I'm wondering why the BCA has a 25-oz. limit on the weight of pool cues. Do you think a cue that is heavier than 25 ounces can possibly give a player some sort of unfair advantage?
Roger
Roger
Question for Dr. Dave on cue weight
- Thread starter Roger Long
- Start date
Yes, I believe a cue exceeding a 25 oz. limit will definitely give a player an unfair advantage, in a fight.
JoeyA
JoeyA
It probably would have been smarter to send your question via PM to Dr. Dave.
You know you're assuredly going to get a bunch of opinions on your question......just sayin'.
p.s. Well there ya go..... question posed & answered in < 4 hrs.
You know you're assuredly going to get a bunch of opinions on your question......just sayin'.
p.s. Well there ya go..... question posed & answered in < 4 hrs.
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Roger,
I've wondered about this before also, because I can't think of any possible advantage for a super-heavy cue. On the contrary, there are disadvantages (for both a super-heavy playing cue or break cue). For more info, see the optimal cue weight resource page.
Now, a super-light cue (e.g., a carbon-fiber cue lighter than a CB) could have some possible advantages for specialty shots (e.g., to prevent a double hit or for fine control on finesse shots). Honestly, I am more surprised that there is no limit on the light side. Currently, the WPA specs have no minimum weight limitation.
Regards,
Dave
I have cues ranging from 17.3 oz up to 21 oz.
Even though my every day player is 18.7 I still find it much easier to shoot with the
20 oz range in case of the occasional powershot.
Just seems to handle it much better, at least in my case.
My stroke is far from perfect and I find the heavier cue helps a bit with that.
But then at the same time, listen to SVB and Efren talk about how heavy their cues are:
https://youtu.be/sbobEBBWofE?t=48m
SVB is: 23.2 oz
Efren is: 20.2 oz
Heavy cues.......FOR ME.......make my stroke more consistent and I can draw easier.
Even though my every day player is 18.7 I still find it much easier to shoot with the
20 oz range in case of the occasional powershot.
Just seems to handle it much better, at least in my case.
My stroke is far from perfect and I find the heavier cue helps a bit with that.
But then at the same time, listen to SVB and Efren talk about how heavy their cues are:
https://youtu.be/sbobEBBWofE?t=48m
SVB is: 23.2 oz
Efren is: 20.2 oz
Heavy cues.......FOR ME.......make my stroke more consistent and I can draw easier.
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I suppose the extra weight acts as "ballast" to help keep your stroke straighter, and this might also help you get more draw (straighter stroke = ability to hit lower). You might also get more draw (and follow, and CB speed in general) because the extra weight increases the cue's force (kinetic energy) for the same stroke speed.
pj
chgo
Note: Extra force won't increase effective sidespin, which is a function of spin-to-speed ratio (both spin and speed increase with more force).
Sounds reasonable enough. 9 vs .45...lol
I feel the extra weight just helps my stroke come in straighter.
With SVB playing a 23 oz cue I don't feel so bad about it.
However the lighter cues have always felt more "yielding" to me.
Not that they bend...lol but they just feel comfy and cozy in my hand.
But straight stroke pockets balls.
It depends on the mass/moment of inertia of a players arm. Frankly, I'd be surprised if a heavier cue (one heavier than normally used by a particular player) would produce more draw. It may not be true, but I think the typical weights players choose might just be because they are optimal for normal shots (i.e., non power shots around center-ball). If that's at least roughly true, then physics (simple physics that is) dictates that a lighter cue will produce more cueball speed and spin when hitting off-center. The further off-center, the lighter the cue. For instance, if an 18 oz. is optimal with a center-ball hit for a particular player, then a 13 oz. cue would be best at max offset!
All of that assumes the player is generating the same max force, regardless of the weight. However, as Dr. Dave has pointed out, a heavier cue, or at least one not so drastically reduced, might enable a player to generate more stroke force, thus falsifying the simple physics and supporting your suggestion. I guess the easiest way to find out is to try various cues.
Jim
Those with heavier cues probably let the weight of the cue do the work with less speed on the forward stroke .If you have a forward balance your pushing the weight , if butt heavy your pulling the weight. I feel a butt heavy cue slows my stroke down while a forward balance speeds it up . It would be interesting to see the numbers of peoples preferences .
I guess if you switched to a heavier cue and used the same effort to move it, the slower speed plus greater mass would result in the same CB speed.
Your hand/arm can't tell the difference.
pj
chgo
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How would you know what his arm can feel?
My hand/arm can sure tell the difference!
Al
Hi Jim,
I know you have a very good understanding.
When I first started using english (at 13) & was hitting far out near the miscue area I always used the lightest cue which was usually a 15 oz. I had at home & occasionally a 14 oz. in a hall. Gradually as I got better I sort of settled on a 17 oz cue. I never really wanted to go any heavier than that & am still most comfortable with one close to that.
I know the formula for force but there is a difference that can be felt in a heavy cue at slower speed & a light cue at higher speed.
We're human beings & not robots. There are different techniques that one prefers over another for various reasons what ever they are & most come down to how things 'feel'.
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By knowing what there is and isn't available to feel. He might feel a balance difference with both hands, but that isn't the same as feeling a balance difference with just the back hand. With only one hand you can feel an overall weight difference, but there's no way you can tell how the weight is balanced (in order to feel like you're pushing or pulling the weight).
I don't think so. Easy enough to test.
pj
chgo
Well PJ,
It looks to me like you have to have the last word to appear that you are right and everyone else is wrong so this is my last post on this subject.
After I was in a motorcycle accident about 10 years ago, I lost most of the skin off the end of the middle finger of my right hand along with my fingernail.
When the bandages came off, my finger was so sensitive that I could run my finger across a multi color cloth with my eyes closed and detect where the colors changed.
That put new light on the movies where safe crackers sanded their finger tips.
I'm sorry that you are missing out on so many things others can feel.
Al