Break Cue Tip: Phenolic vs. Leather

J

JMASTERJ

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey guys... I purchased this from eBay for my first break cue, and I love jumping so I figured I would get the combo... at my current level (3-5 APA) I didnt think the quality would matter that much, but more for the experience and not wearing out the soft tip of my brand new play stick on order.

So I got this J&J Natural Birdseye Maple Jump Break Cue W/ Black Phenolic Tip / Ferrule for $72 and the biggest difference to me is this phenolic tip. I never tried it before and yes, it is hard as heck. I know some people here have supported the phenolic for a break cue.

So I am more of a math/science guy. Anyone here have any actual numbers to support the phenolic over leather? I.e., with the same stroke speed, getting more mph on the cue, or making more balls on the break or better spread consistency etc.... I am sure one of your pool geeks definitely took stats on the difference on your own... or I am hoping anyways.

The hardness is a bit of a shock, but if it makes me break better with the same stroke, heck, I couldn't care less.

Also are the phenolics better for jumping? I can't imagine if you would want some extra friction which I think softer tips provide, or if you want a quick hard collision to help get the ball up asap.

Thanks!
 
As I understand it the phenolic and G10 tips jump best. However with a hard leather tip and proper technique you can achieve both a powerful break and cue control
 
I personally like the leather Samsara tips. Feel like it's a great blend of hardness, but I can still get some grip if I'm putting a little spin on the ball. I just never liked phenolic tips partly because of the ping sound and also felt like I couldn't hit anything but center ball without fear of miscueing.

I am a big believer in proper form and accuracy though for breaking. I can get a great spread with my player (ob121 w 11.75 mm kamui medium tip) and using what feels like 50% of max power.
 
If your looking for something simple and effective, I recommend a hard water buffalo tip. I install these for a lot of my customers and they tell me they get more control, compared with a phenolic.
 

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I was under the impression that phenolic tips were no longer permitted for use on break cues? I don't know if this was BCA, APA or what? I think they were allowed on jump cues but not break cues? Someone here should be able to answer this.
They are definitely capable of adding speed to the break. The problem in my opinion is that they are not very forgiving. I find the Samsura tip to be a good compromise. They are very hard but allow you a marginal amount more leeway before a miscue occurs. The other downside to phenolic tips is they are very hard on the cue ball. My old cue ball has lots of little half circle hairline cracks in it from a phenolic tipped breaker that I was using in years gone by.
 
JRusso said:
I was under the impression that phenolic tips were no longer permitted for use on break cues? I don't know if this was BCA, APA or what? I think they were allowed on jump cues but not break cues? Someone here should be able to answer this.
They are definitely capable of adding speed to the break. The problem in my opinion is that they are not very forgiving. I find the Samsura tip to be a good compromise. They are very hard but allow you a marginal amount more leeway before a miscue occurs. The other downside to phenolic tips is they are very hard on the cue ball. My old cue ball has lots of little half circle hairline cracks in it from a phenolic tipped breaker that I was using in years gone by.
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So I looked into the ban of phenolic tips for breaking.... It looks like the ban was lifted by the BCA at some point a few years back. So disregard my prior statement.
 
So it seems the prevailing thought is Samsara (any specific model?) and hard water buffalo tips are better than pheno for various reasons without losing too much speed.

I do feel the pheno is really hard and altho I dont hit the center all the time, in my first match with it, I miscued twice in a row and I did miss the center of the tip but it was a pretty nasty result both times on the table.

I guess I can order the new tip and get it replaced at a local shop ASAP. I was really only going to stick with the pheno if it provided some other huge benefit.

I assume getting the Samsara etc. wont hurt the jump performance? I have no idea how much the tip affects jumping.
 
I used a phenolic tip on my break cue. I quit using it at home as it makes marks in the CB.

Since I treat property of others the same or better than my own I no longer use that tip and had it replaced with a very hard layered tip.

🎱
 
TheBook said:
I used a phenolic tip on my break cue. I quit using it at home as it makes marks in the CB.

Since I treat property of others the same or better than my own I no longer use that tip and had it replaced with a very hard layered tip.

🎱
Click to expand...

May I ask what u r using now?
 
JMASTERJ said:
So it seems the prevailing thought is Samsara (any specific model?) and hard water buffalo tips are better than pheno for various reasons without losing too much speed.

I do feel the pheno is really hard and altho I dont hit the center all the time, in my first match with it, I miscued twice in a row and I did miss the center of the tip but it was a pretty nasty result both times on the table.

I guess I can order the new tip and get it replaced at a local shop ASAP. I was really only going to stick with the pheno if it provided some other huge benefit.

I assume getting the Samsara etc. wont hurt the jump performance? I have no idea how much the tip affects jumping.
Click to expand...

Don't get rid of it right away unless you're really sure you hate it. It may take some time to get used to it. Try it for a while, let the feeling sink in, and then change it in a year or so if you want. Then you'll have enough time to develop a valid opinion about both phenolic and hard leather tips.

I have a hard leather Samsara break tip on my break cue, just to avoid any legality issues, but a phenolic tip on my jump cue.

Here's some info about cue tips, including hardness.
 
Also Outsville's hammerhead break tip gets a lot of praise and the company is owned by one of our own. Prob gonna try that after my samsara wears down
 
BRussell said:
Don't get rid of it right away unless you're really sure you hate it. It may take some time to get used to it. Try it for a while, let the feeling sink in, and then change it in a year or so if you want. Then you'll have enough time to develop a valid opinion about both phenolic and hard leather tips.

I have a hard leather Samsara break tip on my break cue, just to avoid any legality issues, but a phenolic tip on my jump cue.
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Thanks good advice... I just dont think I like the "cheap" feeling when it is hit, but then again I have never hit with a $2000 break cue so what do I know about what its supposed to feel like LOL... I wish I could go somewhere and demo like 50 cues in one night for all kinds instead of trying something for a year.

The only other thing is if I have my own set ever, I may stay away from phenolic, I dont think any pros use it and it is said to damage the cue ball little by little over time so... not sure if the performance benefit is worth it.

Legality? I thought someone here said it was all good now?
 
I have 2 break/ jumps, one with phenolic and one with a specialized leather tip.

Imo, the phenolic outperforms the leather in all aspects. For jumping, it is like cheating,....it is that effective.

For breaking, i do feel it adds speed. That said, i never break above about 80% power with any cue...so i think and speed addition is a non issue.

For home play, i use the leather. For out n about, phenolic, every time.

I agree with keepin what youve got
 
Leather....
Leathahhhhhhhh.

Phenolic suits some, but I like the illusion that the leather provides me about ctroling th eCB on the break.

Lesh
 
Hi, I bought a J and J combo break/ jump cue with a solid one piece phenolic tip. It work well for a while then it cracked in half. Had another put on same thing. I'm not that hard of a breaker so I had a hard leather tip put on and it breaks well.
You ask for numbers but remember the proof is in the pudding. It just depends on what you like!
 
Sedog said:
Hi, I bought a J and J combo break/ jump cue with a solid one piece phenolic tip. It work well for a while then it cracked in half. Had another put on same thing. I'm not that hard of a breaker so I had a hard leather tip put on and it breaks well.
You ask for numbers but remember the proof is in the pudding. It just depends on what you like!
Click to expand...

You got the same one I got?

I dont have a real positive feeling on it LOL... I'll try for another few weeks until I get my play cue but I am pretty sure I would wanna replace it with a hard leather. I feel like I am breaking a plastic lego block or something.

And I heard the pheno is but much for jumping, but I am sure with hard leather, you can still jump just fine with proper technique, correct?
 
I have a white diamond on a my break/jump. It breaks very well and won't damage balls, but it doesn't have as much pop when jumping compared to phenolic.
 
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