Breaking with your playing cue

sniper

sniper

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well I recently started breaking with my playing cue and have been surprised to see that I get fairly good results using it. My question for everyone is whether or not this can be harmful to your cue? I've heard that it can warp your shaft over time and can harm your tip, I wanna keep breaking with my playing cue but definitely don't wanna harm it.


P.S.

I use a 20 oz Action cue
Mine is the one on the far left.
http://www.billiard-zone.com/action_cues_exotics2.htm
 
With a quality cue, the only adverse effect of breaking with your playing cue is you will have to get it retipped more often.

I always look at it as if I am going to pay $X for a cue, I had better damn well be able to break with it.
 
I've never been concerned about breaking a cue breaking, the only reason I use another cue to break is to keep the tip on my playing cue in good condition.
 
I think a lot depends on how hard you break too. I use my playing cue all the time but I don't break like Busta. I try to use more stroke than power. I think if you do that, you'll be okay using your playing cue. After all, the break accounts for only one stroke a game.
 
i break with my regular playing cue all the time..more comfortable and can control the cue better. the downside is my (hard) tips eventually mushroom in a bad way ...and the ferules seem to splinter a little bit. its a tradeoff.
 
Breaking w/ your playing cue

The only problem I see is with tip shape. After you play with a new tip, it forms to your stroke. Allowing others to play with your cue or breaking with it changes this shape. The shape is formed by the angle you use when playing.
I don't break with my playing cues. I have several break cues.JMHO
Purdman :rolleyes:
 
Trying to maintain your tip is hard enough just by playing with it.
I use a break/jump. Also, I don't like to take a chance on dinging the shaft.
 
I break with my playing cue, and always have. However, I don't have a monster break, so YMMV.

As far as the tip, yea, it does pack down a little faster, but I don't really think that is such a bad thing. I don't think this would be much of a consideration with a layered tip. A soft tip like an elkmaster will obviously pack down and mushroom faster than a hard tip.

If you have an ivory ferrule, don't let the tip get too worn down, or you risk shattering the ferrule. Other than that, there should be no risk to the cue, other than maybe scraping the forearm on the rail if something goes haywire.

-CM
 
I choose to use a Break Cue, because I like using specific tools for specific jobs. I don't like smashing my tip & then expecting it to "be there" for me in a have to "finesse shot".

Generally speaking, Professionals have always shown us the way things should be done, because they've learned how to make a living doing the job that way. :cool:
 
Breaking with playing cue

Also consider that is you are using a custom with a high gloss finish, chances are you are going to put some lengthwise scratches on the cue that you may not normally be suceptible to. This can happen more frequently on any table that has chrome end caps or skirt trim that is metal. Not advisable in my opinion. Yes My cue hits em well, but not as well as a JW Petree custom break cue, or any break cue with a fat shaft and phenolic tip.
 
Just a bit of information, Nick Varner, when he was sponsored by Joss cues in the 80's and early 90's broke with his playing cue as seen on many accu stat tapes.
 
JustPlay said:
Just a bit of information, Nick Varner, when he was sponsored by Joss cues in the 80's and early 90's broke with his playing cue as seen on many accu stat tapes.
Click to expand...

Yeah, from what I've heard/read Nick was a strong advocate of breaking with your playing cue. He reasoned that you should have a cue that you feel comfortable with on such an important shot. That being said, I thought I heard somewhere, probably here, that he has changed his mind a bit and now uses a break cue.

For the record even though I think you should be able to break with any cue I also use a Gilbert J/B to save on tip and scratches and such as mentioned previously.
 
i get this question eveyday. my responce is " if you can't break with it, it isn't much of a cue". you can break with any cue, i used to use my $5000 perry weston. it broke better then my break cue so i used it often.
 
sniper said:
Well I recently started breaking with my playing cue and have been surprised to see that I get fairly good results using it. My question for everyone is whether or not this can be harmful to your cue? I've heard that it can warp your shaft over time and can harm your tip, I wanna keep breaking with my playing cue but definitely don't wanna harm it.


P.S.

I use a 20 oz Action cue
Mine is the one on the far left.
http://www.billiard-zone.com/action_cues_exotics2.htm
Click to expand...

It depends how hard you're breaking. If you are doing a Bustamante or Mark Tadd break, then have a chance to damage your cue. You can harm the tip, the ferrule, and the shaft from my experience. You are better off getting a cue that has the same weight and balance as your playing cue to break with. A thicker diameter shaft helps too, IMO.
 
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