Longer cues-pros and cons
- Thread starter 9balllvr
- Start date
Spears......
Well, it all comes down to how you play, and your size/shape. I played for years with the standard 58inch cues. As I changed form and stretched out a bit more, my hand was always on the very butt of the cues. Then I started playing with a 32inch shaft and standard 29inch butt. That helped a lot!! However, my hand was still not on the wrap, and I had a new cue made that is 64inches. Plays great, and I am very comfortable with it. I am 6'1'', and have long arms and torsoe. What works for me may not be comfortable for you. I would suggest trying a longer shaft first on your current stick, and see how it goes. If you prefer it, then have a stick made longer.
The only downsides are that a custom case WILL be in order, and you will be uncomfortable playing with short bar lumber from then on! Best of luck, Scott
Well, it all comes down to how you play, and your size/shape. I played for years with the standard 58inch cues. As I changed form and stretched out a bit more, my hand was always on the very butt of the cues. Then I started playing with a 32inch shaft and standard 29inch butt. That helped a lot!! However, my hand was still not on the wrap, and I had a new cue made that is 64inches. Plays great, and I am very comfortable with it. I am 6'1'', and have long arms and torsoe. What works for me may not be comfortable for you. I would suggest trying a longer shaft first on your current stick, and see how it goes. If you prefer it, then have a stick made longer.
The only downsides are that a custom case WILL be in order, and you will be uncomfortable playing with short bar lumber from then on! Best of luck, Scott
9balllvr said:
The cue should fit your body and stroke. I play with a 60" cue (mine is a JossWest with a Predator shaft but I have 2 other 60" cues as back up including a break cue).
If you have longer arms, for example I wear a 35" shirt sleeve, then the longer cue puts your back hand in the middle or the wrap area, where it should be, not on the butt sleeve. The balance of the cue is much better from this position. So, the advantage is balance which enhances feel and fine speed control. Plus you can let your stroke go. If the cue is too short on some shots I found my tendency was to jab at it instead of stroke it. Also, it is amazing how many shots you can reach on the table with those extra couple of inches.
The disadvantage is that a longer cue tends to be more flexible, so you can get a long skinny shaft that is too hard to control. I've played with some that squirted so much nobody could control them. I use a Predator to avoid this - it's the best performing long shaft I've ever used. That is why I would not go to a cue that is longer than necessary.
The ideal set up is a properly balanced extended cue that is made by someone knowledgeable of these things.
Chris
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Thanks for the comments....what I have found is that I am continually grabbing at the end of the butt AND have a tendency (when tired, etc) to swing my arm outwards instead of in a pendulum-type motion, thus throwing my shots off. I have tried out a longer cue a couple of times and it seems to correct that issue a bit, but have gotten feedback from locals that say the longer cue could hurt my stroke. Btw, I am approx 5'7" to 5'8" tall and play with a 58" ish cue.
At 5'7" tall I don't think that you would really need a longer cue. However, as long as the shaft is not too long, then you could migrate to a longer cue. I would not go longer than 60. I'm 6' and have no problem shooting with a 58' cue. A very good player by the name of Daniel Wallace is probably 6'4" and shoots with a stock viking (he literally grabs the butt end). I have found however, that if you play with a 58' cue, then try and find one with the balance point further back (ie. butt heavy). In doing so, you will have a cue that is better balanced for you, since you're grip hand is further back. A cue that is too forward weighted will feel like a brick on you're bridge hand. I have found I like a balance of about 18' to 18.5' (measured from the butt end) on a 58" cue. I have a modest collection of cues, one of them is a zylr which is balanced 19.5' from the butt. Although the cue "hits" good, I can't play with it because the balance throws me off.
Regards,
Doug
Regards,
Doug
Salamander said:
Wanna sell it? PM me...........
I have a 59" cue on order from Bryan Mordt and I HAD a 59" Zyler that hit like a dream. It was stolen. I think 59" is perfect for me and I'm about 6'. I really think you need to have the butt and shaft equal lengths though. Maybe I'm just crazy, but it seems to balance out better that way. I have never hit with a cue longer than 60" that didn't seem "whippy" to me. Just a couple pennies.....
Doug, seriously, PM me if you could part with it
Thanks
~DC
It makes a big difference I have a 60 inch Mike Webb cue...I am 6'2" with a big frame...Its a matter of comfort after having the cue for 5 plus....It will make a difference....This old guy who I used to gamble with and basically learned the game from recommended me to get a longer cue and he was right...
I'm 6-3 and play fine with a 58 inch cue. I never tried a longer one, but I will sometime in the future. I am rarely in the wrap area, except when I choke up for frozen on the rail shots.
One thing that occasionally happens to me however, is my cue stick will slip out of my back hand and come crashing to the table on the follow through of certain shots. I'd say it happens about once a week. Good thing I gave up fancy inlaid cues years ago in favor of a cue that I don't mind getting dings in. lol.
One thing that occasionally happens to me however, is my cue stick will slip out of my back hand and come crashing to the table on the follow through of certain shots. I'd say it happens about once a week. Good thing I gave up fancy inlaid cues years ago in favor of a cue that I don't mind getting dings in. lol.
A couple of things here:
Balance of the cue. This is something that you just have to play around with.
Length of the cue. Get into your stance with the tip of the cue almost touching the cb. Make sure your shooting arm is exactly perpendicular to the floor. Now, check where your hand is at. If it's on the wrap, your cue is fine. If your hand is back on the butt behind the wrap, think about getting a longer cue. I would agree with the poster that said that if your are 5' 7" or 5' 8", you shouldn't need a longer cue than a 58" cue.
Good luck!
Balance of the cue. This is something that you just have to play around with.
Length of the cue. Get into your stance with the tip of the cue almost touching the cb. Make sure your shooting arm is exactly perpendicular to the floor. Now, check where your hand is at. If it's on the wrap, your cue is fine. If your hand is back on the butt behind the wrap, think about getting a longer cue. I would agree with the poster that said that if your are 5' 7" or 5' 8", you shouldn't need a longer cue than a 58" cue.
Good luck!
9balllvr said:
Predator 30" shaft
I have a 30" shaft for sale on here but it's a package deal with a mace break cue. You have to readjust your eyesight so you don't bump the cue ball. Don't have enough time to readjust. Just remember Efren plays with a longer shaft And look at his height It's a plus if you have time to change up your game.
I have a 30" shaft for sale on here but it's a package deal with a mace break cue. You have to readjust your eyesight so you don't bump the cue ball. Don't have enough time to readjust. Just remember Efren plays with a longer shaft And look at his height It's a plus if you have time to change up your game.
At the little 9 ball tournament this weekend a guy had a shot that for me would require a rake. He went over to his gear and picked up a plastic tube. It looked like a golf bag tube. Slipped it over the end of his stick and wow, this thing was lllooonnnggg. Is this think legal? Is there a limit to the length of a stick allowed? I wasn't playing in the match, but even if I was and new it wasn't allowed, I wouldn't have said anything to him. He only had one leg and I knew that he had trouble reaching some shots because of it that a person with two legs could be a lot more comfortable at. It just wouldn't seem right to call something like that on him. Seemed like a very nice fellow and he was obviously enjoying the tournament.
CaptainJR said:
For an obviously disabled player such as himself, yes, it is perfectly legal. I am a wheelchair player and often use that cue extender called a Cue Reach, and it is perfectly legal in every APA, and every other event I have played. As long as it is not an aiming I believe it is perfectly legal.
Someone can feel free to correct me if I am wrong?
Shorty
Shorty said:
I don't believe the rules make distinctions for different players. Having said that, obviously the 'one foot on the floor' rule must be waived for some of those in wheel chairs ... As far as I know there is a minimum length for cues, 40", but no maximum. There is a maximum weight, 25oz iirc, but no minimum. So, the only issue with a really long cue is that it may exceed 25oz. I too could be wrong, but think this is correct according to the 'unified rule' equipment specs.
Just for general interest, there are a couple of cues at Pacific Billiards that must be 96" long ! And they have matching rests !!! They keep them over by those silly 12' tables ....
Dave
Jerry Forsyth
Well-known member
A couple of thoughts on this thread. First, the Cue Reach and other extenders are legal. Second, on cue length, I had a very interesting conversation with Pat Fleming at the Glass City Open this year. Pat plays with a cue that is either 52" or 53" (I don't exactly remember). He says he used to play with a 58" cue and then had a cuemaker reduce it by one inch. He says his accuracy improved so much that he had another inch removed, then another and so on. He says the accuracy improved with each reduction in length. His theory is that the shorter the cue the easier it is to aim it accurately. Of course, stature and personal preferences may dictate vastly different choices for different players. But shortening the cue length for accuracy makes more sense to me than lengthening it. If the concern is that some shots could not then be reached without a bridge then the proper answer may be to play better position, eh? By the way, he had his cuemaker make him a final version at the shorter length where both the butt and the shaft were equal in length.
-Jerry
-Jerry
Jerry Forsyth said:
Is there a limit to the number of cues you can use in a match?
Let me see here.
1. Break cue
2. Normal shooting cue.
3. Jump cue
4. Extra short cue (for when accuracy is needed, see quote above)
5. Extra long cue (to avoid using rake or to use with rake)
6. Cue for putting rake on the end.
7-11. 1-5 with extra soft tip.
12-16 1-5 above with extra hard tip.
I'm going to have to get a golf bag and a caddie!
CaptainJR said:
Yes, there is...at least in the tournaments that I play in---one of them says only three cues. I have zero idea why a limit is imposed.
Don't forget to add the Predator shaft to your choices, above. It is really nice for certain thin cut shots and what I call the McCoy shot, and I love it for my 8-ball break shot. Does a shaft count as half a cue or what?
Jeff Livingston
Jerry Forsyth said:
Just out of curiosity, how tall is he? I'm 6'2" (1.88m) tall and am at the very end of my cue on most shots of any kind of speed or bridge length. The only time I'm really ever on the wrap is if I'm choked up and have a half-table lag type shot or softer. I've also had the problem of sliding my hand out from under the cue as another poster had mentioned. I could not use good form without at least a 58" cue and I have two 60" cues on order as we speak. The only experience I've had with longer cues is when I went to Mark Wilson for lessons and hit a few balls with his cue and it felt really comfortable (I would say it was between 60 and 62 inches) so I thought I'd give it a try.
If they'd bring back 14.1 as the main game I could probably stay with a 58" cue since there aren't as many hard strokes but with 9-ball I think it will be more comfortable.
CaptainJR said:
Johnny Archer has nowadays a "gimmick" just like that. Seen him use that in a few tournaments...
I'm 6'5" and I've been playing for soooo long with a 58" cue... I'm thinking about buying a longer cue. But haven't found a right cuemaker for it... production cues come rarely longer. Especially when I want to have the half a inch extra in both shaft and butt.
And well, I have noticed that not all cases can take in longer cues. Or at least there is some trouble fitting the cue inside the case...