Why Do Higher-Grade Shafts Cost More?

Shaft grading varies between cue makers, but higher grades generally involve increasingly selective timber.

This can include characteristics such as straightness of grain, rigidity, colour, grain structure and, particularly, the visual appearance of the shaft.

However, paying for a higher shaft grade doesn't necessarily mean you're paying for better playability.

Strength & Stiffness

For us, this is one of the first things we consider.

A good shaft needs enough natural strength and stiffness to remain stable through the cue action and provide a positive feel through the strike.

A shaft that is excessively flexible can feel less positive and may not provide the characteristics some players are looking for.

However, stiffer doesn't automatically mean better.

A shaft can also be too stiff for an individual player's preference. The aim isn't simply to find the stiffest shaft possible. It's to find the right combination of strength, stiffness and responsiveness.

Density & Natural Weight

Two pieces of ash that look similar won't necessarily feel or perform the same.

Natural variations within the timber mean individual shafts can have very different characteristics.

When testing cues, you'll sometimes find one that feels particularly light through the bridge hand or gives a less substantial feel through the strike. Another cue of a similar overall weight can feel noticeably stronger and more positive through the shaft.

That's why overall cue weight doesn't tell us everything about how a shaft will feel.

The density of the timber, shaft dimensions, taper, balance and overall construction of the cue all contribute to its playing characteristics.

Flex, Recovery & Spring

There is an important difference between controlled flex and a shaft that simply feels excessively flexible.

However, flex shouldn't be judged independently. The taper and dimensions of the shaft have a significant influence on how stiff or flexible the finished cue feels.

The best shaft isn't necessarily the stiffest. We're looking for strength with controlled responsiveness.

What About Deflection?

Deflection is sometimes oversimplified and shouldn't be attributed to one shaft characteristic alone.

Shaft stiffness is only one part of how a cue behaves when applying side.

Tip size, ferrule, shaft diameter, taper, shaft mass and the player's delivery can all influence the reaction experienced when striking the cue ball away from centre.

For that reason, we wouldn't recommend choosing a shaft simply because it's described as "low deflection."

Visual Grain & Arrows

This is probably one of the most misunderstood areas of shaft grading.

Ash produces the distinctive arrows or chevrons that many snooker and English pool players like to see.

For some players, they're extremely important visually. For others, they're almost irrelevant.

While grain structure is important when selecting timber, the appearance and number of arrows shouldn't be confused with guaranteed playability.

A beautifully presented set of arrows on the top of a shaft doesn't automatically mean that cue will play better.

What Do We Look For?

With ash shafts, there are several characteristics we pay particular attention to.

How We Assess a Shaft

At Green Baize, we don't judge a shaft simply by the grade printed on the cue or by how attractive the arrows look.

Years of handling, testing and playing with cues have taught us to consider the complete shaft and how its different characteristics work together.

We assess several areas: