Lightest Possible Break Cue

J

jesinspirment

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Suppose I want a lightest possible weight for a break cue.

I have some questions for the cuemakers here.

- What are some of the lighter woods suitable for building a light cue?

- For break performance, how does the shaft play a part? Taper? Tip?

- In theory, what is the lightest possible cue to build?
 
Well, I can't terribly answer any of your questions, BUT, the lightest 1-piece cue I have seen was 15 oz. and if you cut it in 2, put in a G-10 pin, you would be slightly under 15 oz. I currently break with a McDermott Stinger J/B with all of the weight removed, and am sure I am sitting under 18 oz. and maybe under 17. I break HARD, but it took me a week or two to get used to the lighter weight, I had an Axiom J/B before that was weighing near 19 after removing all the weight from it, and so far it is a wash, I make nearly the same amount of balls with either cue. I will say that my current J/B jumps WAY better, having had a 1-piece phenolic ferrule/tip on it. I am not sure I would want to go much lighter than 15 oz. Try out a few 1-piece bar cues that are lighter and see which weight you are most comfortable with and shoot for that one in a break cue.

Jim Notestine
 
my break cue if i remove all the weight weighs between 15 and 16 ounces.

I have tried it before and found that light weight cues break like crap and that makes sense. The amount of power that can be delivered to a cue ball with a given tip is mass multiplied by speed. A lot of people think you can accelerate a lighter cue up to speed faster than a heavy cue which is true in a way, however the majority of the mass that is being accelerated on a break shot is ones arm. The difference in arm (20 pounds) plus light cue (16 ounces) versus arm (20 pounds) plus heavy cue (25 ounces) isn't all that high a percentage difference (3%) but the difference in heavy versus light cue is significant (36%). You will always get more breaking power and accuracy with a heavier (within reason) break cue.

I'm a big man and can get a 25 ounce cue accelerated just about as fast as anyone with a 16 ounce cue.
 
the breed said:
my break cue if i remove all the weight weighs between 15 and 16 ounces.

I have tried it before and found that light weight cues break like crap and that makes sense. The amount of power that can be delivered to a cue ball with a given tip is mass multiplied by speed. A lot of people think you can accelerate a lighter cue up to speed faster than a heavy cue which is true in a way, however the majority of the mass that is being accelerated on a break shot is ones arm. The difference in arm (20 pounds) plus light cue (16 ounces) versus arm (20 pounds) plus heavy cue (25 ounces) isn't all that high a percentage difference (3%) but the difference in heavy versus light cue is significant (36%). You will always get more breaking power and accuracy with a heavier (within reason) break cue.

I'm a big man and can get a 25 ounce cue accelerated just about as fast as anyone with a 16 ounce cue.
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Breed,

There are different opinions on this subject both from makers and users - otherwise there would be no choices but one.
If one player can accelerate a 16oz cue faster than a 25oz cue, the resulting force on the cue ball will be greater (Force=Mass x Acceleration).
Now in your argument, you are combining the mass of your arm with that of the cue, I'm not sure that is valid given the non-rigid nature of the connection from the cue up through your arm - it's more like a spring.
My 2 cents,
Gary
 
I think the lighter vs heavier break cue is an individual experiment. I used a BK2, best breaking results I'd had in a long time, but didn't have the cash to buy one. Months later, I used another one...could not break for my life. I went to a local place and tried out every break cue they had, about 8, and ended up with the McDermott Stinger J/B...which I've had for well over 2 years. Fast forward to a few months ago, a buddy has a BK3, I try it and break great. Is it the BK3? I know it isn't me, but what I did find out is that the BK3 was a very light cue...so was the BK2 that I used years before, yes, I called the guy. In my case, a lighter BKx cue is my magic formula. Could it be yours? maybe, maybe not, you just got do the experimentation.
 
Personally the first break I ever saw that made my jaw drop was from a guy in my pool club breaking with a Lighting Bolt break cue with a g10 pin. G10 tip ferrule.

His breaks were monstrous, but his acceleration was incredible too.
 
A lighter cue can be moved faster but there is a point where the lighter doesn't move the cue ball as well. My personal feeling is that the really light cue bounces back off the cue ball like recoil in a rifle, you lose some forward velocity.

The best all around weight is the same weight as your shooter or just a little bit more.... It seems to give me the best feel and break.

Kim
 
the breed said:
my break cue if i remove all the weight weighs between 15 and 16 ounces.

I have tried it before and found that light weight cues break like crap and that makes sense. The amount of power that can be delivered to a cue ball with a given tip is mass multiplied by speed. A lot of people think you can accelerate a lighter cue up to speed faster than a heavy cue which is true in a way, however the majority of the mass that is being accelerated on a break shot is ones arm. The difference in arm (20 pounds) plus light cue (16 ounces) versus arm (20 pounds) plus heavy cue (25 ounces) isn't all that high a percentage difference (3%) but the difference in heavy versus light cue is significant (36%). You will always get more breaking power and accuracy with a heavier (within reason) break cue.

I'm a big man and can get a 25 ounce cue accelerated just about as fast as anyone with a 16 ounce cue.
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I agree with this. I used a lighter stick to break with years and only did so-so. I made one out of Ebony and PH, weighs at least 25oz and it breaks fantastic! The ladies on my team who have a weak break did very well with it. I know the tip only contacts the ball for a split second but if the cue bounces back in that instance you are losing that much force. So now that my break cue delivers the power , I can concentrate on where I want to hit the rack and not have to put excessive force behind the cue potentially throwing my aim off line. Going to a heavy break cue definitely improved my breaks.
 
I recall reading about a controlled experiment somewhere, don't remember where. The end rail was removed and distance measured where the CB hit the ground. Through a test of 10-30oz cues, a 17oz did about the best all around. I don't know the conditions, tip hardness, etc. but I believe everything was kept consistent outside the cue weight.
 
DoubleD said:
That was in a Billiards Digest article probably fourteen years ago. I read it and thought that their methods were flawed at best.

dld
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Well my break cue is 18oz and I crush them pretty good. I cannot get the same consistent results with a 23oz "hammer". Hard tip is crucial.
 
Just saying the majority of the mass you are accelerating is your arm and the mass that is important for that .oo1 of a second that the cue and the ball are in contact is the cue. The impact time is so short that with the high elasticity of your skin the formula is cue mass X cue speed. i would challenge anyone to hit a loose load cell that weighs 6 ounces with a light cue and a heavy cue. Heavy will win every time.
 
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