Cue tips regarding deflection
- Thread starter Floater1
- Start date
Here's a pertinent excerpt from the tip hardness effects resource page:
There are many factors related to tip hardness that could influence squirt, including: tip density/weight, tip efficiency, contact time, and effective endmass. “Return of the squirt robot” (BD, August, 2008) documents an experiment related to the effects of tip hardness on squirt. A softer tip did seem to create slightly more squirt, but the experiment was not very well controlled (see the article for more info). In general, if the contact time is longer (as is the case with a softer tip), the effective endmass and resulting squirt should be larger (see the rubber-super-ball-tip report as an example). Another set of more careful experiments documented in the Cue and Tip Testing for Cue Ball Deflection (Squirt) video and “Cue Tip Squirt Testing” (BD, June, 2014) seem to imply that tip type, hardness, and height have very little effect on shaft squirt. Among the wide range of tips tested in the video, the harder tips did result in slightly more squirt. This makes sense because the harder tips are denser and heavier, creating more “endmass.” The shorter contact time seems to be less of a factor than the added weight.
For those interested, here's video with the careful testing for tip hardness squirt differences:
The sun is rising in the 21st century.Longest shot on pool table is nine feet. Ever read what I wrote, or just live stunting
Many people play good with Maple shafts.
Guess you like crutches, Btw ever shoot a Flintlock using patched round ball. Elective range is 75 yards for deer.
Got to be skill hunter, stalker, and creeper.
Like low defection shafts, buy 50 for Christmas gifts.
Back under your rock now sun is rising.
I don't believe that any tip hardness or roundness can cause more or less deflection, at least not nearly enough to adjust for, but I do think that how one plays and feels about the cue can be hugely dependent on the tip. When I use a hard tip, it always feels like it's about to miscue off the edge of the ball, which causes my stroke to stiffen up to hit it softer and not as far toward the edge. With a softer tip, the tip feels like it grips the cueball better, and I have more confidence in my stroke and shooting. This may be a fact of the tip hardness or may just be my feel of the hit and in my head, but we tend to make our reality of what our experience is, and if you are afraid of the tip, that is how you will play, timid and with too much thinking about the wrong thing. Like having two cars with the same cornering ability but one leans more and the wheel play is loose and it makes more tire noise. A driver is not likely to have the confidence to drive that car as fast as a car he is comfortable with even if technically they have the same limits.
IMHO we should go with what is comfortable for the individual when it comes to what tip to use, not what is more technical. Of course things like sturdiness of construction, mushrooming, shape holding ability come into play here, but all things being equal in quality, the hardness, tip shape and how it's made I don't think matters one bit to the performance of the player on a pure technical side. Like balance, type of wrap or pretty wood on the butt of the cue, all those add to the comfort and mental confidence to the player, not the technical core of number the cue can put out.
IMHO we should go with what is comfortable for the individual when it comes to what tip to use, not what is more technical. Of course things like sturdiness of construction, mushrooming, shape holding ability come into play here, but all things being equal in quality, the hardness, tip shape and how it's made I don't think matters one bit to the performance of the player on a pure technical side. Like balance, type of wrap or pretty wood on the butt of the cue, all those add to the comfort and mental confidence to the player, not the technical core of number the cue can put out.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
Just be sure that when literally everyone says you should try a super soft or soft tip that you realize it doesn't mean it's the best for everyone. If you ask 10 people at the local league 8/10 will say a soft tip. Meh, they can keep that stuff. I just hate how it feels. They all will say you can get more spin from it but they would be wrong. I want to feel the hit, feel my stroke and not be dampened from the cue ball.
For me a hard tip (Zan Griphard) feels the best on both a solid maple or a LD shaft. Personally I love the hardest tip I can get that holds chalk. How else could I hear the cue sing? I can even hear the sound of the shaft when I lightly apply chalk. Talk about an auditory trigger to get your focus right! Kind of like clicking your chalk on the table to say it's time to shut the thinking off. When you hit them good and let your cue do the work, your cue will start to sing. It's not about hitting hard, but a good stroke just feels better if you can hear how nice it sounds too.
Basically it's personal preference. There are hundreds of tip brands out there. Just figure out the hardness you like and get one. I've not used them but a lot of people swear by thoroughbred tips. Great price and quality from everything I've read.
For me a hard tip (Zan Griphard) feels the best on both a solid maple or a LD shaft. Personally I love the hardest tip I can get that holds chalk. How else could I hear the cue sing? I can even hear the sound of the shaft when I lightly apply chalk. Talk about an auditory trigger to get your focus right! Kind of like clicking your chalk on the table to say it's time to shut the thinking off. When you hit them good and let your cue do the work, your cue will start to sing. It's not about hitting hard, but a good stroke just feels better if you can hear how nice it sounds too.
Basically it's personal preference. There are hundreds of tip brands out there. Just figure out the hardness you like and get one. I've not used them but a lot of people swear by thoroughbred tips. Great price and quality from everything I've read.
Well me personally I will take Efrin’s skill, expertise, and pool experience, over owning exact same Cues, Shafts Efrin’s uses.
In my hand the same equipment is not going to work like in hands of the MAGICIAN.
In my hand the same equipment is not going to work like in hands of the MAGICIAN.
tomatoshooter
Well-known member
I think using a harder tip helped me learn to stroke softer. Feeling the crisper hit gave me feedback and I didn't want to hit as hard.