Cue ball question????????

[Bavafongoul]

Is there a standard weight (grams) for a cue ball?

I have several cue balls and pool ball sets. I have a gram scale and calipers. I've measured every pool ball several times and 2.25" is pretty much what every ball is.....sometimes measuring ever slightly under.

Now the weight question........my centennial pool ball set.......every object ball weighs 168 grams, even the centennial blue dot cue ball. The measles ball I have weighs 169 grams (pretty close) but the red dot cue ball I also have is 12 grams lighter than the measles ball and 11 grams lighter than the blue dot centennial cue ball.

I also have a carom billiards set and all three balls are much larger and heavier than the pool balls which makes sense because of physics and overall play of 3 cushion. So I learned little there and am still pondering why the different weight in some cue balls. A lot of players favor the red dot cue ball because it's easier to move around the table. But it's also striking an object ball that's 12 grams heavier than the cue ball. The measles ball, being the same weight, or the centennial cue ball, does an overall better job as far as I'm concerned.

So here's my question.......IS THERE ANY STANDARD FOR A CUE BALL WEIGHT?

I know the balls need to be 2.25" diameter but what about the weight? I have to believe there's some guidelines or standards but haven't been able to find out anything.

Anyone know if there are standards and what the standards might be?

Thanks,

Matt B.

 

[ENGLISH!]

To me the cue ball should match the object balls.

I'm playing in an in house individual league with centennial balls but with the lighter red dot cue ball. I really don't like it. Yes you can draw the ball easier, but all other shots play a bit different. I've found that side english does not throw the object ball as much & it's harder to get the Cue Ball to follow properly. It's the opposite of most coin tables.

I think the different cue balls are gimmicks for marketing reasons to make it more 'enjoyable' for the average player. It is not how the game was intended to be played. The cue ball should match the object ball in both size & weight.

I know this not answer your question, it's just my $0.02,

 

[Patrick Johnson]

From the WPA Equipment Specifications:

16. Balls and Ball Rack
All balls must be composed of cast phenolic resin plastic and measure 2 ¼ (+.005) inches [5.715 cm (+ .127 mm)] in diameter and weigh 5 ½ to 6 oz [156 to 170 gms]. Balls should be unpolished, and should also not be waxed. Balls should be cleaned with a towel or cloth free of dirt and dust, and may also be washed with soap and water. Balls contaminated with any slippery substance - treated with a polishing or rubbing compound and/or waxed - must be cleansed and dewaxed with a clean cloth moistened with diluted alcohol before play.

Specs for all balls, including the cue ball, are the same.

Keep in mind that balls wear down more quickly than you might think. After a couple of years of pool hall use, the cue ball that came with the set will be noticably smaller and lighter than the rest of the balls (and the rest of the balls will be slightly smaller and lighter than a new set).

One reason that a "measles" cue ball looks bigger than other balls is because it often is - it's often a replacement cue ball for an older set. (Another reason is those red spots make it look bigger than it is.)

pj
chgo

 

[Shaft]

To me the cue ball should match the object balls.

Yes, assuming the CBs are the same size as the others, choose the one with the closest matching weight. Any CB that does not match the the size and weight of the 15 you are playing with should be set aside.

 

[Papa Red]

Is there a standard weight (grams) for a cue ball?

I have several cue balls and pool ball sets. I have a gram scale and calipers. I've measured every pool ball several times and 2.25" is pretty much what every ball is.....sometimes measuring ever slightly under.

Now the weight question........my centennial pool ball set.......every object ball weighs 168 grams, even the centennial blue dot cue ball. The measles ball I have weighs 169 grams (pretty close) but the red dot cue ball I also have is 12 grams lighter than the measles ball and 11 grams lighter than the blue dot centennial cue ball.

I also have a carom billiards set and all three balls are much larger and heavier than the pool balls which makes sense because of physics and overall play of 3 cushion. So I learned little there and am still pondering why the different weight in some cue balls. A lot of players favor the red dot cue ball because it's easier to move around the table. But it's also striking an object ball that's 12 grams heavier than the cue ball. The measles ball, being the same weight, or the centennial cue ball, does an overall better job as far as I'm concerned.

So here's my question.......IS THERE ANY STANDARD FOR A CUE BALL WEIGHT?

I know the balls need to be 2.25" diameter but what about the weight? I have to believe there's some guidelines or standards but haven't been able to find out anything.

Anyone know if there are standards and what the standards might be?

Thanks,

Matt B.

Are they actually red & blue dots or circles, their is a big difference.

 

[pt109]

From the WPA Equipment Specifications:


Specs for all balls, including the cue ball, are the same.

Keep in mind that balls wear down more quickly than you might think. After a couple of years of pool hall use, the cue ball that came with the set will be noticably smaller and lighter than the rest of the balls (and the rest of the balls will be slightly smaller and lighter than a new set).

One reason that a "measles" cue ball looks bigger than other balls is because it often is - it's often a replacement cue ball for an older set. (Another reason is those red spots make it look bigger than it is.)

pj
chgo

The pool world really has to catch up....
..the balls are allowed a variation of 1/2 ounce?

And you'll notice that there can be no wax on the balls....many poolplayers
still think that is a good thing.

English blliard players knew 100 years ago that new or shiny balls created
inconsistent carom angles....new balls needed 3 weeks breaking-in play
before they could be used in a tournament.

 

[Bavafongoul]

Thanks For The Comments

Thanks everyone for answering my question. However, I'm still confused.

I concur with the post that all the balls in the set should be the same weight and even size for that matter. And I realize that pool balls can "shrink" over the years but that's a "very" gradual and slow change that takes place over years of play. Naturally, pool ball sets in extremely popular, i.e., busy, pool halls will shrink sooner than sets that see less play. The bottomline is it takes a long time to change object or cue balls sizes for that matter.

As far as the red dot cue ball, pretty much everyone knows, or should know, that it's noticeably lighter than the object balls and other cue balls. Regardless, local tournament operators can use any cue ball they care to designate. But no one seems to know if there's a standard for the balls used on the pro circuit or even the US Championship etc.

It was noted that there can be a variation of up to 1/2 oz and that seems more to be a statement of fact rather than an official ruling/standard that it's permissible for national titles, etc. There has to be some standard the BCA uses for cue ball & object ball weights and I'd imagine there's a tight range the balls must fall within. But I can't imagine the BCA would condone variation in object balls and cue balls by as much as 1/2 oz. I mean that would mean that you could have a set of balls where not one ball was the same weight as any other. Or even worse, the 8, 9, 10 balls could be .43 ozs heavier than all the other balls which would be a kick.

The object balls and cue balls (blue dot & measles ball) in my centennial set are all within 99.9% of the same tolerance in both size and weight. That's the way I think a set should be. I mean even Rashig pool balls will vary ever so slightly. But playing with a cue ball 12 grams lighter than all the other balls just doesn't seem right to me. Now I know that some players prefer the red dot cue ball but that doesn't make it right and it doesn't make it seem suited for professional tournament play or even local tournaments for that matter.

So back to my original question......does anyone know if there's a standard weight for a cue ball, say in a national tournament? I'm just curious because as one poster wrote earlier, I also think every ball in the set (15 object balls & cue ball) should be the same size and weight.