Big Question - Do you break with your main playing cue or not

PoolFan101

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I never break with one of my main cues , even if it is a cheaper one, I always break with a house stick . I have a friend who is a really good player , on paper one of the best shots in this neck of the woods who has a 25 year old Meucci HOF-1 that he always plays with and breaks with every time he said I would not own a stick I could not break with . The stick after being played with and broke with still looks just as good and has no issues. Plays really nice. I am to touchy and go overboard on taking care of my sticks . I am pretty anal about them and do not take them out of the house much, But it sometimes takes some of the fun out trying to keep the cue looking new. I grew up with not a lot so I try to take care of what I have, But do you think it hurts a cue to break with it , or does it matter if the cue is wood to wood joint or SS joint, would SS joint be better to break with say,
 

Mick

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I always broke with my shooter for 25+ years with no issues. I only got a dedicated breaker when I switched to a 11.75mm LD shaft, and the main reason for not wanting to break with it was to minimize wear and tear on the tip.
 

JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
Yeah for me it’s more a tip issue than anything else. I admit I’m not a “cue” person and can’t attest to long term effects but I’ve broken with my 314 off and on for 2 years or so and the shaft is fine. When my tip is getting down like it is now I will use my break cue, or if I’m smashing 8 ball or rotation racks just because I get more power. 9 or 10, 8 ball with magic rack, bar box etc. I use my playing cue.
 

Ģüśţāṿ

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I regularly break with my playing cue but I do also have a break cue that I sometimes use when I really need to wack em. The only "problem" ive ever had is that the tip gets firmer over time. I use a hard tip anyways so I dont see this as an issue.

I've broken the rack with many LD shafts as well and have never had an issue before.
 
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KRJ

Support UKRAINE
Silver Member
Most folks use a break cue for 8 and 9 ball. Very few don't. I'd bet 90% use a break cue. I can count on one hand the folks that don't use one.
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
I broke well with my player
A players sp with a lepro

Now i got a sweet krindlekin breaker
 

strmanglr scott

All about Focus
Silver Member
Couple years ago I finally bought a break cue. Yes, I'm an 8 Ball player, thinking man's game :). Glad I got it, breaks like a bomb w no effort.

Before that I would use my friends break cue when I could and if not, I used a house cue.

As mentioned before, it's not about breaking the stick or ferrule, it's about crushing the tip.

I know a few people who break and play with their Meuccis. Meuccis are common around here.

I own but don't use a HOF-1, good looking stick.
 

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Doesn’t Seem To Offer Any Benefit

Regardless of whether you tip is soft, medium or hard, we all know that maintaining the tips’s shape is very
important. So better players pay attention to how they apply chalk to a cue tip & closer attention to making
sure the cue tip has & keeps the right shape they prefer to play with, basically a nickel vs. dime shape tip.

The tip is like the edge on your knife. If you let the blade become dull, it doesn’t work as well. The very
same applies to a tip’s shape that changes from use. You need to not neglect it and using it for breaking
a rack in anything but 14.1 seems contrary to that objective. Pounding the cue ball on the opening break
over time gradually changes the shape of your cue tip, especially with softer tips. Why would you want to
alter, albeit even slightly, the shape of the tip you are about to use and continue using? Why introduce any
variable whatsoever to stroking the cue ball? There is zero benefit from using your playing cue to break
with from what I’ve seen. People might think it just feels better but the real question is are the results any
better? Do the balls scatter better and do you make balls on the break thus keeping control of the table?

Frankly, I think it’s more a case of just being indifferent about the opening break or perhaps just laziness
with some players but rest assured their cue’s tip changes shape as a result of slamming it on break shots.
It just seems to me that you are creating more work to maintain you tip’s shape and it wears out faster, plus
at some point over time, the shape change to the tip will influence how it strikes the cue ball and that is
a variable that can cause you to miss an important, difficult long cut shot. Even chalk you apply can start
adhering unevenly so it is important to apply chalk using a brushing motion instead of twisting the chalk.
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Most folks use a break cue for 8 and 9 ball. Very few don't. I'd bet 90% use a break cue. I can count on one hand the folks that don't use one.

Where do you hang out? I'd say it's the other way around where I go out to play. And, most who don't break with their player use a house cue to break. So a specialized break cue, maybe 5%?
 

Muddog

Registered
Never break with my Huebler but until it got stolen I always broke with my 20+ yr old Excalibur which also served as my bar/take anywhere cue
Not the best cue in the world but fiberglass coated shaft nice and stiff for the break and after 20 yrs of rough handling and things I would never do with my Huebler it still looked brand new and being the same weight and tip it took less to get used to than a house stick also meant I had a loaner for friends

I run le pros so once they were good and broke in I never had an issue with it changing the hit/tip
 

chuckg

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I got rid of my breaker years ago. My main player is a Mottey I have had forever..Med hard Moor I and ultraskin with pads no issues,I shape my tips once in a while. I pretty much play any game.
 

ctyhntr

RIP Kelly
Silver Member
If I'm playing straight pool, yes I also break with my playing cue. 9-Ball I use my Sledgehammer as to save the tip profile.
 

Tom1234

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I break pretty hard and have even cracked the ferrule on my break cue. I use softer ferrules on my play cues and I’m sure I would be replacing those ferrules quite often if I used them to break. I’m now using pads on my break cue hoping this will help preserve the integrity of the ferrule. With this in mind, I will continue to use a break cue.
 

9 Ball Fan

Darth Maximus
Silver Member
There is no way I want to break 8 Ball racks with my playing cue.

Use a Soft Break on a 9 Ball rack? Sure, no problem.
 

cubswin

Just call me Joe...
Silver Member
I did for years, and then I found a break cue I liked. Was a varney, and it worked really well. Someone offered enough and brought it from me, so I switched to a light j&j (had it bored by manwon) and have used it for last 8 or 9 years.

I break good with my playing cue, but I don't like what breaking does the tip, not to mention I tend to get more dings when I break with my player.
 

Sunchaser

Belgian Malinois
Silver Member
I use an old Joss for my breaker. I only do that because of the weight its perfect for me. Also because its retired and wouldnt see the light of day if i didnt. Ive never had an issue with tips as far as coming off, mushrooming, wearing thin, constantly switching etc. Used waterbuffalo or Lepro smashed in vice for 25+ years. 0 problems ever.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I never break with one of my main cues , even if it is a cheaper one, I always break with a house stick . I have a friend who is a really good player , on paper one of the best shots in this neck of the woods who has a 25 year old Meucci HOF-1 that he always plays with and breaks with every time he said I would not own a stick I could not break with . The stick after being played with and broke with still looks just as good and has no issues. Plays really nice. I am to touchy and go overboard on taking care of my sticks . I am pretty anal about them and do not take them out of the house much, But it sometimes takes some of the fun out trying to keep the cue looking new. I grew up with not a lot so I try to take care of what I have, But do you think it hurts a cue to break with it , or does it matter if the cue is wood to wood joint or SS joint, would SS joint be better to break with say,
No...........................................
 
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