Tip Sizes Compared

Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Tip size is a hot AzB topic - we seem to think it matters. Here's a scale drawing (zoomed in to ~twice actual size) showing the relative differences in the normal range of sizes - 11 to 13 mm + a 10 mm snooker tip for comparison. I imagined bigger differences, maybe because of all the discussion about it...

pj
chgo

10-11-12-13 mm tips.jpg
 
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I keep getting invalid attachment errors when clicking the link.

EDIT: As soon as I posted this, the page refresh fixed the image for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
I usually use about 13mm on my shafts- most of my shafts have about a 12 inch pro taper- all are straight maple shafts- I found that even an 11.5mm tip is OK for pocket billiards for me IF the shaft has more of a conical taper than a pro taper- such as using an 11.5 mm tipped carom cue -
I don't think I would play with anything less than 12.5 with a pro taper maple shaft.
 
I like smaller tip sizes around 12 - 12.5MM because I have small hands and it makes closed bridges easier for me.
 
surffisher2a said:
I like smaller tip sizes around 12 - 12.5MM because I have small hands and it makes closed bridges easier for me.
Click to expand...
I like 12.75-13 for opposite reasons. I have long fingers and smaller shafts feel like a straw when i use them. I couldn't make a ball with a Z Pred shaft and sold it two days after i got it.
 
16- 17” pro taper &12.75 - 13mm tips seems ideal; shaft weight needs lto be >3.75 ozs. and < 4.3 ozs.
 
The difference between an 11.75mm and a 13mm tip may not seem like much of a difference, but it is certainly noticeable when placed against a 2 1/4" ball, especially, say, a tip below center.
 
I use a 10 mm tip with a conical taper, like a snooker cue for pool (I added it to the pic in the first post for comparison). The straight taper stiffens the hit while the small tip encourages precision by showing me a little more precisely where I'm hitting the CB (and reduces squirt, especially since it's hollow).

pj
chgo
 
Yech, you stepped into spin!

The big deal about tip size is that the vast majority of players aim with the center of their shaft regardless of what part of the tip they are hitting with using spin.

When you consider both the tip and the cue ball dropping away from the aim point those seemingly tiny differences in tip size make a big difference. Add the popular hard tip and where most people are aiming never makes contact.

When it comes to aiming the advantage of a smaller shaft is simple. It reduces the error created by aiming with the center of the shaft and hitting with the edge of the tip.

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
The big deal about tip size is that the vast majority of players aim with the center of their shaft regardless of what part of the tip they are hitting with using spin.
Click to expand...
Tip size doesn’t affect where the tip contacts the CB - tip curvature does (but only a tiny bit). I think most people confuse the two.

pj
chgo
 
easy to put to the test

Patrick Johnson said:
Tip size doesn’t affect where the tip contacts the CB - tip curvature does (but only a tiny bit). I think most people confuse the two.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...





The smaller tip hits further out on the cue ball than a bigger tip when you aim with center shaft. As soon as you quit playing with rigid two dimensional drawings this is obvious. What you are saying about curvature would only be true if the edge of the tip didn't come into play. It does when using a lot of spin.

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
The smaller tip hits further out on the cue ball than a bigger tip when you aim with center shaft. As soon as you quit playing with rigid two dimensional drawings this is obvious.
Click to expand...
Rigid two dimensional drawings sometimes show that what you think is obvious is really wrong. Here's one that shows how different size tips with the same curvature contact the CB on the same point:

tips.jpg

What you are saying about curvature would only be true if the edge of the tip didn't come into play. It does when using a lot of spin.
Click to expand...
And here's one that shows how even the smallest tip (10mm) with a flatter curvature (nickel shape) doesn't hit on the tip's edge until you apply maximum side spin - in other words tip size doesn't change tip/ball contact even at the extreme:

Tip Size vs Curvature.jpg

And finally, here's one that shows even tip curvature doesn't matter much:

Tip Curvature and Contact Points.jpg

pj
chgo
 
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try looking at chalk marks on a cue ball

Try looking at chalk marks on a cue ball with markings or using another ball that lets you see how far out you hit the ball and the shape of the chalk mark. Get out near the miscue limit.

Post some pictures of that.

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
Try looking at chalk marks on a cue ball with markings or using another ball that lets you see how far out you hit the ball and the shape of the chalk mark. Get out near the miscue limit.

Post some pictures of that.

Hu
Click to expand...
Here's a pic I have on hand of a near maximum spin hit (maximum would be about on the stripe's edge) made with my 10mm tip. What does it tell you?

pj
chgo

max spin.jpg
 
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