how do you keep your tip shaped without miscuing all the time

[KINGSCOURT905]

i keep miscuing on draw shots at end pocket, my tip looks flat one week and mushroomed the next lol. i shape it at the hall but i never know if i am doing too much or too little. what do you guys use to keep the shape right and how often do you touch it up

 

[couldnthinkof01]

You need to work on your stroke

 

[skor]

Harder tips hold shape better.
At the same hardness level, different tips will hold shape differently, you have to find the tip that works for you in terms of price, hardness and needed maintenance.
Most layered tip from the common known brands today don’t really mushroom much, but some get flattened faster than others.

I like a well groomed tip, I also prefer hard tips so I don’t need to groom them very often.
I like the Live Forever tip tool for reshaping the tip. I have a scuffer in my case when the tip glazes (tip pick also works). And I burnish the sides of the tip with some spit and a piece of paper or leather (whatever is in my reach faster).
For cutting mushrooming tips, I use the Longoni tip tool, but really no need for it with most modern tips past installation or past first session.

 

[R2PQZ]

i keep miscuing on draw shots at end pocket, my tip looks flat one week and mushroomed the next lol. i shape it at the hall but i never know if i am doing too much or too little. what do you guys use to keep the shape right and how often do you touch it up

My guess is you are breaking with your playing cue. Very hard on the tip. Best to break with a cue dedicated for it. A good hard tip will hold up better. You may also need a better quality tip on your playing cue.

 

[KINGSCOURT905]

You need to work on your stroke

fair point dude, my stroke does get loose when i rush it. gonna slow it down and see if the tip holds up better

 

[KINGSCOURT905]

Harder tips hold shape better.
At the same hardness level, different tips will hold shape differently, you have to find the tip that works for you in terms of price, hardness and needed maintenance.
Most layered tip from the common known brands today don’t really mushroom much, but some get flattened faster than others.

I like a well groomed tip, I also prefer hard tips so I don’t need to groom them very often.
I like the Live Forever tip tool for reshaping the tip. I have a scuffer in my case when the tip glazes (tip pick also works). And I burnish the sides of the tip with some spit and a piece of paper or leather (whatever is in my reach faster).
For cutting mushrooming tips, I use the Longoni tip tool, but really no need for it with most modern tips past installation or past first session.

appreciate this dude, the live forever tool is the one i hadnt tried yet. gonna grab one and try it, do you use it every session or just when it starts going flat

 

[KINGSCOURT905]

My guess is you are breaking with your playing cue. Very hard on the tip. Best to break with a cue dedicated for it. A good hard tip will hold up better. You may also need a better quality tip on your playing cue.

that makes a lot of sense, a dedicated breaker would take the beating off my playing cue tip. gonna look into one, what breaker do you use

 

[R2PQZ]

that makes a lot of sense, a dedicated breaker would take the beating off my playing cue tip. gonna look into one, what breaker do you use

I build cues, but I quit playing because of eye problems. Lot of break cues available. Don't know what to recommend. A house cue would probably work well enough.

 

[Sheldon]

What kind of tip are you using? A high quality tip wont lose shape or mushroom much after breaking in.
If you're using traditional chalk like Master, you are shaping your tip every time you chalk.
Chalk from center to edge like you're rounding the tip and it will stay that way.
If you chalk in a flat motion perpendicular to the shaft, you are flattening it.
Make sure your bridge is firm and you're not twisting your grip hand.
You need a nice smooth stroke that goes through the ball, if you chop or poke at it, you're going to have issues.

 

[Hail Mary Shot]

What everyone said and I would suggest practicing a lot with you stroke. Make a habit of checking your tip just before playing if it needs some scuffing, chalking after every shot but not too much. As breaker, a simple one is enough. But personally, I use a long, heavy cue with a medium tip.

 

[KINGSCOURT905]

I build cues, but I quit playing because of eye problems. Lot of break cues available. Don't know what to recommend. A house cue would probably work well enough.

sorry to hear about the eye problems dude, that is rough. the house cue idea is actually smart, i might just grab one of those at end pocket and see how it breaks before i spend anything. do you still build cues at all or did you stop completely

 

[KINGSCOURT905]

What kind of tip are you using? A high quality tip wont lose shape or mushroom much after breaking in.
If you're using traditional chalk like Master, you are shaping your tip every time you chalk.
Chalk from center to edge like you're rounding the tip and it will stay that way.
If you chalk in a flat motion perpendicular to the shaft, you are flattening it.
Make sure your bridge is firm and you're not twisting your grip hand.
You need a nice smooth stroke that goes through the ball, if you chop or poke at it, you're going to have issues.

honestly i am not even sure what tip is on there dude, i never really checked. gonna try that center to edge chalking though, that sounds like the part i am messing up. is there a tip you would start with for a guy who plays at end pocket most nights

 

[KINGSCOURT905]

What everyone said and I would suggest practicing a lot with you stroke. Make a habit of checking your tip just before playing if it needs some scuffing, chalking after every shot but not too much. As breaker, a simple one is enough. But personally, I use a long, heavy cue with a medium tip.

that chalking after every shot but not too much part is probably where i am going wrong, i either forget or i cake it on lol. gonna try the simple breaker route first before i go long and heavy like yours. do you find the medium tip holds up better on the break than a hard one

 

[skor]

appreciate this dude, the live forever tool is the one i hadnt tried yet. gonna grab one and try it, do you use it every session or just when it starts going flat

I don’t shape the tip every time, just when I feel that it’s needed

 

[Hail Mary Shot]

that chalking after every shot but not too much part is probably where i am going wrong, i either forget or i cake it on lol. gonna try the simple breaker route first before i go long and heavy like yours. do you find the medium tip holds up better on the break than a hard one

Hard one holds longer and transfer more energy on your break. I use med only as preference for break and playing. I use soft tip exclusively for playing.

 

[ShootingArts]

i keep miscuing on draw shots at end pocket, my tip looks flat one week and mushroomed the next lol. i shape it at the hall but i never know if i am doing too much or too little. what do you guys use to keep the shape right and how often do you touch it up

Your playing style dictates what your tip shape should be. Trying to force a different shape just goes through a lot of tips. For starters, shape your tip or have someone shape your tip to a nickel profile if you don't have anything to gauge with.

Reduce the amount of spin you are using by 50%. This is just a baseline, you can see where you need to go from here.

You are probably hitting too hard too. Move the cue ball the least you can to get the result you want.

Over a little time your tip will either stay the same or move towards a dime or quarter profile. Usually somewhere around that nickel is fine. Once I decided I would play with a dime tip. I cut away a high dollar layered tip in a month! No matter how hard I tried, or tried to get the tip to seat in, it wouldn't hold a dime!

Next tip, I started at a nickel and let it dictate the shape it wanted. My tips are shaped between a nickel and a quarter now and I don't agonize over the exact radius. Miscues are extremely rare as are tip replacements.

A final thing, don't try to keep your tip looking like new! A tiny bit of bulge, mushrooming, ain't the end of the world. Not talking a huge bulge here, just don't try to keep the line of the tip perfectly the same as the ferrule.

The tip will let you know what it wants if you watch it. What it wants depends on your playing style. Very few people need a dime tip. They are pretty elite players so they are copied. Results in a lot of people fighting with their equipment.

Hu

 

[KINGSCOURT905]

I don’t shape the tip every time, just when I feel that it’s needed

got it, so you just feel it out instead of doing it on a schedule. that makes sense to me, i think i was overdoing it trying to keep it perfect all the time. do you notice it more on draw shots or just all over when it needs a touch

 

[KINGSCOURT905]

Hard one holds longer and transfer more energy on your break. I use med only as preference for break and playing. I use soft tip exclusively for playing.

interesting, so hard for the break because it holds up and hits harder, then soft when you are actually playing. i am still on whatever tip came with my cue lol, do you find the soft one miscues more on draw or does it just grab better for you

 

[KINGSCOURT905]

Your playing style dictates what your tip shape should be. Trying to force a different shape just goes through a lot of tips. For starters, shape your tip or have someone shape your tip to a nickel profile if you don't have anything to gauge with.

Reduce the amount of spin you are using by 50%. This is just a baseline, you can see where you need to go from here.

You are probably hitting too hard too. Move the cue ball the least you can to get the result you want.

Over a little time your tip will either stay the same or move towards a dime or quarter profile. Usually somewhere around that nickel is fine. Once I decided I would play with a dime tip. I cut away a high dollar layered tip in a month! No matter how hard I tried, or tried to get the tip to seat in, it wouldn't hold a dime!

Next tip, I started at a nickel and let it dictate the shape it wanted. My tips are shaped between a nickel and a quarter now and I don't agonize over the exact radius. Miscues are extremely rare as are tip replacements.

A final thing, don't try to keep your tip looking like new! A tiny bit of bulge, mushrooming, ain't the end of the world. Not talking a huge bulge here, just don't try to keep the line of the tip perfectly the same as the ferrule.

The tip will let you know what it wants if you watch it. What it wants depends on your playing style. Very few people need a dime tip. They are pretty elite players so they are copied. Results in a lot of people fighting with their equipment.

Hu

that nickel starting point helps a lot, i was definitely trying to keep it looking brand new all the time. gonna try cutting the spin way back like you said and see if it holds its shape better, do you still chalk the same way when you are using less spin

 

[freds]

[My apologies. This will be my only post here.]

In case this thread ever dies out, here's some tips for your next one:


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