Does it matter what your shaft size is on which you use?
Does it matter how hard your tip is?
Does it matter how hard your tip is?
Nickel or dime
- Thread starter cesarmorales
- Start date
There are a lot of opinions on this, but here's mine...a nickel bevel is the most optimum for the average sized cueball's curvature, to include the big tavern ball. Dime bevel is okay, but really overkill. Some prefer the dime to the nickel because as your nickel bevel flattens out (usually with soft or super soft tips), you quickly see a difference; a dime flattening out won't see a big difference until it REALLY flattens/mushrooms. I've tried both, and I can do a lot more with a nickel than I could with a dime--with more control and fewer miscues (not sure how that works--probably because a dime bevel gets you pushing your english outside what the cue ball's curvature will tolerate?). I also prefer medium to medium-hard tips, so my nickel bevel never really flattens out for me (medium Triangle).
As an aside, most snooker players use a flat tip, with mushroom'd edges for english. They need a flat, precise, predictable, repeatable hit; any english has to be precisely planned and executed, or they miss. A well rounded tip would put spin on the cueball in all cases except a dead center hit (which is almost impossible to do, there's always a micron left/right/up/down when the tip hits the ball).
As an aside, most snooker players use a flat tip, with mushroom'd edges for english. They need a flat, precise, predictable, repeatable hit; any english has to be precisely planned and executed, or they miss. A well rounded tip would put spin on the cueball in all cases except a dead center hit (which is almost impossible to do, there's always a micron left/right/up/down when the tip hits the ball).
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Answering these questions properly will be like tip-toeing through a mine field. At night. With clown shoes on. So here goes.
Shaft sizes for poolcues come in many different sizes, cesar. Depending upon individual preference, they generally fall within the range of 13mm to 11.5 mm, although larger and smaller diameters have been observed. Snooker players, for instance, may use a shaft diameter in the 10s, whereas a Billiard player may opt for a shaft nearing 14mm. This is primarily due to ball size.
Tip hardness, like shaft size, is wholly dependent upon the indivdual player's wonts and needs. Soft tips usually provide more cueball spin than do hard ones.
Experimentation is the only real way to find out what best suits your needs.
Whew! That wasn't so bad.
Shaft sizes for poolcues come in many different sizes, cesar. Depending upon individual preference, they generally fall within the range of 13mm to 11.5 mm, although larger and smaller diameters have been observed. Snooker players, for instance, may use a shaft diameter in the 10s, whereas a Billiard player may opt for a shaft nearing 14mm. This is primarily due to ball size.
Tip hardness, like shaft size, is wholly dependent upon the indivdual player's wonts and needs. Soft tips usually provide more cueball spin than do hard ones.
Experimentation is the only real way to find out what best suits your needs.
Whew! That wasn't so bad.
Oh yeah?:angry:Answering these questions properly will be like tip-toeing through a mine field. At night. With clown shoes on. So here goes.
Shaft sizes for poolcues come in many different sizes, cesar. Depending upon individual preference, they generally fall within the range of 13mm to 11.5 mm, although larger and smaller diameters have been observed. Snooker players, for instance, may use a shaft diameter in the 10s, whereas a Billiard player may opt for a shaft nearing 14mm. This is primarily due to ball size.
Tip hardness, like shaft size, is wholly dependent upon the indivdual player's wonts and needs. Soft tips usually provide more cueball spin than do hard ones.
Experimentation is the only real way to find out what best suits your needs.
Whew! That wasn't so bad.
My carom cue is 11.5 mm...won't find much bigger than 12mm at 3 cushion.
..and I hope all my opponents use flat tips....
..I use 'dime' shape 'cause I like to spin the ball
Answering these questions properly will be like tip-toeing through a mine field. At night. With clown shoes on. So here goes.
Shaft sizes for poolcues come in many different sizes, cesar. Depending upon individual preference, they generally fall within the range of 13mm to 11.5 mm, although larger and smaller diameters have been observed. Snooker players, for instance, may use a shaft diameter in the 10s, whereas a Billiard player may opt for a shaft nearing 14mm. This is primarily due to ball size.
Tip hardness, like shaft size, is wholly dependent upon the indivdual player's wonts and needs. Soft tips usually provide more cueball spin than do hard ones.
Experimentation is the only real way to find out what best suits your needs.
Whew! That wasn't so bad.
Damn tramp, another straight answer without your grandpa or sister getting involved! Well said!
I used a nickel before and I did notice they mushroom much quicker than the dime. And they are both tiger everest tips. I tried using a dime on a 12.75 mm tip and didn't like it. But a dime on an 11.75 is fine.
I shoot with a McDermott I-3 shaft with a 11.75mm tip diameter. So, I prefer a dime shaped tip. On my break cue, with a 13mm tip diameter, i use a nickel shape tip. But as others have stated, shape your tip to your own preference. What's good for the goose may not be suitable for the gander.
good post, interesting to learn that about snooker players..
The short answer to both questions is: it depends on the person.
The long answers can be found here:
Enjoy,
Dave
I think it's funny that "Caesar Morales" is asking questions like this.
Just to let you know, the vast majority of snooker players don't use flat tips. The only player I can think of is Stephen Hendry.
I personally like the Dime Shape, but your play style will pretty much shape your tip. If you use a lot of Spin, you will have a DIME. If you do mostly Center Ball you will have a NICKLE......JMHO.
Right now, my playing cue has the Kennedy half dollar.
For myself, the Z and a 12mm are dimes. All the rest from above 12 to 13 are a nickel. I do shoot much better with a dime on the Z, don't know why, I just do.
I think it's funny that "Caesar Morales" is asking questions like this.
HAHAHA. I sure hope you don't think I am the ghost of Cesar Morales or have any of his ability at the pool table. I figure that young man at Reds who went by the name of Cesar Morales could spot me the breaks and the last 8 playing nine ball and 20 - 2 playing one pocket.
I have my own idea about what is best but I wanted feedback on what others do. I use a 13mm plus with nickel shape for bar boxes with the big cue ball, 13mm with nickel shape on regular tables, and a 12mm with dime shape on the snooker table.
The response from az members has given me the idea that I need to expand my own testing. I am lucky enough to have a used cue dealer friend who lets me use anything in his inventory to test so I will be looking for some smaller shaft cues with a dime shape tip to try out the next time we are at the pool hall.
Thanks for all of the responses.
A more rounded tip will assist (slightly) in aiming off center because your contact will be closer to the center of the tip. A flatter tip will help you find the center of the ball because it's contact point will tend towards the center of the ball. A completely flat tip will contact the center of the ball until you aim at least half a tip off center. For the same aim, a more rounded tip will give more spin because it actually impacts the cue ball farther from the center, if only a little. A nickel radius on a 12 mm tip will seem very flat. A dime radius on a 13.5 mm tip will seem like an arrow. In the end, it is player preference.