A growing number of players, including Kyren Wilson, John Higgins, Mark Allen and Neil Robertson are using titanium ferrules on their cues instead of the traditional brass. Why are they changing and – if you play snooker – should you do the same?
The first player to use a brass ferrule was Tom Newman in 1924. At the time, snooker and billiards were growing in popularity and more cues were being made. The ferrule was used to stop the wood from splitting at the cue tip, a common problem at the time.
Dominic Dale, an expert on the history of cues, explains: “Brass was used to make ferrules because it was so abundant and looked better than steel. Willie Smith, who was world billiards champion in 1920 and 1923 experimented with one made of gold. But the brass ferrules soon took off and were fitted to all cues within a few years.”
That tradition has remained the same for most of the past 100 years. Steve Davis and Peter Ebdon both experimented with other materials for ferrules during the 1990s, but the vast majority of players were content with brass.
When a player uses side spin, the cue ball tends to ‘deflect’ or ‘throw’, which means the point on the object ball the player aims the cue at is slightly different to the intended point of contact between the cue ball and object ball. With experience and many hours of practice, a player gets used to the way a cue plays and how much it deflects. The main advantage of a titanium ferrule, compared to brass, is that it is lighter so it deflects less, or not at all. So the player can then aim exactly for the intended point of contact on the object ball, even when playing with side. In theory, this can make all aspects of the game easier.
Neil Robertson made the decision in February this year to switch from brass to titanium, and he is astounded by the difference it has made to his game. His next tournament was the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong, where he reached the final then annihilated Stuart Bingham 10-0.
“I genuinely think I can become the best I have ever been,” said the 43-year-old. “I am playing crazy shots on the practice table. Then it’s about trusting that and taking it into matches, because I would be playing shots no one has played before. Some of them are insane. I am very data driven with my practice so I need a good understanding of what the percentages are for those type of shots – if they are high enough I’ll be able to play exciting stuff.
“I had been asking other players about it for a while, I was so curious. Then after the Welsh Open I had a couple of weeks before Hong Kong and Joe Perry told me to just get it done. There’s a big adjustment period because I have been playing with deflection all my life. But straight away it felt like the right decision. Stuart Green from Green Baize did the job for me and he found there was some damage to the walls of my old brass ferrule, he couldn’t believe how much deflection it was causing. He tested it by playing a shot with side from the brown spot to the black spot, and it deflected more than a full ball. With titanium, it doesn’t move. The first time I broke off with the new ferrule, I missed the reds, because I had been allowing for two inches of throw. You almost have to learn all the potting angles again.
“The fact that I was playing with a damaged ferrule without knowing about it, I think that was definitely a factor in terms of the couple of bad seasons I had. I wasn’t going for long balls because I wasn’t confident, and that’s a big part of my game. And my safety suffered because on some shots I didn’t know where to aim. Now there are long balls which no one else would go for, apart from Judd Trump, and I am aiming for the potting angle and slamming them in. It also really helps at tournaments in Asia when the humidity is high and conditions can vary.”
John Higgins made the change five years ago. “I was practising with Stephen Maguire and he had a titanium ferrule, that was one of first ones I had seen,” Higgins recalls. “He was getting so much action out of the cue ball. I felt I should try it, and now I don’t think I would ever go back to brass. One advantage is that the ferrule doesn’t go down in diameter, when with brass over the years it can whittle away.”
Drew Colgrave (pictured below with Jimmy White), inventor and founder of CC Brand, began collaborating with professors from the University of Sheffield in 2018, exploring snooker science and developing a revolutionary cue tip to replace traditional leather. The Century Titanium Ferrule, invented by Colgrave over a decade ago, was commercially launched in 2018 and quickly became popular among professionals.
“I collaborated closely with WPBSA official coach and good friend Steve Robinson,” said Colgrave. “Together with Mark Tibenham, owner of MJT Engineering here in Sheffield, we developed a specialised form of titanium ferrule. We utilize a unique manufacturing process that provides our ferrule with its distinctive properties - this method is a closely guarded secret. Proper installation is crucial, so we partner with expert installers like Stuart Green and Martin Chesworth in the UK, Ton Praram in Thailand, and many others globally.
“In addition to drastically reducing deflection and increasing spin control, titanium ferrules maintain their exact dimensions. A brass ferrule can unintentionally reduce in size over a season, negatively affecting consistency. Titanium eliminates this issue. Even a one or two percent improvement can significantly enhance a professional's performance. We're also developing an innovative new cue tip to launch next year, continually advancing the sport of snooker.”
Inevitably, this solution does not work for everyone. The way a cue plays is very much about ‘feel’ and no two are exactly the same, unlike golf clubs or tennis rackets which are mass produced. And players who have spent their whole lives using brass ferrules may be reluctant to change something that works.
Shaun Murphy, known for his interest in innovation and experiment, prefers the feel of brass ferrules, though he has tried using two or three cues at the same tournament, with the principal of varying deflection for different conditions.
Barry Hawkins, enjoying one of the most consistent seasons of his career, said: “I know a few players have changed but I’m not going to try it, I’ve never even had a shot with a titanium ferrule. I’m doing well this season and I’m used to playing with side. If I was really struggling and felt I needed to change something then perhaps I would try.”
Dale also urges caution. He said: “My advice is that if you want to give titanium a try, do so by using a borrowed or spare cue. Experiment with it for a week or so and see how you like it, before you decide whether to make the change on your own cue. If you change to titanium on your own cue but you don’t like it and want to go back to brass, the original ferrule won’t fit properly so you’ll need some adjustments. You can end up losing what you had before, and it’s a risk. Personally I don’t like titanium ferrules because they are very hard, but I understand why a lot of players are now using them.”
Incredibly, Ken Doherty won the 1997 World Championship using a cue which cost £2, and kept it for most of his career, only recently changing to a new model. “The super fine cloths we use now are so reactive, so I understand the idea of playing with less throw,” he said. “A sniper aims at the target, not a few millimetres away from it, so it must be an advantage in snooker to do the same.
“I am old school so I’m still using brass, I am used to it and I don’t spend enough time practising to get used to something else. But if I was 20 years old now I would definitely try titanium. It’s good to experiment and try new innovations. Snooker has moved on a lot in recent years in terms of the quality of the tables, the cloth, the balls and the chalk, they have all got better. So it’s good for players to try different things and help the game move forward. Looking back, I actually wish I had changed my cue after winning the world title in 1997.”
When they need work done on their cues including the fitting of a new ferrule, many professionals turn to Stuart Green who runs Green Baize in Cleveland. “We are seeing a lot more awareness about ferrules and the effect they can have,” he said. “The Century Titanium Ferrule is a fantastic innovation and we are selling thousands of cues made with that ferrule, to everyone ranging from beginners to top professionals. It’s great for the game that this is moving the equipment forward.
“A lot of players don’t have a clear understanding of the science behind it, they just play and see what works for them. But we can help them and we have worked with around half of the players on the tour at some point. What we always recommend is to try a cue on a table, which is what we offer. You need to see how it plays and feels, and test how much it deflects.
“Every cue is different – a cue with a brass ferrule might actually have very low deflection. And some players prefer to play with a bit of deflection because they are used to shaping shots – for example Stephen Maguire changed to titanium and then went back to brass. The most important message to players is: ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’”
As snooker expands worldwide to become an ever more global sport, and the standard of play at elite level continues to improve, inevitably there will be developments in equipment which help players reach new boundaries. Watch this space!