Cues: length, weight, joints and specialty cues.

What the rules allow

The WPA cue specification sets a minimum length of 40 in with no maximum, a maximum weight of 25 oz, a tip no wider than 14 mm, and a metal ferrule (if used) no longer than 1 in. The tip must be processed leather or another fibrous or pliable material that cannot damage the ball. The BCA reproduction repeats those limits and adds a cap of three cues per player per match, which we could not confirm as a current rule. Snooker rules from the EBC require a cue at least 3 ft (914 mm) long with a traditional shape.

League rules can be stricter. The APA allows break cues for breaking, allows jump cues only in Masters divisions, does not let you break down a regular playing cue to jump, and bans laser devices, mechanical cues and training aids in league play. Bridges and cue extenders are legal.

Length

PoolDawg and Pool Table Portfolio both name 58 in as the standard adult cue. PoolDawg sizes cues by player height:

The Pete's Billiards cue guide (read on a mirror copy, since the original site was unreachable) gives junior cues as 36, 48 or 52 in and says special orders go up to 60 in. Dr. Dave Alciatore and Brunswick also mention 52 in and 48 in short cues for tight rooms; see room size.

House cues vs two-piece cues

According to the Pete's Billiards mirror copy, one-piece house cues are 57 in, and two-piece cues are 58 in, split into a 29 in butt and a 29 in shaft. The same guide says house cues often have a pro taper of only about 8 in, and that a longer taper flexes more while a shorter one hits stiffer. PoolDawg notes that the common beginner joint pins leave room for later shaft upgrades (see joints below).

Weight

Several sources, including Pool Table Portfolio and Wikipedia, put playing cues at 17 to 21 oz. PoolDawg narrows that to 18 to 21 oz for most cues, with 19 oz the most common, and Wikipedia also names 19 oz. Pool Table Portfolio cautions that a heavier cue does not guarantee more cue ball speed and a lighter one does not automatically add spin.

Joints

A joint size such as 5/16 x 14 gives the pin diameter first and the threads per inch second. PoolDawg lists the common pins as 3/8 x 10, 3/8 x 8 (radial), 5/16 x 14, 5/16 x 18 and Uni-Loc, and says most beginner cues use 5/16 x 18 or 3/8 x 10, which leaves room for later shaft upgrades. Mismatched threads can strip a joint, so match the pin exactly when buying a shaft.

Joint material changes the feel. PoolDawg says steel gives a stiffer hit, wood-to-wood a softer one closest to a house cue, and composite falls in between; the Pete's mirror copy agrees on wood-to-wood and steel. Quick-release joints such as Uni-Loc, Accu-Loc, Speed-Loc and Tru-Loc use a half-threaded connection for faster assembly. Joint diameters differ too: PoolDawg notes McDermott's steel collar joints measure about 0.843 in across, while many of its non-steel joints are closer to 0.855 in.

Wraps

The wrap is the grip area on the butt. Sources describe the options like this:

• Irish linen. Absorbs moisture from the hand (McDermott); the Pete's mirror copy calls it the most absorbent wrap. McDermott suggests re-wrapping after extended use.
• Leather. Feels smooth (Pete's mirror copy).
• Wrapless. Increasingly common, per the Pete's mirror copy.
• Nylon. Found mostly on cheap cues and tends to unravel (PoolDawg); Wikipedia also says low-priced cues often use it.
• Veltex. A smooth grip Wikipedia says is common on fiberglass and graphite cues.

PoolDawg ranks them from slickest to tackiest: linen, then leather and wrapless, then synthetic or sport wraps.

Break cues

Dr. Dave Alciatore recommends a dedicated break cue. It is beefier and usually has a hard phenolic tip, and a hard tip gives more cue ball speed for the same stroke speed. Power breaking with your playing cue can damage it and flatten its tip. He also notes that some leagues ban break cues or phenolic tips, and that a phenolic tip can damage the cue ball on a very hard break.

On weight, the sources disagree. PoolDawg puts break cues at 18 to 25 oz or more, while Pool Table Portfolio says a break cue is not necessarily heavier than a playing cue. For breaking technique, see the break.

Jump cues and break/jump cues

PoolDawg describes jump cues as 40 to 48 in long, about 12 oz, with a larger, harder, flatter tip. Wikipedia puts them at 12 oz or less. On a combined jump-break cue, the lower half of the butt comes off to turn the full-length break cue into a short jump cue.

As one product example, Predator lists its BK Rush+ jump/break cue at 19 oz standard (18.5 to 20 oz options), on a 29 in carbon-reinforced shaft with a Uni-Loc quick release, with the rear handle removed to jump. Wikipedia separately describes massé cues as short and heavy with a wider tip. See jump and massé for the shots themselves.

Snooker cues

Snooker cues differ from pool cues in tip size, wood and balance, and the sources disagree on several figures:

Wikipedia says snooker shafts are almost always ash, sometimes maple, with the joint two-thirds or three-quarters of the way back and the balance point 16 to 18 in from the butt. Seybert's adds that snooker cues usually have brass ferrules and are front-weighted, while pool cues are more evenly balanced. Product listings for comparison (some of their weights sit above the ranges in the table): one retailer's handmade snooker cues run 9.3 to 9.8 mm tips, 57 to 60 in and 17.4 to 19.2 oz, and McDermott lists its SN802 at 58 in, three-quarter jointed, 18 to 20 oz, with a 10 mm tip on an ash shaft.

Carom cues

Wikipedia gives carom cues as 54 to 56 in and 16.5 to 18.5 oz (lighter for straight rail, heavier for three-cushion), stiffer than pool cues, with a collarless wood-to-wood joint and 11 to 12 mm tips.

Budget vs premium cues

PoolDawg sorts cues into beginner, intermediate or league (often with low-deflection shafts), and advanced (premium shafts) tiers, but says higher prices mostly reflect artwork and design rather than performance. It cites a Joss line whose cheapest and most expensive cues play the same. Budget markers it names are ramin wood shafts in blister-pack cues and nylon wraps; premium cues add exotic woods and inlays such as abalone and mother of pearl (Wikipedia). Warranties run from about a year on entry cues to limited or full lifetime on mid and high-end cues, some covering warpage.

Cue cases

Case sizes are written as butts by shafts: 1x1, 2x4, 3x5, 3x6, 4x8. Predator says a 2x4 suits most players.

• Hard cases have a rigid shell and separate tubes and weigh more. Predator recommends them for flying, tournaments and carbon fiber shafts, which resist warping but can chip. PoolDawg says hard cases are the most popular type and go up to 3 butts and 7 shafts.
• Soft cases are lighter, use padded dividers, and protect less against impact. PoolDawg says they usually top out at 2x4.
• Box cases are mostly about looks, per PoolDawg, and some have combination locks.

Predator adds that leather cases need conditioning to avoid cracking, while synthetic cases are lighter and need less upkeep. For cue storage and cleaning, see shafts and tips.