Break cue weight

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have read a lot about which cue breaks best concerning weight.
Some say heavy-some say light. I recently bought a 19 oz break cue and thought it broke just OK. So I took out the weight bolt that was 2 oz and weighed the cue and now it is down to 16.10 oz.
Now it breaks like a cannon :yikes:. I never thought that 2 oz would make a difference. Maybe a lighter break cue just fits my break stroke. But I can tell you the 2 oz bolt will stay in the drawer.
 

billy bones

billy bones
Silver Member
I have read a lot about which cue breaks best concerning weight.
Some say heavy-some say light. I recently bought a 19 oz break cue and thought it broke just OK. So I took out the weight bolt that was 2 oz and weighed the cue and now it is down to 16.10 oz.
Now it breaks like a cannon :yikes:. I never thought that 2 oz would make a difference. Maybe a lighter break cue just fits my break stroke. But I can tell you the 2 oz bolt will stay in the drawer.

I just made a post in a simular thread concerning jump/break cue weight. I had Bob Owen make my j/b cue the same weight as my Predator playing cue. My preferences changed I now prefer a much lighter cue. I removed the weight bolt from both & still would like them to be lighter. I use more technique now & less power in my break ( well less power sometimes LOL). That no longer requires the use of a sledgehammer to get the job done. I am looking to retool in the near future & will be focused on lighter cues.
I would like to bring my J/B cue weight down to about where your is now & my playing cue to around 17 oz. BTW both of my weight bolts are in a drawer on my dresser where they will remain till at such time as I may sell the cues.

I appreciate your post as it serves to reinforce my current line of thought on cue weight & shows others have found success with the adjustment. Have a good day, & as always,

Good luck & good pool,

Billy Bones:thumbup:
 

sk8ordie

HTTR!
Silver Member
I read on here about 2 years ago about how the top players and pro's shoot and break with the same weight(around 18:thumbup:eek:zs). I already was playing with a 18oz cue and took the weight bolt out of my Kiaser break cue and have never looked back. I've had 3 break cues since then and the bolts come right out. Never would've believed that I could smash them better with a lighter cue until I tried it.
 

jcs003

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
it all comes down to technique. remember f=ma. if you can accellerate that tip into the CB with better technique with a light cue then you will transfer more energy into the rack. im still a fan of the heavier break cues. also im only 160 lbs.

another thought on technique. i found the balls to spread better when hitting off the side of the 1-ball(9 or 10 ball racks). its seems to let the rack open up and accelerate away from each other better. any thoughts on this?
 

strokerace

"The Hustler"
Silver Member
Agree

I have read a lot about which cue breaks best concerning weight.
Some say heavy-some say light. I recently bought a 19 oz break cue and thought it broke just OK. So I took out the weight bolt that was 2 oz and weighed the cue and now it is down to 16.10 oz.
Now it breaks like a cannon :yikes:. I never thought that 2 oz would make a difference. Maybe a lighter break cue just fits my break stroke. But I can tell you the 2 oz bolt will stay in the drawer.

Same here..i used to use a 22.5 oz..then i went to a 18.5 oz and never
went back..can control the cue ball much better and my breaks are way more productive..SA
 

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
I recently bought a 19 oz break cue and thought it broke just OK. So I took out the weight bolt that was 2 oz and weighed the cue and now it is down to 16.10 oz.

Must be some of that new math that they're teaching in Colorado :rolleyes:!!!

Maniac (maybe the bottled water was actually 75 cents ;))
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
I have read a lot about which cue breaks best concerning weight.
Some say heavy-some say light. I recently bought a 19 oz break cue and thought it broke just OK. So I took out the weight bolt that was 2 oz and weighed the cue and now it is down to 16.10 oz.
Now it breaks like a cannon :yikes:. I never thought that 2 oz would make a difference. Maybe a lighter break cue just fits my break stroke. But I can tell you the 2 oz bolt will stay in the drawer.
Here's a quote from my cue weight resource page:
For a break cue, the optimal weight (for maximum cue ball speed) will depend on your arm anatomy (the size and weights of the different parts of your arm) and muscle physiology (e.g., fast-twitch vs. slow-twitch muscle fiber dominance). The only way to find out the optimal weight for sure is to experiment. Cue weight isn't a question of just physics. Physiology also comes into play. Some people have more fast-twitch muscle fibers than others. Because of this, cue weight selection (just like baseball bat weight selection) can be a very personal thing. The only way to get fast CB speed is to hit the ball with enough cue momentum (mass * speed). Some people can generate more momentum with a lighter cue, and some can generate more with a heavier cue.​

Regards,
Dave
 

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Must be some of that new math that they're teaching in Colorado :rolleyes:!!!

Maniac (maybe the bottled water was actually 75 cents ;))

I turned the math backwards. The cue wieghs 16.90 oz.!
And the water is still $1.00.
Thanks for pointing out my math error.
 

Mojocues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here's a quote from my cue weight resource page:
For a break cue, the optimal weight (for maximum cue ball speed) will depend on your arm anatomy (the size and weights of the different parts of your arm) and muscle physiology (e.g., fast-twitch vs. slow-twitch muscle fiber dominance). The only way to find out the optimal weight for sure is to experiment. Cue weight isn't a question of just physics. Physiology also comes into play. Some people have more fast-twitch muscle fibers than others. Because of this, cue weight selection (just like baseball bat weight selection) can be a very personal thing. The only way to get fast CB speed is to hit the ball with enough cue momentum (mass * speed). Some people can generate more momentum with a lighter cue, and some can generate more with a heavier cue.​

Regards,
Dave

im sorry but i disagree
no major league pitcher or anyone else can throw a lead ball faster than
a baseball i dont care what there ratio to fast/slow twitch muscle fiber they have

but i do think there are two different possibilities

its possible that some shaft flex can create some rebound effect like strings on a tennis racket

OR

some people need or are bennifited by the weightier cue helping them keep a good pendulum effect on there stroke to not lose control in the quest of speed

the only way to prove either of us right or wrong would be an iron willie style machine like the deflection ones BUT powered by latex surgical tubing to represent muscle fiber instead of a pnumatic cylinder so when predator makes this it was our idea and they owe you and me a break cue
cause we were bouncing theories around

i do agree with you weight alone isnt the only consideration for everyone
 

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've read all the explanations on break cue weight vs speed.Fast twitch muscles and so on. All I can say is that when I removed the 2 oz bolt out of my break cue the balls broke open much better. Even Cuesblues (Ted) noticed the difference from when he broke with it before and after the weight change.Now we are both a couple of old guys (60+)so I would imagine we don't have the arm speed or strength of much younger players.
So maybe a lighter cue is better for us.
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've read all the explanations on break cue weight vs speed.Fast twitch muscles and so on. All I can say is that when I removed the 2 oz bolt out of my break cue the balls broke open much better. Even Cuesblues (Ted) noticed the difference from when he broke with it before and after the weight change.Now we are both a couple of old guys (60+)so I would imagine we don't have the arm speed or strength of much younger players.
So maybe a lighter cue is better for us.

I'm 62. When I bought my Orange Crusher I had Mike make it 18 1/2 oz. I like it all right, seem to break well with it, but I just don't play blast-break rotation games much, it at all, any more.
 

J-Flo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
what about tip size

Seems to me that a 14mm would be easier to hit the cue ball at higher speeds. Im going to 22-24oz cause I think I can move it pretty good . Ive been testing other people break cues and heavier is better for me, I was useing a 18 oz break cue and my reg cue is 19.25. been borrowing a 22.5 with a 14mm tip and ssems to just explode the rack.
 

HollyWood

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Its pretty much your stroke-that decides your break speed!

The new break tips- will give you extra speed for free! put a Joe picone break tip, Samsara whatever!! g-10. Its like boxing -sp= power. The older straight Pool players know how to just stop the stroke- punch style- and break the rack apart. You can hear the difference all around the pool hall!! And the break tips play good shape because the tips do hold chalk!! mark and yes I've run the tips through the speed trap- to prove faster speeds.
 
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Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Seems to me that a 14mm would be easier to hit the cue ball at higher speeds. Im going to 22-24oz cause I think I can move it pretty good . Ive been testing other people break cues and heavier is better for me, I was useing a 18 oz break cue and my reg cue is 19.25. been borrowing a 22.5 with a 14mm tip and ssems to just explode the rack.

I've had a 24 oz. Joss Boss for years and have used it on and off. It breaks well but after long periods of play it does get heavy!
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
Here's a quote from my cue weight resource page:
For a break cue, the optimal weight (for maximum cue ball speed) will depend on your arm anatomy (the size and weights of the different parts of your arm) and muscle physiology (e.g., fast-twitch vs. slow-twitch muscle fiber dominance). The only way to find out the optimal weight for sure is to experiment. Cue weight isn't a question of just physics. Physiology also comes into play. Some people have more fast-twitch muscle fibers than others. Because of this, cue weight selection (just like baseball bat weight selection) can be a very personal thing. The only way to get fast CB speed is to hit the ball with enough cue momentum (mass * speed). Some people can generate more momentum with a lighter cue, and some can generate more with a heavier cue.​
im sorry but i disagree
no major league pitcher or anyone else can throw a lead ball faster than
a baseball i dont care what there ratio to fast/slow twitch muscle fiber they have
I agree that no baseball pitcher can throw a lead ball faster than a standard weight ball. However, as I point out in my quote, speed isn't the only thing that is important with a break cue. What is important is cue momentum at impact, because cue momentum is what determines the cue ball speed. Cue ball speed is what we are striving for (in addition to accuracy) with a break. Cue momentum is the product of cue speed and and cue mass. For a given cue speed, if the cue has more mass, the CB will go faster; and for a given cue weight, if the cue has more speed, the CB will go faster. Both factors (cue speed and cue weight) are important.

A better baseball analogy would be bat weight. A lighter bat can be swung faster, but a heavier bat has more mass. Some players can generate more bat momentum and ball speed (and distance) with a heavier bat (e.g., Babe Ruth), and some do better with a much lighter bat (e.g., Barry Bonds).

BTW, an excellent webpage dealing with baseball bat weight effects can be found here:

I know some people don't like it when I provide links, but I think this one is well worth the effort of a click. :grin-square:

Regards,
Dave
 

RRfireblade

Grammer Are For Stupids
Silver Member
1/2 oz lighter than my player.

Then when I break it feels 'almost' exactly the same as my player but a little extra speed comes naturally without any conscience thought.
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
I agree that no baseball pitcher can throw a lead ball faster than a standard weight ball. However, as I point out in my quote, speed isn't the only thing that is important with a break cue. What is important is cue momentum at impact, because cue momentum is what determines the cue ball speed. Cue ball speed is what we are striving for (in addition to accuracy) with a break. Cue momentum is the product of cue speed and and cue mass. For a given cue speed, if the cue has more mass, the CB will go faster; and for a given cue weight, if the cue has more speed, the CB will go faster. Both factors (cue speed and cue weight) are important.

A better baseball analogy would be bat weight. A lighter bat can be swung faster, but a heavier bat has more mass. Some players can generate more bat momentum and ball speed (and distance) with a heavier bat (e.g., Babe Ruth), and some do better with a much lighter bat (e.g., Barry Bonds).

BTW, an excellent webpage dealing with baseball bat weight effects can be found here:
FYI, I just added the following examples to my cue weight resource page. They might be helpful to some people:
Here are some examples to further explain the momentum effect. If a person is using a cue of mass (m) can generate a certain speed (v), the speed of the cue ball is directly related to cue momentum (mv). If the same person uses a cue 10% lighter (.9m), he or she would probably be able to generate more cue speed, let's say 5% more speed (1.05v). In this case, the cue momentum (.9m * 1.05v = .945mv) would be about 5% less than with the original cue. If the same person used a cue 10% heavier (1.10m), and generated 5% less speed (0.95v) as a result, the cue momentum (1.10m * 0.95v = 1.045mv) would be about 5% more than with the original cue. In this case, the slightly heavier cue would be better. If, on the other hand, the additional weight resulted in a greater loss in speed, let's say 15% (0.85v), the cue momentum (1.10m * 0.85v = .935mv) would be about 7% less than with the original cue. In this case the original (lighter) cue would be better.​

Regards,
Dave
 

sfleinen

14.1 & One Pocket Addict
Gold Member
Silver Member
I agree that no baseball pitcher can throw a lead ball faster than a standard weight ball. However, as I point out in my quote, speed isn't the only thing that is important with a break cue. What is important is cue momentum at impact, because cue momentum is what determines the cue ball speed. Cue ball speed is what we are striving for (in addition to accuracy) with a break. Cue momentum is the product of cue speed and and cue mass. For a given cue speed, if the cue has more mass, the CB will go faster; and for a given cue weight, if the cue has more speed, the CB will go faster. Both factors (cue speed and cue weight) are important.

That's right. And I'd like to offer this as well -- if a major league pitcher threw that lead ball with all his might, I'd like to see a batter -- any human batter -- try to slug that one out of the park. As mentioned, speed and mass contribute to the energy of the moving object; in this case, the lead ball is indeed moving slower than a standard weight ball, but try and apply a bat to that traveling lead ball. I'd take a gander that the bat would shatter, or the batter would seriously hurt himself (i.e. pull his shoulder out of its socket).

A better baseball analogy would be bat weight. A lighter bat can be swung faster, but a heavier bat has more mass. Some players can generate more bat momentum and ball speed (and distance) with a heavier bat (e.g., Babe Ruth), and some do better with a much lighter bat (e.g., Barry Bonds).

BTW, an excellent webpage dealing with baseball bat weight effects can be found here:

I enjoyed that! It's very, very interesting that the past greats like the Babe and Ty Cobb used such heavy bats (54 and 42oz respectively). I would love to know the weight of the bat that Mickey Mantle used when he put that famous dent in the top-most bar of the center-field high fence just above the top bleachers in the old Yankee stadium! (For those that don't know, that is widely recognized as the longest long ball ever hit in the old Yankee stadium; there's rumor that, when the stadium first opened, the Babe hit one out of the stadium out onto Jerome Avenue, but there's no physical record of it. Mickey's crushing blow to dent the center-field top bar actually left physical evidence, that later the dent itself was painted black [the fence was white] to remind people of this achievement. I remember growing up as young boy, a serious baseball enthusiast, who, when at a Yankee game, would point up at that black dot and describe the account of that mighty smash Mickey made into that fence "way up there.")

I know some people don't like it when I provide links, but I think this one is well worth the effort of a click. :grin-square:

Regards,
Dave

No Dave, it's not that "some folks" "don't like" when you provide links. It's when you, in the span of, say, only two consecutive posts, link to the exact same video. Or, when you link to the same page on your site multiple times in a single post. Or when you do a combination of the two within a slight nudge of the scrollbar on the same page of a thread. It's like you're trying to drive traffic to your site, at the direct expense of a reader's experience here at AZB. That is parasitic linking.

On the other hand, judicious use of linking is a good thing. The link you provided above is an example. However, if, say, two posts later, you provide the link again, with pretty much the same couching language (especially when the first post you provided the link to is still immediately visible on the same page -- the thread hasn't progressed onto another page yet), I think we can agree that much of the readership would probably say to themselves, "didn't we just see that?"

I know you're going for eyeballership (to your site), but there's a fine line between being helpful, and being exploitative. I know you're (justifiably) proud of the dense collection of information on your site. It took a very long time to collect all that great stuff. But by the same token, you've also been "doing the Internet thing" for quite a while, and you're aware of what constitutes good judgment -- i.e. good "netiquette".

Respectfully,
-Sean
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
I know some people don't like it when I provide links, but I think this one is well worth the effort of a click. :grin-square:
No Dave, it's not that "some folks" "don't like" when you provide links. It's when you, in the span of, say, only two consecutive posts, link to the exact same video. Or, when you link to the same page on your site multiple times in a single post. Or when you do a combination of the two within a slight nudge of the scrollbar on the same page of a thread. ...

On the other hand, judicious use of linking is a good thing. The link you provided above is an example. However, if, say, two posts later, you provide the link again, with pretty much the same couching language (especially when the first post you provided the link to is still immediately visible on the same page -- the thread hasn't progressed onto another page yet), I think we can agree that much of the readership would probably say to themselves, "didn't we just see that?"
When I respond to previous posts that have links, it looks like I am adding the link again, but I am not. The link is part of the quote. I like quoting the message to which I am responding to provide context, but I can see how the re-appearance of the link (in the quote of the previous post) might annoy some people. I'll try to be more sensitive to this. Thank you for explaining your concern. Now I better understand where you are coming from.

Regards,
Dave
 
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