Different Tip Types

[Big Tex]

Whats the deal with all the different tip types?

There's multi layered. Glue laminated?
Soft. Hard. Medium. In Between. Different hardness ratings.
These mushroom too much. Yada yada.

Any guidelines or rule of thumbs would be great.

Why do you want different levels of hardness?

Im pretty sure I have a sniper on my Ob-1. And I have buffalo tip on one break cue and a white diamond on a phenolic ferrule on another break stick.

I've had Le pro's, triangles, schon's. Im not sure I could tell you what my last tip was or how it shot. A tip last me almost a year.

Does it depend on the ferrule?

Thanks for any help.
RB

 

[HeLLFiSH]

There are many different types of tips out there.

The multi layered ones tend to be more consistent in desginated hardness with each other, conversely single layered tips tend to be inconsistent in hardness. For example, each Everest tips will play the same, or close to the same, very small variation if any, while elk master tips will vary from one to another, you wont know if you get a harder or softer one without measuring it using a device. Laminated tips have a lower standard deviation in hardness when measured, single layer ones like lepro, elkmaster and triangle will have a wider deviation.

The different hardness can attribute to different things, for example a softer tip is able to generate greater amounts of english due to its tendency to stay on the cue ball longer, while increasing the likeliness to mushroom. Conversely, hard tips have the tendency to generate less english and miscue more often, but mushrooms less often.

Various tips are also processed differently. Some are tanned underground, some are chemically treated. The process the leather is treated also affects the way the leather can hold the chalk. Ability to hold chalk reduces miscuing.




In other words....its all up to the player to decide what he (or she) feels comfortable with....

 

[shortman]

I vote for the Sniper, it seems the best of both worlds to me.

 

[skor]

Whats the deal with all the different tip types?

Well, considering the fact that the tip is probably the most important part of the cue there should some verity....

Before layered tip there weren't so many brands. Many jumped the wagon of the layered tips after Moori was introduced to the market. After all if people are willing to pay $20 for a single tip (while other brands at the time cost about $1) then there is money to be made....

The current verity maybe confusing but the consumers benefit from this, you get more tips to try and a better chance to find a tip that feels just right for you and of course the prices dropped and you can get a nice layered tip for under $10.

Hardness levels offer different levels of control and consistency. While soft tips offer more control and less miscues to the beginner player they are less consistent and they loose their shape faster which requires often grooming that also shorten the life of the tip.
Hard tip offer more consistency and it holds the shape better but requires a better stroke in order to generate spin and to avoid miscues.
The medium tip is in between and tries to give the best of both worlds.
The problem with medium tips is that no one can define medium and their hardness spectrum can vary from just a bit harder then soft to just a bit softer then hard.... So a medium tip from one brand can be very different from a medium tip of another brand

You should try different tips and find the one that you feel that works best for you. If you don't feel any difference between all the tips then either you are a very good player that can adjust very fast to the different tips Or maybe you haven't got to the level of play that you can tell the difference.