Article by Steve McRea
The snooker cue is a well crafted and polished piece of wood, but in reality it is the person behind the snooker cue, the player not the cue that makes the difference. It doesn’t need to be hand made, John Spencer had a machine made cue with a nail for extra weight and won the world championship with it. Indeed the potting machine Stephen Hendry used a standard cue to win several competitions. However the hand made cues do look good!When picking a snooker cue, find one you like the look of and practice with it as often as you can, until you get the feel of the cue. Cues can be 17 oz up to 19oz, how heavy, is your preference, with the average cue being in the 18 oz bracket. Average cue size is 57 in which should be ok for just about everybody allowing for the fact you are not an American basketball player or a circus dwarf.Check to see your cue is not bent by looking down the shaft whilst turning it. Any warping will be immediately noticeable. The roll it on the table technique is not the best way as the butt end can cause the cue to wobble making a cue look warped when it isn’t, or the taper on the shaft may be stepped.
For Snooker, the popular choice of cue is a three quarter split for attaching the various bits and pieces you can get for the cues now so they can use their own cue for those awkward long shots and don’t have to use the long tackle that comes with the table.
Pool cues are very much the same as snooker cues in the UK and the tip sizes are usually the same for both games although some of the pool players prefer an 8 mm tip. Also the wood used for pool cues is often maple (especially for American pool) but snooker cues are usually made from the wood of the ash tree. There is nothing to choose between maple and ash, either will do nicely. As for the game in the US, they have heavier cues and tip size is 11-13 mm.So what makes some snooker cues so expensive? The answer is the type of wood used, some are very expensive, and how long it takes to make. The cues most expensive parts are at the butt end, or the thick end, and this is where the cue makers can differentiate themselves. Butts are made by splicing the different types of wood together to give a decorative effect. These are spliced together to give different coloured patterns and can produce delightful results. It is also where the craftsmanship comes into making the cue and determines the good makers from the bad.
So there you have it, whatever cue you choose, be sure you treasure it: no leaning it on the side of the table, as this can lead to warping and keep it clean. Have you noticed how the pros are always wiping down their cues, this is to keep them clean so they have a smooth action when drawing the cue over the hand when making a shot. Clean hands are also essential so you don’t transfer the dirt to the cue. Another tip is to keep the tip in top condition and change it as often as necessary, they are cheap enough. The old cliché is true, treat your cue well and it will treat you well.
About the Author
Author Steve McRea. To see some snooker cues for sale goto his website at www.snookerbilliardspool.co.uk
