A
cue stick (or simply
cue, more specifically
pool cue,
snooker cue, or
billiards cue), is an item of
sporting equipment essential to the games of
pool,
snooker and
carom billiards. It is used to strike a
ball, usually the . Cues are tapered sticks, typically about 57–59 inches (about 1.5 m) long and usually between 16 and 21 ounces (450–600 g), with professionals gravitating toward a 19 ounce (540 g) average. Cues for carom tend toward the shorter range, though cue length is primarily a factor a player height and arm length. Most cues are made of
wood, but occasionally the wood is covered or bonded with other materials including graphite,
carbon fiber or
fiberglass. An obsolete term for a cue, used from the 16th to early 19th centuries, is
billiard stick.