Long Cue Shafts

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Not a real answer.

Because it makes it easier to reach the cue ball would be an answer.

Sometimes a cue maker makes "x" length....take it or leave it.

Sometimes a customer likes a longer cue because they like the "perception" difference with a longer shaft....cue ball to object ball looks more similar in size opposed to cue ball looking a bit larger when using a short cue/bridge.

Sometimes a customer likes extra weight upfront without adding unnatural materials such as weight bolts etc...etc...

Sometimes a person may "have to have" a longer cue after injuries cause them to lose the ability to bend as low as before.

There are a ton of reasons.

IMO, if a person doesn't know at least some of them they are either in great health or they have never took the time to actually experiment to see for themselves.

Try it, you may like it. Then again, you may not and can go back to a shorter cue.

BTW, my cue length is determined by my health at the time. If my back and neck are hurting worse, I use a longer cue. If I'm doing at least "ok", I'll use a shorter cue.

Jeff
 

jtompilot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a 30” butt and a 29” Revo shaft. My three piece cue is 60”. When I play with a normal 58” cue it feels short. I also have a 20” extension. I can reach a lot of shots.
 

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey! I represent that remark!

Lol.... I've never met you so, I'll have to take your word on that.

In the end, you not alone. There are several that give themselves a lot of credit in the pool world simply because they've rubbed elbows with top tier pros down thru the years and even today.

I've always thought it was funny but, hey what ever makes them feel good about themselves.

Jeff
 

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I have a few 30" shafts....simply bought them to fiddle around with. Have a 29.5 " shaft. Got them strictly to experiment with. Had a 31" McDermott made and hate it. Currently back to 29". I could live without the longer shafts. Longer shafts are personal preference only.
 
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iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I’m 6’-3” and played 58” cues for 10 years. I’d always be holding the cue at the very end. In those years, I’ve literally had cue slip out of my hands and crash to the table dozens of times. I then started playing with 30” shafts on standard 29” butts. It never happened again during the next 10 years.
 

cuesblues

cue accumulator
Silver Member
I had a Schon shaft that was originally 31".
Someone I know bought the 31" shaft and had it "trimmed" down to 29"
The result was a 29" Schon shaft with a really weird taper.
I don't recommend cutting the McDermott shaft down to 29"
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
The man who made my best snooker cue thought a perfect split for a 58 inch cue
would be 28 inch butt...30 inch shaft.
He just felt that....he was a good player.
 

S.Vaskovskyi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There are so many reasons why somebody wants a longer shaft or cue but usually it is what length is comfortable for playing a certain game one prefers to play. I'm 198 sm height with 204 sm wing span and playing with a 62" cue(31"+31"). It is what suits better for me. Standard length cue just feels short and weird for me no matter how good and nice hitting is the cue. The length is the first criteria for me. If it ever happens I decide to sell my current playing shaft I've built for myself I would not want to make it shorter because it plays so nice with current taper and it is stiff enough in this length.
20 years ago I have never seen anybody playing with those long extensions at the butt but everybody is free to use whatever he thinks it helps him playing better.

I've also heard some funny questions coming from really good players. For example one of the best players in my country got his sponsorship from Mezz and got his new equipment recently. His new playing cue now came with a linen wrap and he used to play with Predator Ikon "leather" wrap. So he asked is it difficult to change a wrap to a leather one. Ok, he was not too serious about it just curious and my simple answer was...look where you're holding your cue on most of your shots. He smiled because he realized his grip is usually on the butt sleeve behind the wrap. He just said it looks nicer with a leather wrap. Quite a few players bother about things that are not so functional at the end.
I hope we won't have all those funny guestions to be discussed seriously here. Better let's play some pool instead)
 
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HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There are so many reasons why somebody wants a longer shaft or cue but usually it is what length is comfortable for playing a certain game one prefers to play. 20 years ago I have never seen anybody playing with those long extensions at the butt but everybody is free to use whatever he thinks it helps him playing better.
I've also heard some funny questions coming from really good players. For example one of the best players in my country got his sponsorship from Mezz and got his new equipment recently. His new playing cue now came with a linen wrap and he used to play with Predator Ikon "leather" wrap. So he asked is it difficult to change a wrap to a leather one. Ok, he was not too serious about it just curious and my simple answer was...look where you're holding your cue on most of your shots. He smiled because he realized his grip is usually on the butt sleeve behind the wrap. He just said it looks nicer with a leather wrap. Quite a few players bother about things that are not so functional at the end.
I hope we won't have all those funny guestions to be discussed seriously here. Let's play some pool instead)

I'm just the opposite. My grip hand is at the top of my wrap...about 3 inches down. I have plenty of cue left behind my grip on my 58" cue and I'm still using around a 10" bridge.
 

CuesDirectly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nearly every cue I make is 60" and sold before I start on it. It's rare any more that someone wants anything shorter.

A 60" cue I made four years ago just won another tournament in Santa Cruz, CA. I was told that there was some real good talent from many parts of Northern California.

I am making one now for a guy in Jamaica and it will be 68" when finished but that's with the extension that he will leave on full time.

To each his own, whatever feels right, go with it. If you have never tried a cue longer than 58" you will knot know what you're missing, once you go longer, you don't go back.
 
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Cadillac J

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
31 incher

I have a 31" McDermott G-Core, as well as many 30" shafts and regular 29'ers.

For me, I think a 60" cue with a 30" shaft and 30" butt is better balanced than the longer shafted 31"/29" = 60" McDermott special order.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I'm just the opposite. My grip hand is at the top of my wrap...about 3 inches down. I have plenty of cue left behind my grip on my 58" cue and I'm still using around a 10" bridge.
How tall are you? Is your forearm vertical or forward of that at CB address?

pj
chgo
 

poolguy4u

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
.



I make all my shafts 29-30 inches. One I made close to 32 inches.

Tall people need a longer cue.





.
 

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
personal preferences

My personal preferences, 30-30. If I ever get around to building myself a three piece it will probably be 22-22-22. I use a wrapless cue because I hate two different textures under my hand and that is what I get with a wrapped cue. One of these days I am going to wrap a cue butt from forearm to buttcap, or not! I like the feel of a wrapped cue as long as my hand is entirely on the wrap.

I like a long cue because I tend to do weird stuff with my stroke when my hand is half off the end of the cue. My playing cue is sixty inches, sixteen ounces. Everyone notices it is light in a moment, few notice it is long until I tell them. The balance point is the same as a fifty-eight inch cue.

Shaft taper has everything to do with whether the shaft plays long or short, well got to include splices and materials these days. Never-the-less taper can make them all play great, taper can make them all play like crap!

Hu
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
My personal preferences, 30-30. If I ever get around to building myself a three piece it will probably be 22-22-22. I use a wrapless cue because I hate two different textures under my hand and that is what I get with a wrapped cue. One of these days I am going to wrap a cue butt from forearm to buttcap, or not! I like the feel of a wrapped cue as long as my hand is entirely on the wrap.

I like a long cue because I tend to do weird stuff with my stroke when my hand is half off the end of the cue. My playing cue is sixty inches, sixteen ounces. Everyone notices it is light in a moment, few notice it is long until I tell them. The balance point is the same as a fifty-eight inch cue.

Shaft taper has everything to do with whether the shaft plays long or short, well got to include splices and materials these days. Never-the-less taper can make them all play great, taper can make them all play like crap!

Hu

I love Irish linen...only on a pool cue...not snooker or 3-cushion cues.
My favorite old Joss, often my hand comes off the wrap....
...I hold it shorter when I’m in.
So Buddy showed me a Blud where the wrap came down to an inch from the butt plate.
I ordered a Jensen the same way...it was perfect.

But as for length.....I’m 6 ft with a 6.3 wingspan....started with a 60 inch cue.
Eventually I settled on 57 inch with a caromish taper...snooker and pool.
...12 mm for pool...10.4 for snooker.

A 57 inch cue hits stronger....you can only accommodate yourself so much....
...you also have to accommodate the cue ball.

At least, that suited me.
 

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What are long cue Shafts used for?

I bought a McDermott D-21 Shaft off of Fleabay.
It is 30 5/8” long. Compared to the “normal” 29”.

Why are some Shafts longer?

I’ve read that more people are asking for 30” Shafts nowadays.

Same reason as any other difference in a cue or anything else. Balance, weight, how it reacts when you hit a ball, longer cue is easier to reach shots.

I never really liked a longer shaft, but using a mid-cue extention I liked. I tried two 30" shafts, did not really like either of them, they felt less stable during slow spin shots.
 

Cadillac J

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
One of these days I am going to wrap a cue butt from forearm to buttcap, or not! I like the feel of a wrapped cue as long as my hand is entirely on the wrap.

Although this sport/rubber grip isn't my favorite, I do love these type of cue designs where it looks to be broken up into three sections of shaft--forearm--wrap.

https://www.seyberts.com/pure-x-play-cues/pure-x-technology-hxt66-pool-cue/

I remember seeing a cue with a stacked leather wrap all the way down, but can't find pics. Looked really good and probably felt even better.
 
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