Cue Specifications
Cue Specifications Explained
When looking at a cue online, you'll see specifications including tip size, weight, length, butt diameter and balance point.
These measurements are useful, but don't get too caught up trying to find the "perfect" numbers.
A few tenths of a millimetre or a fraction of an ounce rarely tells you whether one cue will feel better than another. Two cues with very similar specifications can still feel noticeably different.
The specifications below will help you understand what the measurements mean and give you a sensible starting point when choosing your cue.
Tip Size
Most snooker players use approximately 9.25mm to 9.75mm, with around 9.5mm being a very popular choice.
Tip size affects how the cue looks when addressing the cue ball and can influence how precise or forgiving the cue feels.
Under 9mm
Generally more suited to English pool than snooker.
A particularly small tip gives you a smaller contact area and can make an inaccurate strike less forgiving. The shaft also becomes progressively thinner towards the tip, so the overall construction, taper and strength of the shaft become increasingly important.
9.25mm to 9.8mm
This is a very useful range for snooker and will suit a high percentage of players.
Around 9.5mm is an excellent starting point if you don't already have a strong preference.
It provides a good balance between having a relatively small tip for controlled cue-ball striking while retaining a comfortable amount of shaft strength.
Current independent guidance similarly describes 9 to 10mm tips as common on full-size snooker cues and cautions against assuming tiny differences automatically create more spin or accuracy. How to choose a snooker cue [snookersite.com]
9.9mm to 10mm+
There's absolutely nothing wrong with playing with a larger tip, and some players prefer one.
A larger tip can feel more substantial and forgiving. However, depending on the shaft's taper and stiffness, increasing the tip diameter can also change the way the cue feels and reacts on off-centre strikes.
Good technique is considerably more important than a fraction of a millimetre of tip diameter.
Don't become obsessed with exact measurements
This is something we regularly see.
A player might request exactly 9.5mm and dismiss a cue measuring 9.6mm.
In practical terms, that difference is tiny.
Use tip size as a useful guide rather than believing your cue has to measure to an exact tenth of a millimetre.
Something worth checking
If you've been using the same cue for many years, its tip and ferrule diameter may no longer be what you think it is.
Repeated retipping and particularly repeated cleaning or sanding of the ferrule with abrasive paper can gradually reduce its diameter.
Before replacing a favourite cue, it's therefore worth measuring your existing cue rather than relying on what its original specification was.
Cue Weight
Around 18oz to 19oz is a very common range for a snooker cue, with many players comfortable around 18oz to 18.5oz.
Current cue guidance also commonly places 18 to 19oz as a sensible starting range rather than a requirement. How to Choose the Right Snooker Cue [147pot.com]
Weight influences the overall feel of the cue, but weight shouldn't be considered in isolation. Balance, taper, butt dimensions and shaft construction all contribute to whether a cue actually feels light or heavy in your hands.
17.5oz and below
A lighter cue can work perfectly well, particularly for players who naturally prefer a lighter feel.
Very light cues can require more effort from some players when generating power, so for snooker I would generally recommend trying one before automatically choosing a particularly low weight.
Lower weights are also popular with English pool players.
17.6oz to 18.5oz
This is a very popular weight range and a sensible starting point for snooker.
There's enough weight to help deliver the cue through the ball while still retaining plenty of feel and control.
Personally, I've always preferred being somewhere around the 18oz area.
18.5oz to 19oz
Also a popular range, particularly for players who prefer to feel more substance and momentum through the cue.
As you approach 19oz, the difference becomes more noticeable to some players.
For me personally, I begin to lose a little touch and feel as a cue becomes heavier. That's my preference rather than a rule, and another player may feel completely the opposite.
19oz+
This is towards the heavier end for a snooker cue.
Some players absolutely love heavier cues and play extremely well with them. Others find that additional weight makes delicate cue-ball control less natural.
It's very much personal preference.
Don't obsess over fractions of an ounce
If your preferred cue is 18oz, don't automatically dismiss an otherwise perfect cue because it's 18.2oz.
Consider weight as a range rather than an exact number.
The way the weight is distributed through the cue can sometimes make a greater difference to perceived feel than the overall weight itself.
Cue Length
57" to 59" covers a large proportion of adult snooker cues, with 58" being a very useful starting point.
External guidance likewise identifies approximately 57 to 58 inches as a conventional full-size starting point and importantly recommends not choosing from height alone. How to choose a snooker cue [snookersite.com]
Height is useful, but height alone shouldn't determine cue length.
Players of exactly the same height can have completely different:
- Arm lengths
- Body proportions
- Stances
- Bridge lengths
- Grip positions
- Cue actions
All of these affect the length of cue that feels comfortable.
Rough Guide
Under 5'6"
Approximately 56" to 57" can be comfortable. Some players will still happily use a 58".
5'7" to 5'9"
57" or 58" will suit many players.
5'10" to 6'1"
58" is a very useful starting point. Some taller players within this range may prefer 59".
6'2"+
Consider 59" or longer, particularly if you have long arms or naturally use a longer stance and cue action.
We've had considerably longer cues specially made for particularly tall players, so there really isn't one length that suits everyone.
How to check your cue length
Rather than relying purely on height, get into your normal playing stance.
With the tip positioned close to the cue ball, look at where your grip hand naturally sits.
Ideally, you don't want to be constantly gripping right on the very end of the cue. Having a little spare cue behind your normal grip position allows you to lengthen your bridge and cue action when required.
The aim is simple:
Your cue should allow you to use your natural technique without forcing you to shorten your bridge, restrict your backswing or alter your grip position.
Butt Diameter
Butt diameter is simply the measurement across the very end of the cue butt, from one side to the other.
It can have a surprisingly noticeable effect on how comfortable a cue feels in your grip hand.
As a Green Baize guide:
27mm to 28mm | Very thin
A particularly slim butt.
28mm to 29mm | Slim
Often favoured by players who prefer a finer cue and commonly seen with English pool specifications.
29mm to 30mm | Standard
A comfortable starting range for many snooker players.
30mm to 31mm | Thick
Provides a noticeably fuller feeling in the hand.
32mm+ | Very thick
An unusual specification and generally something we'd only recommend when a player already knows they prefer a particularly large butt.
There's no "best" diameter.
Your hand size, grip and personal preference are far more important than choosing a particular number.
Balance Point
The balance point is the position at which the cue balances horizontally.
This measurement helps describe how the weight is distributed through the cue.
Two cues could both weigh 18oz but feel surprisingly different because their weight is distributed differently.
As a general Green Baize guide, we've found many cues feel nicely balanced somewhere around 16.5" to 18", although the measurement shouldn't be considered on its own.
Rearward Balance
A lower balance point generally places the feeling of weight further towards your grip hand.
Some players enjoy this. Others describe the cue as feeling too light through the shaft or bridge hand.
Neutral / Evenly Balanced
Around the middle of our typical range can provide a nicely neutral feeling for many players.
Forward Balance
A higher balance point moves the feeling of weight further towards the shaft.
Players who like to feel some weight through their bridge hand may prefer this characteristic.
Why balance measurements can be misleading
Balance point is useful, but it doesn't tell the whole story.
The perceived balance of a cue is affected by several characteristics including:
- Overall weight
- Cue length
- Shaft dimensions
- Shaft taper
- Butt dimensions
- Timber density
- Joint construction
- Weight distribution
So don't choose one cue over another simply because its balance point is half an inch different.
How the complete cue feels in your hands is ultimately more important than the number.