Could be all in my head. I've been using a medium or soft tip forever. I recently purchased an old Mali with a hard tip. Playing with it I seem to have a better time at pocketing balls. Is this something that would just be in my head or something that might have weight behind it and if so what would be the reason? Thanks!
Hitting better with a hard tip?
- Thread starter bobbydee
- Start date
Nobody can tell you what you to use. If you like it great.
I've been having a similar experience recently, though compounded by it not just being a tip difference but also carbon vs traditional wood shaft.
I think I had a medium tip early on when picking pool back up 15-ish years ago. Maybe a few other mediums here and there but lately it's been all soft tips, especially since making the switch to carbon (Revo).
But last year I got the call for a South West satin that I had requested like 8 years prior when signing up on the SW list. South Wests come with very hard tips, I was surprised how hard it was and it was a drastic difference......but it turns out I really really like it. I feel like I have much more consistent control. I can move the cue ball just fine but I don't have those cases where I want to draw it back 10" and instead draw it back 3' on accident like I've had with my Revo with soft tips.
I took out my SW along with my full Predator setup yesterday but ended up not even getting the Predator out of the case. It felt like I was making more balls with the South West, some shots that I felt pretty iffy on were just going in for me. The one exception, not surprisingly, was any sort of long shot with side spin...those I was definitely off on. But short shots with spin I found surprisingly pretty easy.
I feel like I should probably try a hard tip on a CF shaft at some point to see if that helps with my overdrawing problem there at least. But....also forgot how nice a traditional wood shaft could feel
Rusty in Montana
Well-known member
Back in the day when I was starting to be serious about my pool game I used Le Pro tips on my cue at the time the choices were limited that or elk masters which back then they didn't last long at all.
But the Le Pro tip did get a once over with a tip tapper when and if I miss cued .
But the Le Pro tip did get a once over with a tip tapper when and if I miss cued .
smiling_Hans
Well-known member
Hard tip makes the cue ball dance. It’s easier to do a lot of things.
Soft tips are for advanced players. You need to have a good stroke.
Both my playing cues have soft and water Buffalo. I switch back and forth. I’m at the point I don’t notice the difference except on draw.
With that said hard tips better suits lower level players.
As for medium I don’t care for it. You usually by the cheap stuff or the most expensive. Anything in between is settling. You by $100 cue or you buy 5k cue. Don’t settle for the $2000 one.
Soft tips are for advanced players. You need to have a good stroke.
Both my playing cues have soft and water Buffalo. I switch back and forth. I’m at the point I don’t notice the difference except on draw.
With that said hard tips better suits lower level players.
As for medium I don’t care for it. You usually by the cheap stuff or the most expensive. Anything in between is settling. You by $100 cue or you buy 5k cue. Don’t settle for the $2000 one.
WTF????? where do people hear this shit? there are great players that play with all sorts of hardness of tips. it all comes down to feel and personal preference. I've known a few pure champions who play with rock hard tips. So much bs here. Reason i normally keep this cat on PermaIgnore.
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smiling_Hans
Well-known member
Soon you will be talking to yourself because you have nothing to offer except piggybacking off what someone says.
I never see you write an original thought.
LOL
smiling_Hans
Well-known member
If the OP notices the difference than obviously there is something to if.
As for new cue syndrome, well he will eventually hit “got use to it” syndrome too.
As for new cue syndrome, well he will eventually hit “got use to it” syndrome too.
smiling_Hans
Well-known member
But the cue ball reacts to the tip. One is grabbing more than the other.
There is a reason why race cars use hard and soft tires.
Same with cues.
There is a reason why race cars use hard and soft tires.
Same with cues.
Rusty in Montana
Well-known member
To stir this pot even more , one of my cues has a G2 med tip , another has a techno dud , another a milk dud and another Le Pro .
What's my point for the above statement each cue does well with that particular tip when I use it just like a hunting rifle likes one bullet over another .
With these cues it's all about what I like in these cases and who cares what someone else thinks because they're not using them I am ha ha
What's my point for the above statement each cue does well with that particular tip when I use it just like a hunting rifle likes one bullet over another .
With these cues it's all about what I like in these cases and who cares what someone else thinks because they're not using them I am ha ha
That would be CB deflection, a hard tip would deflect differently compared to a soft tip with the same stroke
Interesting! I'm going to have to play with it this week at league and see if I can tell a difference. I've always had it in my head that medium to soft was best for me but rethinking that now.
I'm pretty low level so that makes sense! Thanks!
This topic makes me think of ping pong paddles and the switch from sandpaper to soft rubber. Marty Reisman demonstrated the incredible accuracy he had with sandpaper. Heck he could even play with the knife edge of the paddle. The soft rubber changed the game. The incredible spin applied with the soft surface proved more important than the pin point accuracy available with the sandpaper. Similar situation with cue tips. It's interesting seeing what tips different pro players use. Checking out the tips used by various snooker players is a hobby. 
Tires use a center drive mechanism and rely on shear on a supported surface to provide motion with respect to that surface.
Pool balls spinning rely on something hitting them off-center, which is basically a question of torque. There is no support on the spinning axis. Shear and torque in these two cases are vastly different models. You can't point at one and try to use it as an answer to the other.
"Grabbing" is a function of the Coefficient of Friction, which in this case is determined by the chalk, not the hardness.
For more informed reading, see Dr Dave's page on tip hardness effects: https://billiards.colostate.edu/faq/cue-tip/hardness/
The traditional thought was hard tip for consistency, soft tip for reliable chalking. The difference in max spin between the two is negligible, in my experience.
I had a cue on which a hard tip was no good because it made each shot sound like broken glass. I think that was a problem with the cue, though. In retrospect, it might have been fixed by a LimbSaver, which deadens the sound/vibration of the hit.
I had a cue on which a hard tip was no good because it made each shot sound like broken glass. I think that was a problem with the cue, though. In retrospect, it might have been fixed by a LimbSaver, which deadens the sound/vibration of the hit.
I think this is why you're seeing an increase in the popularity of "medium hard" tips, which offer a kind of middle ground between the super soft and hard tips. I was also told recently that, with Matchroom tightening pockets on their tables, many pros are switching from softer to more of a medium hardness tip.