Does a heavier cue have an advantage over lighter cues?
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Zerksies
Well-known member
This has been argued over and over again here. Weight boils down to personal preference If weight made a difference we would all be using either 12oz or 25oz cues. But in the decades of people playing pool cues are still ranging in the 18-21oz range.
But we are starting to see a trend of cues going towards the heavier right now, but this has to do with the issue of players looking for extremely longer cues with extensions because they are taller and need bigger proportioned cues.
But we are starting to see a trend of cues going towards the heavier right now, but this has to do with the issue of players looking for extremely longer cues with extensions because they are taller and need bigger proportioned cues.
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Cues can be both too light and too heavy. Think six ounces and six pounds. If you could somehow measure "goodness" of a cue for a particular player and plot goodness as you somehow varied the weight, there would be a weight where the goodness was largest. I expect that the neighboring weights of that best weight are going to be very nearly as good. I'd guess that if you changed the weight by an ounce you might change your percentage on some shots by a percent or two, and that difference might go away once you got used to the new weight.
So to answer your question directly, I think there will be very, very little difference between an 18 and a 19 if the player gets used to each one.
Some players say that they have to have an 18.65 ounce cue or their game is destroyed. I think they want to blame equipment.
It depends on how sensitive you are and how the weight is distributed. For example, if you take your cue and add a 1 ounce weight bolt in the back, you'll immediately feel the difference because the additional weight is concentrated in one spot. But if both 18 and 19 oz cues are balanced exactly the same, you'll feel the difference but could probably adapt either way fairly quickly. As far as advantages, I think the lighter cue will give you more sensitivity for touch shots and the heavier cue will give you slightly more stability for long shots, but you'll lose some sensitivity.
When you start talking about 2 oz or more in weight difference, then you will definitely feel it. You'll feel like you lose a lot of sensitivity with the heavier cue and you'll lose significant stability with the lighter cue, and you may not be able to adapt to that large of a difference.
When you start talking about 2 oz or more in weight difference, then you will definitely feel it. You'll feel like you lose a lot of sensitivity with the heavier cue and you'll lose significant stability with the lighter cue, and you may not be able to adapt to that large of a difference.
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WobblyStroke
Well-known member
Feel can be affected by weight and balance point and certain styles will prefer certain feels so players using a given style may find improved performance on one end of the spectrum vs the other. That said, it would be impossible to say that any weight within the common range has any inherent advantage over another, otherwise by now, we'd all be playing that. Just comes down to feel and what works best for you. For some that's heavy, for others it's light.
A lot of the Filipino style strokes that utilize gravity and the cue's momentum a lot more than a more muscle-driven stroke prefer a little heft to the cue as it provides them more feel and feedback. That said, it can just as easily be a balance point thing as I play this 'let the cue do the work' kind of style and my favorite cue is 17.5oz, severely back weighted. All my other cues I like are at least 19oz, with my heaviest fat wrap cue coming in just under 24oz. I absolutely hate the feeling of a forward weighted cue for my style of play.
On the flipside, guys that like to feel the stroke is hand driven or play shorter strokes in games like 1p or str8pool that don't require a lot of CB movement, often prefer forward weighted or lighter cues. In a recent interview, Alex Pagulayan explained how he likes a certain type of steel joint and forward balance in his cue for when he plays 1p.
So ye, lotta options with how you set up your cue and some will jive with your technique and play style or even the game you play most often more than others. None have any inherent advantage over another, but some will def have a perceived advantage for players as they may be better suited to their style.
A lot of the Filipino style strokes that utilize gravity and the cue's momentum a lot more than a more muscle-driven stroke prefer a little heft to the cue as it provides them more feel and feedback. That said, it can just as easily be a balance point thing as I play this 'let the cue do the work' kind of style and my favorite cue is 17.5oz, severely back weighted. All my other cues I like are at least 19oz, with my heaviest fat wrap cue coming in just under 24oz. I absolutely hate the feeling of a forward weighted cue for my style of play.
On the flipside, guys that like to feel the stroke is hand driven or play shorter strokes in games like 1p or str8pool that don't require a lot of CB movement, often prefer forward weighted or lighter cues. In a recent interview, Alex Pagulayan explained how he likes a certain type of steel joint and forward balance in his cue for when he plays 1p.
So ye, lotta options with how you set up your cue and some will jive with your technique and play style or even the game you play most often more than others. None have any inherent advantage over another, but some will def have a perceived advantage for players as they may be better suited to their style.
It's actually quite difficult to build a 12 oz, or even a 25 oz cue, for that matter.
Just sayin,,,,,,,,
Who told you that?
My personal experience is that how the cue is balanced is far more important than the weight for making the cue feel like it is part of my arm.
dquarasr
Registered
I have two vintage Adams cues. They weigh within tenths of ounces of each other, high 18oz. One has a metal joint on the butt, the other a plastic joint. As a result, the older Adam balance point is about 1.75 inches farther back compared to the one with the heavier metal joint.
It seems to make a difference while holding the stick walking around the table; the metal joint cue feels heavier in my hand, even though the overall weight of the cue is the same. Kinda makes sense, though, because the "extra" weight is forward of where I'm usually carrying the cue.
Once down on the shot holding the cue in normal grip position, though, I notice very little difference. It very well could be that I'm simply not expert enough or sensitive enough to notice any difference.
The evidence that weight doesn't matter is that everybody uses cues in the 18-21 oz range?
pj
chgo
Zerksies
Well-known member
It's been done several times. Many break cues out their have that weight. Would I use it no.
But building a playing cue with that weight can be quite easy. Try using a mid cue extension. I've seen the commercial one weigh about 4oz
I think my cue is around 16oz. Maybe approaching 17.
Sorry everyone.....
I like very light cues.
I was referring to serious cuemakers and serious cues, different animal.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
I agree. I always preferred heavy cues but my fav is a 17.5oz severely back weighted cue.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
I have many Filipino friends.... I didnt teach this style to myself
One of them was visiting family back home cpl years back and mentioned to me all the guys he played with there were in the 20+ oz range. Efren played a 21oz for a long time too as I recall.
Small sample to be sure but their preferences align with mine and to me a back weighted cue just feels better for that loopy style and heavy goes hand in hand with back balanced.
Could have as much to do with barnyard conditions and 5x10 tables I guess too but heavier cues were the overwhelming majority that he came across.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
could be a style thing. if u have a loopy up and down component where you are playing aroumd with gravity and momentum, subtle differences in weight and balance will be obvious. if instead u have a classic snooker style with hand at the very back and cueing in contact with ur chin and chesti n contact with the cue ghats moving in a very linear fashion, you wouldnt notice a thing. at least thats been mentioned to me by plyrs that use that style.... i can barely remember back when yhat was my style too but even just messing around playing differently the cue seems to matter less when cueing that way. for my loopy style, some cues def make more suitable dance partners than others.
I'd guess u are just closer to a straight line probably on shorter side stroke length-wise and thats why u dont feel a difference rather than a lack of sensitivity.
I held Efren's cue once back when he was Caesar Morales --- the one that looked like a K-Mart special, and it felt about 18 oz to me, but hey, what do I know?I have many Filipino friends.... I didnt teach this style to myself
One of them was visiting family back home cpl years back and mentioned to me all the guys he played with there were in the 20+ oz range. Efren played a 21oz for a long time too as I recall.
Small sample to be sure but their preferences align with mine and to me a back weighted cue just feels better for that loopy style and heavy goes hand in hand with back balanced.
Could have as much to do with barnyard conditions and 5x10 tables I guess too but heavier cues were the overwhelming majority that he came across.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
Pretty cool you got to meet him and hold his cue. Maybe that one was indeed 18oz. Maybe, since he was Cesar Morales about 40years ago, we can forgive you if you're memory is off by a few ounces
The cue he won the color of money 100k match vs Earl in 1995 was a 21oz Mezz, which he played pretty much the entire time he was under contract with them in the 90s. My guess is he didn't switch from 18 to 21 and then much higher than that with his 61+inch cue he used to win the 1999 World Championships.
For more info, check out this fun lil azb thread on Efren and his cues.
Efren Bata Reyes and His Pool Cues
I came across a discussion centered on pool cues. The question on what cue does Efren Reyes, aka The Magician, use came up. Truth be told, this is a very popular topic among pool players and enthusiasts. Everyone is curious as to what type of...
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