Cue Balance Point

A

Angle Detective

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The cue I shoot with is a 58" Meucci, weighs 18.5 ounces and has a balance point 17.25" from the butt of the cue. My old Adam cue's balance is around 17.75". I took the Adam butt weight out and the cue felt more stable while stroking and the balance point was 22" from the butt.

I'm going to start playing around with weight adjustment and balance points, and I'd like to hear any experiences you've had with tinkering with the weight and balance of your cues.
Thanks,
Jeff
 
Balance Point

I have heard different views on this point. Can somebody tell me the proper way to measure the balance point of a cue ??? I don't think I am doing it correctly.


Thanks............Paul
 
samsarakid24 said:
I have heard different views on this point. Can somebody tell me the proper way to measure the balance point of a cue ??? I don't think I am doing it correctly.


Thanks............Paul
Click to expand...
Just find the place, by trial and error, where it balances on a thin edge. It's usually somewhere between the wrap and the joint (probably near the wrap).

One easy way is to hold your index fingers out (as if you're pointing two pistols straight ahead) a foot or two apart with your cue laying across them, then slide them together slowly. They should meet at the balance point.

pj
chgo
 
Right on

Hey Champ,


Thanks for that link...It was perfect and it was the way I have been doing it all along. That was a big help to know and not just guess if you should count the rubber bumper or not when you measure.


Thanks Again.............Paul
 
Regarding balance point issues

Hello, I'm a professional custom cuemaker and I just wanted to put my 2 cents worth in regarding balance point....

Unless the balance point is relatively close to your hand than it's irrelevant and because we all have different stroke lengths and armspands due to our unique stances and style of play ther is absolutely no way in hell a typical built cue with an average balance point is correct or suitable for everyone...

So in order to measure the correct balance point, you must first measure your armspand and where you typically grip the cue for your average shot, and that is your balance point and then you have to determine a minimal of 6 ounces of forward weight just to compensate for upward deflection when stroking the cueball with top english...FYI: 6oz. is how much the red multi-dotted abortion of a cueball weighs"

This is where engineering and experience come into the equation and why custom built cues is a necessity in this industry for any serious player or simply for those who want to improve their game on any level !


If you have any questions please call me anytime ! 321-631-1827



Sincerely, Eddie Wheat- East Coast Cue Repair / WheatCues
 
Last edited:
WheatCues said:
So in order to measure the correct balance point, you must first measure your armspand and where you typically grip the cue for your average shot, and that is your balance point and then you have to determine a minimal of 6 ounces of forward weight just to compensate for upward deflection when stroking the cueball with top english
Click to expand...

Are you saying that, except for the 6 forward ounces, where a person grips the cue with the stroking hand is where it should balance when balancing on one finger?

Jeff
 
bluepepper said:
Are you saying that, except for the 6 forward ounces, where a person grips the cue with the stroking hand is where it should balance when balancing on one finger?

Jeff
Click to expand...



NO not exactly becasue there is a little more involvement with the tweaking and additional weight needed to properly balance the cue from your grip range all the way out to the tip.... FYI: 6oz is quite a bit when you consider the overall weight of the cue so it doesn't take too much more to tweak the balance point properly !

What I gave you are basics.. if I divulge the rest of my formula then it will be replicated and possible incorporated by others and then my unique contribution to the cuemaking world would be exploited.....


- Eddie Wheat
 
Last edited:
WheatCues said:
. if I divulge the rest of my formula then it will be replicated and possible incorporated by others and then my unique contribution to the cuemaking world would be exploited.....

- Eddie Wheat
Click to expand...

Not being familiar with your cues, how would you characterize your "unique contribution to cuemaking." ?
 
bluepepper said:
I'm going to start playing around with weight adjustment and balance points, and I'd like to hear any experiences you've had with tinkering with the weight and balance of your cues.
Thanks,
Jeff
Click to expand...

I play with two McDermotts, one Cocobolo, one Morada. Both had a balance point approx. 18" from the butt with a 2 oz. weight bolt. After trying a friend's Ginacue and liking the more forward balance, I decided to alter mine. The entire butt section was threaded, so I fabbed a headless weight bolt, and wound it down almost into the handle area. BP moved a full inch forward, which felt much better to me. According to comments published here, most custom cuemakers try to get a suitable weight without upsetting the balance with a weight bolt at the extreme rear of the cue. My shade-tree method definitely improved the feel IMO.

Bill
 
billyjack said:
I play with two McDermotts, one Cocobolo, one Morada. Both had a balance point approx. 18" from the butt with a 2 oz. weight bolt. After trying a friend's Ginacue and liking the more forward balance, I decided to alter mine. The entire butt section was threaded, so I fabbed a headless weight bolt, and wound it down almost into the handle area. BP moved a full inch forward, which felt much better to me. According to comments published here, most custom cuemakers try to get a suitable weight without upsetting the balance with a weight bolt at the extreme rear of the cue. My shade-tree method definitely improved the feel IMO.

Bill
Click to expand...

I went to the hardware store yesterday and bought a hex wrench to take the weights out of my Meucci. What were in there were three 1" long 5/8" diameter threaded weights plus one 1/2" long weight. I figured that the threads would have been deeply drilled into the cue so one could either add more weights or move the weight forward, but after removing the weights I saw that they were as far into the butt as they could go. Solid wood lies beyond, and I don't have a drill press. So much for adjustability.

Jeff
 
But the feel was nice with the weights out even though the cue probably only weighed 15 ounces. I assume it felt so good because the balance point was way forward. I think 22" or so.
I wonder how balance point affects draw and follow. With a forward balance point, the tip sinks quickly during the stroke. With a rearward balance point, the tip stays high longer through the stroke.

Jeff
 
bluepepper said:
But the feel was nice with the weights out even though the cue probably only weighed 15 ounces. I assume it felt so good because the balance point was way forward. I think 22" or so.
I wonder how balance point affects draw and follow. With a forward balance point, the tip sinks quickly during the stroke. With a rearward balance point, the tip stays high longer through the stroke.

Jeff
Click to expand...

I have been shooting with two cues with a balance point of 22.3" for about 7 years now. They were Sceptres and I still love both of them.

Recently, a cuemaker on this forum promised me he could duplicate this weight distribution. Twice now I have been burned. His cue was 18.5".

The stuff you say about the tip sinking due to the forward balance point is just not true. It is your stroke that regulates this.

And BTW, after having shot with with all kinds of cues from a slightly forward balance to 22.3", that draw and follow is not affected. Again, it is in your stroke.

When you find the cuemaker who can make the 22" forward balance with light Ob1 cues, then please let me know. Right now I have hired another cuemaker out of Md. to make me a very forward balanced cue.

Good luck, WW
 
Changing the weight bolts will also affect more than the balance point. A cue's weight and feel is more than just the final weight and balance point. Take a bar that is 60" (5 ft) long and weights 25 lbs or 5 lbs per ft evenly distributed. The balance point is at 30" from either end. Now take a bar that is also 60" that weighs 5 lbs and add 10 weights to each end. This also weights 25 lbs and has a balance point at 30".

Which one would feel better if you moved your hand 6 inches behind the balance point? Two cues with the same balance point and weight are not always equal.
 
bluepepper said:
I went to the hardware store yesterday and bought a hex wrench to take the weights out of my Meucci. What were in there were three 1" long 5/8" diameter threaded weights plus one 1/2" long weight. I figured that the threads would have been deeply drilled into the cue so one could either add more weights or move the weight forward, but after removing the weights I saw that they were as far into the butt as they could go. Solid wood lies beyond, and I don't have a drill press. So much for adjustability.

Jeff
Click to expand...

In my experience, I've never seen the thread hole for weight bolts extend beyond the butt sleeve into the handle. Don't forget the butt of your cue is generally 3 pieces forearm, handle, and butt sleeve. You've got to attach the butt sleeve to the handle somehow. With the threaded hole extending down into the handle, I would think the connection between the buttsleeve and handle would become precarious.
 
whitewolf said:
The stuff you say about the tip sinking due to the forward balance point is just not true. It is your stroke that regulates this.

Good luck, WW
Click to expand...

You may be right, but I feel that the tip hits the felt easier after the stroke with the more forward balance point. With the rearward balance it feels like the tip floats after the shot.

Jeff
 
TheBook said:
Changing the weight bolts will also affect more than the balance point. A cue's weight and feel is more than just the final weight and balance point. Take a bar that is 60" (5 ft) long and weights 25 lbs or 5 lbs per ft evenly distributed. The balance point is at 30" from either end. Now take a bar that is also 60" that weighs 5 lbs and add 10 weights to each end. This also weights 25 lbs and has a balance point at 30".

Which one would feel better if you moved your hand 6 inches behind the balance point? Two cues with the same balance point and weight are not always equal.
Click to expand...

Good point. I didn't picture it this way. So the wood used probably really makes a difference, huh? My Meucci has, I believe, birdseye maple in the section near the joint. And I would guess this is a lightweight wood, which makes forward balance difficult to achieve.

Jeff
 
KCarson1 said:
Not being familiar with your cues, how would you characterize your "unique contribution to cuemaking." ?
Click to expand...


Because I build cues 100% exactly to the customer's specifications which includes but limited to : j-pin/ j collar dia./ handle dia./ b-plate dia./ unique butt and shaft tapers/ ferrule etc .

And on top of that, the cue is built completely around the customers hand,which happens to be in the center of the wrap, so no matter where they are on the 12" of wrap they are within their correct balance point to allow for consistant speed control as well as feel.... so I give them a simple precedure in determining their armspand length and then that dictates the overall length of the cue...

On the avg. I'm finding cues are atleast 2" too short for the avg players armspand.....

And to add to this... I also give you exactly the "hit and "playability" you want in a cue or if you have a favorite shaft already then I can build the butt to match the shaft..... I offer 100% custom work... when you ask me to build you a cue, I don't just ask you how heavy, and what woods do you want..... I get into what "you" would like and expect to receive from a custom cuemaker.. and what feels good to "you"...

After all "custom" is the root word for "customer" and when you advertise custom cues you should give the customer EXACTLY what "they" wan't within logical and practical reasoning of course ! becasue it's all about what YOU want... not ME !

Anyways, that's my unique contribution becasue it's a combination of everything that is essential to improving a players overall performance with the game !

And once again I have not came across another professional "not hobbyist" cuemaker who is offering this entire package especially starting at 350.00 base price for a custom fitted cue!

If you have any questions, call me anytime !



Sincerely, Eddie Wheat - WheatCues 321-631-1827
 
whitewolf said:
I have been shooting with two cues with a balance point of 22.3" for about 7 years now. They were Sceptres and I still love both of them.

Recently, a cuemaker on this forum promised me he could duplicate this weight distribution. Twice now I have been burned. His cue was 18.5".

The stuff you say about the tip sinking due to the forward balance point is just not true. It is your stroke that regulates this.

And BTW, after having shot with with all kinds of cues from a slightly forward balance to 22.3", that draw and follow is not affected. Again, it is in your stroke.

When you find the cuemaker who can make the 22" forward balance with light Ob1 cues, then please let me know. Right now I have hired another cuemaker out of Md. to make me a very forward balanced cue.

Good luck, WW
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear you were burned by cuemakers.... were they not wanting to guarantee thier work ? or did they simply not give you what you wanted ????


- Eddie Wheat
 
samsarakid24 said:
I have heard different views on this point. Can somebody tell me the proper way to measure the balance point of a cue ??? I don't think I am doing it correctly.


Thanks............Paul
Click to expand...
The way it is usually stated is the distance from the butt end. That's OK if you only deal with 57- or 58-inch cues, but when you are down in your stance, the important thing is how far from the tip the balance is. You have no way to know -- when you are down in shooting position -- how much wood you have hanging off the back of the stick.

Someone stated above that the distribution of weight along the cue is important. I think that as long as the cue is built solidly, and you do not twist the cue, there is more or less no way for you to feel how the weight is distributed. That is, if you took two cues with the same weight and same balance point, but one had a heavy ferrule and a heavy bumper, while the other had a heavy joint, I think you could not tell by feel which was which. Now, there are other issues involved, such as squirt and how dense the desired wood is, but I think the precise distribution is mostly unimportant.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top