13mm too big ?

Philthepockets

Philthepockets

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was just calculating the ratio of tip to cue ball size for pool vs snooker.
Generally snooker tips are 10mm or smaller pool cues are often 13mm, so if my math is correct.

10mm = .3937 in, cue ball 2-1/16 (2.0625 in ) ratio of 5.2387
13mm = .5118 in, cue ball 2-1/4 (2.25 in) ratio of 4.3962

Quite a significant difference, I play snooker with a 10mm and pool with a 12mm, I find this not only feels closer or "right" when moving back and forth it also offers much less deflection.

The actual size to get the same ratio with a 2-1/4" cue ball would be 10.93mm
Not sure that this would feel right also not sure why, maybe the ball weight/mass comes into play.
 
Are you basing your findings on the diameter of the balls or the circumference?
 
Looks like diameter to me; however you have overlooked something here.

The tip of the cue is not radiused at the diameter of the tip, rather it is (typically) radiused at a 'nickel' (which is what I prefer to use) which is around .840 diameter or a 'dime' which is around .700 diameter.

So, you need to compare the .840 to 2.250 for a ratio of 2.678
or .700 to 2.250 for 3.214

If snooker uses a 'dime' diameter (as I would expect, or similar to that at least) that ratio is .700 to 2.0625 for 2.946.

If deflection is your bottom line, I would create a ratio of ball mass to shaft diameter; however the taper of a snooker shaft is straight like a Carom shaft isn't it? So comparing to a pro taper shaft for pool may not make any sense either...

(scratching head):shrug:
 
Your right in that I did not take in to account the tip radius. I don't understand though why 13mm has become the standard for solid shafts when it does not need to be that stiff as illustrated by the tip sizes for most of the hollow LD shaft designs. Is it just a hangover from the past ?
 
I like 13mm; however I also play with 13-1/4mm.

The driver for me is stiffness, but also comfort.

I am 6'-2" and play with a 59" cue. A 12mm tip feels like a pencil in my hands. However, I have no problem playing with a straight taper either (assuming the shaft wood is clean and smooth)

'my' shaft taper is extremely stiff and I would guess that even with a 12mm tip it would still be stiffer than most 13mm shafts (but I have no actual shaft that small at the moment).

Plus, its wood after all. No two pieces are exactly alike. So even with the mechanical details identical, (all diameters and tapers the same) each shaft is unique in how it 'plays'.

I'm all for bringing technology into this for a better understanding, but I think we all have to agree that a really nice playing cue also contains a good dose of old-fashioned luck too.

The rage with these multi-piece shafts, laminated shafts etc. all try to take the luck out of the equation- and they succeed; however a great deal of the 'magic' goes with it. It just isn't the same for me.

We try to nail down the techniques that worked well in the past and repeat them precisely, but sometimes you just get a bad apple so to speak that won't play well. That's just the way it goes... (and sorry if I derailed this slightly:o )
 
its really a completely arbitrarty ammount. You can run out with a snooker cue on a pool table, and you can run out with a 14mm, they all work good and they all have their pros and con's depending on the size. Its just what your most comfortable with.
 
Philthepockets said:
I was just calculating the ratio of tip to cue ball size for pool vs snooker.
Generally snooker tips are 10mm or smaller pool cues are often 13mm, so if my math is correct.

10mm = .3937 in, cue ball 2-1/16 (2.0625 in ) ratio of 5.2387
13mm = .5118 in, cue ball 2-1/4 (2.25 in) ratio of 4.3962

Quite a significant difference, I play snooker with a 10mm and pool with a 12mm, I find this not only feels closer or "right" when moving back and forth it also offers much less deflection.

The actual size to get the same ratio with a 2-1/4" cue ball would be 10.93mm
Not sure that this would feel right also not sure why, maybe the ball weight/mass comes into play.
Click to expand...

Interesting observation.
 
Pool is not equal to Snooker.

Snooker is not equal Pool.

Honestly. I respect people which can shot 147 point.

just thought
 
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