First of two videos all about the cue. In part 1, Barry goes to see how an ash cue is made with a few hints and tips along the way. He hopes you find it informative. / barrystarksnookercoach
Another excellent video. Thanks for sharring, Barry! I would like to get at least one of those cues! A good cue and a good snooker table and this sport is getting easier!
fotosony. Glad you liked the video, it was very good of CueCraft to allow us into their factory. Snooker is a very difficult game requiring skill, touch and mental resolve. There is no doubt that good equipment and facilities will help to make the game more enjoyable and aid with progress but you still need to be something of an expert to make regular century breaks.
I have watched this video 3 times now and it never gets boring the detail from how a cue is made from start to finish is amazing keep up the hard work boys 👍
Well ... I found this video while looking around the video selection by you Barry. Have to say it is fascinating to see a cue being hand crafted. Very much enjoyed this education.
Hi barry long time fan of the videos. Finnally bit the bullet and ordered a cue from cue craft and awaiting arrival thankyou for the inside of the making of these cues and keep up the great work on and off the table
After slowly gaining my wife's interest in the great games of Snooker and Billiards , I purchased a mid priced decent good quality cue for her birthday . I never realised the correct way to store it . I had it stuck in the rack close to my shed wall , during a week of wildly varying temperatures . Yep , warped the tot 6 inches like a banana! Sorry to bore everyone with that tale. Great video Barry!
Superb demonstration! It was very interesting to see each step in the production of a quality cue. I am greatly looking forward to the next video in this series. Cheers!
Great video and great to see the lengths craftsman go to to create a nice cue. A little disappointed to see the tips of the splicing didn't all line up perfectly around the cues - something I love about my cue. I think I have the same case and although I don't use it, I have my original Riley cue I bought 26 years ago in with my TW cue and it is straighter now than it has been for years after my ex-girlfriend left it against the wall over a radiator!
great video. i had a coaching off you a while back and am really glad that you are doing these videos as i have learnt a lot. As you have now done a video on cues, could you do one on tips? There are many varieties out there and its tough to pick out which ones are "best". thanks
thanks, thank you. o thanks a lot. thank you very much. Geeze they say us Canadians are polite. I really feel that you and I would be great friends Barry. Well I would like to say thank YOU Barry for posting this video
''Cue Craft'' is a great British hand made cue company, I have 3 cues from them, it takes bit of a time (4-8 weeks) to make, but very reasonable prices and excellent cue and service.
Just ordered a 200 pound cue from cue craft, will have to wait 4 weeks before it arrives, probably will not make me a better player, but hopefully can get out of the 40 breaks and in to the 50's.
Just started playing again after 15yrs and found your channel. Great content throughout and very helpful. Has anyone got any thoughts on the cues made in the far east that seem to be popular on Amazon these days?. I read somewhere that a lot of good timber is ending up there for cue manufacture.
Neil mentions a variety of butt sizes from 24 to 31 mil but I have a friend who just received his custom made cue from Acuerate with a whopping 36mil butt!! Fair enough the lad is pretty tall but never seen such a beast of a butt before.
Auto. Auto. Sorry I don't know the answer to this question, that cue was made purely for an informative video to show how a cue is made. However, CueCraft the makers, have their own web site and would welcome gladly furnish you with prices of their products.
Can we discuss the psychological part of playing snooker at some time in future? I mean the thinking process, maintaining good state of mind, showing ur confidence to the opponent so that he thinks u r unbeatable !
Masood. There are a lot of good cue manufacturers, it really boils down to how much you are prepared to pay. If you want a hand made cue you will have to place an order with the company and then be patient while it is being made. On the other hand you could visit the shop and buy from the rack. If you are a novice I would suggest buying from the rack but take someone with you who knows what to look for. If you are a good player then you will already know what to look for, which ever you choose the choice will ultimately be down to you. Good manufacturers that I know of include, Omin (Thailand) Peradon. Dave Coutts, Stanford cues. CueCraft. John Parris. I'm sure there are many more.
Fabian. Neil and his staff made me that cue and I am very grateful for their time and expertise in making it. It was a lovely day out filming the programme and I learned a lot about how a cue is made.
KV. I am very pleased with the cue craft cue. It throws a little differently when I use side and at the moment I am using it as my reserve cue, only because I have had my other for many years and a little reluctant to change.
Interesting video - however, I think it would be useful to know why Neil of Cue Craft prefers a 'straight grain' piece of ash compared to one that has a more 'wavy grain'. Thanks
The SoulTwins. A straight grain on a piece of wood looks so much better and is less likely to warp, a crooked grain can also be off putting for a player during the sighting process.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach I am thinking of investing in a cue and was wondering if you'd recommend a 1 piece cue like the one made in this video or a cue with a joint.
Whatever. This is personal preference, some players prefer the one piece saying that it adds to the feel of the shot, I don't subscribe to this theory and a three quarter jointed cue is just as good in my view. It is certainly easier to carry around.
Hello Barry, I have been an avid follower of your tutorial videos and I really like to thank you for the knowledge. My question to you is, that I recently purchased a cue branded Master Pro butt now my issue is the grain of the wood has developed some crevices, which kinda pulls the stubble of my chin. I there anyway I can fill in those microscopic crevices with some kind of filling or rather lacker the cue?. Personally I do not like the feel of lacker which would be my last plan of action. Kindly advise? Anup (India)
Anup. Please do not use lacquer. I assume you have a ash cue and sometimes the grain can shrink and cause these ridges, the answer is to take it to a reputable cue manufacturer and have it re-furbished. This should not be too expensive and they will use a grain filler and oils to make the cue as good as new.
Nadia. Providing both are well made there is very little difference. Sometimes with a machine spliced cue there is weight inserted for balance and weight. This can become a little loose but not if you buy from a reputable dealer and don't misuse the cue. Some pros still use a machine spliced cue.
Thank you Barry for your timely response. You are a great ambassador of the sport. You're videos are on point and you're tips are very helpful. Keep up the great work.
Vox24. The cue is unlikely to get damaged as a result of leaning on a wall while it is in a case, but it can get knocked over thereby damaging the case and possibly the cue. Its a good idea to follow the rule, if its laid down it can't fall down.
Javier. The average length of a cue is 58 inches, however tall players sometimes do need a longer cue. For example Kyren is 6ft 1in tall but he has very long arms and therefore needs a slightly longer cue than standard, his is 59 inches long. I am much shorter at 5ft 8in with relatively short arms and my cue is 57 inches long. It is amazing how even small differences in length can make a huge difference, for example when I pick up Kyren's cue it feels as if I have the half butt in my hand.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thanks a lot for sharing your wisdom. I played pool and caroom a long time ago all of a sudden I became aware of snooker. My oh my its beautiful game I have never seen a snooker table before, 6'x12'! That's has the size of a farm down here in Puerto Rico. But seriously I have been enjoying the games by You Tube and I get hooked or better "snooked" to the game. Thanks again.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Ain't that the truth! I am 5'8", have two cues, one is perfect length, one feels "far too long". It is - in fact - c.1cm longer, but feels like two inches longer when I am down on the table. And I end up gripping the butt too far/high up the shaft, to compensate - yet the actual difference in height it almost negligible.
Hi Barry, I noticed in the video you guys didn't mention anything about the weight of the cue? I know it might well be a preference thing but what are the usual weights for a snooker cue ?thanks!
Damian. I would say the usual weight is between 17 and 19 ounces. My own cue is 18.25 ounces but Ding Jun Wei commented on how heavy it felt, so as you say it is an individual thing. I'm afraid I don't know the weight of his cue.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach thanks for the reply !planning to buy myself a snooker cue this christmas..i have a pool cue which weighs 18oz,so I think I'll buy an 18 oz snooker cue to start...Thanks !
Muhammad. This is down to individual preference, some players like a hard tip, others a softer tip. I find that the Elk Master tips are very good and are still used by a lot of professional players.
I'm afraid I do not make or sell cues. There are plenty of cue manufacturers who would be glad to make and sell you a cue, their full details can be found on line. Here are a few names to look for. Peradon- Dave Coutts- Cue Craft- Stamford cues- John Parris. and many more.
For the final finish, its as fine as possible, When its oiled and finished never use sand paper again. For for more details please get in touch with Cue Craft.
Jari. That depends if you want one specifically made for you or off the rack. Please contact them through their web site. CueCraft, I am sure they will meet your needs.
Tdj. Snooker cues are not a perfect taper and whilst rolling one on the table will give an indication as to whether it is straight or not it is not a true test.
Hi Barry, could you please talk about the differences between pool and snooker tables; types of cloth, angle difference, pockets, etc. I am mainly a british 8-ball pool player but would like to progress to snooker. However, I have trouble with certain shots on a snooker table, mainly the screw shot. I have no trouble screwing back on a pool table but on a snooker table I struggle and I'm not sure why. So could you try and address some of the differences please in a future video? Thanks.
Tom. The reason you can screw back on a British pool table is because the cue ball is smaller than the object ball, which means that when the two balls make contact the centre of the cue ball is beneath the centre of the object ball, its purely a physics thing. I would suggest that you have trouble with certain shots on a snooker table principally because of the distances involved. In general distance makes any shot more difficult and examines technique more. Generally speaking, any good snooker player would be more that adequate at the British pool game. As far as I know the cloth is pretty much the same, angles should be the same because of the rectangular shape of the table. Pockets in professional snooker are cut to templates but vary in amateur clubs, I assume this is the same at pool.
Mike. I am afraid you are asking the wrong person, but may I suggest you look on the internet for the address of any woodyard near to you, I am sure they will be able to help.
Techno. It can't, but players do get used to that piece of wood. There are several professional snooker players (past and present) who play with a warped cue and wouldn't change for the world.
Cory. This is a remnant from the early days when the game was played with one hand and the balls were just pushed around the table and the cue was called a Mace. Now days the flat is usually used for the cue maker to place his name plate.
