Adjusting to a new tip

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Bman8910

Registered
I have always played with a hard tip and have them almost cut in half when having a new tip put on. I recently just had a Kamui super soft tip put on, becasue I have had several players speak highly of them.

The first session I played with it, I was over spinning everything. When I cut a ball I naturally use a tad of outside english when I can. I was jarring way more balls than normal becasue of the extra spin on the cue ball.

I'm sure I will get used to it over time, but right now I am tempted to cut it off and go back to a harder tip. Curious what others have done?

The only reason I tried a soft tip was occasionally if I had to really load the ball up with some shit, I would miss cue. I will deal with the occasional miss cue to have my percentage of balls pocketed goes back to normal....
 
Why???

Bman8910 said:
I have always played with a hard tip and have them almost cut in half when having a new tip put on. I recently just had a Kamui super soft tip put on, becasue I have had several players speak highly of them.

The first session I played with it, I was over spinning everything. When I cut a ball I naturally use a tad of outside english when I can. I was jarring way more balls than normal becasue of the extra spin on the cue ball.

I'm sure I will get used to it over time, but right now I am tempted to cut it off and go back to a harder tip. Curious what others have done?

The only reason I tried a soft tip was occasionally if I had to really load the ball up with some shit, I would miss cue. I will deal with the occasional miss cue to have my percentage of balls pocketed goes back to normal....
Click to expand...

That last statement is the type of attitude that leads to stagnation.

Don't fret when first trying something new if it lowers your ball making percentage. Give yourself a chance to adapt, experiment...

Unless you were playing perfect pool before that and capable of fingerprinting, then don't fret over dropping your percentage of shots made a little when switching something up.

Give yourself a chance to adjust before you drive yourself crazy or switch back.

The only reason to switch back is if you were completely happy with the level you were playing at before but to say that you don't mind miscuing if you can immediately have a higher make percentage is a mistake IMO.

Jaden
 
You went from one end of the spectrum completely to the other lol. I'm sure over time you will get the speed down so you aren't over spinning or how many tips length to get the desired spin. It just surprises me that you went from hard to ss because most people work their way up it seems like. I started at ss and I'm using soft to medium now but I've had more than 1 tip cut off because I just didn't like the hit or feel.
 
I wish I would of tried a medium first, but I will give this tip a try for awhile. I am no where near a perfect player, I play B+ speed when I am in stroke and working hard to play consistent A speed... Thanks for the feedback!!
 
A soft tip is not going to spin the ball any more or less than a hard tip....

However, a brand new tip will apply more spin than an old tip of any variety because it still has a lot of friction on it.. The older tips wear down and don't grab as much unless you scuff them up.

Keep using the new tip and you will see the spin go down a bit.. May not be equal to your old tip since they are different brands, but you will probably be able to adjust ok.
 
Wybrook said:
A soft tip is not going to spin the ball any more or less than a hard tip....

However, a brand new tip will apply more spin than an old tip of any variety because it still has a lot of friction on it.. The older tips wear down and don't grab as much unless you scuff them up.

Keep using the new tip and you will see the spin go down a bit.. May not be equal to your old tip since they are different brands, but you will probably be able to adjust ok.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The old tip must have been in really bad shape. I believe their is some research that shows no significant difference in spin rates between a hard and soft tip proving that to be an old wives tale. I thought I read that from Dr. Dave. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

I know that when I went from a Tiger everest to a Kamui soft, the guy putting it on said their would be a noticeable difference, but I am yet to see it after playing with it for the past 3 months.
 
Here you go from Dr. Dave's website http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/cue_tip.html#hardness

All in all it says that spin has no significant difference as long as the tip is holding chalk. It does say that soft tips tend to hold chalk better than hard ones, but that a hard tip will spin the ball just as well as long as it is properly chalked. your old hard tip may not have been holding chalk well, and that may be the difference, but according to science, it has noting to do with the softness or hardness of the tip, so keep playing with what you have, and you will adjust soon enough.
 
Dockter said:
You went from one end of the spectrum completely to the other lol. I'm sure over time you will get the speed down so you aren't over spinning or how many tips length to get the desired spin. It just surprises me that you went from hard to ss because most people work their way up it seems like. I started at ss and I'm using soft to medium now but I've had more than 1 tip cut off because I just didn't like the hit or feel.
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How do you like the medium compared to the ss? Was it a big adjustment for you?
 
mantis99 said:
Here you go from Dr. Dave's website http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/cue_tip.html#hardness

All in all it says that spin has no significant difference as long as the tip is holding chalk. It does say that soft tips tend to hold chalk better than hard ones, but that a hard tip will spin the ball just as well as long as it is properly chalked. your old hard tip may not have been holding chalk well, and that may be the difference, but according to science, it has noting to do with the softness or hardness of the tip, so keep playing with what you have, and you will adjust soon enough.
Click to expand...

This makes sense... my old tip would "glaze" over fairly quick and I had to chalk it after every shot. This new tip holds the chalk way better...
 
Bman8910 said:
How do you like the medium compared to the ss? Was it a big adjustment for you?
Click to expand...

I prefer the medium. The soft felt kind of "squishy" to me. The guy that put it on told me Kamui's generally play a bit harder so a medium is about equal to a hard of most layered tips. If you liked your hard tip and just wanted to try a different tip and different firmness I would go with the medium.

That being said after you shoot with it a bit even the ss will firm up a fair amount. When I complained about mine to a guy that has a lot more knowledge than me told me to shoot a fair amount of shots while practicing hard and it will compact the tip a bit and make it firmer.
 
Bman8910 said:
I have always played with a hard tip and have them almost cut in half when having a new tip put on. I recently just had a Kamui super soft tip put on, becasue I have had several players speak highly of them.

The first session I played with it, I was over spinning everything. When I cut a ball I naturally use a tad of outside english when I can. I was jarring way more balls than normal becasue of the extra spin on the cue ball.

I'm sure I will get used to it over time, but right now I am tempted to cut it off and go back to a harder tip. Curious what others have done?

The only reason I tried a soft tip was occasionally if I had to really load the ball up with some shit, I would miss cue. I will deal with the occasional miss cue to have my percentage of balls pocketed goes back to normal....
Click to expand...

I think for gripping purposes the softer tips should help with mis cue's, but if you not use to it, then it can be frustrating. I have a friend who said the same thing. He put a SS on and said he liked the grip, hit, feel, but says it was too much for him. He said he over spins and over cuts everything with the SS. He had been playing with it about 2 months now. He tell me he want's to go back to a Med. Usually as a rule of thumb, I like to play with new tips a least 3 different pool sessions. If after the 3 session I don't get use to it, it comes off. Does not make sense to continue to use something that does not feel right to you.
 
Dockter said:
I prefer the medium. The soft felt kind of "squishy" to me. The guy that put it on told me Kamui's generally play a bit harder so a medium is about equal to a hard of most layered tips. If you liked your hard tip and just wanted to try a different tip and different firmness I would go with the medium.

That being said after you shoot with it a bit even the ss will firm up a fair amount. When I complained about mine to a guy that has a lot more knowledge than me told me to shoot a fair amount of shots while practicing hard and it will compact the tip a bit and make it firmer.
Click to expand...

Does the medium hold chalk the same as the ss? Thanks for the info!

Pretty sure I am going to change to a medium. I am buying a custom cue in 2 weeks and the shafts are being built now. I want to figure out which tip is best for me before then. Looking back on it, I'm not sure why I jumped all the way to the ss, obviously I didn't think through it very well, lol. I have always favored a cue/shaft/tip that hits hard. I can't think of any reason to try to adjust to a ss rather than just play with a medium?
 
Bman8910 said:
Does the medium hold chalk the same as the ss? Thanks for the info!

Pretty sure I am going to change to a medium. I am buying a custom cue in 2 weeks and the shafts are being built now. I want to figure out which tip is best for me before then. Looking back on it, I'm not sure why I jumped all the way to the ss, obviously I didn't think through it very well, lol. I have always favored a cue/shaft/tip that hits hard. I can't think of any reason to try to adjust to a ss rather than just play with a medium?
Click to expand...

Yeah, holds chalk great but I prefer the original over the black. A lot of people here love the black and I may have just got a couple bad ones but they glazed over really fast for me so it seemed I had to work on it every week.
 
Kamikazecuetips said:
I think for gripping purposes the softer tips should help with mis cue's, but if you not use to it, then it can be frustrating. I have a friend who said the same thing. He put a SS on and said he liked the grip, hit, feel, but says it was too much for him. He said he over spins and over cuts everything with the SS. He had been playing with it about 2 months now. He tell me he want's to go back to a Med. Usually as a rule of thumb, I like to play with new tips a least 3 different pool sessions. If after the 3 session I don't get use to it, it comes off. Does not make sense to continue to use something that does not feel right to you.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, I don't miss cue very often at all. I am going to play a session tonight and if I don't adjust it is coming off and I will put a medium on it. I don't have the patience your friend has, there is no way I would wait 2 months to try and get used to it.
 
Dockter said:
Yeah, holds chalk great but I prefer the original over the black. A lot of people here love the black and I may have just got a couple bad ones but they glazed over really fast for me so it seemed I had to work on it every week.
Click to expand...

That is what my last tip was doing, glazing over real fast. Almost ever session I would scuff it and it would still glaze over before I was done.
 
mantis99 said:
I know that when I went from a Tiger everest to a Kamui soft, the guy putting it on said their would be a noticeable difference, but I am yet to see it after playing with it for the past 3 months.
Click to expand...

I played with a Tiger Everest for the last few years and just switched to a Kamui Clear Black Soft less than a week ago. I definitely notice a difference.

I doubt the difference is comparable to the difference between switching from a hard to a super soft tip.

For me, the difference is due to several factors. I switched shafts as well as tips, so that may be why I notice a difference right away. I am trying to get used to it. I agree with the others here who recommend giving it a chance. It's hard to make a firm decision about how much you like or dislike something you haven't really used much. Give it a chance. Then decide.
 
Wybrook said:
A soft tip is not going to spin the ball any more or less than a hard tip....

However, a brand new tip will apply more spin than an old tip of any variety because it still has a lot of friction on it.. The older tips wear down and don't grab as much unless you scuff them up.

Keep using the new tip and you will see the spin go down a bit.. May not be equal to your old tip since they are different brands, but you will probably be able to adjust ok.
Click to expand...

/boggle This ^^^^^ Made my Head Hurt.......
 
mantis99 said:
Here you go from Dr. Dave's website http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/cue_tip.html#hardness

All in all it says that spin has no significant difference as long as the tip is holding chalk. It does say that soft tips tend to hold chalk better than hard ones, but that a hard tip will spin the ball just as well as long as it is properly chalked. your old hard tip may not have been holding chalk well, and that may be the difference, but according to science, it has noting to do with the softness or hardness of the tip, so keep playing with what you have, and you will adjust soon enough.
Click to expand...

Hardness won't matter at break speed... Gotcha... Now show me where they don't use a firm stroke to eliminate other variables.. You know variables like rate of rebound, spring rate, contact time, contact patch size... You know those things that make a soft tip different than a hard tip... double /boggle.....
 
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