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© Copyright 2000-2008
RAVEN Custom Cues
Marion, IA 52302
Butt weight, balance point and diameter. This was originally written to talk about some of the factors that contributed to how a cue played. It was never intended as a guide for designing a cue. Furthermore I have come to believe a cue is best built with the least possible interference in its true transmission of vibration. I no longer advocate artificially weighting a cue or artificially moving the balance point. With that in mind, the observations are still valid. Often it is said, except for its weight, the butt portion of a two-piece cue has little to do with how a cue plays. I disagree. There are two other aspects to the butt that have significant impacts on how a cue plays. Where the weight is located and how thick the diameter of the butt is. Keep in mind that I’m talking about tendencies, not irrefutable facts. My experience says heavier cues are more stable. Years ago I added about 2 ounces of weight to my 19 ounce Meucci hustler. I lost some feel in the cue but overall I liked the result. It seemed to play better. Although the weight was a little farther toward the butt than I would have preferred, it seemed to draw the ball better. I could also force the ball around the table with stun shots more easily. Until I started making cues I never owned a break cue. A friend was interested in a heavy break cue so I made one that weighed 25 ounces so we could test it. We were both surprised at the amount of force it seemed to apply to the cueball and to the force with which the cue ball struck the rack. We quickly found that if we wanted to keep the cue ball on the table we had to hit it with control. I must digress. I’m not going to go into a long discussion about the physics involved in the break. There has been much debate about the theoretical energy transfer of heavy vs light cues. I won’t argue with the physics. What I will say is that things are somewhat different in the real world than on a chalkboard. My experience tells me most pool players cannot generate the cue ball speed of top-notch pros. My experience also tells me when they try to generate maximum cue ball speed their control goes to hell. They end up striking the cue ball off center and generally striking the head ball off their aiming point too. In my opinion most players will get better breaks using a heavier cue and a controlled stroke. Solid contact on the cue ball with exacting contact on the object ball will impart far more energy to the rack than any glancing blow. I could make a break cue weigh anything I wanted it to weigh. Mine weighs 23.5 ounces. Now back to the weight of the butt. I guess sometimes I just get lazy. Rather than break, walk back to my case grab my playing cue and go back to the table, I often just shoot with the cue in my hands. I quickly found that I played pretty well with the 23.5-ounce break cue. It also has a stiff laminated shaft and a very hard tip. I am not suggesting that everyone should use heavy cues. I do suggest you should experiment with cues in different weight ranges to see how they effect your game. Where the weight is located (moving the balance point forward or backwards in the cue) tends to make the overall cue feel lighter or heavier than it actually is. As far as exactly where the balance point should be, I don’t think there is a real right or wrong answer. My personal preference is a little farther forward than many people prefer. But, you have to consider that I also like my personal playing cues to be about 59 ½ inches long. No two pieces of wood are the same. I think it is a mistake to arbitrarily set the balance point and I don’t think it can be set scientifically. There is no perfect hit for everyone. There is no perfect feel for everyone. The balance point is just one of many characteristics that a cue has. It either works for you or it doesn’t. You can experiment with changing the balance point (and the overall weight) of a cue by putting some lead tape either near the butt cap or on the other side of the joint on the shaft. Golfers have done things like that for years. If you find a positive change occurs and you want to make it permanent it is easy to add weight to the butt. It is trickier to add weight to the shaft, but an experienced cue maker or repairperson can do it. (I want to reiterate I now believe it is preferable to choose a cue that is naturally weighted by its materials and construction method rather than artificially weighted by lead, weight bolts, etc.) I think the diameter of the butt makes a difference. It, like everything else, is relative. In this case it is relative to the size of 'your' hand. In my opinion, a thicker butt tends to make for more accurate shot making. The trade off is it doesn’t seem to draw the ball quite as well. The converse also seems true. Now there are certainly many other factors to consider, but everything else being equal, it seems easier to draw the ball with a cue that has a thinner butt. It seems to make sense, at least to me, that you can ‘snap’ your wrists more quickly and easily while holding a thinner piece of wood. That is exactly why it seems to be somewhat less accurate, too. In my case overall control seems better with a slightly thicker butt. Maybe you have great accuracy and control but need a little more cue ball action to improve your overall game. Again, I’m talking about degrees and tendencies not absolutes. Through experimentation you may find a better fit for your game in lighter and thinner, thicker and heavier, thicker and lighter or a thinner butt that is a little heavier. I build cues with thicker and thinner butts to allow people to choose a cue that fits their hands better. You can experiment with different sized butts by getting some of the tape tennis players use. Please be careful and don't use something that is too sticky it may damage the finish on your cue. Back to Play Better PoolTo RAVEN Cues Home Page | ||