Billiards cue weight
When getting started, you should opt for a heavy cue that will give you a better feel when practising your strokes. Your 122 cm billiards cue weighs about 365 g, or 17 oz (margin of 10%). The weight of the cue cannot be guaranteed: the density of wood fibres, even within the same species, varies from one forest to another. Even wood from the same tree can vary widely depending on sun exposure and the part of the tree used (trunk, crown, tree top).
Cue dimensions.Why opt for a smaller cue?
Your English billiards/snooker cue is 122 cm long, or 48 inches (1 inch = 2.54 cm).
The smaller size makes it easier to play in cramped spaces. It is also better suited to shorter players and even kids. When it comes to the length of your billiards cue, we recommend picking a cue that is shoulder height.
Why can't we guarantee the straightness of our billiards cues?
Each of our billiards cues is manufactured. Straightness is checked individually, cue by cue, as they leave the factory. Nevertheless, cues are made from wood and experience changes in temperature and humidity during the transportation, storage and selling stages. These exterior conditions can affect their straightness over time.
This consistency problem with billiards cues, which is inherent in their design, applies to all cues on the market.
Why yellow poplar?
This Discovery 300 UK/SNK cue is made from poplar.
This soft timber species is often used for furniture because of its technical features and accessibility. The greatest advantage of poplar is its ability to grow straight (which makes cues naturally straight) and dry quickly without warping. It's therefore the perfect choice for billiards cues, which must be as straight as possible.
Yellow poplar: physical properties and technical information
The compressive breaking stress coefficient and static bending breaking stress coefficient of poplar are 35 MPa and 62 MPa respectively (at 12% humidity).
Put simply, this poplar cue is robust, sturdy and stable.
However, it is less so than maple or ash cues. These two timber species have features that make them more robust and stable (they are also more expensive).
How to maintain your billiards cue
We recommend storing your billiards cue away from moisture and temperature changes.
Store it flat in a storage cover or case after playing. Leaning it against a wall could cause warping. If you don't have a cover, store your cue as vertically as possible, in a cue case for example, to preserve its straightness and prevent warping.
DID YOU KNOW?You need to maintain the tip of your pool cue.
Whether due to temperature changes or just regular use, the tip of your cue can become damaged and lose accuracy. Therefore, regular upkeep is important. This process is incredibly simple: 1/ Remove the worn tip
2/ Rough up the new tip with sandpaper
3/ Glue on the new tip
4/ Work the tip with a Stanley knife
Our product engineer goes more in depth on our support page.
Why opt for a one piece cue?
This is a one piece cue: it is therefore straighter, more sturdy and more robust than jointed cues. Even though they are a bit harder to transport (since they are one piece), they are perfect for quick, easy games at home: a one piece cue requires no assembly, it's ready to play at any time!
Tip from the team: the right way to hold your billiards cue
To get in a proper position, you need to hold the billiards cue as horizontally as possible to the billiards table. Your forearm and wrist should be perpendicular to the cue. During warm up strokes, the only movement should come from your elbow joint. While your shoulder stays fixed in place, keep your wrist flexible to prevent the cue from raising up at the end of your stroke. Your entire body should stay still with only your forearm moving.
Picking a cue stick
Under the umbrella term of billiards hides a whole range of cue sports: pool, English billiards, French billiards, snooker and so many others!
Each sport has its own rules and atmosphere...But also a specific cue for different sizes of balls.
Choosing the right billiards cue starts with knowing which sport you want to play!
Here are the tip sizes generally used:
> pool: 13 mm
> French billiards: 11-12 mm
> snooker: 9-10 mm
> blackball: 8-9 mm
