Is it possible for the weight of the cue ball to be reduced?
Conclusion
Yes, there is. As the balls are polished with wax, they eventually become polished and lighter.
In particular, the cue ball tends to be lighter than the target ball, so when the cue ball and target ball collide, the movement of the cue ball will be slightly stranger than when it is of normal weight.
If this happens, it’s time to get a new ball!
Details
This is something that may only be recognized by advanced SA and professional level players.
There are times when you think you are cueing as usual, but you feel something wrong with the action of the cue ball or target ball.
One of the reasons for this is the thinness of the cue ball.
The thinness of the cue ball means that the weight of the cue ball is diminishing.
Is there such a thing as a resin ball losing weight?
Yes, it does.
Why is that?
Because they are regularly waxed to remove dirt from the cue ball and target ball caused by play.
Wax contains a certain amount of abrasives, which will scrape off even a small amount of the resin balls.
If this is done over a long period of time and many times, it will result in a reasonable amount of shaving.
And the frequency of polishing is higher for cue balls than for target balls.
As a result, the cue ball wears out more than the target ball, and the weight of the cue ball becomes lighter than the weight of the target ball.
In some cases, the cue ball is lighter by grams.
When you play in such a condition, since the cue ball and the target ball are of different weights, they will move in the same way as balls of different weights, according to the action-reaction and conservation of momentum laws.
In other words, they behave differently from the normal movement of a cue ball and a target ball of equal weight.
This difference in movement can be sensed by the advanced SA class and professionals.
If you feel any discomfort, try weighing the cue ball and the target ball.
If the difference in weight is too great, tell the store owner and ask for a new ball.
This is because it is not good for players of any level to learn to move the ball differently than normal in practice.
This is especially true for beginner to intermediate players who are making significant progress.
