Mid cue extensions? Yes or no?

7stud

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In a lot of his videos, Dr. Dave is seen using a mid cue extension. Have you ever tried a mid cue extension? If so, what was your experience?

I would think a mid cue extension would create a stiffer cue than a custom 60" or 62" cue because of the extra joint. Does an extra joint adversely affect feel? I imagine the advantage of a mid cue extension v. a rear extension might be that a rear extension will create a butt heavy cue?

If you had your choice, and you wanted a cue longer than 58" would you get a custom cue made with equal splits, say, a 30" butt and a 30" shaft, or would you buy a mid cue extension, say 4" long, and add that to a standard 58" cue, or would you buy a 6" rear extension?
 

MitchAlsup

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
a) wrt stiffness::
.....making something longer decreases stiffness
.....adding a joint decreases stiffness

b) wrt using a joint: use it when it helps, don't when it doesn't. A longer cue does not give you the option.
 

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I used a "mid" for a while but it was more for a cross thread adaptor. I liked for while but stopped. Only way to appreciate/evaluate is to try one. One size does not fit all. I can't not recommend or recommend.
The rear extension for me is the Predator that screws on/off when needed.
 

muskyed

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My experience, and have only tried a rear extension, is I like it, and if using a light extension doesn't add much actual weight if you have the ability to lighten your weight bolt enough. With my Schon, I was using a 30" Jacoby Ultra shaft. Then ordered some carbon extensions in 3" and 6 or 8" from Rick Roper with a couple replacement adapter bumpers. Also had him modify one of the 3" extensions to make it lighter yet, and that saved another .15 oz. Also as I had various weight bolts for my schons, I cut the small steel one down some then put it in my lathe and drilled out the center somewhat till I was just over .4 oz. I'm 6'2",and liked 30" shafts before this, but with the extension didn't like that, so I purchased a standard 29" Jacoby Ultra shaft. So now I am at apx 19.6 oz for a 61" cue that does not feel heavy or out of ballance. I may buy another aluminum weight bolt and that would allow me to reduce the weight another .15 oz, but I sort of like it where it is now. What's nice about this way is everything fits nice, your cue is just as straight as it always was, has the same hit, not much if any weight change, and you have the ability to remove if needed for some reason. Also forgot, if you need a longer extension for some shots, his extensions are stackable so you can just screw a longer one on the back of the 3" one you keep on.
 

CocoboloCowboy

Cowboys are my hero's
Silver Member
I recently got Cue with 6” Extension, happy I paid for the Extension.
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wakuljr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I had my cue made longer, 31" butt with 291/2" shfts with a conical taper. Total is 60 1\2", I had the wrap moved back 1/2" so it plays like a 61". Love it 😍
 

Vahmurka

...and I get all da rolls
Silver Member
Mid-no
Rear-yes
A mid extension totally changes the way a cue plays imo
I wouldn't name it 'totally'. Depends on the materials used (=weight), and sometimes on the task it serves. I'm pretty much happy with a Balance-Rite, which is a mid-cue extension with the goal to shift balance point forwards. I don't use it for general play normally (though I'm pretty comfortable with it, so that I don't remove it right after the shot I used it for), only for some hard to reach shots. There are players who play with Balance-Rite all the way.

The only drawback of a mid-cue extension is the time it takes to put on and off (unless you have a uniloc quick joint - which is pretty lame anyway). Mine takes about 15 sec to install (unscrew the cue, screw two joints, then add another one).
There is no way to have a screw-in butt extender on my cue, there are two little bolts (one for weight and another holds the rubber bumper) so I don't want to mess with the original design, so rear cue extension is a no-no for me. I tried those that are designed like a tube, but they are bulky to carry. Balance-Rite is much more versatile for me here.
Also I would have considered ordering a custom mid-cue extender, a longer one, and not as heavy, as long as my cue is already forward-balanced, so I don't need what BR has to offer. But as my table time has become more limited recently, there's no rush about that longer extender.
 

Ed13

Member
A 58" cue is too short for me, would prefer 60"+.

Use a mid extension Balance Rite on my 2 Meucci cues.

For my Predator cues I use a 6" rear extension when playing. Remove all the weight bolts gets me to 20-21ozs using Revo shafts.

Both solutions are not ideal but will work with what I have and are better than using cues that are too short. Some day in the future I may look at a custom cue.

Currently using a 60", 3/4 joint, 20oz snooker cue which places my hand at the end of the cue. Lucky I was able to get a longer than 57" regular cue form a stockist in England without having to pay custom prices.
 

muskyed

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Roper makes extension rubber butt adapters for most all cues. His bumpers replace the one you have. My Schon was a two bolt in stock form, still is, just slightly different. Only downside would be for those that currently have no weight bolt, or a very light aluminum one. In that case you would gain a slight amount of weight. Less though than a mid cue extension, and still have the ability to quickly remove if something is in the way of your backswing.
 
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Burnett Custom Cues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I wouldn't name it 'totally'. Depends on the materials used (=weight), and sometimes on the task it serves. I'm pretty much happy with a Balance-Rite, which is a mid-cue extension with the goal to shift balance point forwards. I don't use it for general play normally (though I'm pretty comfortable with it, so that I don't remove it right after the shot I used it for), only for some hard to reach shots. There are players who play with Balance-Rite all the way.

The only drawback of a mid-cue extension is the time it takes to put on and off (unless you have a uniloc quick joint - which is pretty lame anyway). Mine takes about 15 sec to install (unscrew the cue, screw two joints, then add another one).
There is no way to have a screw-in butt extender on my cue, there are two little bolts (one for weight and another holds the rubber bumper) so I don't want to mess with the original design, so rear cue extension is a no-no for me. I tried those that are designed like a tube, but they are bulky to carry. Balance-Rite is much more versatile for me here.
Also I would have considered ordering a custom mid-cue extender, a longer one, and not as heavy, as long as my cue is already forward-balanced, so I don't need what BR has to offer. But as my table time has become more limited recently, there's no rush about that longer extender.
If your cue has a 3/8x16 or 1/2x13 weight bolt and bumper screw, they make a bumper kit that would work on your cue.
 

David in FL

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Mid-no
Rear-yes
A mid extension totally changes the way a cue plays imo

^^^ This ^^^

I use an 8-inch, light, carbon fiber extension, only when needed to extend my reach. It has a quick release joint in the bumper and goes on and off almost instantly. Because it’s so light it doesn’t change the playability of the cue significantly for the single shot that I need to play at the time.

If I felt that I needed an extra couple of inches permanently, I would have another cue made.
 

crazy8legs

Registered
I've tried a Balance Rite 4" mid extension. I'm 5'8" and it threw my mechanics and timing off. However I gave it to my friend who is 6'7" and it really improved his form and he plays much better with it.

I now have a 30" CF shaft and I find I hit through the ball better with it. But I don't love the CF hit so I've gone back to a 29" wood shaft.

Now I have a 4" rear extension that I leave on permanently. I took out the weight bolt in my cue, and love the setup. I just wish it was 6" instead so I would have a bit more reach.
 

Thunder Thighs

I'm your Huckleberry
Silver Member
I still have one of those adapters that converts from one joint type to another. It's only about 1.5" and weighs 1.25oz. For all intents and purposes it does act like a short mid cue extension. I didn't like using it because it threw off the balance of the cue.
 

7stud

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I acquired a 58" cue with a 4" mid-cue extension (maple) and an 8" Predator rear extension (carbon fiber). My favorite configuration is with both extensions, but at 70" long ( 24.85 oz) sometimes there isn't enough room around a pool table. My next favorite configuration is with the mid-cue extension only (21.63 oz). The extra weight with the extensions doesn't bother me. I like the easy power I get with a heavier cue.

I noticed that Viking sells 3", 4", and 6" mid cue extensions ($90). And, if you are tall and have big hands, you may like Viking's standard butt size of 1.295". In practice, when employing a mid cue extension you may end up gripping the cue forward of the very end of the butt, at a point where the butt has tapered some, so the butt won't feel that fat. Not many custom cue makers (if any?) will make a cue with a butt as fat as a Viking cue, and I don't think any other production cue maker makes butts fatter than 1.25". Does anyone know what the standard McDermott butt size is? Viking and McDermott cues get compared a lot, but no one mentions that standard Viking cues have fat butts. If you like slimmer cues, some of Viking's cues have a "skinny" option. Production cue makers allow you to select the weight of the cue, but adding a weight bolt at the end of the butt makes the cue butt heavy. You may like that feeling or you may not. A mid cue extension helps move the balance forward. I'm contemplating ordering a low end Viking with a 6" mid cue extension to see how it compares to my cue.

Viking also makes a rear extension in 6" and 11" lengths ($168, ouch!), so it's possible to configure a long cue with a large diameter butt from a production maker.

ShortStop on Pool thinks tall players should be using much longer cues:


He is 6'5", and he uses a 60" cue with an 8" mid cue extension, and he thinks a 68" cue is the minimum length for someone his height. He also has some comments on ideal cue weight. His cue is much lighter than mine.
 
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L.S. Dennis

Well-known member
In a lot of his videos, Dr. Dave is seen using a mid cue extension. Have you ever tried a mid cue extension? If so, what was your experience?

I would think a mid cue extension would create a stiffer cue than a custom 60" or 62" cue because of the extra joint. Does an extra joint adversely affect feel? I imagine the advantage of a mid cue extension v. a rear extension might be that a rear extension will create a butt heavy cue?

If you had your choice, and you wanted a cue longer than 58" would you get a custom cue made with equal splits, say, a 30" butt and a 30" shaft, or would you buy a mid cue extension, say 4" long, and add that to a standard 58" cue, or would you buy a 6" rear extension?
I tried the mid cue extension by Dr Dave uses and to me it make the cue feel forward heavy. I ended up going back to the normal cue length and using rear cue extension when needed for exceptionally long shots.
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
In a lot of his videos, Dr. Dave is seen using a mid cue extension. Have you ever tried a mid cue extension? If so, what was your experience?

I would think a mid cue extension would create a stiffer cue than a custom 60" or 62" cue because of the extra joint. Does an extra joint adversely affect feel? I imagine the advantage of a mid cue extension v. a rear extension might be that a rear extension will create a butt heavy cue?

If you had your choice, and you wanted a cue longer than 58" would you get a custom cue made with equal splits, say, a 30" butt and a 30" shaft, or would you buy a mid cue extension, say 4" long, and add that to a standard 58" cue, or would you buy a 6" rear extension?

I use the joint extender only to lengthen the cue since I am 6' 3" tall. It also adds a little weight, which I have grown to like. I also use a butt extender, but only for shots requiring extra reach. What I don't like about the joint extender is: the extra joint added slight non-straightness to my cue, but it doesn't affect play (although, it is a little annoying). Concerning the "feel" of the cue, I really don't care about how a cue sounds or "feels." For more info, see:

 
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