In this post, I'd like to share my various thoughts on the subject of tips, particularly layered tips. Based on my experiences and opinions. A little ranting, a few observations and whatever else comes to mind.
These days there's a myriad of layered tips. Seems everyone is coming out with their version of the layered or laminated tip. They've jumped onto this lucrative bandwagon. When the first layered tips came out, they were promoted and marketed as a solution to various problems as well as a performance enhancer. I think a lot of people have completely forgotten these claims and in the end, nothing has changed except what people pay for tips.
Claim 1: Layered tips put more spin on the ball.
This is simply false. Don't hear it much these days, but it used to be hype regarding layered tips. There was that sort of secret weapon mystique regarding layered tips. Layered tips do nothing to put more spin on the ball, generate more power/speed or anything like that. However, judging from this forum and the rest of the pool world, a lot of layered tip users like to think they generate more spin on the ball.
Claim 2: Layered tips last longer.
This is also false. I think how long a tip lasts has more to do with it's hardness level, how much play it gets, what kind of maintenance it gets or needs or doesn't need, how the user chalks it etcetera. But some tips for some reason wear down a lot faster than others even with the same use. I've had layered tips that wore out pretty quickly, and I've had others that seem to last forever. I remember quite a few dealers back in the day justifying the cost of the layered tips by claiming they will last 3x longer (or even more) than a traditional tip - saving you money in installation fees. What a load of BS. That was a popular pitch when trying to convince the pool playing world, used to paying a quarter for a tip, that paying $25 or more was worth it.
Claim 3: Layered tips are more consistent.
This I have to give layered tips some credit for, but overall it's not a universal truth. The proper claim should be "layered tips are consistent a higher percentage of the time". This is probably the key advantage or aspect of layered tips. The idea was to have a tip that would be consistent from tip to tip - whether it be in the box or across the whole brand. You can change tips and have a reasonable expectation of the same feel and hit. That's partially true. You have better odds getting the same hit with good layered tips, but even with the best you can get a bad tip. I've had and tried nearly every single tip out there, layered and traditional. It really sucks to pay for an expensive layered tip and installation only to have it hit differently than the previous one and it turns out to be a lemon. The idea is that the higher price you pay for this tip will save you from the hassle of getting a lame tip. Not true. With layered tips, even the best ones - it's still a lottery. You're still stuck with trial and error, just less trial and error. Is that worth the higher price? For me it's not.
Claim 4: Layered tips won't mushroom.
Yeah right! Even if the claim was: "layered tips mushroom less" it's still false. I've had way too many layered tips mushroom. Others that failed to keep their shape within reasonable limits. Someone gets a layered tip and it doesn't mushroom and they go around proclaiming them as great. Well, I've had many traditional tips not mushroom at all. In my experience, they mushroom at about the same rate. That includes the most popular and loved layered tips of the day.
Claim 5: You'll miscue less with a layered tip.
This is an old one. Not heard much anymore. It's utterly false. If anything, I think there's more miscues with layered tips. That's been my experience. But if put to a scientific test, probably no real difference.
Claim 6: Layered tips require less maintenance.
Another oldie from the early days of layered tips. In my experience, this has been the opposite, layered tips have needed more scuffing and picking than my traditional tips. But I've had layered tips that didn't need hardly any maintenance at all. Basically, layered tips have not shown an overall quality of needing less maintenance to justify this claim.
***
All that said, what the hell are they good for? I like to back up for a second and think back and try and remember what the purpose of these tips was. Something I think most have forgotten. I did too for quite a while. Caught up in the hype. It's the same thing every few years. A new one comes out, a few people try it and then they rave on about how great they are - essentially communicating their placebo effect pleasure to all that will hear them. That's why there's tips that are all the rage, then fade away in popularity for a new layered tip that promises to be better than ever. There's always a small cult following that gains steam.
But I've put that aside for a more objective approach. I base it on my own experience and honesty with myself. When it comes down to it, I know that none of them have been superior to traditional tips.
My favorite layered tip of all time was the original Moori medium-hard. Not these new ones. Probably because of it's hardness level which was perfect. Not hard, not medium - just right. I thought this was a pretty good tip. They lasted a long time, didn't mushroom much, hardly needed maintenance and were consistent. But even this great tip had an occasional bum tip. Had one that mushroomed bad and another that wore down real fast. Overall pretty pleased with them, but they weren't cheap. Back in the 1990's they would go for $35 a piece when or IF you could find them. Their advantages were offset by the high price and the hassle to find them. While a good tip, it wasn't superior.
The layered tip that I loathe the most is the Everest. What a piece of crap this thing is. That's probably why it comes standard on various cues and shafts. Every Everest I had mushroomed. One was really hard like a rock. A couple wore down pretty fast - and this was during times when I wasn't playing a whole lot. For me, they are miscue mayhem.
I think that layered tips are basically hype. The fact that they are layered doesn't change anything in practice. They have failed to fulfill their claims to any satisfactory level (in my opinion of course, others swear by them). That's probably why hardly any layered tip makers make any claims these days. The consumers of tips assume these properties and advantages because of the early days of layered tip hype. There's also a little bit of "it costs more, it must be better" in play here.
I think they're just a way for someone to convince you to pay $15 - $30 for what you used to pay $0.25 - $0.75 for. Thousands of pool players paying 15x and more for, what is in my opinion, not a single benefit of any kind. Well, with perhaps the exception of a slightly higher chance of tip-to-tip consistency, but no guarantee. As I said before, the slightly better odds of consistency in my experience doesn't justify for myself. Don't misunderstand me. To each his own. If you think they're better - so be it. I don't feel there's any evidence to support it. I haven't experienced them to be better. I also don't care what people pay either, but merely pointing out that the reason these tips were created was probably to charge more for a tip than to truly create a better playing, better performing, better lasting tip.
A few people woke up and saw someone else making $30 a tip and jumped on the bandwagon. Large variety and competition has lowered prices and there are many in the $15 - $18 range these days. But with so many out there, there's a lot of complete garbage too. I think that layered tips lend themselves to being more problematic because they are more complicated. Multiple layers, adhesives etcetera as well as how they are made. In other words, if they are not carefully made, and there's no decent quality control - they are very much inferior to traditional tips.
What's my favorite tip? I love and swear by the almighty TRIANGLE. These are great tips. I've found them to be as good or better than the BEST layered tips, but never worse. They're pretty consistent from tip to tip for a cheap tip, not as much as the higher end layered tips though. But at less than a dollar a tip, you saved enough to pay the installation fee so swapping out isn't more expensive relative to layered tips that are at least $15 a pop. That is, when or if you run into a lame tip. Can't go wrong.
Some Triangles mushroom, but I've found the rate of mushroom as well as the frequency of tips that mushroom to be the same as layered tips. Same with the odds of getting a bum tip in the box.
If the consistency is hardly different and the odds of how the tip will turn out are close to the same - I'll go with the Triangle. I don't think it is worth it to pay more for these layered tips to buy certainty that isn't certain.
All that said, my long journey of tip experimentation is over. Over in the same way my journey to find the better playing custom cue is over.
It's been many, many years trying virtually every tip out there. I don't drink the layered tip kool aid anymore. I'm back to good old Triangle. It's just a damn good tip. Simple, cheap and good. I said to myself, just go back to the Triangle and be done with it. I did and it feels better. Now I am at peace (lol). I no longer wonder if other tips are better. I no longer go through the experimentation, no more getting used to new tips. No more nonsense. I don't care because now I know better.
Sometimes simple is better. It think this is true of tips.
These days there's a myriad of layered tips. Seems everyone is coming out with their version of the layered or laminated tip. They've jumped onto this lucrative bandwagon. When the first layered tips came out, they were promoted and marketed as a solution to various problems as well as a performance enhancer. I think a lot of people have completely forgotten these claims and in the end, nothing has changed except what people pay for tips.
Claim 1: Layered tips put more spin on the ball.
This is simply false. Don't hear it much these days, but it used to be hype regarding layered tips. There was that sort of secret weapon mystique regarding layered tips. Layered tips do nothing to put more spin on the ball, generate more power/speed or anything like that. However, judging from this forum and the rest of the pool world, a lot of layered tip users like to think they generate more spin on the ball.
Claim 2: Layered tips last longer.
This is also false. I think how long a tip lasts has more to do with it's hardness level, how much play it gets, what kind of maintenance it gets or needs or doesn't need, how the user chalks it etcetera. But some tips for some reason wear down a lot faster than others even with the same use. I've had layered tips that wore out pretty quickly, and I've had others that seem to last forever. I remember quite a few dealers back in the day justifying the cost of the layered tips by claiming they will last 3x longer (or even more) than a traditional tip - saving you money in installation fees. What a load of BS. That was a popular pitch when trying to convince the pool playing world, used to paying a quarter for a tip, that paying $25 or more was worth it.
Claim 3: Layered tips are more consistent.
This I have to give layered tips some credit for, but overall it's not a universal truth. The proper claim should be "layered tips are consistent a higher percentage of the time". This is probably the key advantage or aspect of layered tips. The idea was to have a tip that would be consistent from tip to tip - whether it be in the box or across the whole brand. You can change tips and have a reasonable expectation of the same feel and hit. That's partially true. You have better odds getting the same hit with good layered tips, but even with the best you can get a bad tip. I've had and tried nearly every single tip out there, layered and traditional. It really sucks to pay for an expensive layered tip and installation only to have it hit differently than the previous one and it turns out to be a lemon. The idea is that the higher price you pay for this tip will save you from the hassle of getting a lame tip. Not true. With layered tips, even the best ones - it's still a lottery. You're still stuck with trial and error, just less trial and error. Is that worth the higher price? For me it's not.
Claim 4: Layered tips won't mushroom.
Yeah right! Even if the claim was: "layered tips mushroom less" it's still false. I've had way too many layered tips mushroom. Others that failed to keep their shape within reasonable limits. Someone gets a layered tip and it doesn't mushroom and they go around proclaiming them as great. Well, I've had many traditional tips not mushroom at all. In my experience, they mushroom at about the same rate. That includes the most popular and loved layered tips of the day.
Claim 5: You'll miscue less with a layered tip.
This is an old one. Not heard much anymore. It's utterly false. If anything, I think there's more miscues with layered tips. That's been my experience. But if put to a scientific test, probably no real difference.
Claim 6: Layered tips require less maintenance.
Another oldie from the early days of layered tips. In my experience, this has been the opposite, layered tips have needed more scuffing and picking than my traditional tips. But I've had layered tips that didn't need hardly any maintenance at all. Basically, layered tips have not shown an overall quality of needing less maintenance to justify this claim.
***
All that said, what the hell are they good for? I like to back up for a second and think back and try and remember what the purpose of these tips was. Something I think most have forgotten. I did too for quite a while. Caught up in the hype. It's the same thing every few years. A new one comes out, a few people try it and then they rave on about how great they are - essentially communicating their placebo effect pleasure to all that will hear them. That's why there's tips that are all the rage, then fade away in popularity for a new layered tip that promises to be better than ever. There's always a small cult following that gains steam.
But I've put that aside for a more objective approach. I base it on my own experience and honesty with myself. When it comes down to it, I know that none of them have been superior to traditional tips.
My favorite layered tip of all time was the original Moori medium-hard. Not these new ones. Probably because of it's hardness level which was perfect. Not hard, not medium - just right. I thought this was a pretty good tip. They lasted a long time, didn't mushroom much, hardly needed maintenance and were consistent. But even this great tip had an occasional bum tip. Had one that mushroomed bad and another that wore down real fast. Overall pretty pleased with them, but they weren't cheap. Back in the 1990's they would go for $35 a piece when or IF you could find them. Their advantages were offset by the high price and the hassle to find them. While a good tip, it wasn't superior.
The layered tip that I loathe the most is the Everest. What a piece of crap this thing is. That's probably why it comes standard on various cues and shafts. Every Everest I had mushroomed. One was really hard like a rock. A couple wore down pretty fast - and this was during times when I wasn't playing a whole lot. For me, they are miscue mayhem.
I think that layered tips are basically hype. The fact that they are layered doesn't change anything in practice. They have failed to fulfill their claims to any satisfactory level (in my opinion of course, others swear by them). That's probably why hardly any layered tip makers make any claims these days. The consumers of tips assume these properties and advantages because of the early days of layered tip hype. There's also a little bit of "it costs more, it must be better" in play here.
I think they're just a way for someone to convince you to pay $15 - $30 for what you used to pay $0.25 - $0.75 for. Thousands of pool players paying 15x and more for, what is in my opinion, not a single benefit of any kind. Well, with perhaps the exception of a slightly higher chance of tip-to-tip consistency, but no guarantee. As I said before, the slightly better odds of consistency in my experience doesn't justify for myself. Don't misunderstand me. To each his own. If you think they're better - so be it. I don't feel there's any evidence to support it. I haven't experienced them to be better. I also don't care what people pay either, but merely pointing out that the reason these tips were created was probably to charge more for a tip than to truly create a better playing, better performing, better lasting tip.
A few people woke up and saw someone else making $30 a tip and jumped on the bandwagon. Large variety and competition has lowered prices and there are many in the $15 - $18 range these days. But with so many out there, there's a lot of complete garbage too. I think that layered tips lend themselves to being more problematic because they are more complicated. Multiple layers, adhesives etcetera as well as how they are made. In other words, if they are not carefully made, and there's no decent quality control - they are very much inferior to traditional tips.
What's my favorite tip? I love and swear by the almighty TRIANGLE. These are great tips. I've found them to be as good or better than the BEST layered tips, but never worse. They're pretty consistent from tip to tip for a cheap tip, not as much as the higher end layered tips though. But at less than a dollar a tip, you saved enough to pay the installation fee so swapping out isn't more expensive relative to layered tips that are at least $15 a pop. That is, when or if you run into a lame tip. Can't go wrong.
Some Triangles mushroom, but I've found the rate of mushroom as well as the frequency of tips that mushroom to be the same as layered tips. Same with the odds of getting a bum tip in the box.
If the consistency is hardly different and the odds of how the tip will turn out are close to the same - I'll go with the Triangle. I don't think it is worth it to pay more for these layered tips to buy certainty that isn't certain.
All that said, my long journey of tip experimentation is over. Over in the same way my journey to find the better playing custom cue is over.
It's been many, many years trying virtually every tip out there. I don't drink the layered tip kool aid anymore. I'm back to good old Triangle. It's just a damn good tip. Simple, cheap and good. I said to myself, just go back to the Triangle and be done with it. I did and it feels better. Now I am at peace (lol). I no longer wonder if other tips are better. I no longer go through the experimentation, no more getting used to new tips. No more nonsense. I don't care because now I know better.
Sometimes simple is better. It think this is true of tips.
