Heavier cues - thoughts?

Shawn Armstrong

Shawn Armstrong

AZB deceased - stopped posting 5/13/2022
Silver Member
I recently switched to a heavier cue (21oz), kind of by accident. Short story - I had an LTD Viking that looked nice, but played like poop. The cue was very forward balanced. I added weight to it recently, and it balanced well at 21oz. So, I started horsing around with it, and my runout percentage improved. I've noticed my stroke mechanics are MUCH better with the heavier cue. I am a bigger guy (not quite in the shape I was when I was 29!), and I'm not sure if I should have been playing with a heavier cue all along, or if I went with 19-19.5oz because that's just the norm for the industry. I guess one size doesn't fit all.

Anyways, I added weight to my custom Joss, and brought it up to 21 as well. My consistency in running out has become much better. In Koehler's "The Science of Pocket Billiards", he spoke about cue weight. He said the proper weight for a player's cue should be the weight that works the best, not what feels the best. I feel better playing with a 19oz cue. I play MUCH better with a 21oz cue - probably 1 ball better per 9-ball rack.

Has anyone gone through this same revelation with cue weight?
 
have to see if it lasts

Shawn.

I played better changing to a heavier cue, for awhile. After getting used to it my play returned to the average. Making comparatively minor changes like an ounce and a half difference can increase focus for awhile and result in improvement. I made a major change, dropping five and a half ounces and played like dirt for a few months. Once I mastered the stick though, I played my best pool ever with it.

You may play better with the heavier cue, you may just still be enjoying the "any change" bounce in play.

Hu



Shawn Armstrong said:
I recently switched to a heavier cue (21oz), kind of by accident. Short story - I had an LTD Viking that looked nice, but played like poop. The cue was very forward balanced. I added weight to it recently, and it balanced well at 21oz. So, I started horsing around with it, and my runout percentage improved. I've noticed my stroke mechanics are MUCH better with the heavier cue. I am a bigger guy (not quite in the shape I was when I was 29!), and I'm not sure if I should have been playing with a heavier cue all along, or if I went with 19-19.5oz because that's just the norm for the industry. I guess one size doesn't fit all.

Anyways, I added weight to my custom Joss, and brought it up to 21 as well. My consistency in running out has become much better. In Koehler's "The Science of Pocket Billiards", he spoke about cue weight. He said the proper weight for a player's cue should be the weight that works the best, not what feels the best. I feel better playing with a 19oz cue. I play MUCH better with a 21oz cue - probably 1 ball better per 9-ball rack.

Has anyone gone through this same revelation with cue weight?
Click to expand...
 
Shawn Armstrong said:
I recently switched to a heavier cue (21oz), kind of by accident. Short story - I had an LTD Viking that looked nice, but played like poop. The cue was very forward balanced. I added weight to it recently, and it balanced well at 21oz. So, I started horsing around with it, and my runout percentage improved. I've noticed my stroke mechanics are MUCH better with the heavier cue. I am a bigger guy (not quite in the shape I was when I was 29!), and I'm not sure if I should have been playing with a heavier cue all along, or if I went with 19-19.5oz because that's just the norm for the industry. I guess one size doesn't fit all.

Anyways, I added weight to my custom Joss, and brought it up to 21 as well. My consistency in running out has become much better. In Koehler's "The Science of Pocket Billiards", he spoke about cue weight. He said the proper weight for a player's cue should be the weight that works the best, not what feels the best. I feel better playing with a 19oz cue. I play MUCH better with a 21oz cue - probably 1 ball better per 9-ball rack.

Has anyone gone through this same revelation with cue weight?
Click to expand...
I just recently had the same thing happen. I have been playing with an old Ebony Heubler that weighs a ton. I dont play worth a crap anymore anyway but I have noticed I make more balls and my stroke feels much more consistent with the heavier cue. I have always played with 18-19oz cues and this is the first really heavy cue I have used. I like it.
 
JCIN said:
I just recently had the same thing happen. I have been playing with an old Ebony Heubler that weighs a ton. I dont play worth a crap anymore anyway but I have noticed I make more balls and my stroke feels much more consistent with the heavier cue. I have always played with 18-19oz cues and this is the first really heavy cue I have used. I like it.
Click to expand...
This is hilarious. My cue is an LTD Viking with an ebony forearm. So front heavy at 19 it was horrible. At 21, it's a ball pocketing machine. My Joss has a SS joint, so it's more front weighted, like the Viking
 
I believe it is all mental also. Its just like when you get a new cue, or at least when I do. I feel like that new cue shoots amazing. About a week after owning the cue you are shooting the same as you were before. As stated above, it helps you keep focused with the new cue.
 
a heavier cue will require a slightly different kind of stroke than a lighter cue. obviously you can't move it quite as fast but you will be able to get swing momentum built up with it easier.

similar thing to the age old "lighter or heavier beak cue" issue.

most important thing is trying to work out whether a slightly heavier cue is actually better for you or is it just the classic 'new cue effect'.
 
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One of the

most important things is how is your speed control with the cue. I have seen players that can not get speed control down simply because their cue was too light.

I have mostly shot with a 21 oz most of my playing life, but went to 20.2 oz some years back, and I think it is just right for me,

BTW, does your Pool room have scales that you can weigh your cue on?
 
i find weight to be largely irrelevant, i can play with quite a wide range of weights. the balance is really the thing that affects my play the most, if the cue is balanced right, the weight doesn't matter that much.
 
I do cue repairs (used to build the odd cue), so I have a scale right beside my lathe. Both my cues weigh in at 20.1 oz. FWIW, I wasn't a ball banger that is now running 4 balls instead of 5 playing 9-ball. I've gone from perhaps stumbling during the odd run, to running out quite frequently playing the ghost with BIH after the break. I used to play even with the ghost. Over my last week of playing the ghost at 9-ball, I'm winning most likely 60% or better. I've even become better running out against the 10-ball ghost.

I've lost certain shots with the heavier cue (power draw shot - could draw further with the lighter cue), but my consistency, and also my accuracy has gone way up. I also find I have a purer stroke with the heavier cue - my follow through is much nicer.
 
I usually play with a 19 oz cue and I buy and sell cues when I come across a descent buy on something I like and doing this has allowed me the opportunity to try many different cues and joint styles.

I ran across a deal on a very nice Bob Runde cue on ebay and the seller listed the cue at 20 ozs and I liked the look of the cue so much that I bought it hoping that I could lower to weight after I got the cue to my playing weight of 19 ozs by changing the weight bolt. Well my plan didn't work because the Runde cue already had the lightest weight bolt (aluminum) in it.

I was disappointed thinking that I wouldn't be able to play with the Runde since it was an ounce heavier than what I liked, but I thought i'd try it and see what happened. The first time I took the cue out to play I noticed I was really playing well with it. It seemed that I was more conscience of my mechanics and my concentration using this cue because I thought I wouldn't be able to play well with it thinking it was too heavy for me. I found out that the extra weight didn't hurt my game it helped it!

I played better with the heavier cue and I know this is going to sound strange, but it didn't feel right to me and I couldn't get used to it as my regular playing weight. I sold that cue and went back to my 19 oz cues and I still wonder some times if I did the right thing.

James
 
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