Thoroughbred Tips

I believe that there are four distinct features of a cue: 1. Hit/ play. 2. Feel in one’s hand during the stroke. 3. Construction quality. 4. Cue design.

I also believe that the cue tip choice can reflect at least 50% of the hit / play characteristics of any cue ( tip
Hardness degree and how the tip grips the cue ball)

So tip choice is very personal and very important - IMO most of the other 50% of hit/ play characteristics of a cue derive from shaft type ( straight maple vs.Anything else such as carbon, LD, Keilwood, etc - as well as shaft taper; ferrule and joint choice also factor into the hit/play of a cue.

Feel in one’s hands during stroke is also a very personal choice heavily influenced by cue weight, cue balance point, and cue wrap choice.

Cue construction is wood choices, joint choices, and cue maker skill level.

Cue design choice is 100% personal.

Have you heard about Titlist chalk (by Dr. V's Custom Shop) before SVB's recent announcement?

what do you grind it all over the table and into your hands?

my hands are never blue from master or twetten chalk.

No. I don’t. It still gets on my hands, my clothes, my table and ends up elsewhere. There is a reason so many users of Taom, pro and amateur, talk about how ’clean’ it is. They, and I, aren’t making it up. It’s the ONLY reason I buy it.

I don’t want to spend much on chalk, but there is no comparison between Taom and Masters on cleanliness. None. One cube also lasts a very long time, so I don’t pay much for chalk per year.

John Schmidt runs 820

The balls missed by a diamond don't worry me that much. We saw a lot of rolls like that on tournament tables past years. I remember one of Alcaide (At the Mosconi cup I think?) missed by way more of a diamond or another famous one bye Efren again mike sigel
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At that distance and speed the OB is completely hooked up. It has a rotational obligation to keep moving forward, which it did.

John Schmidt runs 820

There is a huge difference on the mental side of things when you are clean or think you are clean and when you know that when the video is reviewed it will show fouls.

You lay a six by six on the ground and dozens of people can walk it. Put the beam 200 feet in the air and very few can walk it. The pressure grows with every rack, tremendously more approaching a record. It's almost funny, they are fighting for every ball approaching a record. Once they think they have broken a record they may run another handful of racks almost effortlessly, the pressure is gone.

When I was a pup I cared nothing for golf, still don't. I would be riveted to the screen for the last few shots when two or three golfers were tied. Fifty thousand or more difference in payout for each place even back then. That was exciting!

That is why the videos when these people are trying to market high runs sell poorly, I believe. We already know how the story ends.

Hu
a very fumbly 820

820 nonetheless. Waiting for higher standards and screw the number. 350 on 4" holes for starters. No contact penalties maybe no penalties at all. Like racing. Players might go for it. Come. Get loose. Post a number. Long live Lou Butera....

:ROFLMAO:

Thoroughbred Tips

I don’t know about this. I would be very curious to know if an average player, a top amateur or a pro could identify the brand of tip (among the good traditional layered pigskin tips of the same hardness) based on feel, CB action etc. especially if they couldn’t see the tip.

People swear that different joints “hit different”. I have a recollection that someone did a test years ago where they taped over the joint and the players were terrible at identifying the joint type - wood to wood, fibre, steel, etc.

I’m not saying some people (especially at the high end of ability) couldn’t pick out their own tip type, but I would not be shocked if most could not.
I don’t think that anyone can pick up a brand in a blind test.
But any decent player can tell in a blind test what feels good to their preference.
It might very well be more than one tip and that’s fine.
But I would like to know what are those tips that felt better for me so I’ll know what to get and use.
A basic test such as this will be just a starting point, as the tip needs to perform over time and how much time to see it’s value.
For me a good tip not just feels great during one session, it needs to hold for at least 6 moths of long play (about 10 hours a week), it needs to feel consistent during that time even as it being trimmed down by shaping over that period of time.
Some top brands that used to be that good and consistent are not anymore in my option and not worth their price.

At 1/3 of the price, I will be happy for a 3 months consistency.

Thoroughbred Tips

That's a weird response...
I'm not a 700 player and I don't know who are those weird players that you know... but I can feel a difference in feedback and performance between tip as I'm sure you can as well and so any other semi decent players.

wouldn't you like to know the tip that feels and perform better for you and make sure to continue using it? I know that I would.

I don’t know about this. I would be very curious to know if an average player, a top amateur or a pro could identify the brand of tip (among the good traditional layered pigskin tips of the same hardness) based on feel, CB action etc. especially if they couldn’t see the tip.

People swear that different joints “hit different”. I have a recollection that someone did a test years ago where they taped over the joint and the players were terrible at identifying the joint type - wood to wood, fibre, steel, etc.

I’m not saying some people (especially at the high end of ability) couldn’t pick out their own tip type, but I would not be shocked if most could not.

Break Stats -- 2026 World 8-Ball Championship, April 2026

Here's a comparison of stats for the matches I tracked for the World 8-Ball events of 2022 (244 games), 2023 (254 games), 2024 (204 games), 2025 (223 games), and 2026 (205 games) in that order left to right.

The only differences I'm aware of in rules or equipment are: (1) the Predator table was an ARC model in 2025, whereas it was an Apex model the other four years; (2) the corner pocket mouth was 4⅛" this year, whereas it was 4¼" the other four years; and (3) the cloth this year was a new Predator Simonis cloth, whereas it was Predator Arcadia cloth the other 4 years.

• Successful breaks -- 57%, 49%, 53%, 49%, 46%​
• Breaker won game -- 59%, 53%, 58%, 52%, 50%​
• B&R games on all breaks -- 42%, 37%, 37%, 29%, 25%​
• B&R games on successful breaks -- 73%, 76%, 69%, 60%, 55%​
• Games ending in 1 inning -- 77%, 78%, 73%, 67%, 65%​
• Games ending in the 2nd inning -- 19%, 15%, 20%, 22%, 20%​
• Games going beyond the 2nd inning -- 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 15%​
• Runouts by the player at the table following the break -- 67%, 70%, 63%, 59%, 55%​
• First player to make a ball after the break won the game in that same inning -- 71%, 73%, 69%, 62%, 60%​
• First player to make a ball after the break won the game in a later inning -- 7%, 5%, 7%, 16%, 11%​
• First player to make a ball after the break won the game (any inning) -- 79%, 78%, 76%, 78%, 71%​
• Games per missed shot (approx.) -- 2.9, 2.9, 2.3, 2.0, 1.7​
• Games per foul -- 6.8, 8.5, 8.5, 8.3, 5.9​
• Games with one or more safeties -- 8%, 9%, 10%, 15%, 15%​
• Games (excl. B&Rs) with one or more safeties -- 14%, 14%, 16%, 22%, 20%​

very interesting, that's quite a drop in performance.

Break Stats -- 2026 World 8-Ball Championship, April 2026

I know it doesn't seem to be the popular opinion, but 8-ball is my favorite game to do commentary. And I know it sounds bold, but top amateur players know better how to play 8-ball better than the pros. The pros execute so well that clear mistake in pattern play and percentage play are masked. If amateur players tried some of weird patterns these pros do, they'd never get there. I guess I"m saying that professional 8-ball tournaments deserve better commentary to make the whole experience better.
Couldn’t agree more. Often when I’m watching several of the top guys I disagree with the paths they choose to take but it doesn’t matter when they execute as well as they do. BUT once in awhile. I liken it to straight pool in that way. Picking apart a rack is an art but you can still get it done most of the time just by being incredibly skilled.

We need more 8 ball, not less. It is Shane’s favorite game afterall.

Thoroughbred Tips

actually over the years ive had many tips and after shooting with them for a short time they all are just fine.
thats me you might be more particular and so be it. we are all different.

i play with many different sticks, balls, etc, tables. and just adjust to them even if i dont like them. its all the same for both parties.

and its true most very good players just care for a hard tip or a medium one. not a certain brand.
all i care if it holds chalk.

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