What Differnce Does the Tip Make for Your Game

[lfigueroa]

He said years ago "A good tip is more important than a good cue."

Still got some original Mooris (from when it was a one man operation)..
The tips hit much better than the modern ones and allow me to cue
nearer to the 'miscue zone'.
I also like Sniper and Molivia.
Had some Champions and Blue Diamond that played good also.

A tip is the only part of your cue that hits the cue ball...
...lousy tip = lousy hit

People ask me to show them shots sometimes...I always look at
their tip first...if I don't like what I see,I won't even try it.

If I could pick all my opponent's tips..I'd probably be world champion
at every form of billiards...well, except golf on a snooker table...
..I hate that game :frown:

I do the same thing: when someone asks me for a lesson, the first thing I do is look at their equipment. It's amazing, especially for the low level players, how often they have a badly shaped tip. I round and scruff it for them and suddenly they can draw the ball and it's like you're the greatest instructor of all time

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

I LOVE a hard tip. Funny story. When I first started playing pool one of the better local players got me into a game where he played with a mop handle...and beat me. I hit some with the mop handle afterwards and actually liked it, lol. To my suprise, I could still apply spin and control the rock. Just no extreme spin. Since then I've sought out the hardest tips I can find that will still hold chalk and not miscue. I currently play with a Hercules hard and people tell me it sounds like a glass rod on contact, but I love it. Different strokes for different folks...

lol.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=169610&highlight=broomstick+figueroa

Lou Figueroa

 

[nksmfamjp]

I do the same thing: when someone asks me for a lesson, the first thing I do is look at their equipment. It's amazing, especially for the low level players, how often they have a badly shaped tip. I round and scruff it for them and suddenly they can draw the ball and it's like you're the greatest instructor of all time

Lou Figueroa

A good reason to buy a tip tool as your first pool equipment item!

 

[TATE]

I thought the Tiger Oynx were super hard -- how would you rate them?

Lou Figueroa

Medium - to me they feel like a new Everest or a Le Pro and seem to stay that way without hardening up.

Chris

 

[peppersauce]

lol.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=169610&highlight=broomstick+figueroa

Lou Figueroa

......................

 

[lfigueroa]

I have tried the buffalo, moori, elkmaster, triangle, and a few others.

I find that within a month they all seem to harden and I start to miscue more.

I am sticking with the elk master because I change my tip about every 2 weeks and they are cheap.

I am going to try a milk dud to see if there is any difference.

IMHO, tips are like shafts in that it is all in the player and what he/she thinks gives him/her the best playing ability. (whether it actually does or not)

Kim

Holy smokes?! Every two weeks?! What are you doing -- playing 22 hours a day or using your cue to make fire?

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

A good reason to buy a tip tool as your first pool equipment item!

True dat.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

Lol. That's too funny, Lou. My situation was a little bit different than yours. I later learned that the guy who beat me had a dedicated mop handle in the closet at the pool room for just such an occasion. He put a lot of practice in with that thing. Guess I never really answered the question though. I'm A.D.D. like that. I prefer a hard tip but I can adjust to anything as long as I like the hit of the cue it's on. I think playing well has MUCH more to do with a players heart, confidence, and cue action than what type of leather is glued to the end of the cue. Great story, BTW. Thanks for sharing. :smile:

oh man, a Sneaky Pete mop. That is a move.

Lou Figueroa

 

[sfleinen]

Sean, what do you do to the tips to get them right? Do you put them in a vice? (I've never been able to get an Elkmaster to stop mushrooming.) Also, what about the issue of durability? The few I've used have worn out in no time.

Lou Figueroa

Lou:

After installing a new Elkmaster, I play "slam-ball" for a couple days with that cue. I only use the cue for slam-ball -- I do not play matches with it. And I do not trim the mushroom "as it happens," either. I keep it as-is, and continue to play slam-ball with it, as it deforms. After a couple days of slam-ball, the tip has severely mushroomed and deformed, but the fact that I didn't trim the mushrooming "as it happened" actually helps the tip to compress fully and settle/situate into its final state.

Then, I de-mushroom it. I use the Porper Big Shaver for the de-mushrooming task, and it works quick and great. A good burnish, and the Elkmaster is stable. It may mushroom slightly some more, but only slightly, and not something that a quick hit with an emery board (for ladies' nails) won't handle.

To be honest, I think a lot of folks have lost their tip maintenance chops with these layered tips and all the hoopla with this "diva tip" du-jour. They're spoiled. If a tip does mushroom, it's like, "oh my god -- this is terrible; what do I do? I need to find a cue repairman, pronto!" And, although undesirable (I certainly don't like mushroomed tips), tell me exactly how a mushroomed tip is supposed to interfere with the shot? Is it distracting to see the tip overhang the ferrule when you're cueing up to the cue ball? Sure. Does it stop you from aiming? No. Does it stop you from putting spin on the ball? No. Does it do something negative to the hit? Unless you miscue, no. I play off the wall a lot (especially when I travel out to Colorado during the holiday season to visit my folks out there, and I don't bring my cues because it's a pain to travel with them). I can play with the most warped cue in the house, as long as it has a decent tip on it; I just adapt to it by rotating the cue where the warp is out of my way. In many cases, "decent tip" means the unavoidable circumstance where all the tips on all the cues in the house are mushroomed, but "this one" happens to be shaped correctly.

I don't say these things to you personally, Lou. I just took the opportunity to insert some thoughts to all this "designer tips" reliance that I see, in the hopes it might ring true with some folks.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful,
-Sean

 

[Dakota Cues]

Lou:

After installing a new Elkmaster, I play "slam-ball" for a couple days with that cue. I only use the cue for slam-ball -- I do not play matches with it. And I do not trim the mushroom "as it happens," either. I keep it as-is, and continue to play slam-ball with it, as it deforms. After a couple days of slam-ball, the tip has severely mushroomed and deformed, but the fact that I didn't trim the mushrooming "as it happened" actually helps the tip to compress fully and settle/situate into its final state.

Then, I de-mushroom it. I use the Porper Big Shaver for the de-mushrooming task, and it works quick and great. A good burnish, and the Elkmaster is stable. It may mushroom slightly some more, but only slightly, and not something that a quick hit with an emery board (for ladies' nails) won't handle.

To be honest, I think a lot of folks have lost their tip maintenance chops with these layered tips and all the hoopla with this "diva tip" du-jour. They're spoiled. If a tip does mushroom, it's like, "oh my god -- this is terrible; what do I do? I need to find a cue repairman, pronto!" And, although undesirable (I certainly don't like mushroomed tips), tell me exactly how a mushroomed tip is supposed to interfere with the shot? Is it distracting to see the tip overhang the ferrule when you're cueing up to the cue ball? Sure. Does it stop you from aiming? No. Does it stop you from putting spin on the ball? No. Does it do something negative to the hit? Unless you miscue, no. I play off the wall a lot (especially when I travel out to Colorado during the holiday season to visit my folks out there, and I don't bring my cues because it's a pain to travel with them). I can play with the most warped cue in the house, as long as it has a decent tip on it; I just adapt to it by rotating the cue where the warp is out of my way. In many cases, "decent tip" means the unavoidable circumstance where all the tips on all the cues in the house are mushroomed, but "this one" happens to be shaped correctly.

I don't say these things to you personally, Lou. I just took the opportunity to insert some thoughts to all this "designer tips" reliance that I see, in the hopes it might ring true with some folks.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful,
-Sean

Sean,

You mentioned you like Slam-ball. I was wondering if you’ve ever tried bouncing the cue, tip down, on a hard cement surface? I’ve heard others do this, but I don’t know if it produces the same result.

One thing they mentioned is that they can control the contact better, so they get (or at least think they get) a more uniform tip since they spin the cue as they drop it.

 

[sfleinen]

Sean,

You mentioned you like Slam-ball. I was wondering if you’ve ever tried bouncing the cue, tip down, on a hard cement surface? I’ve heard others do this, but I don’t know if it produces the same result.

One thing they mentioned is that they can control the contact better, so they get (or at least think they get) a more uniform tip since they spin the cue as they drop it.

Dakota:

Yep, I've seen that technique. But I like slam-ball, because it helps exercise my power stroke -- letting my stroke out on power shots, and I get to practice things not normally used in a game, like extreme follow, extreme draw, entire-table-width stun shots, 14.1 break shots where my break ball is almost a straight-in shot and I have to stun the p*ss out of it to get into the rack, etc. Sort of, I get a "two for one" special by practicing slam-ball: compressing my Elkmaster tip, and working on my power stroke.

Having said that, if there were a machine that would continually hammer my cue tip into the ground like a jackhammer -- sort of a paintcan shaking machine rigged up horizontally and be able to hold a cue vertically -- I would be very interested!

Hope this helps,
-Sean

 

[Ratta]

Hi Sean ,

you got me For sure i ve installed several hundred tips (if not more)
And before i took a longer break layered tips weren t available. I always just used LePro and Triangles. It was more like having luck on the beginning to *catch* a really good one-but later you ll just find a feeling and get a bit experience which one will be good. To trim the tips with the right equipment and especially *when* you do it was the key.

And today...i m using a layered tip almost for one reason....getting lazy bc they really almost never need to be trimmed again
Usualy no other reason in my opinion. Just comfortable that some layered tips staying in shape for a very long time.

a lazy one

Ingo

 

[Maniac]

Having said that, if there were a machine that would continually hammer my cue tip into the ground like a jackhammer -- sort of a paintcan shaking machine rigged up horizontally and be able to hold a cue vertically -- I would be very interested! -Sean

I've seen some women that could do what you describe ............:grin:!!!

Maniac

 

[sfleinen]

I've seen some women that could do what you describe ............:grin:!!!

Maniac

Ouch. I definitely stuck my foot in that one, didn't I?

-Sean

 

[berlowmj2]

Indian vs arrow mantra prevails

So, excluding break cue tips:

How much of a difference do you think using your favoritest tip on your playing cue makes -- as far as how well you play -- compared to your least favorite tip?

And, why do you think it is so?

Lou Figueroa

I have settled upon a 21.4 oz Jacoby Hustler (sneaky pete really) with a Kamui Super Soft tip, the latter recommended by my instructor & mentor Stan Shuffett.

It is likely that I will die still attempting to fulfill the potential of this cue.

As I realize the wisdom of the "Its the Indian not the arrow" metaphor, I have occasionally been utilizing "bar cues" & achieving some measure of success in 8-ball combat.

These self imposed challenges have provided some reassurance about my stroke.

However, as I encounter the cues with wretched tips & warped shafts ubiquitous in bars & pool halls it is comforting to have my trusted weapon available.

My own cue also provides me with consistency as I attempt to hardwire my stroke.

 

[manwon]

Dakota:

Yep, I've seen that technique. But I like slam-ball, because it helps exercise my power stroke -- letting my stroke out on power shots, and I get to practice things not normally used in a game, like extreme follow, extreme draw, entire-table-width stun shots, 14.1 break shots where my break ball is almost a straight-in shot and I have to stun the p*ss out of it to get into the rack, etc. Sort of, I get a "two for one" special by practicing slam-ball: compressing my Elkmaster tip, and working on my power stroke.

Having said that, if there were a machine that would continually hammer my cue tip into the ground like a jackhammer -- sort of a paintcan shaking machine rigged up horizontally and be able to hold a cue vertically -- I would be very interested!

Hope this helps,
-Sean

Hey Sean, I think your method will work just find but, I use a different method that also works well for Elkmaster tips. I put them in a vise and tighten it up as tight as possible by hand, and then take a hammer and tighten it as far as it will go. The next day without relieving any pressure I again pound it with a hammer, I do this for a total of 5 days and each day I get a Little more compression out of that tip when I finally open the vise there is a real tip.

I keep 3 or 4 of these pressed tips on hand for customers who play with nothing else, once these tips are pressed like I said above you can play slam ball all day and they will not mushroom, in fact I have a 3-Cushion Billiards player that uses one.

Take Care

 

[Dakota Cues]

I like and use the Kamui black SS too -- I'm curious: have you noticed that after awhile they lose their grab?

Lou Figueroa

I have not noticed this yet.

Here's a question for you though: When you have them installed, do you take any layers off? I like about 2 layers off mine, and then shaped to a dime radius.

 

[lfigueroa]

Lou:

After installing a new Elkmaster, I play "slam-ball" for a couple days with that cue. I only use the cue for slam-ball -- I do not play matches with it. And I do not trim the mushroom "as it happens," either. I keep it as-is, and continue to play slam-ball with it, as it deforms. After a couple days of slam-ball, the tip has severely mushroomed and deformed, but the fact that I didn't trim the mushrooming "as it happened" actually helps the tip to compress fully and settle/situate into its final state.

Then, I de-mushroom it. I use the Porper Big Shaver for the de-mushrooming task, and it works quick and great. A good burnish, and the Elkmaster is stable. It may mushroom slightly some more, but only slightly, and not something that a quick hit with an emery board (for ladies' nails) won't handle.

To be honest, I think a lot of folks have lost their tip maintenance chops with these layered tips and all the hoopla with this "diva tip" du-jour. They're spoiled. If a tip does mushroom, it's like, "oh my god -- this is terrible; what do I do? I need to find a cue repairman, pronto!" And, although undesirable (I certainly don't like mushroomed tips), tell me exactly how a mushroomed tip is supposed to interfere with the shot? Is it distracting to see the tip overhang the ferrule when you're cueing up to the cue ball? Sure. Does it stop you from aiming? No. Does it stop you from putting spin on the ball? No. Does it do something negative to the hit? Unless you miscue, no. I play off the wall a lot (especially when I travel out to Colorado during the holiday season to visit my folks out there, and I don't bring my cues because it's a pain to travel with them). I can play with the most warped cue in the house, as long as it has a decent tip on it; I just adapt to it by rotating the cue where the warp is out of my way. In many cases, "decent tip" means the unavoidable circumstance where all the tips on all the cues in the house are mushroomed, but "this one" happens to be shaped correctly.

I don't say these things to you personally, Lou. I just took the opportunity to insert some thoughts to all this "designer tips" reliance that I see, in the hopes it might ring true with some folks.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful,
-Sean

OK, thanks, Sean. I did not know about slam ball

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

Dakota:

Yep, I've seen that technique. But I like slam-ball, because it helps exercise my power stroke -- letting my stroke out on power shots, and I get to practice things not normally used in a game, like extreme follow, extreme draw, entire-table-width stun shots, 14.1 break shots where my break ball is almost a straight-in shot and I have to stun the p*ss out of it to get into the rack, etc. Sort of, I get a "two for one" special by practicing slam-ball: compressing my Elkmaster tip, and working on my power stroke.

Having said that, if there were a machine that would continually hammer my cue tip into the ground like a jackhammer -- sort of a paintcan shaking machine rigged up horizontally and be able to hold a cue vertically -- I would be very interested!

Hope this helps,
-Sean

Maybe you could rig something up with one of those electric hammer thingies.

Lou Figueroa
just-semi-kidding

 

[lfigueroa]

I have settled upon a 21.4 oz Jacoby Hustler (sneaky pete really) with a Kamui Super Soft tip, the latter recommended by my instructor & mentor Stan Shuffett.

It is likely that I will die still attempting to fulfill the potential of this cue.

As I realize the wisdom of the "Its the Indian not the arrow" metaphor, I have occasionally been utilizing "bar cues" & achieving some measure of success in 8-ball combat.

These self imposed challenges have provided some reassurance about my stroke.

However, as I encounter the cues with wretched tips & warped shafts ubiquitous in bars & pool halls it is comforting to have my trusted weapon available.

My own cue also provides me with consistency as I attempt to hardwire my stroke.

Eloquently stated.

Lou Figueroa