Bigger Tip Diameter = More Consitency?

[td873]

It does not matter $h!t what size of tip you use when playing pool.

I believe it does matter. For example, if the tip diameter is too small, then the ferrule material used may not be sufficient to withstand the force of impact with the cue ball and may crack. I believe that is why snooker cues have brass ferrules. If the diameter is too large, then the ferrule will weigh too much and may cause unwanted deflection (effective mass). That is, at some point [based on the size of the tip] the shaft/ferrule becomes either too small or too large to be useful for standard equipment.

In the range of (say) 11mm to 15mm, I don't think it matters much, but outside that range, you may encounter some issues.

-td

 

[Franky]

Sensation's diagram is correct Wesley, as long as you ignore the boundary condition that is the edge of the tip.

 

[crosseyedjoe]

It sure does!
View attachment 49467

And never forget about elasticity of the tip!

Smart-ass, LOL, but funny.

 

[despotic931]

This is the best thing I can do. But if you just search the internet, you will get some better pictures.

As you can see, the contact point will change with a bigger tip:

The only way that will not effect is the following picture:

But that would mean that the blue-cue will have a really flat tip.

You sir obviously failed high school geometry, Sensation on the other hand, quite possibly the teachers pet...

 

[Safety]

Thanks for all the diagrams and info everyone. I didn't realize that it was talked about before, I'm going to do a search and find out even more about it.

 

[crosseyedjoe]

You sir obviously failed high school geometry, Sensation on the other hand, quite possibly the teachers pet...

He's not totally wrong as the diagram doesn't show compression. If the crompression is 1/2 the original size the bigger diameter will have a larger contact point.

That difference between 11mm and 13mm tips with the same compression might be negligible though. With emphasis on might because just like the "whippy" Meucci some players claim to experience some difference.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Tips, Shafts & Miscues

Here's a similar drawing showing how tip curvatures and tip widths "fit" with the available "cueing area" on the cue ball. You can go about 30 degrees from center (1/2 way to the edge) without miscueing, and to be able to strike all of that area with the face of your tip (rather than with the edge) means you need at least 30 degrees of rounded tip on each side.

The drawing shows that with common tip curvatures (nickel and dime) on both normal and thin shafts, all of the cueing area can be struck with all common combinations of tips and shafts without hitting on the edge of the tip.

 

[bruin70]

my take is YES,,,although i never of this thought before.

when you play with a smaller diameter you have to be more accurate where you strike the cb, and since most of us aren't "pros", hitting the cb in the wrong place in a constant problem. since the tip is smaller, the more you are off the more the error is magnified.

this can easily be illustrated when you try playing pool with a snooker cue. to start, you will be WILDLY off on your shots. this is because you are not striking the cb where you want to, and the smaller tip magnifies this error.

so taking that to it's logical conclusion, a smaller tip leaves you less room for error.

playing with what is comfortable is another side issue. yes, you will play better with what is comfortable, but that will not change the the fact that a smaller tip makes you more prone to miss. now,,,you might get used to a smaller tip and start to play better and better, but that is beside the point.

 

[joeboxer]

I was playing at a local nine ball tournament with an 11.75mm tip against the guy who usually places in the top 2 every week. He was watching me shoot and asked me what the size of my tip was. When I told him, he said that the tip I was using is too small and I will be more consistent with a bigger tip. His reasoning for this was that it is easier to find center ball with a bigger tip. His was a 12.75mm Tiger XShaft.

Is it true that a bigger tip will make you a more consistent player?
Is an 11.75mm tip too small for 9ball on a 9x4.5 foot table w/ fast cloth?

the only thing this guy was telling you was that its easier to find "center ball" with a bigger tip. these guys are giving you alot of useless info, and reading to much into the statement.
just test it for yourself and you'll see what he's talking about. no english, just center ball.
get a red dot ball and set up a stroke from the head spot and hit it perfectly center with a normal stroke, aiming for the red dot and see how many times you hit it perfectly center. try it many times and write down your results. and try it with both size tips, and with different stroke speeds.
unless you have a perfect stroke, youre not gonna hit perfect center everytime, and you will hit perfect center more times with the bigger tip. now figure out for yourself which tip youre more comfortable with.
thats all this guy was trying to tell you, and that was good info he tried to pass on to you.

 

[JimS]

I think it's easier to hit center ball with the small tip. Since it's smaller you can see the contact area better and the contact area is almost exactly the same size.

 

[WesleyW]

I think it's easier to hit center ball with the small tip. Since it's smaller you can see the contact area better and the contact area is almost exactly the same size.

Don't think, just try. I definetaly hit more center ball with my 13mm cue than with my 12mm cue.

 

[Safety]

the only thing this guy was telling you was that its easier to find "center ball" with a bigger tip. these guys are giving you alot of useless info, and reading to much into the statement.
just test it for yourself and you'll see what he's talking about. no english, just center ball.
get a red dot ball and set up a stroke from the head spot and hit it perfectly center with a normal stroke, aiming for the red dot and see how many times you hit it perfectly center. try it many times and write down your results. and try it with both size tips, and with different stroke speeds.
unless you have a perfect stroke, youre not gonna hit perfect center everytime, and you will hit perfect center more times with the bigger tip. now figure out for yourself which tip youre more comfortable with.
thats all this guy was trying to tell you, and that was good info he tried to pass on to you.

Joeboxer, thank you so much. That is the perfect solution for me. I'm going to try what you said and see what the results are, then I'll go from there.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

when you play with a smaller diameter you have to be more accurate where you strike the cb, and since most of us aren't "pros", hitting the cb in the wrong place in a constant problem. since the tip is smaller, the more you are off the more the error is magnified.

this can easily be illustrated when you try playing pool with a snooker cue. to start, you will be WILDLY off on your shots. this is because you are not striking the cb where you want to, and the smaller tip magnifies this error.

so taking that to it's logical conclusion, a smaller tip leaves you less room for error.

No offense, but none of this is true or logical. Sensation's picture shows what's true and logical.

 

[SlickRick_PCS]

I believe it does matter. For example, if the tip diameter is too small, then the ferrule material used may not be sufficient to withstand the force of impact with the cue ball and may crack. I believe that is why snooker cues have brass ferrules. If the diameter is too large, then the ferrule will weigh too much and may cause unwanted deflection (effective mass). That is, at some point [based on the size of the tip] the shaft/ferrule becomes either too small or too large to be useful for standard equipment.

In the range of (say) 11mm to 15mm, I don't think it matters much, but outside that range, you may encounter some issues.
-td

Well, to THAT degree... yes, I do have to take your word on that. But it doesn't really matter if you play your snooker cue on to a regular pool ball. It does make a significant difference if it were like a carom ball or a Russian Billiard ball because of it's weight. That's why a carom cue is shorter and it has a stronger taper. But like I said before, if it is on the regulation sizes, I seriously don't think it matters. All it matters is just your skills and skills alone.

 

[dabarbr]

You guys are giving me a headache with all these diagrams of balls and tips.

Let me just tell you about my experiences using both small and larger tips without going into the physics of why.

I played with an 11.5 for many years and found that for rotation games it allowed me to do many things with more ease, ( cut, draw, kill the cue ball, pin point shape, and others ) however it also required for me to play everyday. It took much more time for me to get into high gear, but when I did, my game was hard to beat. Playing tournaments where you may sit for a couple of hours between matches made it too difficult for me to stay in tune. This size tip was great for matching up, eventually I would get into stroke and could now play well with less effort. Not good for tournament play. Many times two and out.

The problem I found with a small tip was that I found myself applying unwanted side spin on many hits. ( hard to hit the center of the cue ball with a small tip) Instead of fighting this I found myself putting on side spin when it was unnessary. I found it eaisier to go with the flow instead of fighting it.

In other games like eight ball, one pocket, straight pool, the small tip was to complicated for these more subdued games that require less cue ball movement. I gravitated to a larger tip for these games because of the consistency they allowed me. Eventually I found a happy medium for me at 12.25. This gives me a little of both worlds. It turned out to be a bit of give and take.

This is my perpective on this tip issue.

 

[bruin70]

No offense, but none of this is true or logical. Sensation's picture shows what's true and logical.

sorry pat,,,but i'm not gettin' it. i believe you are all saying that the contact point is the same on both smaller and wider tips, correct?,,,and therefore shouldn't make a diff. i didn't read any posts, just looked at the sensation's diagram.

allz i can say is play pool with a snooker cue and tell me how you pocket in comparison to your wider tipped cue. of course,,,if you are an A+ or better player it should make little difference because the better you are, the more accurate you are with your tip placement.

 

[pulzcul]

Center Ball

IMHO I believe after all has been said and done on this subject the object is to hit the cue ball in the correct spot to achieve the correct direction. And it really doesn't matter what size the tip is. Perfect aim and perfect stroke is the Nirvana we all hope to attain. Good luck to all. Don

 

[Patrick Johnson]

...play pool with a snooker cue and tell me how you pocket in comparison to your wider tipped cue.

I've used a 10mm tip playing pool for a few years now, and it's a huge improvement for me. It's much more clear exactly where I'm hitting the cue ball, which encourages greater precision in cue ball control and aiming. I think I've improved more rapidly with the smaller tip than I did before.

And, having switched to the smaller tip after many years of playing with 13 mm tips (Meucci, Schon, Predator, etc.) I've found no discernible difference in the physical playing characteristics of big or small tips, including their sensitivity to error or ability to generate power or spin.

pj
chgo

 

[PoolBum]

Let's say a normal tip is 13mm. Just imagine it's not 13mm but it's 13 meters . If you have a 13 meters tip, it doesn't matters how you hit the CB, it will always go forward.

I tried a 13 meter tip in the shape of a basketball once. Got loads of follow, but couldn't draw my rock.

 

[Detlev Rackow]

The only way that will not effect is the following picture:

But that would mean that the blue-cue will have a really flat tip.

Hi Wesley,

as long os I use the same tool to shape both diameters, this picture shows what I'll get. The nickle- or dime-shaped radius is produced by a certain tool, and it has the effect you described. When the radius of a shape is discussed, it's not the radius of the tip's base, but that of the arc in the tool which is used to form the surface.

Regards,

Detlev