Are break cues nessessary '?
- Thread starter jcpoolgod
- Start date
They aren't necessary but can help your game. I can go shoot a 75 without a driver, but that same round might be a 72 with a driver in the bag. I bought a cheap jump/break, put a samsara tip on it and got a really great break cue for around 100 bucks. If you're not playing a ton of pool though just stick with the wallbushkas.
.......................
Last edited:
if you're a weekend warrior, or simply play to play, I dont think you do. but it does help to develop a consistent break if you break with the same cue, and also save your tip on your playing cue. house cues work great, better than most break/jump cues. its all a matter of preference and if youre willing to invest money on one. If you are going to buy one, buy a good one, predator, OB, pechauer or any decent priced custom(hit and miss on those), dont buy the 55 dollar ebay special. or use your old chepo playing cue, just upgrade to a samsara tip, best break tip in the industry i think.
Actually nothing is necessary to buy, since most Pool Rooms furnish Pool Cues. They can be used to play the game quite well. However, some of us choose to play with the same cue each time & in a Pool Room, that may not be possible. So we buy our own Cue.
I choose to also use a break cue, because I believe in special tools to do special jobs.
A good break cue has a stiffer spine, a slightly different shaft taper, a shorter ferrule, a little bit harder tip & may even be balance differently.
You'll have to choose the route you want to take.
I think it is good to have a cue specifically to break with. I don't like using my main playing cue to break, even though I recognize there is not any reason you can't, I just like to save the tip on my playing cue.
I don't think you need a break specific cue. Any cue with a hard tip will get the job done. I think there are things that can be optimized for a breaking cue (balance, shaft taper, etc) but I think the benefits from that are pretty minor.
I have a Gilbert jump/break with a Samsara tip that I break with and I really like it. Sometimes when I'm just playing a few quick racks I'll just use a house cue to break...I think I can break about 90% as well with a house cue so the difference isn't huge. I have never tried a break specific optimized cue (thinking Predator BK, OB Rift, or Mezz Powerbreak)....I would like to at some point but haven't felt the need to drop the cash to give one a whirl when I'm already happy with my Gilbert.
I don't think you need a break specific cue. Any cue with a hard tip will get the job done. I think there are things that can be optimized for a breaking cue (balance, shaft taper, etc) but I think the benefits from that are pretty minor.
I have a Gilbert jump/break with a Samsara tip that I break with and I really like it. Sometimes when I'm just playing a few quick racks I'll just use a house cue to break...I think I can break about 90% as well with a house cue so the difference isn't huge. I have never tried a break specific optimized cue (thinking Predator BK, OB Rift, or Mezz Powerbreak)....I would like to at some point but haven't felt the need to drop the cash to give one a whirl when I'm already happy with my Gilbert.
Some good advice in this thread, very level headed.
I have a Pechauer break cue, it's very good for alot of folks, just not for me. I'm older and break better with a lighter cue it turns out. Had an old Palmer with a think taper, weighed about 16oz or so - I put a hard tip on it and it broke light lighting with a tight rack... should have kept it. Stupid.
Anyway - play with a few if you have the chance. Find a place with some decent house cues and try different weights, see which breaks the best for you...get an inexpensive cue with a thick taper around the same weight, put a break tip on it and Bob's your uncle.
I have a Pechauer break cue, it's very good for alot of folks, just not for me. I'm older and break better with a lighter cue it turns out. Had an old Palmer with a think taper, weighed about 16oz or so - I put a hard tip on it and it broke light lighting with a tight rack... should have kept it. Stupid.
Anyway - play with a few if you have the chance. Find a place with some decent house cues and try different weights, see which breaks the best for you...get an inexpensive cue with a thick taper around the same weight, put a break tip on it and Bob's your uncle.
Isn't it funny how you can talk yourself into it being "more you than the cue" when you have something you play well with? I think the same thing applies to golf (for me anyway). I had a set of irons that I just SMASHED. A club and a half longer than anything I have ever hit. I got rid of them thinking I was just getting better and could do the same with anything...DUMB! I have bought probably 4-5 sets of different irons trying to recapture what I lost when I got rid of that set. Hell, I even bought another set of the SAME irons and still have never even come close to what I had with those sticks (I bought them used and they didn't have any shaft bands on them to determine what shafts they had, so I could never really get the exact same set up).
We sure are dumb sometimes about our equipment, aren't we? (In my defense, I DID have a legit reason for moving on to something else. About once every 8-10 swings with those "supercharged" irons, I would inexplicably "nuke" a shot. I mean, it would look like it was going to knock the pin down...and then it would still be on the way up as it flew 20 yards beyond the green (and 20 yards further than I hit it the other 90% of the time). I've never seen anything like it. It was like they were possessed. I'm a single digit handicap, so it's not like I just "flushed" the shots that took off over the green and didn't realize I "missed" the rest of them. It was unreal. Had me talking to myself, that's for sure.
It even happens to the pros (so maybe we shouldn't feel so bad?). I know, for example, that both Tiger and Rory had a noticeable drop off when they signed with Nike and had to learn to play with their garbage equipment. But, at least they get paid for it...We don't really have any excuse. Lol.
Last edited:
If you are playing games where a power break is required or sometimes required I think it's a good idea. The break is a different, yet just as important, shot than all the others on a pool table. Having a special tool for a special job is a good idea. This is especially true if the properties of your preferred playing cue aren't conducive to a hard break shot. For example I prefer to play with a 11.75 mm low deflection laminated OB shaft with a medium tip shaped to a dime radius. Not the kind of cue you want to use to slam a 20+ mph break shot. My break cue is a Joss Thor Hammer with a very hard tip (that I wouldn't like for every day play), a stiff taper, a large tip diameter with a relatively flat shape. It's perfect for it's job.
i love my OB rift (either shaft they offer is great).
that said...it's really tough to beat the players jump break. breaks well, and also jumps pretty well. just throw a good tip on there and you're set (samsara if you're just going to be breaking with it, or a white diamond if you want to jump with it as well. i had a white diamond on my old players j/b and loved it. great control on the break, and i could get a little english on my jumps too)
that said...it's really tough to beat the players jump break. breaks well, and also jumps pretty well. just throw a good tip on there and you're set (samsara if you're just going to be breaking with it, or a white diamond if you want to jump with it as well. i had a white diamond on my old players j/b and loved it. great control on the break, and i could get a little english on my jumps too)
The break shot is difficult to control, so I think it's an advantage to have a cue you break with consistently rather than just grabbing a house cue. A jointed Dufferin would work just fine.
However, it definitely does not need to be a specialty break cue like a BK2, etc.
Break cues are not really needed.
The amount of power that goes into a 7' draw shot typically exceeds a break shot.
Now if the tables are slow and your local rooms/bars are not replacing felt and cleaning balls, a break cue may be needed to generate more power. I would say just find another spot though.
ADVANTAGES of a break cue
break cue's come with an extra hard tip, which is less contact time on the cue ball so it generates more speed on impact.
The shaft is still hard maple, but the ferrules are designed to absorb more impact and last longer, they are essentially made for a hard hit.
Another advantage is you can have any weight you want, from 18oz to 26oz, depending if you play league.
The last advantage is the joint, i have seen fiber to wood, wood to wood, and metal joints. Manufacturers are always trying to develop the perfect shock absorption, especially in break cues, because you will never try and hit a ball as hard with your regular cue.
All this leads to a more consistent break time in and time out rather than using your shooting cue.
Best joint I have seen is the hybrid joint predator uses, wood and carbon fiber. And its amazing.
The amount of power that goes into a 7' draw shot typically exceeds a break shot.
Now if the tables are slow and your local rooms/bars are not replacing felt and cleaning balls, a break cue may be needed to generate more power. I would say just find another spot though.
ADVANTAGES of a break cue
break cue's come with an extra hard tip, which is less contact time on the cue ball so it generates more speed on impact.
The shaft is still hard maple, but the ferrules are designed to absorb more impact and last longer, they are essentially made for a hard hit.
Another advantage is you can have any weight you want, from 18oz to 26oz, depending if you play league.
The last advantage is the joint, i have seen fiber to wood, wood to wood, and metal joints. Manufacturers are always trying to develop the perfect shock absorption, especially in break cues, because you will never try and hit a ball as hard with your regular cue.
All this leads to a more consistent break time in and time out rather than using your shooting cue.
Best joint I have seen is the hybrid joint predator uses, wood and carbon fiber. And its amazing.
Last edited:
If you decide to purchase a break cue my advice is buy one that most feels like your playing cue in terms of balance. Also keep your break cue within an ounce or so of your playing cue. Too much weight can be a hindrance.
As you practice your break start at a moderate speed until you have control then gradually work the speed up. If you begin to lose control back off a little.
Do you need one? Its not essential but it can make the game more fun and productive if you learn how to use it correctly.
Plus having a player, jumper and break makes you look much cooler. :wink:
As you practice your break start at a moderate speed until you have control then gradually work the speed up. If you begin to lose control back off a little.
Do you need one? Its not essential but it can make the game more fun and productive if you learn how to use it correctly.
Plus having a player, jumper and break makes you look much cooler. :wink:
Spiorad_Fola
Registered
creature of habit....
My players usually have old micarta or ivory ferrules on them, so just to be safe, I keep a break cue in the bag.
I personally really like my Gilbert j/b, it breaks and jumps consistently, and in a pinch, plays pretty well, too.
I've been to a few bars where the cloth is so slow, I've shot with the Gilbert just to keep the ball moving.
My players usually have old micarta or ivory ferrules on them, so just to be safe, I keep a break cue in the bag.
I personally really like my Gilbert j/b, it breaks and jumps consistently, and in a pinch, plays pretty well, too.
I've been to a few bars where the cloth is so slow, I've shot with the Gilbert just to keep the ball moving.
Not necessarily, my playing cue is 18oz, and I played with a 18oz break for a long time, had a really good break. Got shipped a 26 Oz break just to try their product for free and never looked back. I had the same thought as you at one time