CueLab / Physics & Equipment
Snooker physics isn't intuitive, but it isn't magic either. These calculators turn napkin-math into numbers — adjusted to typical club tables, not lab conditions, with explicit caveats about nap, temperature and humidity.
Predict the cloth speed (slow / medium / fast / very fast) given age, hours/week of use, brushing care and hall temperature. Clubs vary wildly; this gives you a calibrated first estimate.
New cloth is slow (hairy, lots of nap). It speeds up dramatically after 4–8 weeks of use, then settles into "fast" or "very fast" depending on hours/week. Brushing fluffs the nap, slowing the cloth. Ironing flattens it, speeding it. The model averages these effects.
Cloth types differ (Strachan 6811 vs Strachan 860 vs Northern Rubber vs Euro). We use generic ballpark figures — actual speeds can swing 20% by brand.
Predict the angle of deflection off a cushion given the incident angle. The "ideal" rebound is governed by the cushion height and ball elasticity; clubs vary, but a clean rule of thumb applies to most modern tables.
In a frictionless world, incident angle = rebound angle. Real cushions "give" the ball a slight rebound correction that we model here: modern rubber ~+2°, older hard rubber ~+5°. Add side spin and you get a further ±3° depending on its direction.
Cushion behaviour also depends on cloth speed at the cushion area, ball cleanliness, and humidity. Use the predicted angle to plan, not to declare.
A reference of "where the cue ball typically ends up" for different stroke intensities on a 12 ft table. Useful for building a sense of how hard "half-hit" really is, and for training with a partner.
Snooker cue balance is measured from the butt end: ~14–16 inches = front-balanced; ~17–19 = centre; ~20+ = rear-balanced. Tell us your style and we suggest a starting bias.
Balance point is the location along the cue where it balances on a finger. Front-biased (lower number from butt) = more weight at the tip; rear-biased = more weight at the butt. Tour pros typically play centre or slightly front.
Cue balance is highly personal. The recommendation is a starting point — try before committing.
Tip diameter affects off-centre deflection ("squirt"). 9.5 mm tips deflect less but require more precise aim; 10 mm is the most popular compromise. Tell us your style and we suggest.
Pro tip: smaller tip = harder to hold steady, but more accurate off-centre shots. Larger tip = easier to aim, but more "throw". The "right" tip is the one you can pot with consistently.
Tip feel varies by brand (Elkmaster, Triangle, Talisman, Layered…). Try a few on your home cue before settling on a new cue purchase.
Side spin on the cue ball causes the object ball to "throw" — its path bends off the geometric line. CueLab computes the throw angle for a typical modern rubber cushion and slow-to-medium cue ball speed.
Throw is the difference between the geometric extension and the actual object-ball path. Heavy side spin can move the ball by 5–10 cm at typical snooker pot distances.
Throw effects also depend on cue ball spin retention, cloth speed and whether the cue ball is following/side-spinning. Real values can differ ±2 cm from the model.