Spine is a term that describes two very different aspects of a cues ability to respond. One
which is desirable and the other which is detrimental.
First, there is the meaning most commonly understood as a well seasoned, high-quality piece
of wood to maintain it’s natural resiliency to return to its natural position. In other words, to
snap back after being bent. The longer that a piece of wood has the ability to snap back,
week after week, month after month and year after year, that shaft is considered to have great
spine or memory, obviously this is very desirable.
The second meaning of spine, as in a spine and probably more important to understand, refers
to the one place in the shaft which least wants to bend. As in your backbone, this place in all
cylindrical objects known as the spine, is a definite spot in the 360 degree circumference that
will offer more resistance than anywhere else in the shaft. Usually, but not always, the softest
spot in the shaft or the place that wants to bend easiest is approximately 90 degrees from the
spine.
Some materials are very homogenous in nature and have a nearly negligible spine. Such as
tubular steel as used in some golf shafts. Where as other materials like fiberglass, graphite or
boron will have a very definite spine. So much so that if spine alignment is not considered
when mounting a head of a golf club to a graphite or boron shaft, that club will never play
consistently. Therefore, every club in the bag will hit the ball differently if the manufacturer
does not consider that all important spine alignment.
As for cues, most high-quality cues are made with maple shafts which is much more
homogeneous than fiberglass or graphite, but every piece of wood will definitely have a spine
that is measurable and detectable in the hands of a great player. Such as the legendary Buddy
Hall, who always before pulling the trigger, makes sure that the grain of his shaft runs
horizontal to the table by keeping what he calls, "the feathers" (grain ends) "looking straight
up."
The stiffer a shaft is, the greater the difference between the most rigid section of the shaft (the
spine) and the more flexible section of the shaft. Consequently, the stiffer cue’s response from
striking a ball, high, low, left or right will vary considerably, if the cue is rotated into different
positions for each different shot.
In England, playing snooker on 6 x 12 foot table, shooting a 2 1/16 inch ball into a 3 inch
pocket from 13 feet away will definitely bring to light the spine of a cue. Thankfully, tradition
in England dictates a flat on the end of the butt of the cue. Snooker players always keep that
flat in the palm of their hand, which guarantees the alignment of the grain in the same position
every time, enabling the player to make allowances for the multitude of variations caused by a
cue with extreme spine.
My hats off to the tenacity of the English snooker player to overcome so much yet still play so
well, when they could simply have a cue made for them with a much more homogenous
spined shaft.
How do we diminish the spine of a shaft... or can we?
One way, is to make a more flexible shaft that has good memory (spine’s first definition). A
shaft will have memory when it has six or more grain lines across a 13mm shaft that run
parallel down the length from tip to joint without diverging off-center more than 1/8 inch. This
tight grain indicates that the wood was taken from the part of the tree which took many years
to grow, adding stability to the shaft. Keeping the flexibility while maintaining the memory,
reduces the variance to a level that can not be discerned on a pool table when shooting 99%
of the shots.
There is another way that some cue makers have attempted to equalize the spine. This is
accomplished by cutting a shaft into pie pieces and then reassembling it with the grain radiating
from the center. In theory , a great idea; in application a few problems.
First, when bonding the shaft back together, you will naturally have glue lines that will vary
some in thickness and in strength and will no doubt add some weight to the finished product
Second, try as they may, no cue maker can keep the apex of the pie pieces in the center of
the shaft for it’s whole length. Although they can no doubt control the tip and joint end where
it can be seen, the middle of the shaft is left to it’s own alignment, when it is being free turned
between centers. The sheer fact that it going through multiple turnings and stress relieving
processes would cause the apex to only occasionally be in the dead center of this section of
the shaft.
So, the question is, in this process was something gained or lost? If in fact, the apex is
off-center, than we have no doubt created a more definite spine than intended.
One thing we can know for sure, is that the more modern, low priced imports in which
graphite or fiberglass is incorporated, have the most distinct spine of all. If you are an
advanced player who is serious about your game, stay with the tried and true quality of
straight grained maple.
If you want to test for a spine in your own shaft, there is a tool that can be made called a
spine gauge. Meucci Originals will make it’s design available upon request.
Our next subject will address production or custom, do you know the difference?
Stay tuned...
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