Snooker Cues
Snooker is played with a smaller tip and a lighter touch than pool, and the cues reflect that. Everything on this page is built for a full size or scaled snooker table, with tips around 9.5mm to 10mm and lengths to suit an adult reach.
Three decisions cover almost all of it: how the cue comes apart, what it is made of, and what it weighs.
One piece, 3/4 jointed or two piece
A one piece cue has no joint anywhere. Nothing to work loose, nothing to interrupt the shot, and it is the format most serious players use when the cue lives at home or at a club. Carrying one on public transport is the only real drawback.
A 3/4 jointed cue puts the joint about three quarters of the way up from the tip, so the splice and the balance point stay in one solid length of timber. You keep most of the feel of a one piece and it packs down to around 42 inches. It is the compromise most players end up making, and the one we sell most of.
A two piece cue splits at the middle. It is the easiest to travel with and the cheapest to buy, and you will feel the joint under your bridge hand more than you would on a 3/4.
Shorter cues for younger players are in Junior Snooker Cues.
Ash or maple
Ash is the traditional choice and most of this range uses it. The grain runs up the shaft as a row of dark arrows, which a lot of players use to line up and to keep the cue turned the same way every time. It flexes very slightly, and that flex is what players mean when they talk about feel.
Maple has almost no visible grain and sits a little stiffer. If the arrows on an ash shaft distract you, or you prefer a plain shaft to look down, try maple. Neither one is better. Handle both if you can.
Weight and length
Cues here run from about 15.75oz up to 21oz, though most players settle between 17oz and 19oz. Some makers sell exact weights and others sell in bands, so you will see both on the product pages.
Lighter cues suit a smooth delivery and fine positional play. Heavier cues carry more through the ball for less effort, which helps on a slow or heavy cloth. If you are replacing a cue you already get on with, weigh the old one first. Matching the weight matters more than matching the brand.
Standard length is 57 or 58 inches. Taller players, over roughly 6ft 2in, often prefer 59 or 60 inches. Shorter players and anyone playing in a tight room may cue straighter on a 55 inch than they do stretching over a 57.
The brands we stock
Asia Cues make up the largest part of this range, hand spliced in ash and well finished. The Shooter and Challenge lines are where most players start.
Peradon have been building cues in England for well over a century, and the splice work is where it shows.
Cannon sit in the middle of the market with a strong following among league players.
V&M, Triple F (the Stephen Maguire range), Prestige Cues Scotland, Panther and PowerGlide fill in around them, alongside our own Premium Cues workshop range.
What else you will need
A cue is only as good as the tip on it, and tips wear out, so keep a spare. Snooker cue tips are here and we fit them in the shop. A cue case matters more than people expect, since most cues that warp do it leaning against something warm rather than in play. Add a cue extension if your table sits close to a wall, and keep decent chalk in your pocket.
If you are replacing the set as well, snooker balls are here.
