Pool Cues
Every cue on this page is built for English 8 ball, the game played with 2 inch balls on a 6ft or 7ft table. The range covers first cues through to hand spliced cues for match play. If you play Chinese 8 ball, those cues are grouped in Chinese 8 Ball Cues.
Three things decide how a pool cue feels in your hands: the joint, the weight and the length.
One piece, 3/4 jointed, two piece or three section
A one piece cue has no joint at all. Nothing interrupts the power going into the ball and nothing works loose over time. It plays as well as a cue can play, and it is a nuisance to carry. If your cue lives at home or stays at the club, buy one piece.
A 3/4 jointed cue puts the joint about three quarters of the way up the butt, so the splice and the balance point both sit below it. You get most of the feel of a one piece in something that packs down to roughly 42 inches. It is the format we sell most of and the safest first choice if you are undecided.
A two piece cue splits at the centre. It is the most compact full length option and the easiest to travel with, though you will notice the joint more than you would on a 3/4.
A three section cue breaks down further again, for anyone who needs a cue that fits in a rucksack.
Break shots put more strain on a cue than anything else in the game. If you break hard, look at the break cues, which use a stiffer shaft and a harder tip.
Weight
English pool cues run from about 16oz to 19oz. Handmade cues vary slightly from one to the next, so we sell them in bands rather than exact weights.
- Light, around 16oz to 17oz. Easier to control on delicate positional shots. Suits a smooth, unhurried action.
- Medium, around 17oz to 18oz. The default, and what most players settle on. If you are not sure, buy medium.
- Heavy, around 18oz to 19oz. More power through the ball for less effort, and more forgiving on a slow cloth.
Length
Standard is 57 inches. A good number of our cues also come in 55 inches, which is worth a thought if you are under about 5ft 8in, or if you play somewhere tight where you spend half the frame reaching for the rest. Shorter players often cue straighter on a 55 than they do fighting a 57.
Shorter cues again, for children and younger players, are grouped in Junior Pool Cues.
The brands we stock
Asia Cues account for the largest part of this range. Hand spliced ash at sensible money, with the Shooter and Challenge lines covering most club players.
Peradon have been making cues in England for well over a century. The Pulsar, Python and Luna are the ones customers keep coming back for.
Premium Cues is our own workshop. The Aspire, Stealth and Granite are built to the same specification every time, which matters on the day you want to replace a cue you have grown used to.
Cannon, Panther and V&M fill in around them.
Worth adding
If the cue is going to travel, pick a pool cue case at the same time so it arrives protected. Pool cue tips wear out every few months with regular play, and a cue extension earns its keep if your table sits close to a wall. If you are replacing the set as well, English pool balls are here.
