breaking cue tip
- Thread starter StormHotRod300
- Start date
I have tested and used a variety of different tips for breaking, and here's my unbiased assessment of them.
These are the tips:
Moori: Soft, Medium and Hard
Talisman: Hard
Triangle
Phenolic
I used them on different cues: A Meucci, a Southwest style, and a junker I got on eBay.
If the goal is just to splatter the balls all around, the phenolic tip wins, no doubt about it. But if the break has to be powerful but controlled, trying to control where the cue ball ends up, and not just near the rack or the middle of the table but up table in the middle around the 3rd diamond, the phenolic tip is pretty much useless. To get that kind of cue ball control and placement it's necessary to hit a tad below center and when you do that with the phenolic tip, those miscues start to multiply, and the deflection/squirt monster will eat you up too.
As for jumping, the phenolic tip I have on my jump cue (homemade, by the way
) works absolutely great, and jumping is literally a breeze.
One other possibility for breaking: I got a Sneaky-pete cue on eBay, made by Excalibur. It has a really strong shaft. 19 ounces, son of a gun has one heck of a hard tip on it. It's leather, but probably was impregnated with something because it's not a hard as a phenolic tip, but it hasn't mushroomed even a tad since I got it. It breaks GREAT, and shooting low or with English works just fine, although it deflect like crazy, which is fine for curve shots and masses and so on. It plays OK for regular stuff, but definitely is not my cup of tea for normal use. Must say that on a bar box with those weighted cue balls it draws them quite nicely.
Anyway, I use the Excalibur for breaking. The Talisman hard works just fine too... Oh, and by the way, I have no problem potting a couple of balls on the snap at 9 ball using this cue. Don't have to slam the rack either...
Hope this is of help.
Flex
These are the tips:
Moori: Soft, Medium and Hard
Talisman: Hard
Triangle
Phenolic
I used them on different cues: A Meucci, a Southwest style, and a junker I got on eBay.
If the goal is just to splatter the balls all around, the phenolic tip wins, no doubt about it. But if the break has to be powerful but controlled, trying to control where the cue ball ends up, and not just near the rack or the middle of the table but up table in the middle around the 3rd diamond, the phenolic tip is pretty much useless. To get that kind of cue ball control and placement it's necessary to hit a tad below center and when you do that with the phenolic tip, those miscues start to multiply, and the deflection/squirt monster will eat you up too.
As for jumping, the phenolic tip I have on my jump cue (homemade, by the way
) works absolutely great, and jumping is literally a breeze. One other possibility for breaking: I got a Sneaky-pete cue on eBay, made by Excalibur. It has a really strong shaft. 19 ounces, son of a gun has one heck of a hard tip on it. It's leather, but probably was impregnated with something because it's not a hard as a phenolic tip, but it hasn't mushroomed even a tad since I got it. It breaks GREAT, and shooting low or with English works just fine, although it deflect like crazy, which is fine for curve shots and masses and so on. It plays OK for regular stuff, but definitely is not my cup of tea for normal use. Must say that on a bar box with those weighted cue balls it draws them quite nicely.
Anyway, I use the Excalibur for breaking. The Talisman hard works just fine too... Oh, and by the way, I have no problem potting a couple of balls on the snap at 9 ball using this cue. Don't have to slam the rack either...
Hope this is of help.
Flex
Keith McCready
Pro Player
Thanks, Flex, for upping this thread about tips, and to all who replied.
I just picked up a Shannon Daulton break cue made by South East called "The Cannon," as shown below. I've only used it a few occasions, but plan on putting it in action this weekend at the Joss Tour in Quincy.
I just picked up a Shannon Daulton break cue made by South East called "The Cannon," as shown below. I've only used it a few occasions, but plan on putting it in action this weekend at the Joss Tour in Quincy.
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I tried the phenolic break tip. It sure blasts the balls, but I had one miscue too many... Can't use any English basically with a phenolic.
Then I tried a Tiger Jump/Break tip (link below) and shaped it to a quarter radius. Been using that ever since and I think it is the best break tip I've tried. This tip is thin and has two layers. The bottom layer (goes next to ferrule) is rock hard and the other layer is grey and a little softer, yet very hard, but enough flex in it to get English on a break.
To shape it initially to a "quarter" shape, I use an 8" piece of PVC cut in half along with coarse sandpaper. Hold cue vertical and hold PVC/sandpaper horizontal and sand back and forth. Then fine sandpaper to touch up the shape of the tip when needed, but it holds its shape quite well.
I do use a phenolic tip with a dime shape for my jump cue BTW.
Tiger Jump/Break tip...
(About half way down page.)
http://www.tigerproducts.com/laminatedcuetips.htm
Then I tried a Tiger Jump/Break tip (link below) and shaped it to a quarter radius. Been using that ever since and I think it is the best break tip I've tried. This tip is thin and has two layers. The bottom layer (goes next to ferrule) is rock hard and the other layer is grey and a little softer, yet very hard, but enough flex in it to get English on a break.
To shape it initially to a "quarter" shape, I use an 8" piece of PVC cut in half along with coarse sandpaper. Hold cue vertical and hold PVC/sandpaper horizontal and sand back and forth. Then fine sandpaper to touch up the shape of the tip when needed, but it holds its shape quite well.
I do use a phenolic tip with a dime shape for my jump cue BTW.
Tiger Jump/Break tip...
(About half way down page.)
http://www.tigerproducts.com/laminatedcuetips.htm
mabey a better way
why dont you take a hard leather tip and sand it down really low. ive played my best pool when i had my tip really low . almost where i had to replace it. it stays hard and does not lose its shape once played with for a while... just a thought
why dont you take a hard leather tip and sand it down really low. ive played my best pool when i had my tip really low . almost where i had to replace it. it stays hard and does not lose its shape once played with for a while...
just a thoughtI use a phenolic tip and love it. The only problems are that it won't hold chalk very well and it hits too hard. Tends to jump off the table if your cue isn't totally level(i.e. 9 ball break). I guess I'll have to try sandpaper. The only time I miscue is when I use extreme english (more than 1.5 tips from center). If you have problems miscueing(sp?) with it then you aren't hitting the ball squarely, which you should always be doing if you have a solid controlled break.
Well, i have basically given up on the Phenolic tip.
I have gone back to just using my playing cue as a break cue. And using a softer break to control the CB.
Now while i could really break the racks, i didnt like the fact that if i tried to put a lil more into the break i would scratch or have the CB fly off the table to do anything but stay in control.
On my Espiritu it came with a WaterBuffalo tip and WOW it was rock hard. Now using this to break with i found i got just as good of a spread with the balls as i did with the Phenolic tip.
Obviously i have changed tips and went to a Triangle because the WB tip was just too hard.
As for using a break cue, if i happen to buy a break cue again, i will probably just use a Moori Hard, or a WaterBuffalo tip, or something like a Tiger or Stingray tip. That way i can control the CB more.
Not saying the Phenolic tip doesnt work, but it does take alot of practice to be able to control the CB when using the Phenolic tip.
I have gone back to just using my playing cue as a break cue. And using a softer break to control the CB.
Now while i could really break the racks, i didnt like the fact that if i tried to put a lil more into the break i would scratch or have the CB fly off the table to do anything but stay in control.
On my Espiritu it came with a WaterBuffalo tip and WOW it was rock hard. Now using this to break with i found i got just as good of a spread with the balls as i did with the Phenolic tip.
Obviously i have changed tips and went to a Triangle because the WB tip was just too hard.
As for using a break cue, if i happen to buy a break cue again, i will probably just use a Moori Hard, or a WaterBuffalo tip, or something like a Tiger or Stingray tip. That way i can control the CB more.
Not saying the Phenolic tip doesnt work, but it does take alot of practice to be able to control the CB when using the Phenolic tip.