Dime Radius or Nickel Radius?
- Thread starter DJSTEVEZ
- Start date
I use a dime radius (or maybe a bit tighter radius.)
More spin, less forgiving--causing me to have to shoot more deliberately.
More spin, less forgiving--causing me to have to shoot more deliberately.
Why does the penny never get any respect?
Years ago somebody pointed out that the closer the radius of a tip is to the radial arc of the surface of a cue ball, the better the contact/grip it is. For most sizes of tips that's a nickel. I don't know, but I've always had better results from a nickel radius. I also learned to quit grinding my tip to try and keep a specific radius, the chalking action and the thousands of impacts your tip takes will keep your tip in an optimal radius that fits how you're hitting the ball. Once a tip gets "seasoned" during play, it keeps that same radius for me throughout its life.
Any curvature flatter than about a quarter (12.13mm radius) and you're hitting on the tip's edge before you get to maximum tip offset. In order to have at least 60 degrees of arc (30 degrees per side, to reach the miscue limit), the tip's curvature must have a radius no more than its width.
Here are the radii of some common US coins and the minimum tip widths they work on:
dime (8.95mm) - 9mm tip
penny (9.52mm) - 10mm tip
nickel (10.60mm) - 11mm tip
quarter (12.13mm) - 12.5mm tip
For a tip curvature the same as a ball (1 1/8” radius), you'd need a tip at least 1 1/8" wide.
My tip is 9-10mm and I use a dime shape.
pj
chgo
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I prefer the nickel.
I think the "best" is actually flatter than that, such as totally flat. The problem is that it's really tough to spin the cue ball with a flat tip.
Most tips don't have a single curvature. They are flatter in the center and more rounded on the edges, like an ellipse.
A complication is that the tip doesn't hold its shape during contact. See what happens at 30 seconds into this video:
I use a dime, feels better to my brain.
PJ....there are certain power spin shots I can’t do with a tip that‘s too flat.
The hit of a round tip means the force of the shot is closer to the center of the shaft....for the power.
...you might be able to express this better...whether you agree or not.
I only know it by experience...I can do that Jimmy Moore/Mike Massey draw shot down the rail...
...if somebody hands me their cue to see the shot, I look at their tip...if it’s too flat, I can’t do it.
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8intheside
Well-known member
I think it’s a matter of preference. I dont think it gives you an advantage one way or the other.
dquarasr
Registered
Yogi Berra: “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”Why does the penny never get any respect?
I use the smaller size of the Ultimate Tip Tool, which scuffs the sides of the tip and generally leaves the top untouched. Then, I use the sides of the UTT to scuff the top. I guess I have a compound radius approximating $0.15 of curvature.
I hope you’re still young enough to have a day job.
