Something that didn’t really occur to me until I saw Darren Morgan at the World Seniors Championship, was the very insignificant number of snooker players that choose to play with a glove on their bridge hand. It hasn’t been something that I had really thought about, but it’s very evident in the game of pool and not so much in its snooker counterpart. I wanted to find out the reasoning behind this and whether there was some fundamental factor between the games that result in such a difference in choice.
The first thing would be to gauge an understanding as to why a glove is necessary in the first place. The chief reason for wearing a glove is to combat the effects of a ‘sweaty’ bridge when playing without one. When playing, particularly for a lengthy period of time, the gap in the bridge where your cue lies can often become damp thus, increasing friction. As the cue tries to motion through the bridge, increased friction can deter the smooth movement in the cue action.
Now, this hinders a pool player more so than a snooker player due to the closed-loop bridge utilised by these individuals. The closed-loop, which involves the index finger and thumb forming a ring around the cue creates more of a surface for the cue to run against, which increases the chances of cuing through friction. Wearing a glove negates this impact as they often absorb the sweat and give a consistent running surface.
However, a damp bridge doesn’t mean that all pool players suffer from hyperhidrosis. General playing conditions in America involve players coping with higher humidity than perhaps snooker players, given most events taking place in the UK and Europe. Higher humidity will increase moisture and wearing a glove substantially reduces the effect that this would have.
Another considerable factor that differs between snooker and pool players is the type of cues that they use. Pool players for the most part use slightly thicker, maple cues while snooker players predominately use ash-made cues. The importance of this lies in the properties of each wood, where maple has a tendency to get dirtier quicker, requiring it to be cleaned more often.
So why don’t snooker players wear gloves? You’d think that there would be at least a few more players using this when playing the game. I think it mainly comes down to the culture of both sports. Snooker is more of a traditional game which rarely ever changes (look at the break-off shot as an example) whereas, pool doesn’t mind adding a few accessories to their arsenal.
Also, snooker players tend to look after their cues in a way that doesn’t require them to wear a glove. In matches you will often see players (when seated) looking after their cues, whether it’s filing down their tip or using the provided towel to wipe down the cue. The towel is where I feel one of the main distinction lies. You’ll often see Ronnie O’Sullivan wiping his hands or holding a warm mug between frames and this helps reduce the moisture in his hands, creating that smooth surface for cuing.
Lastly, I reckon that wearing a glove would create a surface that is too smooth for players to get accustomed to. This can lead to the cue unintentionally sliding too quickly within the bridge and even lead to a little deflection. Given that snooker players frequently care for their cues and sometimes even use chalk to reduce moisture on their hands (if needed), it is unnecessary for them to equip a glove as it would involve a readjustment to their existing technique.
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