Another balance point question?

greenlight

greenlight

Go
Silver Member
I may be thinking way to far into this, but here it goes anyway. Lets say you have two cues that are the same weight, and have the same balance point. Is it possible for one to feel more front heavy, or butt heavy, than the other depending on how it was built? By placing the weight in different places relative to where you actually are griping the cue?
 
greenlight said:
I may be thinking way to far into this, but here it goes anyway. Lets say you have two cues that are the same weight, and have the same balance point. Is it possible for one to feel more front heavy, or butt heavy, than the other depending on how it was built? By placing the weight in different places relative to where you actually are griping the cue?
Click to expand...

Yes.
If you have a very heavy shaft and the other a very light shaft,but the same balance point,They will be different to hold almost every where on the handle except at the balance point.
Neil
 
i have also run some independent testing of my own and people seem to be able to tell when there is 1oz or more added directly to the butt end of a cue.

on cues with basically the same balance points guys have been able to immediately tell which cue is all natural weight and which cue has weights in the butt.not sure how or if it is just luck,but it is uncanny how the guys i tried it on were always right,they were good solid short stop players too.
 
greenlight said:
I may be thinking way to far into this, but here it goes anyway. Lets say you have two cues that are the same weight, and have the same balance point. Is it possible for one to feel more front heavy, or butt heavy, than the other depending on how it was built? By placing the weight in different places relative to where you actually are griping the cue?
Click to expand...

If the cues weigh the same and have balance points in exactly the same place, and they have the stock shafts built with the cue there should be no difference. If a cue is properly balanced weight can be easily confused, but if multiple cues are built with the exact same balance point and weight the shooter should not be able to feel a difference until they hit the ball. Cues will have a different feel due to the way they are assembled, some will be solid as a rock and some will have a great deal of movement in them.

JIMO
 
Interesting. Heavy shaft, light shaft, weight bolt on the butt. Lets say your building two cues with two different types of wood, one being heavy, and the other being light. cue #1 has a light shaft, wood joint, heavy forearm and light butt. Cue #2 has heavy shaft, steel joint, light forearm, and heavy butt. Assuming its possible to build these the same total weight and balance(Not sure) It would seem to me that cue 1 would feel front heavy and cue 2 would feel more butt heavy, or maybe balanced? Since we never grip the cue at the balance point, it seems more relevant where the weight is relative to the handle, or grip area. If so, cue #1 might be more suited for someone short griping closer to the forearm, and cue #2 better for the tall guy who grips farther back on the cue. Thoughts? Maybe this is not even possible, i dont know.
 
It's pretty elementary physics. Your grip hand is the fulcrum. As was said, if the grip hand is placed at the balance point, then every cue with the same balance will feel the same. However, by gripping the cue elsewhere, you move the fulcrum & are then altering the leverage that is dictated by where the most weight resides. Sounds complicated but it's actually not.

Let's say a cue is naturally 15oz. but has a solid lead 4oz weight placed 18" from the bumper to achieve 19oz. The cue's balance point may rest at 19" but when you grip it a few inches above the buttcap, it'll feel crazy front heavy.

Take another cue with a natural 18oz weight & put a 1oz weight at the very back to achieve 19" balance point. Gripping the cue a few inches up from the buttcap will place your grip hand in front of the added weight & the cue will not feel so front heavy because the weight is more evenly distributed. Does this make sense?

There's a lot more to building a cue than meets the eye. Weighting & balancing a cue is a science. It's not easy to consistently reach a particular weight, balance & overall feel.
 
qbilder said:
It's pretty elementary physics. Your grip hand is the fulcrum. As was said, if the grip hand is placed at the balance point, then every cue with the same balance will feel the same. However, by gripping the cue elsewhere, you move the fulcrum & are then altering the leverage that is dictated by where the most weight resides. Sounds complicated but it's actually not.

Let's say a cue is naturally 15oz. but has a solid lead 4oz weight placed 18" from the bumper to achieve 19oz. The cue's balance point may rest at 19" but when you grip it a few inches above the buttcap, it'll feel crazy front heavy.

Take another cue with a natural 18oz weight & put a 1oz weight at the very back to achieve 19" balance point. Gripping the cue a few inches up from the buttcap will place your grip hand in front of the added weight & the cue will not feel so front heavy because the weight is more evenly distributed. Does this make sense?

There's a lot more to building a cue than meets the eye. Weighting & balancing a cue is a science. It's not easy to consistently reach a particular weight, balance & overall feel.
Click to expand...

Makes perfect sense, Thanks, im not crazy. So, a balance point does not always accurately describe how a cue will feel.
 
greenlight said:
Makes perfect sense, Thanks, im not crazy. So, a balance point does not always accurately describe how a cue will feel.
Click to expand...


Not by a long shot - nor how it will perform. I'm very sensitive to weight & balance point, and I prefer a butt that weighs 14.9 oz coupled with shafts that weigh 3.8 to 4.0 oz, and resulting in a balance point at 18.5" to 19".
I'm always amazed at folks who say they don't care much about the weight of a cue as long as it balances well. I can understand - within reason - but when you hit the cue ball with a 21 oz cue IT FEELS the difference vs an 18 oz cue, regardless of the balance point (given equally applied stroke force, of course).
 
Last edited:
The balance point being in the exact same spot does not mean the weight is distributed through the cue evenly. You would be suprised how much it takes just to move the balance point 1/2". You could have a heavier handle piece in one cue and a heavier forearm in the other one with more weight in the weight bolt area and both balance the same, but feel totally different in your hand. The heavier handle would have the weight spread out through the handle and the other cue would have the weight spread out through the forearm with additional weight in the very back. So they could balance the same and feel night and day different because of those factors.
 
balance point

i am in the camp of 18 inches . and as we all know what feels right to you
is the best for you. out of the cues i own . i have noticed a thinner butt
dia. say 29mm at point of grip, 19.5 oz, bal. p. 17, to me it has the feel
of a 20 oz and the hit and feel of a lighter cue. i have two cues i don't
want to lay down. # 1 is a joss 19.75 oz, butt dia. 29.5, bal.p. 19
has a good hit and feel. #2 low end action cue 19.25 oz, butt dia. 29,
bal.p 17 it to plays and feels good. a lot of things is mind set only.
when i tend to think more about weight & balance point it has a way of
takeing my mind off of the game. i'm sure its not just me that feels this
way . pick a cue that will let you bring out your stroke.
let me know your thoughts on this.
take care john107:anderson sc
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top