Difference(s) between Pool Cues and Snooker Cues

[8Ball48043]

So, a friend of mine asked me to turn down his recently purchased 13 mm pool cue shaft to 12.5 mm. No problem, but then, I got to thinking .... A mistake, I know.

I looked up the dimensions of a typical Snooker Cue shaft, and found that they are typically 10 mm at the tip.

So, I decided to do some math. The Snooker Ball diameter is 52.5 mm (2 1/15"). and the cue tip is at 10 mm, the Cue/Ball ratio being 0.1905 (cue tip to ball size).

But, our U.S. Pool Balls are 57.15 mm (2 1/4"), when used with the common 13 mm pool cue tip yields a Cue/Ball ratio of 0.2275. Quite a difference, Don't you think?

I am curious as to why the Cue/Ball RATIO of these two, quite similar, games is so different.

BTW: If Pool Cues used the same Cue/Ball ratio, we would all be using 11 mm cue tips!

Any thoughts?

 

[ideologist]

So, a friend of mine asked me to turn down his recently purchased 13 mm pool cue shaft to 12.5 mm. No problem, but then, I got to thinking .... A mistake, I know.

I looked up the dimensions of a typical Snooker Cue shaft, and found that they are typically 10 mm at the tip.

So, I decided to do some math. The Snooker Ball diameter is 52.5 mm (2 1/15"). and the cue tip is at 10 mm, the Cue/Ball ratio being 0.1905 (cue tip to ball size).

But, our U.S. Pool Balls are 57.15 mm (2 1/4"), when used with the common 13 mm pool cue tip yields a Cue/Ball ratio of 0.2275. Quite a difference, Don't you think?

I am curious as to why the Cue/Ball RATIO of these two, quite similar, games is so different.

BTW: If Pool Cues used the same Cue/Ball ratio, we would all be using 11 mm cue tips!

Any thoughts?

What is the weight of a snooker cue ball compared to a pool cue ball?

 

[Bella Don't Cry]

Well I can tell you that this is why the Predator z shaft is popular worldwide; as it has a similar ratio.
I know this didn't answer your question - but it's a start :thumbup:

 

[conetip]

10.5 and 11 mm tips play very well for the US sized ball.
Snooker shafts are often Ash, and abruptly taper down to the tip size in the last 25 to 50 mm of the shaft to the tip.
Typically snooker shafts are a conical taper except for the last 2 inches or so, compared to modern pool cues that have any number of tapers, or curves to achieve a particular action.
I think you will find the main reason pool shafts were thicker is to do with the stiffer hit/feel when compared to a thinner shaft.But tech today allows for a thinner shaft to play how you like.

 

[Pidge]

Snooker balls are 2 1/16". The Aramith 1G set weigh approximately 4.95oz. I actually don't know many players who use a 10mm tip either. The standard these days seems to be 9.5mm. Given this, the ratio is actually less, coming in at 0.1810.

I find a 13mm tip in pool to be oversized since snooker is my primary game. You don't notice the tip to ball ratio, but you do notice the sheer size difference, which is quite off putting at first.

I use a 10.5mm tip on my pool cue, which has a ratio of 0.1826 - very close to the snooker ratio.