How often to use a tip tool?

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drv4

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Again, I'm relatively new to all this. Play league once a week and maybe get to practice one other night for two-three hours. How often should I use a tip tool? Is it before every time I play? I have a kamui black soft if that makes any difference. Also my tip seems to be long and I've read on here that some like a shorter tip length. Is that a personal preference thing or a functional thing?
 
This question is not nearly as simple as it appears. The easy answer is that you use it as often as it is needed. This depends on tip glazing, mushrooming and other factors. I use my shaper a little bit every time that I play. In my head I then know that the tip is always the same. On the other hand using a shaper almost never means the tip is always the same as the time before. It just takes experience to know really figure it out.
 
I hit mine with a Tip-Pick before each shooting session. If I am in a long session of 1P I will do it again after a while. I like he Tip-Pick because it doesn't remove anything.--Smitty
 
drv4 said:
Again, I'm relatively new to all this. Play league once a week and maybe get to practice one other night for two-three hours. How often should I use a tip tool? Is it before every time I play? I have a kamui black soft if that makes any difference. Also my tip seems to be long and I've read on here that some like a shorter tip length. Is that a personal preference thing or a functional thing?
Click to expand...

Never.

Freddie
 
I know some weirdo will claim 'never', but he is a maniac.

I do mine about every 4 hrs of play, or if I miscue.
 
I don't like to use a scuffer or anything that really takes off the tip unless I absolutely have to.. Unlike the old fashioned tip tapper. Works great and does not sacrifice any of the tip.. Especially if the tip is a $45 tip.. A piece of fine sand paper is sometimes good for just scuffing it slightly , just enough to take the glaze off the top.. I have a friend who likes to scuff his tip the day before we go out and play.. That's too much.. But like was mentioned .. I would only mess with it as needed..

Chris
 
I use a tip pick as needed. Which for me means a lot, before every match and I have very, very few miscues. I find the tip pick does not take the tip down if you just roll it across the tip to dent it for holding chalk. Good Luck.
 
It depends on the tip. Some tips almost never glaze over and require little to no maintenance. Other tips glaze over often and require near daily scuffing.
 
I use Kamui black soft also. I am very close to the end of my current tips life and I have used a tool on it maybe 3-4 times ever. I think for many it is a comfort thing. I play every day for hours and have never had a problem with miscues. Miscues are much more about your stroke than they are your tip.

Use it as much as you think is necessary as everyone is different. Just know that the more you use it, the faster you will wear out the tip and need a replacement.

As for length, that is personal preference. I usually have my friend take off a few layers when he installs them.
 
Shannon.spronk said:
This question is not nearly as simple as it appears. The easy answer is that you use it as often as it is needed. This depends on tip glazing, mushrooming and other factors. I use my shaper a little bit every time that I play. In my head I then know that the tip is always the same. On the other hand using a shaper almost never means the tip is always the same as the time before. It just takes experience to know really figure it out.
Click to expand...

This is really your best answer. Pay attention to your tip and you will see when it needs to be maintnance and how. In time you will be able to tell easy if you cant at first. Just stay away from developing a habbit of doing it too often, when not needed, and a get a good tool and learn to use it well.

You have a Kamui soft tip wich shouldnt need much roughing up. If you see it start mushruming or losing shape (common with soft tips) then shape it but this really depends on how you hit the balls (soft, hard, break with playing cue), how often, and conditions you play and keep your que in will all affect this.

Also when chalking up if you see is not holding up chalk good and looks glazed then rough it up a bit all around evenly. This usually happends to me when its cold and lack of humidity more often. Make sure you have a good chalk so you know is not the tip.

Master chalk is good! Willard shaper nickle or dime is good! Kamui gator grip good! CueShark good!
 
drv4 said:
Again, I'm relatively new to all this. Play league once a week and maybe get to practice one other night for two-three hours. How often should I use a tip tool? Is it before every time I play? I have a kamui black soft if that makes any difference. Also my tip seems to be long and I've read on here that some like a shorter tip length. Is that a personal preference thing or a functional thing?
Click to expand...

I'd be very careful about even thinking like that.

Folks that think like this -- that using a tip tool or sanding the cue's shaft should be part of some kind of PSR -- end up with OCD mannerisms that result in a cue that looks like this:



(Click the image to go to the thread in the "Ask the Cuemaker" forum where a cue repair person describes actually receiving a cue like this.)

The correct answer is, you only use a tip tool when you need it. That is, when the surface of the tip has glazed over and no longer holds chalk, or if the shape of the tip has deformed/flattened. Using a tip tool should never be a "preventative measure," or else you'll go through tips like they're some kind of consumable item.

-Sean
 
I agree with Freddie pretty much.

I'll tell you that all the tip and repair guys out there like to see you scuff your tip more rather than less.

When I play with one of our Classic shafts, which is 12.75mm, I will most likely never touch the tip at all. I may play with it for a year or more.

When I play with one of our Pro shafts, which is 11.75mm, I will shape it just a few times over that same time frame because it will get a little flatter than I like.

I think the reason for the difference is because with the smaller shaft, I tend to hit a little closer to the center of the cue ball. After all, the thinner shaft will spin the cue ball a little more, so I don't need to hit as far off center. I do believe that the tip will take a shape that is consistent with your playing style. Those that hit way off center all the time will naturally have a more rounded tip. Those that hit close to the center will naturally have a slightly flatter tip shape.

All in all, I think this whole thing about the tip "holding" chalk is a little over rated. If I wipe chalk on the tip properly, so that it's covered. The tip isn't holding it there, it's just a layer on top of the tip. If I do this right, my stroke is correct, and I hit within the area of the cue ball that I'm supposed to be hitting in, then I will never miss cue. Never!

If I miss cue, pretty much it was something I did. I either hit it wrong, or didn't chalk it up right.

This doesn't mean that I think all tips are the same. I do have my preferences. I do, however, believe that I can adjust to just about any normal tip that's out there. When we are testing tips at the shop, the guys usually count me out because I say they are all good!

Shoot Well!
 
The way I see it, you use it for only one reason... to make chalk stick better,
and therefore prevent miscues.

So use it when you visibly notice chalk refusing to stick to your cue (despite good
chalking habits and brand you trust). You wanna train yourself to look at the tip
when you chalk and not just do the motion and assume it worked.

Or use it after your 2nd miscue of the evening :P

For me, it's like twice a year. No need to shorten the tip's lifespan.
 
sfleinen said:
I'd be very careful about even thinking like that.

Folks that think like this -- that using a tip tool or sanding the cue's shaft should be part of some kind of PSR -- end up with OCD mannerisms that result in a cue that looks like this:



(Click the image to go to the thread in the "Ask the Cuemaker" forum where a cue repair person describes actually receiving a cue like this.)

The correct answer is, you only use a tip tool when you need it. That is, when the surface of the tip has glazed over and no longer holds chalk, or if the shape of the tip has deformed/flattened. Using a tip tool should never be a "preventative measure," or else you'll go through tips like they're some kind of consumable item.

-Sean
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%
Just keep an eye on your tip. If you notice that you are miscuing and it feels like you need "extra" chalk, or maybe the hit produces a higher pitched 'dink', have a look at the tip. If it's not holding chalk and maybe looks a little shiny, it may need to be roughed up a bit. Just don't over do it
 
CreeDo said:
The way I see it, you use it for only one reason... to make chalk stick better,
and therefore prevent miscues.

So use it when you visibly notice chalk refusing to stick to your cue (despite good
chalking habits and brand you trust). You wanna train yourself to look at the tip
when you chalk and not just do the motion and assume it worked.

Or use it after your 2nd miscue of the evening :P

For me, it's like twice a year. No need to shorten the tip's lifespan.
Click to expand...

YUP! I do it more like once every two months. Sometimes it has been longer than that and I had to shape it. Prob was due to soft breaking with my playing cue which I stopped doing.
 
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