Buying a new cue

[Smeeagain]

My first advice would be to definitely try some out if you can. Different people like different weight cues, with different sized butts and different balance point. 2-piece, 3 quarter and 1-piece all feel different and have different natural balance too.
In terms of sizing - for most average sized people, a standard sized cue is actually fine normally. But its definitely worth checking this. The generally-accepted method for measuring what length cue you need is to set up as if you're playing a shot. You want to have and inch or two of the butt poking out the back of your back hand (right hand of you're RH) then get someone to check your right forearm is hanging down exactly vertically, then you should have 12" of cue between your bridge and the tip. The variation will come from how long your arms are, and how straight/bent your left arm is on a standard shot.

Thank you timcunnell - so cue length therefore is somewhat decided by the upper body dimensions and not necessarily the players overall height i.e. you can have two players of the same height one with a longer or shorter upper or lower body than the other and therefore different arm lengths and therefore different cue lengths for two players of the same height?

[timcunnell]

Yeah its basically down to wingspan more than anything I guess. You could have a tall guy with really short arms, or vice versa.
The vertical right arm/12" tip-to-bridge method is used by John Parris (don't want to start a John Parris discussion!!!) so I think it is a good system. I went to Stamford Cues and they did the same.

[_Harry_Potter_]

In m opinion you only need to change the cue if it is damaged/broken/bent in a way and it is hindering your game.
Otherwise, the older the cue, the more used to you are using it, the better control you have on your game.
I read it somewhere that you need to tune yourself with your cue, your cue won't tune into your game.
So with every new cue, you have to spend time in that "Tuning".
Steve Davis said himself that one should buy a cue that makes him/her comfortable. Even if it is little expensive. Steve said that he has been using just one cue for almost 18-19 years now!!

[Byrom]

yes that is quite good advice - I wish I could stick to that.

[Mark david]

I think I might be one of the worst example of new cue syndrome.
I used to change on a regular basis and was always seemingly chasing the ultimate cue.
Not really a good aproach if you want to to acheive a good level of play.

Ironically the best cue I have ever owned is the one I use now which is also one of the cheapest I have ever owned,cost around £28 second hand on ebay approx 5 years ago.
It was a bit short for me at 57" so have just spliced on an extra 3" as I always like an inch or two sticking out from the back of my grip.

[tetricky]

I think most people have covered the soft side to it, but there is a hard side. For me it was a need, in terms of my game, for a new cue. For a number of years I played with a parris ambassador. That started off around a 9mm tip, and it is now somewhere near an 8.5. Back then my eyesight was better, and I was a younger man. The shaft is a bit lively. I liked that, but what with the small tip and lively shaft, I've lacked the precision to pot accurately and control the cue ball consistently.

For me to get consistency into my game, and to give me more of a safety margin on pots while having less aggressive more controlled position, I felt I needed a stiffer cue with a larger tip. Twas thus. I have gone up to a stiffer 9.7mm tipped cue. It has a more solid authoritative hit, and better ball contact with less intended side. I'm not timing it for as much cue action as I had with my old cue, but it will come. But it will be when I need it, and more controlled.

So for me changing my cue was a good idea. I've changed cues not more than once every decade...mainly because of being able to afford a 'better' one previously....this is my first considered 'technical' change.