What Cue Does Barry Hawkins Use? What's Known

Short answer: Barry Hawkins’ cue maker and specs are not officially documented. Discussion on The Snooker Forum describes his cue as a John Parris (JP) Classic with extra splices added, but we have not been able to confirm that with Hawkins or the maker, so treat it as unverified.

Barry Hawkins’ cue at a glance

Spec	Detail
Maker	Not officially documented; fans report a John Parris JP Classic with added splices
Length	Not publicly documented
Weight	Not publicly documented
Tip	Not publicly documented
Joint	Not publicly documented
Source confidence	Low: fan forum report only

What is known

Hawkins, from Ditton in Kent and nicknamed “The Hawk”, has built one of the steadiest careers on the tour. His profile rose in 2013 when he reached the World Championship final as an 80-1 outsider, making breaks of 127 and 133, his highest at the Crucible, before losing 18-12 to Ronnie O’Sullivan. He has won five ranking titles: the 2012 Australian Goldfields Open, the 2014 Players Tour Championship Grand Final, the 2017 World Grand Prix, the 2023 European Masters and the 2026 Welsh Open.

Unlike some of his peers, Hawkins has not made a public talking point of his equipment. The one cue detail circulating among fans is the report of a JP Classic, a John Parris model, customised with additional splices. Parris cues are a common choice among professionals, so the claim is plausible, but it remains unconfirmed.

Hawkins has spoken publicly about table conditions, though: after one World Championship he complained that the cushions were too bouncy, making cue ball control difficult. It is a reminder that at the top level, players are highly sensitive to anything that changes how the white behaves, including their cue.

How a cue suits Hawkins’ game

Hawkins is known as a solid, all-round player who can score heavily when in form. That kind of game tends to favour a conventional, reliable set-up:

A traditional ash cue with a familiar, consistent feel.
A tip in the 9 to 9.5mm range, balancing precision with forgiveness.
A mid-weight cue that allows controlled power without strain.

These are typical professional ranges, not his confirmed specs.

What added splices mean

A traditional snooker cue has an ash shaft joined to an ebony butt through long, pointed sections of wood called splices. The splices are both structural and decorative: they bond the two timbers together and give a cue its characteristic look. A standard cue often has four splices, while more elaborate designs feature additional splices or extra decorative woods.

Adding splices, as reported with Hawkins’ cue, can change the appearance and, to a small degree, the weight distribution towards the butt. For most players the difference in feel is subtle, but professionals notice small changes in balance. It is one of several ways a cue maker can customise a standard model to suit a player.

The anatomy of a classic English cue

If Hawkins does play with a Parris Classic-style cue, he is using the design that dominates professional snooker. It combines a straight-grained ash shaft that tapers to a slim tip end, a brass ferrule protecting the tip, an ebony butt spliced into the shaft, and a finish that lets the player feel the wood. Many are one-piece, while three-quarter jointed versions are popular for travel.

The appeal of the classic design is that it has been refined over generations and is familiar to almost every professional. For club players, a traditional ash-and-ebony cue is still the safest choice.

Want a cue like Barry Hawkins’?

If the reports are right, Hawkins plays with a customised version of a classic English design, which is the route many serious club players take too. To understand why splices matter, read how snooker cues are made and spliced. Tip hardness also shapes how a cue feels on contact, and our guide to soft, medium and hard tips explains the trade-offs.

When you are ready, browse ash snooker cues on bestsnookercue.com for traditional designs at every budget.

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