Break tip suggestions

I just installed a Madman break/jump tip a few weeks ago and I'm very happy with it. I don't jump so I cannot comment on that end, but it feels and breaks like phenolic to me and I haven't miscued yet. It seems to grip the cueball well and hasn't gotten shiny yet like phenolic does. I used to use phenolic, then went to samsara, and didn't care for it. This seems to provide the hit of phenolic but the control of a hard leather tip.
Dave

Like Dave I am all over the Madman BreakJump. I like to Jump

QUOTE=Dave38;5177029]I just installed a Madman break/jump tip a few weeks ago and I'm very happy with it. I don't jump so I cannot comment on that end, but it feels and breaks like phenolic to me and I haven't miscued yet. It seems to grip the cueball well and hasn't gotten shiny yet like phenolic does. I used to use phenolic, then went to samsara, and didn't care for it. This seems to provide the hit of phenolic but the control of a hard leather tip.
Dave[/QUOTE]

I was actually in a similar situation last fall. I too also have a BK3 and was contemplating on which tip to buy as I didn't like the feel of the phenolic tip. After some extensive research, I've read many, many positive reviews about Samsara tips as a replacement to the phenolic and I went with that. It was a huge difference and my breaks were significantly stronger and way more controlled. It holds chalk very well and provides good grip. Breaking with a phenolic tip was like a slap to the ball, whereas the hard leather tip by Samsara felt like a good solid punch.

I've been having nothing but positive experiences with this tip and was very satisfied with my purchase.

https://twitter.com/KeithJawahir/status/560981521327489024


There's the Taom tip that shattered on my BK2 earlier this year (or end of last year, can't remember). I went back to samsara, but it kept losing layers. Hammerhead tip is next on the list to try.

I've had the Taom on a Mezz Power Break + Pro R shaft for about a month, the newer version sourced from Mika. So far, I'm enjoying it very much, and have very little negative to say about it.

Prior to this, I ripped off the stock Mezz Sonic tip to try out an Outsville Solid break tip. I'm a fan of their Ki-tech soft and medium tips, but this Solid tip played extremely soft, feeling only slightly harder than a typical layered soft tip, and definitely not a satisfying amount of energy transfer into the ball.

The Taom doesn't feel too hard like phenolic. It has a sort of elasticity to it that feels like it's bouncing energy into the cue ball upon contact. I'd been using a BK2 before picking up the Mezz, and in a side by side comparison of the setups, I'm happier using the Taom + Mezz for ~80% power breaks, and the BK2 for breaks harder than that. My break style attempts to mimic Ko Pin Yi (who does use a BK2 it appears), and for this style, I'm quite pleased with the Taom. I wasn't so big on jumping with the BK2, I never felt comfortable jumping the distance that I could clear a full ball with using that shaft; perhaps the low deflection properties of the shaft don't make it as practical a jumper for my abilities than the much stiffer Mezz Pro R shaft. With the Taom on the Mezz, I can clear a full ball about a foot away with confidence.

Here's a video of a few breaks I recorded with the Taom-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeo3_phuLGU

I use a white diamond on a McDermott Stinger. Not sure how it would fare on the BK but I have to say it is 1000% better than the stock phenolic tip in terms of break quality and no miscues.