I agree that with cues it's all about the feel not the price one idea/option to get a cue you like is to use a few old rack cues in any club that you play in and if you like the response/feel and perhap the look of it ask to buy it off the cub owner cheap and then send it to a cue maker to get the bottom end spliced up in a modern way and weighted and lengthened to your preference. My cue is made by a guy called Trevor White. personally I think him and stamford cues are the best quality cues and though they are a bit expensive they hold their value if you sell so norisk in buying stamford white or parris if you buy and decide you don't like it, I think Paris can be decent but can be crap too because too many different people make them whereas the others are not. So for that reason I put the other two makers over and above Parris in terms of overall build and quality - the finish is much better too. If I was to buy a foreign cue it would be maximus and if I was to buy a cheap cue but great cue I would buy a James butters cue (joolsbroomrunner) on ebay. They often need refinishing a bit/oiling/waxing but they are great starter cues.
I know this video is ancient but I took this advise and went to my local expert yesterday Gary Taylor of Taylor made (made stuart binghams World championship winning cue) and got some input and tried 4 cues. Super happy with the cue I bought and super happy I took my time and followed the advice from you and Gary Taylor. Basically a big thank you mate! Good advice!!
You have to get lucky to actually like a cue bought online or custom made for you.. best feeling cue I’ve had is a Jason Owen (2014) model cue. Just a really good piece of ash used to make it. I’ve had many Parris cues, wooldrige cue, Tom Praram etc but nothing felt as good as the ash of the Jason Owen cue..
I'm starting out as a rookie snooker player and bought a cheap amazon cue called "Mark Richard" @57 inches / 145cm, and 2.5ibs 9mm tip. It was roughly £31, with a cheap case, then spent another £31 for the repair kit and spare cue tips and a glove. I don't see the need to kill my wallet for a game I'm just now starting out. It's definitely cheap but it feels nice. I'm certain when I get better, I'll go buy something much nicer from the UK. -Yankee snooker rookie.
I use my Dufferin ‘Steve Davis’ cue for all billiards...including American Pool. Picked it up for $6 at a thrift store 14 years ago. I buy 3 or 4 cues every year at the Thrift store to add To my collection or give away. I’ll try each one out and they play fine but...not ‘my’ cue. Anyways, high price and playability don’t have much in common for me. I picked up a nice ‘Barracuda’ with an all wood joint. Likely modest price when new. Gave it to a friend and he’s used it for a few years and loves it. The issue now is he is starting to win against me.
The idea of spending so much money on a cue baffles me (it's just a shaped block of ash wood, after all), as well as the notion that some people take so long to get used to a cue. Only takes me a few sessions to get used to a cue, and I made 6 centuries with a BCE Ronnie O'Sullivan cue, £30 from Argos. I'm currently playing with a £60 Woods Chinese cue, probably dyed woods instead of real ebony hence the price, but it's straight as an arrow and well balanced, I've fitted a Talisman tip to it and it plays beautifully. With these mega expensive cues, you're typically paying for the exotic woods and the quality of the craftsmanship on the splices and everything, which all happens at the butt end of the cue and doesn't affect the way the cue plays. Any half-decent cue maker can make a cue that's balanced and straight, and the production-line ash cues churned out by the likes of Riley and BCE or other cheap brands will likely play just as well as a £1000 cue (though, if you don't like varnish on your shaft, a visit to a cue shop to strip off the lacquer would be in order, which will cost you about £20).
Zombies Ate My Pizza! Have you ever played with an expensive cue before? It makes a huge difference, it's mainly how it feels to play with it but better quality cues provide more power aswell
Jack_1808 Yep, a few mates of mine all own John Parris cues, I've played with them and honestly, I can't feel the difference in quality between those and cheaper cues. How would a more expensive cue allow the player to generate more power, though? Never heard that idea in my life tbh.
Zombies Ate My Pizza! Not sure how it works exactly but Terry Griffiths and Ronnie both have said it so must be accurate. I'm guessing it has something to do with the stability and quality of the wood
I'm a bit of a weird one and I can't explain it. I literally play as well with a cheap cue as I do with a much more expensive (and better quality) snooker cue. I can knock out the same breaks (I regularly get 50-70 breaks on a full-sized snooker) and it doesn't make any difference to me. But then again I'm the same with most things, I can drink cheap plonk and then have a glass of vintage and don't really notice much of a difference also lol.
In reality does the cue actually make any difference? By that I mean, if its of a basic acceptable standard (ash and rosewood, or ash and ebony), is a solid piece, has decent solid joints and is straight. Surely everyone will get used to whatever they play regardless. Seems to me that as long as a cue is of basic construction and has a decent tip on it, that it'll play absolutely fine. Seems to me all that ruins most cheap 3/4 cues is the budget tip that is included as standard. My peradon / Cannon was about £80, has brass joints, decent ash shaft and hand spliced rosewood butt. It takes screw in extensions, and i've fitted an elkmaster tip to it. I can't imagine needing more from a cue than this. All I can see you getting from these hugely expensive cues, is exotic finishes, coloured veneers and customisation options. Not actually a better instrument.
Cues will feel different to each individual player but when you get passed a certain quality of cue making there is almost no difference. You are right about the tips the cues come with always seem to be useless.
There’s a lot of things you don’t want to buy remotely and that includes musical instruments and cues. Wood is an organic substance that is not identically reacting from piece to piece , even from the same board. Pro woodworker here.
Evening bud, Benny in Barnstaple here. Just got a new cue for snooker at the start of learning proper. Went for the Peradon Royal. £180 and lovely simple design. Got the heavy version 19.5oz and it came with a 10mm tip. My question is: Do you have to shape a 10mm tip rounder than a 9.5 to get screw out of it. I have a Talisman Pro that a mate out on for me and using the Taom V2 chalk. I got the softest Tali tip as quite firm but love the feel. I can get top and stun just fine but not screw. I'm working on my cueing and timing thanks a great deal to your videos and some of Barry Starks and I'm improving. Maybe it's just a matter of working at it but I wanted to check if you think the shape of the tip plays a difference from 9mm to 10mm etc. Not many videos on tips and shaping online.. Maybe something you could do? Unless you have and I've missed it.
1. First time i've seen ye celebrate on ye intro trickshot. 2. I occasionally play snooker in the club/which i play fa the charity English pool league. 3. I use a BCE snooker cue ta play both snooker and pool. 4. I'm getting a new cue, because my current cue is someone else', so the cue doesn't feel personal ta me. 5. I'm getting a snooker cue again. Balanced weight round 18.5oz, 58" (57" seems a bit short always repositioning my dominant hand), and because of the game i play more of English pool, i've opted fa a 9.5mm tip. My questions: Is using a snooker cue fa both English Pool and Snooker okay? Will a 9.5mm tip suit me? Current cue , i have less control because of the tip being smaller around 8-8.5mm, always getting unnecessary side. I've tried a a cue with a tip ranging from the 9-10mm, and i felt mor confident in my shot and the reaction, helped wi cueing and my positional play was more accurate.
Anyone familiar with Riley cues and how they stack up as far as performance? Trying to find decent playing cue in the states but it’s very limited selection here
Even a connoisseur would vouch for three basic facts; straightness, weight and balance. Ask Stephen Hendry. It's all about learning the game first and then reaching for deep or shallow pockets.
All cues are very different and they all play and feel different the price you pay has nothing to do with it the best cue I ever had was a barrcuda kirkham bought it in the 90s for £140 so in my opinion you dont need to spend crazy money on a cue because up to a point you are just paying for the work that has gone in to making it and that won't make the cue play any better
Well First you take a piece of ash or maple and cut it into a square snooker cue shape. Then cut it into an octagonal prism. After that I believe it is planned in several different ways until it’s the right shape. Space for the ferrel is cut away and joins added. The wood is probably treated some how. Can’t remember. After that you just have to add a tip and your ready to go
Those cues that were over 1000 are the ultimate range (you have to go on the cue builder to see them), which are the only ones made by John himself. They start at a minimum of £950 without any additional woods or designs and they have a 1-2 year wait for 3/4 cues and a 3-4 year wait for the one piece variety. Probably the best cues you can buy, hence the insane price aha
Pretty much as I said above though, they'd be the best in terms of the quality of the woods and craftsmanship, on the butt end of the cue which doesn't affect your play. They wouldn't play any better than a cue 1/10th of the price.
Hi, need your advice about One piece or 3/4 cue ? Which is a better choice? How about cue weight ? Lighter or heavier cue ? Currently I'm using 17.5 ounce & thinking to buy a 18 or 18.5 ounce cue.
Ahah anyways i have a question about left handed shots ive practicing cueing left handed and was just wondering why sometimes its as if i can see two cues i was just wondering ho to overcome this?
Not necessarily. In my case, I had to have a cue that was 60 inches due to my arm span being longer than my legs. So to compensate for the longer arms, a longer cue is necessary. Good luck trying to find one though, 60 inch cues are extremely difficult to find and often get bought as quickly as possible, not to mention a lot of 60 inch cue are very expensive. In most instances, you’ll have to have a cue specially custom-made, which can take some time, depending on which cue maker you’ve got it from, some places can do it in only 2 to 3 months, while some places like John Parris can take up at the very least 1 year and at the most 5 years. It’s not fun at all.
Just love your videos they brighten up my day. So enthusiastic you have a great future with this quirky personality keep it up .
This guy is actually a pretty good player!
I agree that with cues it's all about the feel not the price one idea/option to get a cue you like is to use a few old rack cues in any club that you play in and if you like the response/feel and perhap the look of it ask to buy it off the cub owner cheap and then send it to a cue maker to get the bottom end spliced up in a modern way and weighted and lengthened to your preference. My cue is made by a guy called Trevor White. personally I think him and stamford cues are the best quality cues and though they are a bit expensive they hold their value if you sell so norisk in buying stamford white or parris if you buy and decide you don't like it, I think Paris can be decent but can be crap too because too many different people make them whereas the others are not. So for that reason I put the other two makers over and above Parris in terms of overall build and quality - the finish is much better too. If I was to buy a foreign cue it would be maximus and if I was to buy a cheap cue but great cue I would buy a James butters cue (joolsbroomrunner) on ebay. They often need refinishing a bit/oiling/waxing but they are great starter cues.
I know this video is ancient but I took this advise and went to my local expert yesterday Gary Taylor of Taylor made (made stuart binghams World championship winning cue) and got some input and tried 4 cues.
Super happy with the cue I bought and super happy I took my time and followed the advice from you and Gary Taylor. Basically a big thank you mate! Good advice!!
You have to get lucky to actually like a cue bought online or custom made for you.. best feeling cue I’ve had is a Jason Owen (2014) model cue. Just a really good piece of ash used to make it. I’ve had many Parris cues, wooldrige cue, Tom Praram etc but nothing felt as good as the ash of the Jason Owen cue..
I'm starting out as a rookie snooker player and bought a cheap amazon cue called "Mark Richard" @57 inches / 145cm, and 2.5ibs 9mm tip. It was roughly £31, with a cheap case, then spent another £31 for the repair kit and spare cue tips and a glove. I don't see the need to kill my wallet for a game I'm just now starting out.
It's definitely cheap but it feels nice. I'm certain when I get better, I'll go buy something much nicer from the UK.
-Yankee snooker rookie.
Did the same thing!
I use my Dufferin ‘Steve Davis’ cue for all billiards...including American Pool. Picked it up for $6 at a thrift store 14 years ago. I buy 3 or 4 cues every year at the Thrift store to add To my collection or give away. I’ll try each one out and they play fine but...not ‘my’ cue. Anyways, high price and playability don’t have much in common for me. I picked up a nice ‘Barracuda’ with an all wood joint. Likely modest price when new. Gave it to a friend and he’s used it for a few years and loves it. The issue now is he is starting to win against me.
The idea of spending so much money on a cue baffles me (it's just a shaped block of ash wood, after all), as well as the notion that some people take so long to get used to a cue. Only takes me a few sessions to get used to a cue, and I made 6 centuries with a BCE Ronnie O'Sullivan cue, £30 from Argos. I'm currently playing with a £60 Woods Chinese cue, probably dyed woods instead of real ebony hence the price, but it's straight as an arrow and well balanced, I've fitted a Talisman tip to it and it plays beautifully.
With these mega expensive cues, you're typically paying for the exotic woods and the quality of the craftsmanship on the splices and everything, which all happens at the butt end of the cue and doesn't affect the way the cue plays. Any half-decent cue maker can make a cue that's balanced and straight, and the production-line ash cues churned out by the likes of Riley and BCE or other cheap brands will likely play just as well as a £1000 cue (though, if you don't like varnish on your shaft, a visit to a cue shop to strip off the lacquer would be in order, which will cost you about £20).
Zombies Ate My Pizza! Have you ever played with an expensive cue before? It makes a huge difference, it's mainly how it feels to play with it but better quality cues provide more power aswell
I can't stand to play with cheap cues anymore, they feel horrible to play with now
Definitely say there’s a point where they start to fell cheap and it is somewhere between £40 to £120 depending on the cue make and the deal you get.
Jack_1808 Yep, a few mates of mine all own John Parris cues, I've played with them and honestly, I can't feel the difference in quality between those and cheaper cues. How would a more expensive cue allow the player to generate more power, though? Never heard that idea in my life tbh.
Zombies Ate My Pizza! Not sure how it works exactly but Terry Griffiths and Ronnie both have said it so must be accurate. I'm guessing it has something to do with the stability and quality of the wood
I'm a bit of a weird one and I can't explain it. I literally play as well with a cheap cue as I do with a much more expensive (and better quality) snooker cue. I can knock out the same breaks (I regularly get 50-70 breaks on a full-sized snooker) and it doesn't make any difference to me. But then again I'm the same with most things, I can drink cheap plonk and then have a glass of vintage and don't really notice much of a difference also lol.
same, to me its just a stick with a new name on it. only thing i really notice a difference with is the tip
Please make a video about how to buy a snooker table :)
Please I need .
Also John Parris has a store where you can go and try out cues, which is probably best as it avoids the 5 month wait time for the normal cues
In reality does the cue actually make any difference? By that I mean, if its of a basic acceptable standard (ash and rosewood, or ash and ebony), is a solid piece, has decent solid joints and is straight. Surely everyone will get used to whatever they play regardless. Seems to me that as long as a cue is of basic construction and has a decent tip on it, that it'll play absolutely fine.
Seems to me all that ruins most cheap 3/4 cues is the budget tip that is included as standard.
My peradon / Cannon was about £80, has brass joints, decent ash shaft and hand spliced rosewood butt. It takes screw in extensions, and i've fitted an elkmaster tip to it. I can't imagine needing more from a cue than this.
All I can see you getting from these hugely expensive cues, is exotic finishes, coloured veneers and customisation options. Not actually a better instrument.
Cues will feel different to each individual player but when you get passed a certain quality of cue making there is almost no difference. You are right about the tips the cues come with always seem to be useless.
There’s a lot of things you don’t want to buy remotely and that includes musical instruments and cues. Wood is an organic substance that is not identically reacting from piece to piece , even from the same board. Pro woodworker here.
4:06 That's the cue I have, quality is unreal can't fault it one bit. Mine is a pool spec cue though so didn't need to buy any extensions with it.
Evening bud, Benny in Barnstaple here. Just got a new cue for snooker at the start of learning proper. Went for the Peradon Royal. £180 and lovely simple design. Got the heavy version 19.5oz and it came with a 10mm tip.
My question is: Do you have to shape a 10mm tip rounder than a 9.5 to get screw out of it. I have a Talisman Pro that a mate out on for me and using the Taom V2 chalk. I got the softest Tali tip as quite firm but love the feel. I can get top and stun just fine but not screw. I'm working on my cueing and timing thanks a great deal to your videos and some of Barry Starks and I'm improving. Maybe it's just a matter of working at it but I wanted to check if you think the shape of the tip plays a difference from 9mm to 10mm etc. Not many videos on tips and shaping online.. Maybe something you could do? Unless you have and I've missed it.
Just got a new cue from eBay my cousin has the same brand and there nice !
1. First time i've seen ye celebrate on ye intro trickshot.
2. I occasionally play snooker in the club/which i play fa the charity English pool league.
3. I use a BCE snooker cue ta play both snooker and pool.
4. I'm getting a new cue, because my current cue is someone else', so the cue doesn't feel personal ta me.
5. I'm getting a snooker cue again. Balanced weight round 18.5oz, 58" (57" seems a bit short always repositioning my dominant hand), and because of the game i play more of English pool, i've opted fa a 9.5mm tip.
My questions:
Is using a snooker cue fa both English Pool and Snooker okay?
Will a 9.5mm tip suit me? Current cue , i have less control because of the tip being smaller around 8-8.5mm, always getting unnecessary side.
I've tried a a cue with a tip ranging from the 9-10mm, and i felt mor confident in my shot and the reaction, helped wi cueing and my positional play was more accurate.
If you’ve got a 9.5mm tip it should be fine for both. You won’t want to go any lower than 9 for Snooker and 10+ is a little bit big for English pool
Break from life Thank ye fa the input.
Ye're my main snooker channel and Pool School is my main pool channel.
Hello great video , are u still replying to these old videos ? If so how good are Adams snooker cues ? And the average second hand value ? Many thanks
You are playing and giving us tips is helpful
Bhi kia hal ha
Bamboo ki stick lani ha
Kia rate ha
Its the weight that matters not the price, it took me a while to realize
Anyone familiar with Riley cues and how they stack up as far as performance? Trying to find decent playing cue in the states but it’s very limited selection here
Even a connoisseur would vouch for three basic facts; straightness, weight and balance. Ask Stephen Hendry.
It's all about learning the game first and then reaching for deep or shallow pockets.
thanks for the tips ... btw u have the talent for coaching ..lol .. great job bro
Can someone tell Parris cues that 2002 called and wants it’s website back 🙈🙈
I'm aware this videos very old but where did you get your case from pal
All cues are very different and they all play and feel different the price you pay has nothing to do with it the best cue I ever had was a barrcuda kirkham bought it in the 90s for £140 so in my opinion you dont need to spend crazy money on a cue because up to a point you are just paying for the work that has gone in to making it and that won't make the cue play any better
Can you explain how to make a snooker cue? Thanks
Well
First you take a piece of ash or maple and cut it into a square snooker cue shape. Then cut it into an octagonal prism. After that I believe it is planned in several different ways until it’s the right shape. Space for the ferrel is cut away and joins added. The wood is probably treated some how. Can’t remember. After that you just have to add a tip and your ready to go
How tall are you?
most cues are made to 58 inch length.
Could you explain your 60 inch choice.
Informative....:).....!!!!
Those cues that were over 1000 are the ultimate range (you have to go on the cue builder to see them), which are the only ones made by John himself. They start at a minimum of £950 without any additional woods or designs and they have a 1-2 year wait for 3/4 cues and a 3-4 year wait for the one piece variety. Probably the best cues you can buy, hence the insane price aha
Pretty much as I said above though, they'd be the best in terms of the quality of the woods and craftsmanship, on the butt end of the cue which doesn't affect your play. They wouldn't play any better than a cue 1/10th of the price.
That’s why I couldn’t find them
Zombies Ate My Pizza! Professional snooker players would strongly disagree.
Jack_1808 Stephen Hendry would disagree with your statement. He won 7 world titles with a £40 Powerglide cue from his local sports shop.
Zombies Ate My Pizza! That's one player, the vast majority of the current top players use Parris ultimate cues
Hi, need your advice about One piece or 3/4 cue ? Which is a better choice? How about cue weight ? Lighter or heavier cue ? Currently I'm using 17.5 ounce & thinking to buy a 18 or 18.5 ounce cue.
Really is difficult to say, just got to find a cue that works for you.
Then, how about your personal view about One piece & 3/4 joint cue? Is there major difference?
How do I enter
no need to pay more than £100 for a good cue! after that you're just paying reputation and decoration
DarthRyuu any recommendations
Has anyone got a link for the case? I’ve been looking for ages and I’m in desperate need of one.
How about omin and master cue?
I just found out that some cue when you play long distance shot there's got alot vibration going on the cue feels like not very steady and power
love your videos! 💜💜💜
How much sir
what spec is your cue mate?
I have a Frank Callen 100 series, that has a couple of extensions with it. It’s got a 3/4 join
One piece John Parris 55 inches - eighteen ounces- GreaT Quailty WILL trade IF'
Use your old bottom 1/4 piece on your new cue that way you will have your own weight and the shaft you want to play with.
woaaahhhh hold on what's wrong with golf
I think this was a direct response to something someone said I just can remember what it was about
Ahah anyways i have a question about left handed shots ive practicing cueing left handed and was just wondering why sometimes its as if i can see two cues i was just wondering ho to overcome this?
New cue ` cuss your old one got sticky lol,
The manufacture should of advice you how to clean it and if need re oiled , not have you buy another,
Unless you’re really tall 60 inches is insane.
Not necessarily. In my case, I had to have a cue that was 60 inches due to my arm span being longer than my legs. So to compensate for the longer arms, a longer cue is necessary.
Good luck trying to find one though, 60 inch cues are extremely difficult to find and often get bought as quickly as possible, not to mention a lot of 60 inch cue are very expensive. In most instances, you’ll have to have a cue specially custom-made, which can take some time, depending on which cue maker you’ve got it from, some places can do it in only 2 to 3 months, while some places like John Parris can take up at the very least 1 year and at the most 5 years.
It’s not fun at all.
0:28 quality