I played with a 20 oz cue for 35 years until at age 50 used an 18.5. I never went back
Now at age 76 still 18.5 to 18.75
Cue weight?
- Thread starter Grimper
- Start date
Now at age 76 still 18.5 to 18.75
I am also afflicted with OCD and periodically measure my cues with my wife's kitchen scale. I have played with weight over time and now seem to be happy with a slightly heavier cue than previously, at 19.5-19.6 ozs. Balance is a factor too, since my relatively thin-butt Pechauer Pros feel lighter than my Keith Josey, yet when I weigh them they are identical. Shafts with brass inserts seem to be heavier than cues with 3/8x10 or radial joints that are wood only and that seems to affect balance point.
All of my cues (different brands, ages etc) are around 18.6 - 18.75 in weight, but I still notice differences in feel and playability and have my preferences - the real difference comes down to weight distribution, and the wood types of the individual cues can affect this. Here's an analogy - if you have played a lot of tennis, you will notice that many tennis racquets are "head heavy", some less so. I have picked up two racquets, compared the weights by hand, assumed one was heavier than the other, only to find out I was wrong, and the one that I thought was heaviest was actually lighter. This was because of the differences in balance between the two - the one I thought was heavier was weighted more heavily towards the head, but overall was the lighter racquet. The same thing happens with pool cues.
Interesting that pool is still lacking a bit when it comes to actual customizing.
Especially interesting since so many use “custom” cues.
-Golfers have specific things they like.
-Trap shooters get fitted for shotguns
-Korea has actual shops that will fit a 3c/billiard cue to a player
-PRS shooters use weights on rifles to change balance points
-Bowlers and bowling balls
-Baseball players and bat weights and handle thickness
I could go on and on and on.
Yet when it’s brought up about American pool players considering custom weighting and balancing their cues, many scoff and call it OCD or unimportant.
While yes, you can absolutely overthink something…..custom tuning or fitting a tool specifically for you is almost always an advantage.
And people tend to always use some very rare story of someone who could “win with a broom handle.”
In shooting sports, it’s always the same story “there’s a guy here who can beat everyone with his hunting rifle.” Except I’ve never met that man at any location with that story. He seems to always be busy or hiding.
Point being, people keep talking about taking pool to a higher level. But as soon as anything releases (mezz avant for example) or people ask about something detailed like weight tuning, it gets laughed at and shot down.
Want to take things to the next level? Well, take it to the level everyone else is.
If weighting or balancing your cue makes it feel better or seem to play better, do it.
Especially interesting since so many use “custom” cues.
-Golfers have specific things they like.
-Trap shooters get fitted for shotguns
-Korea has actual shops that will fit a 3c/billiard cue to a player
-PRS shooters use weights on rifles to change balance points
-Bowlers and bowling balls
-Baseball players and bat weights and handle thickness
I could go on and on and on.
Yet when it’s brought up about American pool players considering custom weighting and balancing their cues, many scoff and call it OCD or unimportant.
While yes, you can absolutely overthink something…..custom tuning or fitting a tool specifically for you is almost always an advantage.
And people tend to always use some very rare story of someone who could “win with a broom handle.”
In shooting sports, it’s always the same story “there’s a guy here who can beat everyone with his hunting rifle.” Except I’ve never met that man at any location with that story. He seems to always be busy or hiding.
Point being, people keep talking about taking pool to a higher level. But as soon as anything releases (mezz avant for example) or people ask about something detailed like weight tuning, it gets laughed at and shot down.
Want to take things to the next level? Well, take it to the level everyone else is.
If weighting or balancing your cue makes it feel better or seem to play better, do it.
I promise you the top players of any game or sport are “OCD” (not real ocd, but what people mean when they say it).
They do or think about their craft all day everyday. And they try new things all the time.
They won’t go to a match or tournament with the new stuff until they are comfortable with it. That’s the big difference.
Anyone who’s in the top of the world lists in anything is not being very truthful if they say “I don’t really think much about it.” They may feel that way because they don’t “stress” over it. But they definitely think about it (properly) and try things out. They also aren’t usually going to go into details because no one cares if you spent an entire week shaving s cue down or changing weights.
Myself and others that perform well in shooting sports always play down how much we “practice” even though we are always at the range or doing things we don’t consider practice even though it amounts to the same thing.
They do or think about their craft all day everyday. And they try new things all the time.
They won’t go to a match or tournament with the new stuff until they are comfortable with it. That’s the big difference.
Anyone who’s in the top of the world lists in anything is not being very truthful if they say “I don’t really think much about it.” They may feel that way because they don’t “stress” over it. But they definitely think about it (properly) and try things out. They also aren’t usually going to go into details because no one cares if you spent an entire week shaving s cue down or changing weights.
Myself and others that perform well in shooting sports always play down how much we “practice” even though we are always at the range or doing things we don’t consider practice even though it amounts to the same thing.