Is The Cue Ball Heavier Than The Rest?

The cue ball in pool is the ball used for striking the object balls and sinking them into the table pockets to score points. This ball is usually different from the other balls in appearance, but is it different in size and weight? Is it true that cue balls have heavier than the other balls in pool?

Modern cue balls should not be heavier than the object balls. Cue balls used for old coin tables are heavier to differentiate them in the table mechanism. Some cue balls are heavier than the others if they are from a different set. Billiard regulations require the cue ball to be the same size.

The size, weight, and smoothness of a cue ball has a significant effect on the game and how it is played. For this reason, it is essential to understand the size and weight of the balls that you are using and how the balls will interact with one another. Let’s learn the difference between the cue ball and the object balls.

Does The Cue Ball Weigh More?

The cue balls and the object balls are always different in some way, but are the cue balls heavier than the object balls? Does this make a difference in the game?

Modern billiard ball sets have a cue ball that weighs the same as the object balls. The weight of a cue ball is strictly regulated in billiard balls, and modern sets are therefore required to have a cue ball that is the same size as the rest of the balls.

It is very unusual for modern billiard ball sets to have a heavier cue ball, but it is possible if you purchase a cheaper set that is not made to international regulations.

It is not inconceivable that there is a size and discrepancy between the cue ball and the other balls in a cheaper set of balls, but these sets usually have weight and size variations in every ball in the set, not only the cue ball.

Keeping the size and dimensions of the cue ball the same as the other balls in the set keeps gameplay consistent and makes it easier to play the game as shots become far more consistent overall.

Playing with a heavier ball can also provide an unfair advantage for players who are stronger than others, and those who have a stronger strike than others, as they can leverage the size of the ball in their favor.

Why Are Some Cue Balls Heavier Than The Other Balls?

If billiard ball sets are made with a cue ball that is the same size as the other balls, why do some people say that the cue ball is heavier and larger than the other balls? Are some cue balls a different size?

The conversation regarding the weight and size of cue balls in relation to the other balls on the table is from the original ball sets used for coin-operated pool tables.

These tables have a cue ball with a different size and/or weight to the rest of the balls so that the mechanism within the machine could tell it apart from the rest of the balls and keep it from being held in the ball shoot when the cue ball is pocketed.

This mechanism relied on the cue ball being heavier or larger than the other balls to keep it separate from the object balls inside the mechanism within the table.

These ball sets are still used today in some pool halls, and so there are some cue balls that are heavier or larger than the other balls on the table.

However, these ball sets are being slowly phased out and are becoming far less common than sets of standard billiard balls, as modern tables no longer rely on the size/weight difference of the cue ball to keep it separate.

Are Cue Balls Always The Same Size?

Cue balls are essential for playing pool, billiards, and all other cue sports. These balls are required to be different from the other balls so that they can be clearly differentiated from them, but they usually have a similar size and weight to the other balls on the table.

However, if you have ever played pool at different locations, you may notice a discrepancy among the cue balls used at different places and wonder if all cue balls are the same size.

The truth is that not all cue balls as the same size. Most cue balls are made to be the same size, and weight as the rest of the balls in the set, but not every set of billiard balls is the same size and weight.

This means that there can be cue balls of different weights and sizes, but they will usually be the same weight and size as the balls on the same table, even if they are different from the balls on another table.

This is usually why playing pool at different places usually feels different, and it is also why the cue ball of some sets feels different from the other balls on the table, as some places will replace the cue ball before the rest of the balls on a table, as it wears out more quickly than the others.

What Is The Difference Between The Cue Ball And The Object Ball?

Now that we have established that cue balls are usually the same size as the rest of the balls on the table unless they are from different sets or used for a very old coin table, what is the difference between modern cue balls and object balls from the same set?

The main difference between the cue balls and the object balls from the same set is the color. The cue ball is always solid white, and it sometimes bears a few solid color dots that are either red or blue.

The stark white of the ball or the colored dots is used to differentiate the ball in pool tables, as an optical sensor uses these colors to separate the cue ball from the others.

This is the only significant difference between the cue ball and the object balls.

Conclusion

Cue balls are meant to be the same size as the other balls on the table. The only exceptions are when a mismatched ball set is used or when the balls are used for a very old coin table that requires the cue ball to be heavier and larger.

Apart from these instances, a cue ball should be the same weight and dimensions as the object balls on the table, as this makes the gameplay far more consistent and fair for all players.