13 mm?

[rackem]

I'm not saying you're wrong. You may as well be 100% correct. Maybe it's just the way I came up. I use a 13mm shaft now. And before I couldn't even use anything more than 12.5mm. Oh well. I'm probably wrong.

Tony

Yes with a larger tip there is more margin for error, which is better for the novice. There is less chance of unintended english, which is better for the novice. There is less chance of miscue, which is better for the novice. In general a standard 13 mm cue is what a novice should be using.

 

[rayjay]

I have no idea why 13mm is the "standard". I think John Barton had the best explanation. I just think it's a shame that, in today's market, if you buy a 13mm shaft and you reduce the size to your personal taste you lose money on the resale of the cue. Also, over time, changing tips on the shaft will gradually reduce the diameter, as the ferrule reduces in size, even if you're very careful. I like playing with a narrower shaft. Fortunately, the recent poll on shaft sizes revealed that there are lots of folks out there that agree. I also agree that 13mm is more helpful to a beginner than a narrower shaft due to the accuracy required to avoid miscues and unwanted spin, and as they advance their shafts will get thinner. With a narrower shaft, you can zero in to a tighter range of spin control, using "just a touch" of right, left, bottom, top.