of maple and ash that you can't really make too many comparisons between the two woods.

What I will say however is, when making a cue you can get away with a whippier or softer ash than you can maple. Reason being is the grain is open on ash whilst it is very tight grain on maple. A flexible piece of maple will play awful, it will deflect a lot more than the same flexible piece of ash. That is one of the reasons some cue makers charge more for maple than ash as the quality of maple needs to be right to make a good playing cue.

Copied from handmadecues site : "Maple is very similar to Ash in the way it plays. Again, it varies greatly in whether it is stiff or whippy and must be carefully selected to weed out the pieces that fall short of the required standard."

[tontaire]

What about Acuerate ?

[snookery147]

I ordered some leather cue cases directly from Mr Ukrit in Thailand but so far I havent been charged any custom fees, maybe because Master cue dont declare the actual cost? The prices are a lot cheaper than the UK even if you include tax. I got a lovely Croc feet cue case for a good price but then I do know Ukrit fairly well.

About the type of wood use for cues I think it is because maple is more plentiful in America were pool is popular while ash is more accessible in England were snooker is played more.

what would you call a good price for your crocodile feet case? What time scale were you looking at, was it snappy?

[cueman]

what would you call a good price for your crocodile feet case? What time scale were you looking at, was it snappy?

Hehe, that was a good one