Tip life.

S

ssbn610g

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Having seen a comment on tip longevity, I started thinking about how long a player should keep a tip on a shaft and still get the performance they want from their tip. In thinking about this I realize performance will vary according to manufacturer, model, hardness, personal preference, etc. I have an extra shaft with an old tip that looks good except for glazing but I feel no longer performs. It will be re-tipped in the short term.

So, here is my question.

How long should should one play with a particular tip and still get good performance out of the tip assuming it is not worn down to a nub or pounded a lot breaking?

How long do you keep your tips before changing?

Al

PS - I searched the forum and did not find much on this topic.
 
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ssbn610g said:
Having seen a comment on tip longevity, I started thinking about how long a player should keep a tip on a shaft and still get the performance they want from their tip. In thinking about this I realize performance will vary according to manufacturer, model, hardness, personal preference, etc. I have an extra shaft with an old tip that looks good except for glazing but I feel no longer performs. It will be re-tipped in the short term.

So, here is my question.

How long should should one play with a particular tip and still get good performance out of the tip assuming it is not worn down to a nub or pounded a lot breaking?

How long do you keep your tips before changing?

Al

PS - I searched the forum and did not find much on this topic.
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When it gets below the thickness of a nickel you probably need to change it out to avoid possibly cracking your ferrule (I had this happen on an OB I bought from a friend who didn't change the tip soon enough". But honestly, depending on the tip, you're probably losing performance on the tip well before that. I just switched out the Everest that was on my OB pro a couple of weeks ago and truthfully it should have been done soon. It wasn't even remotely playing the same as it was when it was in its prime. Of course that all varies by tip, how much you play, how much you shape/scuff etc.
 
I think tip life can be a fleeting thing. For me, tips are made of leather and I feel whenever I change one I have to break it in, much like a pair of shoes or a baseball glove. I don't particularly like doing that, so I use what works for me - a quality tip that never requires much maintenance.
I know some people that their tip life is about as long as until the next flavor of the month comes out. It's likely they will change their tip 10 times during a year. I have a cue and a shaft or two (not my regular player) that I will change the tip when I want to try something out, but for me to switch from my regular tip I'd really have to like it before it makes it on to my player.
So tip life? I suppose as long as you want it to and you're getting the performance you want, or until it's the width of a nickle. But that's just me. I'm sure there are many many other opinions
 
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Good answers but if a tip changes subtlety over time and you are playing with it all the time, can you detect the degradation of performance until it is far from where you would like. The reason I mention this is I got the chance to play with someone else's identical cue, tip, weight and there was a noticeable difference in feel/performance. BTW - I have a 19 oz. Predator Sneaky Pete with a 314 shaft and a Everest tip. I am thinking I wait too long to change my tips even when the apparent physical attributes appear pretty good.

Al
 
I tend to replace my tips when they just start not feeling right. Some go earlier than others.
 
rellek said:
I tend to replace my tips when they just start not feeling right. Some go earlier than others.
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This is the best response.
As a player you should know when it doesn't feel right.
If all else fails defer to the thickness if a nickel.
 
Tip time!

The tip can be a major factor it seems to me. If my tip is just the way I like it it has a positive impact on my game.

If my tip is not the way I like it it has a negative impact on my game.

Since it's 1 of the things I can do something about and relatively speaking tips are not too expensive.

My tip for you is to change it as often as you think it will help and I bet it will.

If you play great with your current tip keep it as long as you can.

If your games not where you want it to be try a different tip and keep your head down.

Good luck
 
Thanks a lot. I believe I tend to keep tips too long. I didn't realize how long the extra shaft tip had been on until I started thinking about it. Even my playing shaft has been on pretty long. A typical week for the last 3 months has been playing every day (1-2 hours), almost 8 hours on Saturday and twice on Sunday (practice and league).

I know the tip is detrimental on the extra shaft but was surprised how my playing shaft felt compared to friends exact same cue, shaft and tip.

Al
 
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A little off topic but what is glazing on a cue tip. Somebody got a picture of a glazed vs non glazed top?
 
CBW said:
A little off topic but what is glazing on a cue tip. Somebody got a picture of a glazed vs non glazed top?
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Here is video for a tool which is used to remove the glaze from the tip. They first show a glazed tip. Notice how smooth it is and doesn't hold chalk in a valid hitting area. I have had miscues with the tip on my extra shaft even when contact was made half way down the curvature of the dime shape. I have been scuffing that tip constantly and it glazes during a single session.

Glazed tip and solution

Al
 
You replace the tip when:
1) you lose confidence in it
2) it is worn down to the ferrule
3) you don't like the tip anymore
4) you want to try something new
 
I have used Moori quick's for about 10 years now. I change them when the unshaped part of the tip gets around a dime thick. Usually last's me a couple years to be honest and I play quite frequently. I do not usually touch my tip with anything tool wise until I notice extra miscues (usually caused by shitty chalk around the table) but then I may just ***** the end a little bit to loosen the leather.
 
"Q" Protectors said:
I have used Moori quick's for about 10 years now. I change them when the unshaped part of the tip gets around a dime thick. Usually last's me a couple years to be honest and I play quite frequently. I do not usually touch my tip with anything tool wise until I notice extra miscues (usually caused by shitty chalk around the table) but then I may just ***** the end a little bit to loosen the leather.
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I used to go through tips about every three months...then I went to Kamui Black Soft (really more of a medium tip) and they would last me about a year. Now I shoot with Pooldawg's milk duds, they seem to last about like the Kamui, which is surprising for a single layer tip. The trick is to shape the tip to your liking when it's new, play for a couple of days, reshape, then leave it alone. Your chalking technique and the way you play/hit the CB will keep the tip shaped to your optimal shape without constant grinding/shaping...assuming it's a medium or hard tip. It will get to a hardness and shape that's best for your game and stay there for quite a while. When it feels wrong or gets too thin, change it and repeat. If you're one of those guys that likes to take a tip tool to it everytime you open your bag, then you're going to go through a lot of tips.
 
MitchAlsup said:
You replace the tip when:
1) you lose confidence in it
2) it is worn down to the ferrule
3) you don't like the tip anymore
4) you want to try something new
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Yep, I have lost confidence in that tip. It is on its way out. There is 1.86 mm of unshaped tip between the ferrule and beginning curvature of the tip shape. The overall tip height is 4.5 mm. I used a very good set of calipers to measure. I am also going to try a new tip manufacturer, Ki-Tech soft.

Al
 
"Q" Protectors said:
I have used Moori quick's for about 10 years now. I change them when the unshaped part of the tip gets around a dime thick. Usually last's me a couple years to be honest and I play quite frequently. I do not usually touch my tip with anything tool wise until I notice extra miscues (usually caused by shitty chalk around the table) but then I may just ***** the end a little bit to loosen the leather.
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Would love to not touch the tip after shaping it. It really diverts your attention if you are thinking about miscuing while shooting. All the places I play have masters on the tables. I also carry my own chalk. I have ordered Predator and Blue diamond chalk to see if there is something better than Masters.

Thanks

Al
 
ssbn610g said:
Here is video for a tool which is used to remove the glaze from the tip. They first show a glazed tip. Notice how smooth it is and doesn't hold chalk in a valid hitting area. I have had miscues with the tip on my extra shaft even when contact was made half way down the curvature of the dime shape. I have been scuffing that tip constantly and it glazes during a single session.

Glazed tip and solution

Al
Click to expand...

Hey thanks, I thought that's what glazing is. It doesn't take long for my moori medium to look like that :(
 
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