Deteremining proper cue length

fatsix

fatsix

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've found a cue style that i really like would like to pick one up. However I've noticed since my game has gotten better, more angles on shots and postions have become excedingly awkward. Like the cue is to short. And i constantly have to watch i dont bridge too short and have to poke. I have two 58" cues that i shoot with. I'm thinking a 60" or 62" cue would allow me to keep better form and posture and have better control. Is there any type of mreasurements with CB position on the table that i can do to find out which length would be best? I'm 6'5" and am getting tired of holding my cue with 3" sticking out of the butt, and bidged 5". I prefer a longer bridge, closer to 10". But some shots force me to short bridge because i cant bend over the way i want to sight everything in. Its either that or standup.
 
I think you have answered your own question.Get a longer cue or have an extension made for your existing cue.
Being a taller person, it would seem reasonable that you would be better suited to a longer cue.
Neil
 
You could tape a cardboard tube or a piece of foam to lengthen the handle. Trial and error is your best method. Also is there limitations on cue length where you play? Ie is there a bar table close to the table that would make a cue 4 inches longer become a problem.
The other thing to consider is do you think you will also want the balance point a litle further back also.
Another option is to go to a place that has longer cues, and allows you to try them. Some places allow you to try before you buy.
Hope this helps you.
Neil
 
i play with my hand on the back of the cue, so i'm not using the balance point as it is. Yes I am going to do the cardboard tonight, when i get home. All of our league tables are out in the open, so its not an issue, only at home, but i am am fixing that. If i were to guess, 4" longer should be real close. But one of the cue makers on here had posted a way to obtain a measurement to obtain the the proper length based on your stance and position. I wanted to see if my guess and the proper measurement are close and which one "feels" more comfortable. Because if the measurement says 6" and "feels good" says 3". big difference there.
 
case will easily accomodate a 2" longer cue, so 62 1/2" is the max.

my wingspan is 76"
 
It seems to me that we should have a way to determine the "correct" length of a cue based on some standardized measurement(s).

There's a standard way to determine the right size bike to buy, the right size golf clubs, etc., why not one for cues? Not only don't we have a good way to determine "correct" length, we don't even really have much of a choice, with cues other than 58" being quite uncommon.

I'm not an engineer, but it seems clear to me that in some way the appropriate length of a cue is tied to the size of the person. But it certainly isn't as simple and a direct relation to shooter height. People's body types vary considerably. For example, I'm long waisted with a torso the size of the average 6'4 or 6'5" guy, and legs half more like a 5'10" guy. Have trouble getting shirts long enough.

I imagine that the length of the forearm (the pendulum) and the distance from the normal bridge hand to the wrist of the other arm when in the vertical position are critical measurements, but there may be others.

Any engineers out there?
 
It seems to me that we should have a way to determine the "correct" length of a cue based on some standardized measurement(s).

There's a standard way to determine the right size bike to buy, the right size golf clubs, etc., why not one for cues? Not only don't we have a good way to determine "correct" length, we don't even really have much of a choice, with cues other than 58" being quite uncommon.

Because we have different bridge lengths, a standard would be hard to determine.
Grab a 58" cue. If you think that's too short for you based on your bridge length and stroke, then it is.
Jose Parica plays with a 58. So does Buddy Hall.
 
Because we have different bridge lengths, a standard would be hard to determine. Grab a 58" cue. If you think that's too short for you based on your bridge length and stroke, then it is. Jose Parica plays with a 58. So does Buddy Hall.
Click to expand...

I disagree. I see the fact that pros from 5'4" to 6'4" play with the same length cue as an indictment of our equipment, not something that should be ignored just because it hasn't been done before, or might be complicated enough to require more than one measurement.

Getting fitted for a proper length cue wouldn't take more than a couple minutes, but could yield dividends your whole career.
 
Theres a cue builder on here that has a measurement system, but he only posted one part of it and i cant find the post. You have someone measure specific points several times for specific shots. I was searching for something else when i found it. Is something like, Put the ball in the middle of the table, set your stance and grip the normally on the handle and around 7" for the bridge. Measure that distance several times for specific shots moving the cb around. If you know the balance point of your cue (8" from the butt) and bridge 7". So it would seem 43" is the standard for regular length arms given a 58" cue. Any deviation from the 8" from the butt + or - could be added or subtracted to forearm of the cue, with arm length taken into the equation.

I can tell you from experience, the closer my grip is and and i try to lean over to put my chin down on the cue and aim, the more screwed up my grip gets. My wrist turns and folds and my elbow goes out. Try keeping all that straight and not standup to shoot. You cant, you wind up short bridging and holding the cue off the back of the wrap on the butt. Which sucks for cue ball control and stroke.
 
i'm guessing you could either add the length to the forearm, and put more weight in the butt to keep the cue balanced. or add to the forearm and butt.
I feel like somethings wrong when i have the cue gripped in the middle of the grip, because i hardly do it. So technically, i havent been shooting properly from the get go. The PRO's have just adapted faster and better with dealing with a cue that might not "fit" them and have figured out ways around it. Its like shooting someone at home and you have a tight spot on one rail where you have to jack up to shoot. You know how to shoot to avoid that shot, but whoever your playing, you know whow to leave the cueball right there everytime for them to deal with it.
 
i think it was eddie wheat who posted some logic to his measurements. Hey dave i see that your also in NJ. Might be worth the trip for me get your expertise in finding the right cue length for me. Would you happen to know Steve Gephart?
 
The math is pretty simple. You say you are currently using a 58" cue. If you can make a normal stance, holding the butt 3" from the end and using a 5" bridge, the distance from your grip hand to your bridge hand is 50". This is called true hit distance (THD), i read this on a website a while ago. Your THD shouldnt change much regardless of what cue you are using.

Now on most cues, the wrap starts about 5" from the end. If you want to be on the wrap and not the buttsleeve, you must add that 5" behind your THD. This gives you 55 inches.

Now add the length of bridge you are most comfortable using for most regular shots. If that is 5", add that to your THD and buttsleeve distance, and it shows you need a 60" cue (5+50+5). If your bridge is 10 inches, you may want a 65" cue, although that may be hard to come by.

62" is the longest length many cuemakers are willing to go. That would give you a regular bridge length of 7".

You may want to get a removable extension to screw on to your cue. You could get it made by a cuemaker to match your cue and/or have it wrapped in irish linen. This way you will be able to use a normal case, and keep the extension in the pocket.

Good luck,
Ian
 
i might get an extension made when i have the wrap changed on my schon, or mebe just a longer butt put on. Depends on how this new one shoots. Might not even want the schon anymore. Question now is 60 or 62". Anyone know whats the longest OB-2 blank i can get? That might be the decision maker.
 
Spliced,

I think you're on to something with the THD concept. Clearly, that is different for different people and is the largest part of what accounts for the need for different sized cues. But you said it shouldn't change much for different sized cues. I say it wouldn't ever change. That's because rather than measuring it as you normally grip the cue, which may not be optimal, and may change a little from shot to shot, the measurement should be taken with the grip arm in the vertical orientation, with the cue level.

As the cue gets longer, the bridge hand would remain the same distance from the tip, since I think most people who are using a cue too short for them are adjusting on the back end rather than change their bridge. As the back end of the cue gets longer the wrap area could just be moved back, creating a longer forearm.

Balance is another issue, but if both ends of the cue are lengthened by the same amount the balance point shouldn't change too much and could be adjusted for (says the non-cuemaker). I don't think that making the shaft longet should affect its deflection characteristics, since the thin end probably isn't going to get longer, the fatter end is. Weight is a potential issue, with up to 4 inches (rarely more) of extra wood.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top