Standard 1 Piece Cue vs Full Shaft 1 Piece Cue
What's the Difference?
One area that can cause confusion when buying a handmade cue is the difference between a standard 1 piece cue, sometimes referred to as a short-shaft construction, and a full shaft cue.
Importantly, both are still genuine 1 piece cues.
The difference is in how the cue is constructed internally.
Standard 1 Piece Cue / Short Shaft Construction
Many modern handmade cues use what we describe as a shorter shaft construction.
The ash or maple shaft doesn't continue for the entire length of the finished cue. During construction, the shaft is extended using Ash or Maple or sometimes an appropriate hardwood section before the butt woods are fitted and spliced.
One of the advantages for the cue maker is greater flexibility when adjusting the final weight and balance of the cue.
Weight can be positioned further into the construction when required, helping the maker achieve different balance characteristics, including a more forward-balanced cue.
This makes it a very practical method of cue construction.
Full Shaft 1 Piece Cue
A full shaft cue uses a more traditional construction.
With this method, the ash or maple continues much further through the length of the cue beneath the butt construction, rather than the shaft being extended with a separate piece of timber.
It requires a suitable long piece of shaft timber and is one reason full shaft cues can command a higher price.
Traditional construction itself shouldn't, however, be confused with guaranteed better playability.
What About Balance?
Construction can influence how the weight is distributed through the finished cue, but you shouldn't assume that every full shaft cue will have a particular balance point.
Full shaft cues can often have a more rearward or lower balance point compared with modern constructions designed specifically to move weight forward.
However, there are many other factors involved, including:
- Shaft density and weight
- Butt timber
- Cue length
- Overall weight
- Shaft and butt dimensions
- Taper
- Any additional weighting used during construction
This is why the finished balance of the individual cue is more important than simply knowing how it was constructed.
Which Is Better?
In my opinion, neither.
This is the most important part of the explanation.
A full shaft cue isn't automatically a better-playing cue because it uses a more traditional construction.
Likewise, a standard short-shaft construction shouldn't be regarded as inferior simply because the shaft timber doesn't continue throughout the complete cue.
Cue construction, timber selection, taper, dimensions, weight and balance all contribute to the characteristics of the finished cue. More generally, cue-making guidance also notes that aspects such as timber selection, seasoning and construction can explain differences between cues without guaranteeing that one will play better than another. How Snooker Cues Are Made: Ash, Maple, Splicing and Joints.
Why Does a Full Shaft Cue Cost More?
A higher price can sometimes give players the impression that a full shaft must be superior.
That's not necessarily the case.
Part of the additional cost comes from the need to source suitable longer lengths of quality ash or maple for this type of construction.
You're therefore partly paying for the timber and the method of construction, not necessarily increased playability.
Our Advice
Don't choose a cue simply because it is described as a full shaft.
If you appreciate traditional cue-making and specifically want that style of construction, there's absolutely nothing wrong with choosing one.
But if your priority is playability, concentrate on the characteristics of the finished cue:
Does the weight suit you?
Does the balance feel right?
Do you like the shaft strength and taper?
Does the cue feel good through the cue ball?
If the answer is yes, how far the original shaft timber extends inside the butt becomes far less important.
Finding the right cue for the player is more important than how the cue has been constructed.