The choice of what cue tip is best has been discussed in virtually every manner but I think/hope I have an original question for discussion. While in Oregon I visited a billiard dealer whose primary business is custom cues and limited production cues. He has been in business 30+ years and appeared quite knowledgeable and has an inventory of cues that exceeds $100K. (This info is to establish his credibility) My question to him was what tip would he recommend using to a customer who wanted the "best tip" to go on his expensive custom cue. His response was that it really didn't matter if the tip is layered (Moori, Talisman etc.) or Triangle, LePro or any other quality tip. He said the hardness of the tip was the only real criteria for making a selection. He uses a durometer to measure the hardness of the tip that is on one of the cues he lets a customer hit with and then tells them to select any tip with that same hardness as a replacement. He said he isn't a gambler but he said he has a standing offer of a $100 to anyone who can pick out the cue that has a Moori, Talisman, LePro, Triangle, or water buffalo after hitting with those 5 cues without looking at the tip. What do you think? Is consistant hardness the most important consideration?
Cue tip selection
- Thread starter Doug
- Start date
This is simular to a music theory question, when you hear a different pitch, you have to know what the note is. Same works on tips. Same hardness but they all have their individual sound.
Cocsistant hardness is important but it is also based on invidual
players preference.
Cocsistant hardness is important but it is also based on invidual
players preference.
L
locki
Guest
i now hate hard tips...
my tip (lepro) miscued when i had to draw after hitting the 8-ball for the 9 instead, it jumped up and straight into the pocket...lol!
and yeah, i know how to draw...
my tip (lepro) miscued when i had to draw after hitting the 8-ball for the 9 instead, it jumped up and straight into the pocket...lol!
and yeah, i know how to draw...
I use a soft tip and at one time experimented on a medium hard tip..it took a while to get used to, but it was worth the wait...
it was a lot easier playing since you dont have to strike the CB hard, unlike when you use a soft tip which absorbs much of the impact....draw shots were much easier too...
problem is I stopped for a while and my stroke got haywired and I started to miscue again......
it was a lot easier playing since you dont have to strike the CB hard, unlike when you use a soft tip which absorbs much of the impact....draw shots were much easier too...
problem is I stopped for a while and my stroke got haywired and I started to miscue again......
I think he’s probably right, in that someone would have a hard time determining which tip is which. But if you took that same someone’s playing cue and put each tip on it. I think that someone would be able to feel certain differences between each tip. Maybe not to the point of feeling five distinct differences but at least a few.
Is consistent hardness the most important consideration? I’d say no, holding chalk would be IMO.
Rick
Is consistent hardness the most important consideration? I’d say no, holding chalk would be IMO.
Rick
locki said:i now hate hard tips...
my tip (lepro) miscued when i had to draw after hitting the 8-ball for the 9 instead, it jumped up and straight into the pocket...lol!
and yeah, i know how to draw...
Your lepro may have become compacted. Or maybe it was hard out of the box. I have heard that lepros are inconsistent in regard to hardness.
If you want to try a softer tip, try an Elk Master. They hold chalk well. Just a suggestion, I'm no expert. Hell I can't run 3 friggin' balls
holding chalk is most important to me, I don't care if it is hard or soft really, I can get used to it, but it has to hold chalk well
Doug said:
he's almost like the candid little kid that bravely said that the emperor didn't have any clothes- to a certain extent... I think there is difference between brands and that difference may be undetectable or at neglible to some...
now if i may say: imho there is little difference between a 700 dollar cue to a cue worth 5 grand
Great post!
I have personally never heard of a durometer, as I suspect most of the pool playing public hasn't either. I have always been a stickler as far as tip hardness for consistency in English applications, even sometimes changing new tips two or three times to get one I'm confident in. I now always compress new tips to prevent any appreciable mushrooming and to make new tips immediately playable to my requirements. With a durometer I can test the hardness of the tip before installation.
No one likes to play with a new tip because of that "breaking in" period. You would think that with all the technology available today we would already have a tip that is consistent from the "git-go". Hopefully we will. The durometer is interesting and I intend to try one. Thanks for the post.
I have personally never heard of a durometer, as I suspect most of the pool playing public hasn't either. I have always been a stickler as far as tip hardness for consistency in English applications, even sometimes changing new tips two or three times to get one I'm confident in. I now always compress new tips to prevent any appreciable mushrooming and to make new tips immediately playable to my requirements. With a durometer I can test the hardness of the tip before installation.
No one likes to play with a new tip because of that "breaking in" period. You would think that with all the technology available today we would already have a tip that is consistent from the "git-go". Hopefully we will. The durometer is interesting and I intend to try one. Thanks for the post.
