Break Cue: Light vs. Heavy
You can always find someone to take opposing sides in the light vs. heavy debate over break cue weight and up until this week, I’d have easily told you which side I was on; with a phenolic tip, the lighter, the better.
After all any teacher will tell you a truly successful break shot, specially in 8-Ball depends on how fast you can move the cue ball to the head ball of the rack. After all, physics says so doesn’t it:
“The momentum of the cue ball is what matters, relative to the rack. The equation for Momentum is Mass X Velocity. The mass here isn't the mass of the stick, it's the mass of the CB. That mass is always around 6 oz, it isn't going to change.
Therefore, velocity is the only factor we need to take into account. All we have to worry about is propelling the CB as fast as possible (while still maintaining control, of course). This is known as Impulse. Impulse is Force X Time. Force is Mass X Acceleration. Time is contact time between cue stick and cue ball. This mass is the mass of the cue stick, acceleration is the change in velocity of the cue stick from rest to contact.”
But physics has nothing to do with how my Pastor wields a cue in a break shot.
I recently had the honor of giving him a new break cue equipped with a phenolic tip. It is actually a 20 oz. jump/break cue. He used it once and went for a house cue for his next break.
Using the break cue he got a pretty good ball spread but the house cue gave him massive separation and he sunk two.
Pastor himself is massive, evidence of good health and a daily workout for well over 30 years. His upper arm is almost the size of my upper thigh.
Again, He made a believer out of me, it is not what I have learned from man, it is what he has learned from God.
Conventional wisdom would dictate that I try and change my Pastor’s mind to stick with a lighter break cue, but my Pastor is not a conventional man.
So I have embarked on a plan to increase the weight of his new break cue. I'll let you know how it turns out in a couple of weeks.