Cue Tip Contact Myth-Busting Truths in Super Slow Motion

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
Well, here's the thing: the video said a hard tip stays in contact with the CB for 1.3 thousandths of a second, while a soft tip stays in contact with the CB for 1.9 thousands of a second, so 6 ten thousandths of a second longer. Because 6 ten thousandths of a second is so short, it can't possibly affect anything, right? Well, wait a minute...6 ten thousandths of a second is 46% longer contact for a soft tip than a hard tip. Why can't nearly 50% more contact time create more spin? See how that works? When you look at percentages, the longer contact time for a soft tip seems like a lot more, doesn't it?

Again, good explanations can be found here:

 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
I have a friend how has a Revo and he likes to tell me how much more spin he can get. (personally I want less spin as more spin is harder to control). Even after we set up shots and I demonstrated that it wasn't true. He still refused to accept it. oh well.

That is another common (and wrong) myth, that LD (or CF) shafts can apply more spin. Fore more info, see:

 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Because some people missed it, here is a very important point again: you get more spin for a given stick speed by hitting the ball farther from center. The ratio of ball spin to ball speed is directly proportional to how far from center you hit. It is that simple. Think of it as having more lever arm to apply torque as the tip moves away from the center.

A softer tip is on the ball for a longer time but it also applies less force during that time. A hard tip applies a higher force for a briefer time. What is important is the combination of force and the time the force is acting. Those two factors cancel out for changes in tip hardness.
 

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
@dr_dave

off-topic...

I noticed on your page you had this passage: "Another factor involved with a softer tip is that it might better absorb glue and adhere to the ferrule more strongly and making it less likely to come off with lots of use and/or abuse."

I did cue repair for 10 years (stopping 10 years ago), and with soft tips, they actually absorb the glue too much and the glue joint gets starved for glue. Similar to painting end grain on a piece of wood. The solution is to "prime" the tip with glue by putting a thin coat and rubbing it with a cloth, let it set a minute, and sand it slightly after curing. Then, put a second coat of glue that will actually be for the joint. The primed portion prevents the 2nd coat of glue from soaking in. I'm not sure if this supports your statement, or opposes it. This is also one reason a lot of the newer layered tips have a different later at the bottom, for better gluing.
 

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Because some people missed it, here is a very important point again: you get more spin for a given stick speed by hitting the ball farther from center. The ratio of ball spin to ball speed is directly proportional to how far from center you hit. It is that simple. Think of it as having more lever arm to apply torque as the tip moves away from the center.

A softer tip is on the ball for a longer time but it also applies less force during that time. A hard tip applies a higher force for a briefer time. What is important is the combination of force and the time the force is acting. Those two factors cancel out for changes in tip hardness.
That's a very easy to understand way of explaining it. Thanks!
 

7stud

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think for people who believe that softer tips provide more spin, they should try the test in the article Perfect Draw. It's the second article down the page at that link.
 

Agent 99

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What creates more spin - A players confidence that he will not miscue while hitting the ball further off center axis with a firmer stroke. That's all I got from where I went to school.
 
Last edited:

WobblyStroke

Well-known member
What was that technique?
It had to do with a very delayed acceleration in the timing of the stroke as if trying to push through the ball. Any other details are lost on me now as it didn't really mesh with my regular stroke nearly as well as for my friend who parroted the brief lesson for me. Luckily I can pound it to get around instead :p
 
Last edited:

WobblyStroke

Well-known member
Mechanically I suppose but maybe the question should be where does the feel come from (?) or is that just some after the fact bias?
Don't overthink it.... the feel comes from how it feels in your hand when you hit the ball. Personally I hate the both the sound and feel of a very hard tip. I can use them just fine, but prefer not to. It's kind of like clicky golf balls that behave the way I want them to around the greens....if I don't like the sound and feel on the clubface, I'm done with em.
 

straightline

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Don't overthink it.... the feel comes from how it feels in your hand when you hit the ball. Personally I hate the both the sound and feel of a very hard tip. I can use them just fine, but prefer not to. It's kind of like clicky golf balls that behave the way I want them to around the greens....if I don't like the sound and feel on the clubface, I'm done with em.
Just curious. The actual contact transpires in a millisecond and the differences are negligible except to the shooter.
 

WobblyStroke

Well-known member
Just curious. The actual contact transpires in a millisecond and the differences are negligible except to the shooter.
Whether cue tip on CB or club on golf ball, the contact is very brief ye, but the reverberations through what you are holding last longer than actual contact. Different tips, just like different golf balls, can produce very distinct sensations in the hands, not to mention different sounds (and I'm def a sound guy too).
 

Poolmanis

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Because some people missed it, here is a very important point again: you get more spin for a given stick speed by hitting the ball farther from center. The ratio of ball spin to ball speed is directly proportional to how far from center you hit. It is that simple. Think of it as having more lever arm to apply torque as the tip moves away from the center.

A softer tip is on the ball for a longer time but it also applies less force during that time. A hard tip applies a higher force for a briefer time. What is important is the combination of force and the time the force is acting. Those two factors cancel out for changes in tip hardness.
I don´t really care which tip is giving more spin, or if they are same. I care about trusting tip to not miscue! That is reason i like softer tips.
Hard tips I sometimes miscue. Elk Master I almost never miscue!
 
Top