I'm in the market for a new break cue. I have been using an inexpensive cue for breaking. It's 21oz, has a hard leather tip, and is about 13mm in diameter, just a plain jane no frills cue. My player is about 19oz, has a Kamui Soft, and is about 11.8mm with a long pro taper. Up until now, I haven't really seen much of a need for anything more than what I'm using as a break cue, but lots of dry breaks lately and I want to upgrade. Some league players use those 25 ounce cues, and the weight helps when trying to break hard results in loss of control. I know of a couple that are much heavier than 25 ounces too. I have also tried a couple of very light break cues that some high level players let me try. I felt like I wasn't really controlling my hit with those, but they broke hard. Then there's the phenolic tips, and while I seemed to miscue a lot with them, I really haven't used them a whole lot, but lots of higher level players use them. I understand the purpose of the break cue for saving your player from those harder hit and greater impact stresses, so a thicker ferrule is a good idea, and a conical taper makes sense for managing impacts too, but what other features of a break cue should I be looking for, and why?
Break Cue Features and Justification
- Thread starter Rickhem
- Start date
just try em till you find one that feels just right
my breaking has never been better but thats because ive put in a good deal of work to dial it in, that plus a really damn good breaker, the players pure x
the whole room knows when im breaking
it has the bakelite tip
i dont even know the specs of my pure x but i took the weight bolt out and thats it.
perfect cue for me
my breaking has never been better but thats because ive put in a good deal of work to dial it in, that plus a really damn good breaker, the players pure x
the whole room knows when im breaking
it has the bakelite tip
i dont even know the specs of my pure x but i took the weight bolt out and thats it.
perfect cue for me
I'm not so sure it matters that much. I watch pro pool and amateur pool. The difference that I can see has much more to do with accuracy and racking the balls tight, than anything else.
Personally I have a conical taper and a hard leather tip. Seems to do the job.
Personally I have a conical taper and a hard leather tip. Seems to do the job.
The accuracy part is what I'm learning is a much bigger part than anything else. But after you can reliably hit your spot, some cueball control helps, especially in 9-ball. I never could get that control with the phenolic like I can with my leather tip. The White Diamond seems like an interesting option. I may have one put on my current break cue and see how that goes.
I had the same conclusion. Went from phenolic>white diamond>wb hard leather.
Chose the White diamond for a jump/break cue. Served me well as a compromise between phenolic and leather. Better control for sure. Now, phenolic on the jump cue and leather on the break.
I think a good break is more like a succession of proper muscle and tendon movements.
Sort of like a major league pitcher unwinds by building up momentum (for lack of a better word)
through proper triggering of muscle and tendon responses before delivering a pitch.
Personally I find control is more important than how hard the ball smashes the rack, especially in 9 ball
so I use my player for 9 ball.
Basically hitting the 9 ball rack no harder than a strong force follow.
However I'll use a break cue in 10 ball or 8 ball because it seems more force is needed
to get a good spread in any game racked in a triangle.
Includes 6 ball by the way.
Sort of like a major league pitcher unwinds by building up momentum (for lack of a better word)
through proper triggering of muscle and tendon responses before delivering a pitch.
Personally I find control is more important than how hard the ball smashes the rack, especially in 9 ball
so I use my player for 9 ball.
Basically hitting the 9 ball rack no harder than a strong force follow.
However I'll use a break cue in 10 ball or 8 ball because it seems more force is needed
to get a good spread in any game racked in a triangle.
Includes 6 ball by the way.
DryFlyTrout
Well-known member
My breaker is a Schmelke. It's 16 oz, conical taper, laminated shaft (plywood basically), and came with a phenolic tip. I didn't care for the miscues, poor chalk holding, or sound of the phenolic tip. I just got a white diamond tip. So far I like it. The WD doesn't seem to hit as hard as the phenolic, but everything else is better.
For now, I'm content with what I'm using.
For now, I'm content with what I'm using.
A break cue won't help with dry breaks. It's all for the feel, ability to use it to jump as well and maybe getting a few extra mph if you want a higher speed break. Dry breaks just happen due to how accurate you can hit the rack, how well you can read the rack, how good the rack setup, and the table setup/pocket size. IMHO the break cue has very little impact on the break that is not all in your head, you are not normally using sidespin on the break so deflection does not matter, a few mph more on the break won't help with breaking much at all. If you are not hitting square on the head ball or are getting crappy racks from other players a new break cue won't help there at all.
This.
Start paying attention to cue weight, balance, shaft taper, etc. (looks like you're doing these things already) but most importantly, don't expect to like what others like.
I found for breaking I like a hard, flat, thin, leather tip, stiff taper, and a light cue.
I found it in a 15.4oz bar cue on a rack in a pool hall I traded some tip work for. It's not fancy but it is the perfect break cue for me. Eventually, I will make it a two piece and carry it in my case.
I use a virtually identical cue to my playing cue only with a phenolic ferrule and tip. I really don't want to have to 'adjust' between different cues just for the break.
That's how I operated when using the Pechaeur, it's specs were VERY close to my player (it was supposed to replace it) but the shaft was thicker and had more taper.
SSDiver2112
Escott Cues
Also in this camp. I play with an 18.5oz and break with a 19oz, both Pechauer. Because I use a Black Ice shaft the overall weight may be close, but distribution is different. The break shaft is 6.2oz so the weight is 2oz heavier in the front compared to the player. I feel like I get a lot of control and speed with the lighter backend. The shaft is super hard giving it a solid hit. I just switched over to the White Diamond tip which I like much better than the tip that came on it.
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
Try breaking with a lighter cue. Sounds contrary, but a lot of people benefit.
I will never go back to a heavy break cue.
Same
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
I'll never go back to a playing cue over 16.5 oz..
I started with a 20oz but after being out of pool for 14 years I poked around when I got back into it and found I like a lighter cue. I am currently using a mid-high 17oz cue when actually trying to win (I rarely play outside of my house anymore) and love it, when completely messing around I will pick up the old Huebler and have some fun. I use a bit of slip stroke and found the lighter cues affect play drastically. I created the thread below to discuss:
Affect of cue weight with a slip stroke?
I've always had a natural slip stroke and over the last few months I've been having some fun with it but what I've noticed is, the weight of the cue affects play pretty drastically when using a slip stroke. For those that don't know - a slip stroke is when the cue slips (i.e. slides) in your...
forums.azbilliards.com
My break cue is 15.4oz, when I make it a two piece I'm going to add some length because it's 57" and the butt was apparently cut down at some point. I'm hoping to keep it right around 16oz after the conversion but am worried that adding the length will change the hit.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
IMO the Hamerhead 2 is like a white diamond but better. WD feels squishy, kind of like how plastic army men used to feel. Many swear by it but it wasn't for me. The HH2 holds chalk, breaks hard, jumps great and doesn't feel squishy/dull. It's not the glass shattering phenolic feel either, feels about like a hard leather tip with a bit more oomph.
SSDiver2112
Escott Cues
Everybody likes what they like.
I have not tried the Hammerhead tip, but if you think the White Diamond is squishy I know I wouldn’t like the HH2 for me.
The original tip on my break cue was just too hard. I replaced it with a WD and I like it a lot. In my opinion it hits very well and is not soft or squishy in any way. It holds chalk and hits great.
Stop. Go view Dr Dave's work on breaks.