Does a specialized break cue really make a difference?

[cuesblues]

stinger

I loved the Stinger I had!!!
I can't believe you just bust em open in straight pool, but I guess if you make a few balls everytime, then you would be allright

I actually have 2-stingers, 1-ebony & 1-bacote
I was just kidding about playing straight pool, but I do break noticably better with a break cue, and I think the advantage is in lighter weight design, and the tip. The difference has really helped especially playing nineball on a bar box, where I am actually giving myself a chance to run out.

 

[Icon of Sin]

break cues don't matter at all! even some pros use their players to break, such as shane and corey. the only that is affected is the wear and tear on your tip. imo

Corey was breaking with a Predator BK2 in the Action Challenge. He also broke with a Jacoby Barberpole style in the IPT King of the Hill, I own that same Jacoby now that he used in this tournament.

He users a different cue when he needs to hard break. When playing 9ball he uses his playing cue and softbreaks.

 

[Gregg]

"Hits like a Mack truck"

"Explodes the rack like a laser-guided missile"

"So powerful it requires a license in some states"

Yes, I'm used to reading statements like these from those who are selling break cues, which is perfectly reasonable--a little marketing hyperbole never hurt anyone. But I'm interested in hearing from those of you who own and use purpose-built break cues--do they really do a better job than a normal good quality cue with a hard leather tip, like a Water Buffalo tip? I've tried using my jump stick shaft on my break cue, and although I get a satisfying "smack" sound resulting from the phenolic tip, I don't seem to get any better results from it. What's your experience?

Tim

Forgot "Add's MPH to your break!@#".

Nothing, nothing, NOTHING will have you breaking like Bustamonte or Archer, regardless of the cue used. That said, I love my sledgehammer!

The reality is that it's hard to quantify a break cue's effectiveness.

 

[Southpaw]

break cues don't matter at all! even some pros use their players to break, such as shane and corey. the only that is affected is the wear and tear on your tip. imo

I believe this to be true also. Breaking with your playing cue will not hurt your cue. Pool cues are made alot stronger than one might think. The reasons that most pros started using other cues to break with is because first, it flattens your tip and second alot of them have ivory ferrules which can crack from breaking. JMO.

Southpaw

 

[Fragged]

If you have to ask, the answer is probably no. Break Cues will help a run-out players game some but if you can't run out, all you are doing is helping the opponent.

 

[BVal]

My break is not that hard, and I found that using a cheap cue with a White Knight-tip gave me a better separation of the pack. I can put a little more power into the cueball with this hard tip than with the Talisman med pro to which I am accustomed on my playing cue. The disadvantage: The sound is similar to a gunfire. The advantage: The cue together with the tip cost appx. 25 Euro - which translates into slightly above 30 USD.

So, from a pragmatic point of view: It works, it didn't cost much money, so why bother?

Regards,

Detlev

What is a White Knight tip? I have heard of White Diamond but never White Knight.

BVal

 

[Shawn Armstrong]

A break cue will not make you break any better. This is all PURE HYPE generated by the billiard industry, and cuemakers. I love all the theories behind compression of the tip, and the cue weight. You are all starting to sound like Bob Meucci. Lighter isn't necessarily better. Neither is a harder tip.

An effective break pockets balls, and leaves the cueball in a specific spot to shoot from. There is no cue out there that promises to make 4 balls on the break. Notice no cuemaker makes any speed promises of their cues? You are hitting a round, hard ball with a wooden stick that compresses when you hit the ball. If the tip doesn't buckle (in the case of a phenolic tip), the shaft will. People think that by stiffening the shaft and putting a rock hard tip on a cue, that it adds speed. It does, but at the price of accuracy. If you hit the cueball 5% faster, but hit the head ball 10% less squarely, you are getting negative return with the higher speed. Same with a lighter cue. It's easier to swing a light cue faster, but you will hit the ball less accurately. How much accuracy are you willing to lose to gain a miniscule amount of speed? Look at the chart from Platinum Billiards when they speed tested the break cues. There is not a lot of variance between leather tipped cues and phenolics. If you watch break shots in slow motion, the cueball is bouncing on the way to the rack. The cue ball seems to bounce around less at slower speeds. The rack seems to spread better too.

It's like the guy that goes out and buys the latest driver because he wants to drive the ball 300 yards. If he can't hit the centre of the fairway with most of his drives, it was a bad investment. Same with a break cue. If you're destroying your tips on your playing cue, or breaking shafts due to your 30+ mph break shots, then go get a break cue. If you're an endorsed pro, carry one because it doesn't cost you anything. What I laugh about is there is a 2/3 rank on our team that carries a break cue with her. I don't. I pound the rack with my playing cue (20.75 oz). I've never had a tip problem (actually helps to break in the tip faster) or shaft problem, and I know EXACTLY how my playing cue hits because I use it for every shot.

My 2 cents.

 

[bigskyjake]

A break cue will not make you break any better. This is all PURE HYPE generated by the billiard industry, and cuemakers. I love all the theories behind compression of the tip, and the cue weight. You are all starting to sound like Bob Meucci. Lighter isn't necessarily better. Neither is a harder tip.

An effective break pockets balls, and leaves the cueball in a specific spot to shoot from. There is no cue out there that promises to make 4 balls on the break. Notice no cuemaker makes any speed promises of their cues? You are hitting a round, hard ball with a wooden stick that compresses when you hit the ball. If the tip doesn't buckle (in the case of a phenolic tip), the shaft will. People think that by stiffening the shaft and putting a rock hard tip on a cue, that it adds speed. It does, but at the price of accuracy. If you hit the cueball 5% faster, but hit the head ball 10% less squarely, you are getting negative return with the higher speed. Same with a lighter cue. It's easier to swing a light cue faster, but you will hit the ball less accurately. How much accuracy are you willing to lose to gain a miniscule amount of speed? Look at the chart from Platinum Billiards when they speed tested the break cues. There is not a lot of variance between leather tipped cues and phenolics. If you watch break shots in slow motion, the cueball is bouncing on the way to the rack. The cue ball seems to bounce around less at slower speeds. The rack seems to spread better too.

It's like the guy that goes out and buys the latest driver because he wants to drive the ball 300 yards. If he can't hit the centre of the fairway with most of his drives, it was a bad investment. Same with a break cue. If you're destroying your tips on your playing cue, or breaking shafts due to your 30+ mph break shots, then go get a break cue. If you're an endorsed pro, carry one because it doesn't cost you anything. What I laugh about is there is a 2/3 rank on our team that carries a break cue with her. I don't. I pound the rack with my playing cue (20.75 oz). I've never had a tip problem (actually helps to break in the tip faster) or shaft problem, and I know EXACTLY how my playing cue hits because I use it for every shot.

My 2 cents.

Damn straight, I almost always use my playing cue to break with. As of yet Ive experienced zero mushrooming and/or delamination

 

[axejunkie]

--do they really do a better job than a normal good quality cue with a hard leather tip, like a Water Buffalo tip? I've tried using my jump stick shaft on my break cue, and although I get a satisfying "smack" sound resulting from the phenolic tip, I don't seem to get any better results from it.

Tim

I have two shafts for my break cue, one with a WB tip and one with phenolic. I feel the phenolic tip imparts more energy on the rack but I can't control the cue ball nearly as well with it, so for me there is a tradeoff.

 

[Shawn Armstrong]

Predator BK2 25.93 3.7% fast PHENOLIC
Mezz Power Break 2 25.64 2.5% fast PRESSED INGOT
Fury JB 25.47 1.8% fast PHENOLIC
Scorpion Jump Break (J/B) 25.47 1.8% fast LEATHER
Cuetec 99296 (J/B) 25.47 1.8% fast LEATHER
Stinger (J/B) 25.40 1.5% fast PHENOLIC
Meucci HP-03 25.38 1.5% fast LEATHER
Viking VM 38 25.38 1.5% fast LEATHER
Mezz Power Break 25.38 1.5% fast PRESSED INGOT
Cuetec 99277 25.36 1.4% fast LEATHER

More energy from the phenolic? .5 MPH from #1 to #10. If you hit the rack at 23 MPH, a .5MPH increase is a 2% increase in power. If you are able to feel a 2% increase in power from the WB to phenolic, I'm impressed. What I think happens is it "sounds" like you hit the balls harder, so the perception is you think you are hitting them harder.

The only people who benefit from phenolic tipped break cues are the people who sell them. Hard leather tips work just fine. So do M Mooris!

 

[9 on the snap]

Love the BK2. It was a HUGE improvement in my break, which wasn't bad to begin with. I would never hardly drop the nine on the snap before, but now I can do it with some regularity. I have done it back to back which was cool, but it was against the girlfriend for no cash. I never did that with my player (pred 4k4,314-2,moori m), or a house cue with a hard tip. There is a certain satisfaction in winning money on the break right outta the shute before you even screw the player together. You are already up, and it's gonna be a good night brother.

 

[Shawn Armstrong]

Love the BK2. It was a HUGE improvement in my break, which wasn't bad to begin with. I would never hardly drop the nine on the snap before, but now I can do it with some regularity. I have done it back to back which was cool, but it was against the girlfriend for no cash. I never did that with my player (pred 4k4,314-2,moori m), or a house cue with a hard tip. There is a certain satisfaction in winning money on the break right outta the shute before you even screw the player together. You are already up, and it's gonna be a good night brother.

If you're making 9-balls with regularity, you either rack loose, your girlfriend does, or your opponent does. When I rack the balls, the 9-ball will only move if it gets kicked by something.

Tighten the two balls behind the 9-ball snug to the 9, and then come back to me in a month when you've only made 2 9s all month.

 

[tigerallenyim]

"Hits like a Mack truck"

"Explodes the rack like a laser-guided missile"

"So powerful it requires a license in some states"

Yes, I'm used to reading statements like these from those who are selling break cues, which is perfectly reasonable--a little marketing hyperbole never hurt anyone. But I'm interested in hearing from those of you who own and use purpose-built break cues--do they really do a better job than a normal good quality cue with a hard leather tip, like a Water Buffalo tip? I've tried using my jump stick shaft on my break cue, and although I get a satisfying "smack" sound resulting from the phenolic tip, I don't seem to get any better results from it. What's your experience?

Tim

Well i had a Lucasi as a playing cue, and then when i got my McDermott, i started breaking with the Lucasi. The Lucasi had a LePro tip. I had it modified to a white diamond tip from Capone and made a remarkable difference: I won't need much effort to break the balls apart anymore.

My 2 cents.

 

[tigerallenyim]

In addition to that, my fellow league players say the same exact thing!

 

[9 on the snap]

If you're making 9-balls with regularity, you either rack loose, your girlfriend does, or your opponent does. When I rack the balls, the 9-ball will only move if it gets kicked by something.

Tighten the two balls behind the 9-ball snug to the 9, and then come back to me in a month when you've only made 2 9s all month.

I said some regularity, and I have told her not to rack my balls too tight!

 

[barber23]

"Hits like a Mack truck"

"Explodes the rack like a laser-guided missile"

"So powerful it requires a license in some states"

Yes, I'm used to reading statements like these from those who are selling break cues, which is perfectly reasonable--a little marketing hyperbole never hurt anyone. But I'm interested in hearing from those of you who own and use purpose-built break cues--do they really do a better job than a normal good quality cue with a hard leather tip, like a Water Buffalo tip? I've tried using my jump stick shaft on my break cue, and although I get a satisfying "smack" sound resulting from the phenolic tip, I don't seem to get any better results from it. What's your experience?

Tim

I have played with a mcdermott jb most of my time playing this game but recently I switched to a stinger jb and I have to say that my breaks are stronger I usually make multiple balls on the break and the jumping is to easy. For me it made a BIG difference.

 

[desi2960]

its endless

now that we have them convinced they need a break cue, we can sell them one for soft shots, one for hard shots, one for top english, a special one for super draw, stun shots, hard cuts, easy shots, banks, one pocket, nine ball, eight ball, practice, league, get my drift. its all a ploy to sell more cues. inmo you are better with the cue you are acustom to shooting with, i break. jump and run racks [ well ever now and then ] with one cue. chuck starkey

 

[cuesblues]

I think that there is more to the break cue and especially the jump/break cue than pure hype.

1. I break better with a break cue
2. I can't jump the ball with my playing cue
3. My girlfriend can actually pocket a ball on the break using my break cue
4. I've had more run outs since I went back to using a break cue
5. Several top cuebuilders are spending time building jump/breaks, and they are not cheap

I tried just using a house cue to break with, and as I play against tougher competition, at a higher level, I realized that my break wasn't working as well as I would like, so I went back to my Stinger jump/break, and it has made all the difference in the world. My feeling is that since I own these break cues, I may as well use them, and what difference does it make if you use a second playing cue, your playing cue, or a break cue to break with. The important thing is to get a great break if you want to compete on a higher level. The balls scatter much better for me when I use a true break cue, there is a noticeable difference. Maybe if you have a killer break it doesn't matter, but at my level it does, and so many players on this forum are buying 300.00 to 500.00 jump/breaks, they can't all be getting sucked in to the hype . I got by just fine without a break cue, but I prefer to use one, and it has made a difference...Just my 2 cents worth

 

[Shawn Armstrong]

I think that there is more to the break cue and especially the jump/break cue than pure hype.

1. I break better with a break cue
2. I can't jump the ball with my playing cue
3. My girlfriend can actually pocket a ball on the break using my break cue
4. I've had more run outs since I went back to using a break cue
5. Several top cuebuilders are spending time building jump/breaks, and they are not cheap

I tried just using a house cue to break with, and as I play against tougher competition, at a higher level, I realized that my break wasn't working as well as I would like, so I went back to my Stinger jump/break, and it has made all the difference in the world. My feeling is that since I own these break cues, I may as well use them, and what difference does it make if you use a second playing cue, your playing cue, or a break cue to break with. The important thing is to get a great break if you want to compete on a higher level. The balls scatter much better for me when I use a true break cue, there is a noticeable difference. Maybe if you have a killer break it doesn't matter, but at my level it does, and so many players on this forum are buying 300.00 to 500.00 jump/breaks, they can't all be getting sucked in to the hype . I got by just fine without a break cue, but I prefer to use one, and it has made a difference...Just my 2 cents worth

Top cuemakers are making jump/break cues for one reason - DEMAND. Players always want to buy the magic bullet - BK2, X-breaker, OB-1, 314, the list goes on and on. I'd hate to fathom how many balls Mosconi, Mizerak or Sigel would have run with all of this high-tech equipment. The point is that YOU CANNOT BUY A BETTER BREAK. You either have the stroke or you don't. If you can make balls with your break cue, but not your playing cue, that to me screams "confidence issue". Maybe you baby your playing cue and don't want to stroke at the balls. Maybe the idea of breaking with your Moori or Kamui tip makes you cringe. I don't know. I will tell you that I have broken with pretty much every "production" break cue on the planet, and NOT ONE of them made any significant difference in how the balls spread. NOT ONE of them made a ball every rack. NOT ONE of them always parked the cueball in the middle of the table. I posted the speed chart from Platinum Billiards for a reason. People think they are clocking the ball something fierce after they put a phenolic tip on their break cue. At a top speed of 25mph, the phenolic (with stiffer taper) tipped cues outperformed leather by a whopping 2% maximum. It's PERCEPTION that makes players buy $300-$500 jump/break cues, not REALITY. At the pro level, they are usually endorsed, so break cues make sense. Jump cues are functional, because they do something a regular cue can't. However, looking at the chart, I'm not getting much speed difference from my Sledgehammer j/b (hypothetical) or my BK2 than my STL-4 Schon player. Therefore, the only difference that could possibly make sense to me is either that 2% makes a huge difference in your break, which I sincerely doubt, or the PSYCHOLOGY of the break cue makes you break better, and same for your girlfriend.

 

[BPG24]

Shawn, I hate to tell you this bro..
But you are wrong.....
Call Rick Howard and ask him why he makes a break cue....
It was designed for players.... by players.....
The phenolic tip is not the only difference....
Do some research....
THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT SOME BREAK CUES CAN IMPROVE YOUR BREAK