I've heard of cues being butt heavy or forward balanced. Does this affect your game in any way or is it just a matter of what you like?
Which is best, forward balance or butt heavy cues??
- Thread starter Onepocketking1
- Start date
If you want the cue ball to roll long for energy spent rear weight.
Front weight for short roll.
bill
its what you like, I have a freind who has a ass heavy cue i cant stand-he bought it in 74 and has use it ever since, i love the looks, i cant play a lick with it, he robs me-he is a very solid player. So yeah its what you like.
now a little history and my opinion, the old fat ass heavy cues(back weighted) were best on the slow cloth, thats all gone now-the fast cloth popped up in around 88-89. I have some old Butt heavy cues and they are just too much for me on todays equipment. Most new cues now are a bit more forward weighted, you dont need to load up with a monster stroke to move the ball, its pity pat pool. And IMO forward weighted cues are better for that, and probably why more cues are made like that. the old school cues still work fine, so its up to you. my cue is not a extreme forward weighted cue and sure isnt a back weighted cue, its heavy in the middle, maybe on the 60 yard line to the forward side-thats what i like, most everyne who plays with my cue likes it. its about right i think.
so play with the cue that brings out the best in you
"CJ is the Teacher"
best
eric:smile:
So a rear weighted cue is better for nine ball and a forward balanced cue is better for straight pool? What if I play both, should I get a cue for each game? I think that would be a bit expensive. How about a evenly balanced cue, would that be better for all around play?
What FatBoy said. It's like what's better hard or soft tips it all depends on that the player likes I myself am a forward balanced cue and hard tip. What works for might not work for you.
Reading my posts means you consent to my incorrect spelling and poor typing skills.
Reading my posts means you consent to my incorrect spelling and poor typing skills.
thats a good point JoseV, the tips-I tend to like med to a softer tip on the forward weighted cues. and Harder tips on ass heavy cues. This is by no means a guid to tips, the tip has to match the hit of the cue-thats a real long conversation. Stiffer cues as a rule are better with harder tips. Also guys with very powerful strokes seem to tend towards harder tips. these are ALL general statements , its a matter of what you like, and even that changes over the years for most everyone. so you really cant be wrong, unless the tip dont match the cue and thats more than i can type. time is your friend, and ask people you know if you can hit balls with their cue and ask them about their equipment-its fun and you learn.
I get what you're saying. Thanks for the feedback FatBoy.
Good point JoseV. I didn't think about the tip affecting play as well.
also i played with a Joss like JoseV has-not near as fancy for 3 years. it was a mid weighted cue 19.5 oz(heavy now for me-not then tho) and used med tip on it. I like his cue lots, i aint hit a ball with it yet, i hope to someday, its a dandy of a cue. Also there is the layered and non layered tip opinions, that matters as much as balance point your OP.
so try everything possible, i hit bals with 100's of different cues a year, i aam never shy to ask people if i can hit a few balls with their cues, pros, amatures, people i barely know. and 99.9% of the time people are glad to share. and talk about it, thats one of the nice things in pool. I have a very expensive cue i been using the past 5 years, which is unusual for me, i have always like to own a few monsters but my players have never been fancy until this cue-its kinda embarrassing for me to have a flashy cue. my point is i let anyone who is a B player or even C+ player hit balls with it, if the person can handlt the cue and not ding it, they get to use it, as a result 70% of all the top players have used it, and a couple hundred other people-its cool to share, i ask for their feed back on it. and one time i learned something real important about it.
point is jump in man!!!
so try everything possible, i hit bals with 100's of different cues a year, i aam never shy to ask people if i can hit a few balls with their cues, pros, amatures, people i barely know. and 99.9% of the time people are glad to share. and talk about it, thats one of the nice things in pool. I have a very expensive cue i been using the past 5 years, which is unusual for me, i have always like to own a few monsters but my players have never been fancy until this cue-its kinda embarrassing for me to have a flashy cue. my point is i let anyone who is a B player or even C+ player hit balls with it, if the person can handlt the cue and not ding it, they get to use it, as a result 70% of all the top players have used it, and a couple hundred other people-its cool to share, i ask for their feed back on it. and one time i learned something real important about it.
point is jump in man!!!
QUOTE=Fatboy;4187683]also i played with a Joss like JoseV has-not near as fancy for 3 years. it was a mid weighted cue 19.5 oz(heavy now for me-not then tho) and used med tip on it. I like his cue lots, i aint hit a ball with it yet, i hope to someday, its a dandy of a cue. Also there is the layered and non layered tip opinions, that matters as much as balance point your OP.
so try everything possible, i hit bals with 100's of different cues a year, i aam never shy to ask people if i can hit a few balls with their cues, pros, amatures, people i barely know. and 99.9% of the time people are glad to share. and talk about it, thats one of the nice things in pool. I have a very expensive cue i been using the past 5 years, which is unusual for me, i have always like to own a few monsters but my players have never been fancy until this cue-its kinda embarrassing for me to have a flashy cue. my point is i let anyone who is a B player or even C+ player hit balls with it, if the person can handlt the cue and not ding it, they get to use it, as a result 70% of all the top players have used it, and a couple hundred other people-its cool to share, i ask for their feed back on it. and one time i learned something real important about it.
point is jump in man!!![/QUOTE]
Cool. I'll try the whole " let me hit a couple with your cue.." line and see if it'll work.
Thanks again FatBoy.[
so try everything possible, i hit bals with 100's of different cues a year, i aam never shy to ask people if i can hit a few balls with their cues, pros, amatures, people i barely know. and 99.9% of the time people are glad to share. and talk about it, thats one of the nice things in pool. I have a very expensive cue i been using the past 5 years, which is unusual for me, i have always like to own a few monsters but my players have never been fancy until this cue-its kinda embarrassing for me to have a flashy cue. my point is i let anyone who is a B player or even C+ player hit balls with it, if the person can handlt the cue and not ding it, they get to use it, as a result 70% of all the top players have used it, and a couple hundred other people-its cool to share, i ask for their feed back on it. and one time i learned something real important about it.
point is jump in man!!![/QUOTE]
Cool. I'll try the whole " let me hit a couple with your cue.." line and see if it'll work.
Thanks again FatBoy.[
![/QUOTE]
Cool. I'll try the whole " let me hit a couple with your cue.." line and see if it'll work. Thanks again FatBoy.[[/QUOTE]
it will work, people mosre often than not are cool about letting you hit a few balls, unless your a stone cold beginner and they are worried about their cue. you will find your way. glad to help anytime, pm me any time, now in a year from now-anytime. I know some people who love playing with cues more than they do pool-thats not me i'm a player first cue guy 2nd. i do know a thing or 2 about cues but am still learning 28 years later.
Cool. I'll try the whole " let me hit a couple with your cue.." line and see if it'll work.
Thanks again FatBoy.[[/QUOTE]it will work, people mosre often than not are cool about letting you hit a few balls, unless your a stone cold beginner and they are worried about their cue. you will find your way. glad to help anytime, pm me any time, now in a year from now-anytime. I know some people who love playing with cues more than they do pool-thats not me i'm a player first cue guy 2nd. i do know a thing or 2 about cues but am still learning 28 years later.
I think it's a matter of what you like. I'd be surprised if anyone ever picked up a cue that was strangely balanced, and said "huh, this is weighted way to the front/back, but I really like it"... probably more like "huh, this is weird" and they go back to what they're used to.
There'd have to be real, scientifically proven benefit to get someone to stick to a weight distribution that feels weird to them. I'm not sure there are any benefits, it seems like just being different for different's sake.
There'd have to be real, scientifically proven benefit to get someone to stick to a weight distribution that feels weird to them. I'm not sure there are any benefits, it seems like just being different for different's sake.
its typical to play with just one cue, learn it know it, love it and keep it. switching cues isnt the way forwards. there have been a few champions who never owned a cue, but they had so much natural talent it didnt matter-Bugs Rucker was one of them.
so stick with one, find what you like,
It's what you get used to. I have a 20z McDermott, it's my heaviest and most butt heavy cue, about 1" or less before the wrap. I have a 18.5oz Joss. It's my lightest and most forward balanced cue, 4 or 5" in front of the wrap. I have a couple of other cues in between.
Another thing to note, the weight bolt will change the balance. The heavier the bolt, the more butt heavy it will be.
Anyhow, my point is that I play with all my cues. It takes some time to adjust, especially when I split a game with different cues. I guess you can say it's a matter of what you like, but I think it's more a matter of what you get used to. It's the state of mind of the player.
It is a matter of personal preference. I like a well balanced cue myself and dislike a butt heavy cue. Neither has any appreciable impact on how the CB moves as some might say. Weight is weight and the cue is straight. That produces a force vector. If you hit a CB with a butt heavy cue and a balanced cue with the exact same stroke (assuming both cues weigh the same) in the exact same spot, the CB will react the exact same way.
Some people like big butts....but most don't. 
As for cues, you'll find the bigger/thicker butts still used in billiards I think.
Personal preference is the number one thing, but we have seen an evolution of the equipment in general.
My 70's JOSS isn't thick or butt heavy. It has quite modern dimensions and balance, so the stereotype isn't always correct and although some will want to tie the evolution of cue dimensions to cloth evolution I think the connection is less direct and more coincidental than some suppose.
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As for cues, you'll find the bigger/thicker butts still used in billiards I think.
Personal preference is the number one thing, but we have seen an evolution of the equipment in general.
My 70's JOSS isn't thick or butt heavy. It has quite modern dimensions and balance, so the stereotype isn't always correct and although some will want to tie the evolution of cue dimensions to cloth evolution I think the connection is less direct and more coincidental than some suppose.
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[/QUOTE]Cool. I'll try the whole " let me hit a couple with your cue.." line and see if it'll work. Thanks again FatBoy.[[/QUOTE]
it will work, people mosre often than not are cool about letting you hit a few balls, unless your a stone cold beginner and they are worried about their cue. you will find your way. glad to help anytime, pm me any time, now in a year from now-anytime. I know some people who love playing with cues more than they do pool-thats not me i'm a player first cue guy 2nd. i do know a thing or 2 about cues but am still learning 28 years later.[/QUOTE]
Will do. Thanks again.
Thanks again FatBoy.[[/QUOTE]it will work, people mosre often than not are cool about letting you hit a few balls, unless your a stone cold beginner and they are worried about their cue. you will find your way. glad to help anytime, pm me any time, now in a year from now-anytime. I know some people who love playing with cues more than they do pool-thats not me i'm a player first cue guy 2nd. i do know a thing or 2 about cues but am still learning 28 years later.[/QUOTE]
Will do. Thanks again.
Where are the physics majors when you need one... I agree with the idea that people learn something and develop a preference for whatever that is and I've never seen good discussion on the impact of rear vs forward weights.
However, if the balance point were really close to the rear of the cue then your hand would be in front of the balance point with the butt pulling down and wouldn't that tend to lead to the tip of the cue moving up (imagine an extreme case where the butt weighed a couple of pounds)? Thus leading a player to either develop a firmer grip or always using a closed bridge even when an open bridge is called for? Maybe there just isn't enough weight to make a difference since the stick is nearly always at a downward angle relative to the stroke (due to rails being in the way)?
I prefer a forward balanced cue and use, on all but very long or high power shots, an open bridge with a very light grip. It seems to me that the forward balance helps distribute the weight between my grip hand and my bridge making for a more stable stick. Could be all in my head though because cues are so light it may just not be enough to matter. I'm also biased because early in my playing career someone I thought knew what he was talking about told me the stick should be balanced a few inches in front of your hand -- too early in my career for me to be worried about the physics of it.
However, if the balance point were really close to the rear of the cue then your hand would be in front of the balance point with the butt pulling down and wouldn't that tend to lead to the tip of the cue moving up (imagine an extreme case where the butt weighed a couple of pounds)? Thus leading a player to either develop a firmer grip or always using a closed bridge even when an open bridge is called for? Maybe there just isn't enough weight to make a difference since the stick is nearly always at a downward angle relative to the stroke (due to rails being in the way)?
I prefer a forward balanced cue and use, on all but very long or high power shots, an open bridge with a very light grip. It seems to me that the forward balance helps distribute the weight between my grip hand and my bridge making for a more stable stick. Could be all in my head though because cues are so light it may just not be enough to matter. I'm also biased because early in my playing career someone I thought knew what he was talking about told me the stick should be balanced a few inches in front of your hand -- too early in my career for me to be worried about the physics of it.
Well hopefully my Josey will feel great in my hands. They say Josey's are forward balanced. Should be getting it by August. I'm playing with a Lomax sneaky and love the way it plays. Let's see how the Josey plays. Thanks for the feedback guys.
Joseys are great but from what I've seen (for my short armspan) they're usually a bit rear balanced around 18-18.5"
That isn't really rear balanced, but for me it is. I have come to like heavy cues around 20" balance.