Break Cue Tip

ArizonaPete

ArizonaPete

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
J&J break cues are pretty common here on the forum. Any suggestions for improving my break? I have a J&J Jump/Break cue with a phenolic tip. I tend to miscue if I'm not careful and don't hit center cb. I've read somewhere that cutting concentric circles in the tip helps to hold chalk. Can you cut small groves in the tip (checkerboard) to increase chalk retention? Would I be better off changing the tip? If so, what are some good hard tips for breaking? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Break tips

i had a J&J and personally I hated it. Mainly because of the tip. I now break with an Andy Gilbert and I will say this, WHITE DIAMOND. This is the only tip I will use on a J/B for the simple facts of, one, it jumps VERY easy, Two, it holds shape, and three, it holds chalk like leather. Just cant go wrong as far as im concerned
 
White diamond on a J&J J/B. I love my kaiser Panther J/B. I am still using the phenolic tip with it and I don't really miscue much with the phenolic. I don't have access to a lathe, so I didn't get a chance to cut the circular grooves in my tip. I got a sandman shaper that I use to shape the tip and scuff it. It put a starburst like light grooves in the tip and it hlds chalk really well. After shaping it though, I will have to state, you have to sit there for about 30 seconds to lay the chalk on the tip good before you should actually break with it. Make sure the entire tip is covered with chalk. I have been debating on putting on a white diamond on my Panther to try it. I have hear many great things about it from everyone. The only reasons why I have not tried out the milk duds on my shooting cue and the white diamond on my Panther is because I don't know anyone around my area that I know can put the tip on for me. I have read somewhere on here that, if you do put a white diamond on a phenolic ferrule, scuff the tip's bottom and the ferrule and use loctite on it to glue it on, that way it doesn't pop off. Hope this helps.

Good luck!

Chino
 
Helpin out

In response to Chino..... I always use Loctite super glue gel. And you should also always scuff the bottom of the tip before gluing. I do most all of my own tips other than the White Diamond. The only reason I didnt do this one myself was the fact that it is so hard to cut.

When I do my own I always buy 14mm tips and shave them down with a Porpers mushroom grazer to fit. Just be careful not to nic the ferrule. Then I burnish the edge with a Porpers burnisher. I use a tweeten Flat top Rapid sander to level off the end of the cue before glueing also.

Another little tip is when you sand off the bottom of the tip, do so in a circular motion to avoid cupping or doming the bottom of the tip. Also no need to get crazy with the glue, a good drop will do you.

I hope this helps and if you do not feel up to the task I am sure there is someone around your local pool hall who can help you just dont be afarid to ask.:thumbup2:
 
I break with a "Stinger" that has a phenolic tip. I never chalk it....SPF=randyg
 
ArizonaPete said:
J&J break cues are pretty common here on the forum. Any suggestions for improving my break? I have a J&J Jump/Break cue with a phenolic tip. I tend to miscue if I'm not careful and don't hit center cb. I've read somewhere that cutting concentric circles in the tip helps to hold chalk. Can you cut small groves in the tip (checkerboard) to increase chalk retention? Would I be better off changing the tip? If so, what are some good hard tips for breaking? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

I also use a White Diamond. I love it! Hold chalk very well. I also have started to spend about 1/2 of my practice time just working on my break. Breaking over and over. Making sure that I hit center cue ball and also making sure I hit center head ball. This has worked wonders for my break. I heard once that SVB, who I think has the best break in pool, breaks 200 times before he starts his day. The point is, if you match good equipment with good technique, you will have a winning break.
 
Forgive me if this is a bit presumptuous, but my guess is that if you're miscuing often, it's more to do with your mechanics than with the tip. It might even be a good idea to force yourself to become consistent with that tip as is, because it will force you to learn to hit closer to center on the cue ball.

I use a J&J straight off the rack. I've miscued with it a few times, but only ever when I was trying to hit them harder than I probably should, and it's always been my fault. In my experience, the J&J tip actually holds chalk fairly well compared to some others, and as long as I chalk it each time I use it, it's pretty forgiving on all but the most off center hits on the cue ball.

However, if you really don't like it, there are plenty of other tips out there to try, and it looks like you've already gotten a few suggestions about which of those might be best.
 
I used a J&J for a while, but I just couldn't get into it. I break with an Omen now and a Moori Hard. The sounds of phenolic tips are like nails on a chalkboard to me.
 
I would also tell you to try a white diamond. Jumps great, but most importantly you get great cue ball control with it on the break. The best I feel you could do with a phenolic tip is pop it straight up and drop it in the center of the table. That may work great for you, but if your off some night it will be a lot of chasing the cue ball around the room as it will elevate on it's way to the rack and fly off.

I also agree with spoons that the real problem may be that you are trying to break to hard. If you're miscuing (I have no idea if thats spelled right) on the bottom of the cue ball then you are probably standing up thru the stroke trying to generate too much power.

Good luck with you search
Jason
 
I was watching a lot of different people break on Saturday. Watching the different techniques and movements. It seems that the ones that were really banging the balls were just cranking their arm really quick, without having to move up or forward much. I personally have to blow through the ball quickly, pulling up.

I have used the Phenolic tips for years. The things break very solid, but are very prone to miscuing, if you are off of center ball a good bit. I haven't tried the White Diamond yet, but when I get my new break cue, I will def get one put on.
 
Cut it off

Cut off that phenolic tip and put on a hard leather tip. Talisman makes a good bk water buffalo hard leather tip. I use a J&J JB Cue as a shooter on league nights, can take it down for tight corners and not to worry about theft.
 
Pete, I had a one piece phenolic tip/feral put on my old 19 0z cuetech a few months back and it breaks a ton. That said, it just would not hold chalk worth a dam and I find I hit better with it if I can get at least some on it.

I have some sand paper (fine I think ) that I keep in the pool room for very light scuffing on my regular shooter(s) when te start to glaze over,which lately is pretty dam often for some reason.

Anyhow I figured "what the hell" and I would try to "scuff'' the phenolic tip just to see if it might help.I didn't really think it would work,but I thought no harm would come of it either.

Short post a bit longer,IT WORKED GREAT. Justa light scuffing with fine paper and the chalk caked up liked a regular shooter. Shocked me.

Give it a shot.
 
bell said:
Cut off that phenolic tip and put on a hard leather tip. Talisman makes a good bk water buffalo hard leather tip. I use a J&J JB Cue as a shooter on league nights, can take it down for tight corners and not to worry about theft.
Click to expand...

Before I bought my J&J I used that Talisman on an old Lucasi. Worked great. The Lucasi eventually turned into the cue I let my buddies borrow, and I had to put on a more forgiving tip or I'd still have that today as my backup.
 
The greatest break tip ever is the one that matches your stroke when you hit the balls square everytime.... stroke perfect break great or perfect everytime... when your in rythem you are in stroke just practice from there.

I break with a milk dud on my playing cue jump with it too, back up shaft has a triangle does the same for me. I made a reak cue with a 1.250 butt and 9.00 at the joint extra long pin g10 ferrule works great. just depends on what mood im in when I break cue ball control or out in out speed for the break.

Craig
 
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