Question on Tip Preference

T

tpoppa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just bought a cue that comes with 2 shafts. A 13mm and 11.75mm tip. I plan to have both retipped & am trying to decide what tips to put on them. I am not asking about brands of tips...just softness or hardness.

Would you use the same tips for consistency (S-S, M-M,...)? Would you mix? If so what's the reasoning? I realize this is highly subjective, but I'm looking for ideas.
 
tpoppa said:
I just bought a cue that comes with 2 shafts. A 13mm and 11.75mm tip. I plan to have both retipped & am trying to decide what tips to put on them. I am not asking about brands of tips...just softness or hardness.

Would you use the same tips for consistency (S-S, M-M,...)? Would you mix? If so what's the reasoning? I realize this is highly subjective, but I'm looking for ideas.
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Put on the tip that feels the best to you. I like pressed triangles. You'll get as many suggestions as there are people. I would use the same tip on both shafts unless you're using one as a break shaft
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If it was me I would have both tipped with the same rated tip. As far as the hardness no one can answer this for you. It is a matter of personal preference. Mine would be either a soft or medium depending on the brand. Good luck with your choice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
 
Thanks.

I tend to prefer softer tips. But I haven't used a tip thinner than 12mm before.
 
I personally don't like changing equipment so I would put the same on both. Me, I would put a tip on one of them, play with it for a little bit, then if I liked it, I would do the second exactly the same.
 
my idea: you go out there try your friends' cues who are satisfied with their cues and tips, try them and decide.

if you don't have a clear preference at the moment, it seems that you are shaping your own standard and feel for any tips, just try the most popular out their, install it on the 2nd favourite shaft, leave the most favourite there for another tip if you don't like the tip install on the other shaft. you can try and feel, and have a harder/softer tip installed on your best shaft.

it also depends on the cue also. if the cue produces a very stiff hit, then a tip too soft may give you the feeling that it absorb some of the force you apply on your shots. when I played with a production shaft (not as stiff as my later custom cue), I used Kamui original S (really soft), but when I changed to custom, I immediately used Kamui black M, now I play with G2 H tips

I can recommend you try some others, like Zan tips, ultraskin tips if you like layers, or milk dud if you want single layered tips.
 
When I was looking for an LD shaft I wound up getting two. An OB Classic With a Kamui SS & a McDermott i2 with an Everest Medium.

I actually like having the two different tips. There is much humidity in New Orleans & having a different hit for different days (& games) is working well for me.

It's just another form of being versatile.

Good Luck with whatever you choose.

Best Wishes,
Rick
 
I have two different shafts (OB 1 and OB Classic) with different tips (Tiger Everest on the OB1, Kamui Black Medium on the Classic).

I like having two different shaft/tip choices. Some days I feel like using the OB1 (soft) and other days I like to use the Classic (firm).

Occasionally I like to play a few rack with my break cue that has a Samarsa break tip.
 
Thanks. These are just the kind of opinions I was looking for.
I currently have a 13mm Kamui Black Soft and a 12.5 Everest Med. I am really liking the Kamui, but the Everest is taking some getting used to.

I'll probably put another Kamui Soft on my new 13mm, still undecided on the 11.75.
 
Well, I wouldn't go between 13mm and 11.75mm. I'd stick with one and make it work. One thing that suprises me is how many people are in search for their perfect cue on here. No such thing IMO. If you play with a cue long enough it will become perfect to you.

Tips are the most important thing on a cue, and make the most difference as far as "feel" goes. I like mine as hard as possible. Been using a Moori Fast that I've cut down, pressed and beaten to make it extra hard and its quite good. But I think I've had enough of layered tips for good now. Once this one I've got is done with I'm going to use either an Icebreaker or a hard Triangle as my playing tip.

But don't go with anyones suggestions on here about tips. We all like different types. Get down to your local pool store and try some out, or failing that try some of your buddies.
 
tpoppa said:
I just bought a cue that comes with 2 shafts. A 13mm and 11.75mm tip. I plan to have both retipped & am trying to decide what tips to put on them. I am not asking about brands of tips...just softness or hardness.

Would you use the same tips for consistency (S-S, M-M,...)? Would you mix? If so what's the reasoning? I realize this is highly subjective, but I'm looking for ideas.
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What you do on each is a personal preference sort of thing (unless you plan to use the 13mm shaft as a break cue, in which case you want a very hard tip).

Overall (ignoring personal preference), a harder tip is generally better than a softer tip. For more info, see the cue tip hardness resource page.

Regards,
Dave
 
Soft Tip - Hard Tip

Think spin to speed(forward momentum) ratio for maximum net effect.

All things are not equal & differences are not insignificant.

Not even the thickness of a piece of masking tape is insignificant to a golfer with 'feel' & knows how just one piece of tape 'thickness' can effect one's golf swing.

The tip is all that makes contact with the ball. I can shoot rather well with the most crooked worst stick as long as it has a 'good' tip on it.

PS I very often use a cut break so I don't really like a hard tip for breaking.

Soft Tip - Hard Tip...to each his own.
 
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Go with a soft tip on the smaller shaft and medium on the other........you want as much friction as possible with the smaller diameter shaft to control the cue ball since the tip surface area is so much smaller when you stroke with English...............................medium for the other.
 
Bavafongoul said:
Go with a soft tip on the smaller shaft and medium on the other........you want as much friction as possible with the smaller diameter shaft to control the cue ball since the tip surface area is so much smaller when you stroke with English...............................medium for the other.
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The contact area is the same regardless of tip size as long as both are shaped the same.

If you shape both tips to a nickel radius then both will have the same size cantact area.

A soft tip won't generate more spin, atleast in my experience. I can get just as much spin with a Kamui B SS as I can with a Kamui B H. As far as I can tell, the hardness of a tip only makes a difference in how a tip feels when you hit the CB. Softer tips dampen the feel and make it hard for me to judge speed.
 
Pidge said:
The contact area is the same regardless of tip size as long as both are shaped the same.

If you shape both tips to a nickel radius then both will have the same size cantact area.

A soft tip won't generate more spin, atleast in my experience. I can get just as much spin with a Kamui B SS as I can with a Kamui B H. As far as I can tell, the hardness of a tip only makes a difference in how a tip feels when you hit the CB. Softer tips dampen the feel and make it hard for me to judge speed.
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Pidge,

Sorry. I disagree.

It seems to me that you are neglecting a parameter, the difference in compression of the two(2) tips for an equal speed stroke. To me, more compression means more contact time. More contact time can mean more spin for the same speed of stroke. It is not that one tip can get more spin than the other. It is what tip gets more spin to speed for the same hit? It is the spin to speed ratio that can increase the net effect of the spin. It is my opinion & experience that one, or I should say that I, can get more spin with less effort with a soft tip than a hard tip, but that a hard tip can perhaps put more spin on the ball at the high end of stroke speeds when the compression matches that of the soft tip at the slower speeds. But... the speed will also be greater so what is the net effect in the end?

A softly strung tennis racket can put more spin on a tennis ball than a tightly stung racket with the same effort due to longer contact with the strings.

Some will say that those are soft conditions & not comparable. The same is true for golf whether it be a difference in ball hardness or the club head material.

You mention that a soft tip will dampen the feel & make it hard for you to judge speed. I think you would adapt fine with just a bit of time with a soft tip. The whole purpose of the tip is to soften & dampen the hit & increase grip & contact time with the hard ball. Hard end of stick with no leather tip contact to hard ball is not the best combination for playing the game IMO.

But... as with everything to each his own & that is how it should be in everything.

Naturally, all of the above are just my opinions.

Best Wishes,
Rick
 
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Pidge you are exactly right. The only question I would have is your last sentence But that is how you feel, so I will leave it as that.

I have observed the same thing comparing a Kamui SS tip with an Ultraskin Medium for the reference shots that I do there is no difference in the amount of spin between these tips. Stroke speed and tip placement matter the most.

Feel, and more importantly the sound is difference which I have to get used to in transitioning between tips. It was slightly odd to hear a different sound after switching to a new tip. Not that it matters but it took me a bit to get used too.

Pidge said:
The contact area is the same regardless of tip size as long as both are shaped the same.

If you shape both tips to a nickel radius then both will have the same size cantact area.

A soft tip won't generate more spin, atleast in my experience. I can get just as much spin with a Kamui B SS as I can with a Kamui B H. As far as I can tell, the hardness of a tip only makes a difference in how a tip feels when you hit the CB. Softer tips dampen the feel and make it hard for me to judge speed.
Click to expand...
 
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