Players Shortie Cues are the same one-piece hard rock maple cue as our Players House Cues, cut to four fixed-weight compact lengths instead of a full 58 inches: 36, 42, 48 and 52 inches. The maker builds each length as a separate fixed-weight product rather than a single cue with a weight you choose, so a 36 inch and a 52 inch are not the same cue trimmed down, they are four distinct fixed-weight products sharing one construction. All four are simple one-piece cues with no wrap, priced about $50 each.
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Players Shortie Cues are a one-piece hard rock maple cue built to the same four-prong construction as the brand's full-length House Cues, cut down to four shorter, fixed-weight lengths instead: 36, 42, 48 and 52 inches. The maker's own description of the shorter lengths spells out a use case for each one rather than treating them as interchangeable: the 52 inch is aimed at shorter players, the 48 inch doubles as a shorter player's cue or a house cue, the 42 inch is meant for small rooms and kids, and the 36 inch is built to play in the smallest space possible. Unlike the full-length version, which ships in a choice of 18 to 21 ounce weights you can specify when ordering, each shortie length is a fixed weight set by the length itself, so there is no weight to choose once you have picked a length.
We carry all four lengths as four separate listings, SKUs PL36, PL42, PL48 and PL52, and a dealer that sells this same model lists it as a single configurable product with a length selector rather than four unrelated cues, which matches how we have it split out: one model, four fixed lengths, not four different designs. Compact one-piece cues in this same 36 to 52 inch range are a recognized category across the industry rather than a Players quirk. AZBilliards forum members discussing where to find one noted that even a well-known American custom cue shop lists shorty lengths at 52, 42 and 36 inches, only for another poster to confirm that those particular shorty cues are imported rather than built in-house, underscoring how few makers of any size still cut true one-piece shorty cues domestically. That context matters for anyone comparison-shopping a shorty cue: the choice at this length and price is rarely between an import and a domestic build, it is between different importers and factory groups selling a similar plain maple cue.
Every length uses the identical construction as the full-size House Cue: 100 percent North American hard rock maple, a Premium Elk Master tip pre-shaped and scuffed to a dime radius at the factory, a high-impact fiber ferrule backed by its own lifetime guarantee against cracking or chipping, a linen ring set into the base of the shaft to resist cracking, a screw-in butt stopper that will not work loose, and a high-gloss finish to protect against fading and warping. None of that changes as the cue gets shorter; Players simply cuts the same maple blank to a different finished length and sets a fixed weight for it rather than offering a weight choice, since a shorter cue at a full-length weight would feel front-heavy and awkward for the smaller player it is built for.
A shortie cue is not a full-length cue with the tip end sawn off; if it were, the balance point would sit in the wrong place and the cue would feel unnaturally heavy for its size. Building each length as a fixed-weight product lets the maker keep the balance point in a sensible spot for a shorter cue held by a shorter player, which is also why the 36 inch, 42 inch, 48 inch and 52 inch models are sold as four separate fixed products rather than one adjustable cue. Our own product attributes list a 5/16x18 joint pin and a 13.00mm shaft across all four lengths, the specification the manufacturer records for the model even though, like the full-length House Cue, it plays as a single piece with no separable joint. Our cue glossary explains ferrule, taper and joint pin if any of this terminology is new. A shorter player benefits from getting that balance right more than a taller adult would, since a shorter arm and a shorter bridge leave less room to compensate for a cue that feels wrong in the hand.
All four lengths list for about $50 and are currently in stock. The 36 inch cue is built to play in the smallest amount of space of the four, the kind of room where even a 48 inch cue would not clear the walls on a full stroke. The 42 inch cue is sized for small rooms and for kids who are not yet tall enough or strong enough for a full-length cue. The 48 inch cue splits the difference, sized for shorter players generally as well as for use as a shorter house cue in a room that wants a couple of compact options in the rack. The 52 inch cue, the longest of the four, is built specifically for shorter players who want most of the reach of a full-length cue without the full 58 inches. Pick the length by who is going to use it and how much room they have to stroke through the cue ball, not by price, since all four sit at effectively the same cost. None of the four ships with a wrap or a choice of finish; all four are plain maple, which keeps the manufacturing simple and is part of why the price holds steady across every length. If you are outfitting a room with a mix of players, buying one of each length is a reasonable way to make sure every guest, tall or short, adult or child, has a cue that actually fits them.
Our product data records a 5/16x18 joint pin and a 13.00mm shaft in Players' classic wood construction across all four shortie lengths, the same spec the brand assigns to the full-length House Cue. As with that cue, this is a nominal catalog specification rather than a functional one: there is no removable shaft or separate joint on a true one-piece cue, so you cannot swap a component the way you could on a two-piece playing cue. If a shorter player using one of these cues eventually wants to move up to a two-piece cue with a swappable shaft, our 5/16x18 joint type, 13.00mm shaft size and classic wood shaft pages, along with our full shaft selection, cover that side of our catalog.
The maker's own naming for each length doubles as the buying guide: choose the 52 inch cue for a shorter adult who still wants close to a full-length reach, the 48 inch for a shorter player or as a second, more compact house cue, the 42 inch for a small room or a child who is outgrowing a toy cue, and the 36 inch when floor space is the binding constraint and nothing longer will clear the walls on a full stroke. Because every length is a fixed weight rather than a chosen one, there is no configuration decision beyond picking the length that fits the player and the room; the construction, tip, ferrule and finish are identical across all four.
This line is built for exactly the situations the maker names for each length: kids who are not yet full height, players who are shorter than average and want a properly balanced cue rather than a full-length cue that feels too long, and rooms with tight clearance where a standard 58 inch cue cannot complete a full stroke without hitting a wall or a neighboring table. Forum discussion of one-piece house cues from this same production category, the factory group that also builds Lucasi and Predator cues, generally rates Players alongside Dufferin as a safe, inexpensive choice for exactly this kind of utility cue, though that sentiment is about the brand's one-piece cues broadly rather than the shortie lengths specifically, since dedicated forum threads on shorty cues focus mostly on other brands. Treat these as what they are: an inexpensive, honestly-built utility cue for a specific physical constraint, not a step toward tournament play.
Like the full-length House Cue, every shortie length carries Players' lifetime guarantee against warpage, and the ferrule on each one has its own separate lifetime guarantee against cracking or chipping. These are production cues built overseas at high volume, the same origin as the full-length version and as most other one-piece house cues on the market at this price, which is how a fixed-weight maple cue with a factory-fitted tip and a lifetime warranty against warping can sell for about $50. Buy these for what they are built to do, a durable, correctly balanced cue for a shorter player or a tight room, and the price and warranty both make sense. The warranty covers warpage and the ferrule against cracking or chipping; it does not extend to normal wear items like the tip itself, which is standard across production cues at any price and not specific to the shortie lengths.
For the full-length version of this same construction, see our Players House Cues. For other finishes and price points from this brand, browse the rest of our Players cues, or see our full pool cue selection.
The joint is what decides whether a shaft fits, and every cue in Players Shortie Cues uses the 5/16X18 pin. That is the same 5/16X18 pin used across Action, Meucci, Rage, Valhalla and Xcel, so shafts move between them — always confirm the exact pin before buying.
Both use the same one-piece maple construction. House Cues are full-length at 58 inches; Shortie Cues are shorter fixed-weight versions at 36, 42, 48 or 52 inches.
The maker builds the 42 inch length specifically for small rooms and kids, while the 36 inch is meant for the smallest amount of playing space.
No. Each length is a fixed weight set by the maker; the weight choice available on the full-length House Cue does not apply to the shortie lengths.
All four lengths use a 13.00mm shaft and a 5/16x18 joint pin in Players' classic wood construction, the same spec as the full-length House Cue.
Yes. Every length carries a lifetime guarantee against warpage, and the ferrule has its own separate lifetime guarantee against cracking or chipping.
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