What Makes A Really Good Snooker Cue

What Makes A Really Good Snooker Cue

What Make of Snooker or Pool Cue Should I Choose

There is still no one to beat UK cue makers who are without any doubt the best in the world. Peradon cues have more experience than anyone and Peradon are the oldest cue maker in the world, so if they don't know how to do it no one does. So if you're looking to buy a quality snooker cue then you wont go wrong choosing a Peradon cue. We can also recommend Cue Craft cues which are made in Nottingham England and make excellent cues especially their hand spliced Triumph range although not everyone goes for the explosion of colours and splices they use in their multi-coloured butt sections. I would avoid going for cheaper cues unless you are working towards a budget or just wanting to by casually.

Ash Or Maple Snooker & Pool Cues

Probably our 90% of the high quality cues on the market are made from Ash. This is no secret, Ash is very rigid and has a very distinct grain. Its is more porous than Maple and so tends to have a drier feel making is good for those players who are prone to having very sticky hands. However, Maple cues are more likely to need wiping as the grain is much more dense and so any surface grease and dirt from your hands etc tends to form on the surface quicker as it is not as easily absorbed into the wood. 

Hand Spliced Or Machine Spliced Cues?

Neither of these will actually make you play any better. Having said that cues are very personal to the player and at the higher the  level you play the more the psychology of the game and the player's state of mind come into play. Having a cue you feel is inferior may actually hinder your performance. If this is the case then you need to remove either cie or the thought. Much more time goes into the making hand spliced cue which is why they are more expensive. Its also goes without saying (or may be not) that if you are going to charge a lot more money for a hand spliced cue then you're naturally going to want to put the best grade ash shaft you can have on it. So consequently you are very unlikely to see a top quality hand spliced butt with a very poor quality Ash shaft. Most manufacturers will keep their best shafts for their most expensive hand spliced decorative butt designs so buys get the very best of the shafts available at that time.

What If I Have An Unlimited Budget-What Should I Buy And How Much Should I Spend

Spending a thousand pound on a cue isn't going to guarantee you to be better player making hundreds breaks in just a few months. What you can do though is design a cue that is very personal to you and made from the best materials available and one that should last a lifetime. You can also have it made to a unique one-off bespoke design of your own choosing and also have it engraved with a special customised plate.

What About Veneers Quad Splicing And Decoration On The Butt

Cue makers will usually keep their very best Ash shafts for those wanting to spend more on the butt section of the cue. Having too many splices can also cause problems in the future and you are dealing with more and more layers of wood and hence more and more glue so you may eventually end up with slightly raised edges on the butt as this can sometimes happen as the woods dries over the months and years or as changes in humidity or room temperature causes the glue to ever so lightly ease out. The raising in question my only be a hundred of a millimeter but it can be felt. So having many splices may cause more of this in the future. Having said that it's not really a problem as the finest glass papers will usually rub this out in just a few seconds. You should always do this in a lengthwise direction with the cue rather than in the direction around the cue of against the grain so to speak as this may produce markings not usually seen in that direction.

Will I Play Better With A More Expensive Cue

Simple answer is NO not really! It will always come down to hard work, determination, practice and a little talent never goes amiss either. If you spend £120:00 plus on a Peradon or Cue Craft cue then you will undoubtedly have in your hands a really fine quality cue and the rest is up to you.

What's The Best Size Cue Tip

The best size tip for snooker is generally considered to be between 9.75mm to 10mm. Beginners and amateurs usually have a fascination for smaller diameter tips thinking this will produce bigger and better deep screw shots, they don't. Whilst a smaller tip imparts a different type of spin is also loses actual forward momentum. So the faster a ball spins the slower it will actually travel across the cloth. So a broom handle won't impart much spin but its log like qualities will push it forward faster and with less deviation in the line of actual travel. However. there won't be much, if any spin on the cue ball. To play all the shots in snooker you need a tip size that can play all the shots and that is how professionals have, through trial and error and arrived at the figure close to the 9.9mm mark +/- 0.1mm.