break & jump vs. break/jump

[lawful777]

For years now, I have been pretty successful with my break/jump cue for breaking and some full ball jump shots, not chalk space away jumps but your normal partial ball or 4-6 inch away jump shots. The shaft on my cue is getting a bit on the thin side and I have decided to look at new equipment. Seems that people are divided between the break and jump only approach and the break/jump combo. Is one significantly better to where paying $3-500 for a break cue or so plus extra for a jump cue is THAT much better for your game than a good custom jump/break.

Obiously a Stinger or Samsara jump/break would be built better IMO than a J&J (although I hear they work well) for example but for someone not doing dime distance jump shots, would I see a big advantage? Any thoughts on which break, jump or break/jump would work. I have about 2-400.00 to spend and if there isn't much difference, I would like the convenience of a single cue. I have room for both if needed. Thank you in advance for your help........happy shootin!

 

[jkskeet]

I've also been wondering if there's a big advantage to having both separate or if the jump/break works just as well.

Look forward to seeing what others have to say..:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[plshrk22]

I have had both and I think there is a small advantage to having a separate jump and break cue but I don't think there is a big enough difference to carry 3 cues around. I think if you find a jump break cue that works for you then go with it. I had a varney jump break cue that did both exceptionally!

 

[Sharkey]

I think its a matter of your skills. If you are a beginner golfer you may not see the advantage of carrying around a sand wedge and a pitching wedge. The question should be; what is a jump made to do, what characteristics should it have, what technology should it posses. Then ask the same thing about a break cue. Is the stress that a break cue tip takes going to effect its jumping ability? Should they both have the same taper on the shaft. what about weight? What about length in jump cue? Is a longer jump cue that much more accurate to make it worth carrying around a three piece jump cue. What about the finish of the jump cue. It can have a big effect on how easy it is to jump closer balls. I want my break cue shaft to be low deflection in case I accidentally hit the cue ball of center, i want as little squirt as possible. But low deflection shafts are very dificult to jump with.

Both cues are made to perform a specific task and the question you need to ask is....Do I want the right tool to do the job or am I ok with a tool that does both half ass? Is the extra performance worth carrying both around?

 

[plshrk22]

If you think a Varney or a Lomax Jump Break cue perform half ass there is something wrong. I have had what is said to be the best combo out there (lomax jump cue and break cue) and I got my varney and saw no need to carry a jump cue and break cue. If you become a monster jumper you are doing something wrong with your game. With the amount you use a jump cue it is hard to become super accurate unless you just practice jumping which I don't. I guess I try kicking before I jump unless I know I can make the jump shot.

I guess the bottom line is, just try them out! Snatch up a lomax jump cue and see if you see a difference between a quality jump cue and jump break cue.

 

[victorl]

I agree. Lomax break jumps are the nuts. Theres a reason why you dont see them for sale very often.

 

[mahalkita4120]

me personally it depends on the person using the eqiupment...i use a players jump/break. this doesn't mean i can't jump with a jump cue or jump full cue...but it what i like and i seldomly miss when i jump...

look if i put a 10k cue in your hand its not gonna make the ball for you, you still have to do the work. if you give an avance player a house cue, and a beginner a gus zambotti he's would still make and miss the shots he suppose to miss and make.

i sometimes pull out my annoying sport authority stick to prove a point...i say it annoying because the butt is clear and has blue lava with an 8 and 9 ball in it and when you hit a ball with it the lights inside the clear butt flash like you in a club...the shaft is a reg high deflection shaft with a cheap lepro tip...and i've won more money in tournament and in gambling to prove a point...it ain't about who made and how much it cost but how well you can use it and in the end who can control whitty.

 

[cesarmorales]

I am very lucky to have a friend who sells used cues and he usually has about fifty cues for sale. I am able to try out alot of different equipment before making a purchase and I like a break and jump cue. I also find it easy to just ask friends if you can try out their cue. I only use my jump/break cue for breaking, it has a sub 13mm shaft and it appears to get alot of spring action from that shaft while breaking but is not so great at jumping. I have a jump cue with a 13mm plus size shaft that jumps better. I paid forty dollars for the break cue and I think fifty dollars for the jump cue and have not found a more expensive answer that works better.

I THINK IT IS OF UPMOST IMPORTANCE TO BE ABLE TO USE A CUE FOR A FEW HOURS BEFORE MAKING A PURCHASE.

 

[Masayoshi]

At a budget of $200-400 you might not be able to afford it and buy a separate jump cue, but if you haven't tried out a break cue with a low deflection shaft, you should definitely try one out. In my opinion, low deflection shafts have two distinct advantages on the break (this is coming from a guy who's playing cue has a normal shaft).

The first advantage is obviously the lower deflection, you will hit the spot you aim for more often, especially when approaching your limits in break speed.

The second, and most important, is that the cue ball tends not to jump as much with a low deflection shaft. This allows you to hit harder without the cue ball flying too high or even off the table and transfers more energy to the rack. This is a significant factor when breaking hard from the rail.

Jump break cues obviously wouldn't work well with a low deflection shaft because low deflection shafts just aren't ideal for jumping.

A dedicated jump cue also has advantages. Try out some of the newer jump cues from Adam (or a Blackjack if you can find one). You will notice how fat the cue is and that its slightly heavier than your standard jump cue, this REALLY helps you jump consistently because the weight of the cue does most of the work getting the cue ball into the air.

With these newer jump cues, you can do a "soft" jump over a full ball at close range with a little practice. Actually, one of the problems I had when I got my Blackjack 2 was that it jumps too much. If I use the same stroke speed as with the jumper on my Gilbert j/b, the cue ball will probably fly off the table. Most jump breaks can't offer this kind of jumping performance because the taper would be too thick to break with.

Of course the added benefit is not all that much if you are under a budget. Its basically like the US Airforce spending 200 million on an F-22 Raptor, when F-35s (or even F-15s) do the job of air superiority nearly as well for a tiny fraction of the price.

I rarely shoot shots that I would take with my jump cue, but not with my jump break in a real game, but using the dedicated jump cue makes it just slightly more accurate because of the reduced speed. This tends to cause a dramatic increase in pocketing percentage for me at least. Also, as for breaking, I tend to do a medium speed break because that is what works best for me in terms of pocketing balls and spread, but if I ever want to smash the rack really hard the low deflection shaft really helps keep it under control.