How Important Is it to Own/Use a Break Cue

[sudocrushms]

For instant proof of that go to ANY golf driving range. Its odd how the worst players have the newest/shiniest stuff and the 'players' have a mixed bag of well used 'tools'. Pool is same way. Some of the league players i see have ALL the latest shit and still can't run four balls on a Valley with BIH.

What's kind of funny is I've fully rotated out an "actual" break cue...
- Bought a BK Rush to replace a Players J/B that cracked.
- Didn't really like the BK sport-grip butt so moved the shaft to a Roadline I couldn't get the balance right to play with.
- Just put a 30" Revo 12.9 with a Kamui SAI on that cue and the BK shaft became the backup.
Feels and works way better for me than the BK.

 

[Brookeland Bill]

For instant proof of that go to ANY golf driving range. Its odd how the worst players have the newest/shiniest stuff and the 'players' have a mixed bag of well used 'tools'. Pool is same way. Some of the league players i see have ALL the latest shit and still can't run four balls on a Valley with BIH.

Still using an original Ping and Visors from the Dessert Inn. Showing my age.

 

[SSP]

Seriously? You overthink everything this much? Not even the best players on the planet go to these extremes. Whatever works i guess but i just don't see the need to be so ultra-specific for breaking.

I have to disagree, a friend of mine was at the DCC a couple of years ago, he got there at about 7:00am Saturday morning, he said he saw SVB practicing his break, the guy who checked him in said he had been there for 2 hours practicing his break, I think Corey Duel takes the cake though, he has had both an 8ball and 9 ball break banned in competition, there was a lot of time put into figuring out those breaks.

 

[heater451]

Some players keep a break cue in their pool case. How necessary is this?

Not *necessary*, but a break cue may help improve the breaking success of some players--which are too diverse to really go into, but an example would be using a heavy cue to help a weak(ish) break stroke. I believe a very hard leather tip, or a phenolic tip, helps the energy transfer to the cue ball ass well.

That being said, I personally started keeping/using a separate break cue to save from wearing down the tip on my playing cue. I like medium-hard tips, and breaking (somewhat strongly) tends to flatten them down, and of course 'mushroom' them. Between the mushrooming and reshaping, I went through a tip in a single year of league play (on night a week), and decided a separate break cue was the remedy.

 

[gregcantrall]

, some of us like shiny things

Good on Ya! I like to admire a fine cue. Joss West with JW in the butt cap ....well at least 2 and perhaps 3 did I get the chance to admire and even feel. Lust and admiration come to mind. The owners were good $5 to 20 or even possible more if the nostrils were flare. ??? Action. They knew enough to keep it at 5 with me.

 

[boogieman]

100% agree with everything. I bought a cheap phenolic break cue because I found a guy that likes to play 8ball and straight pool. We don't use templates so I needed something to blast the ball because I wasn't going to use my shooting cue for it. We also have these two old timers who use the template rack and they pbreak softly to get the wing ball. You can do this with your shooting cue. I hate playing with them because of the template and the one on the spot rack. Most of the breaks result with most of the balls hanging out at one side of the table. The template sort of altered the game of 9b.

I honestly think we should get rid of these templates. It changes the complexity of the game.

I was an early adopter of template racks and I agree. The only fair way is an impartial ref or rack your own. The templates are "perfect" but most of them have issues. They also make the game too predictable. A wing ball should go on 9B, but not if you hit it 1.5mph.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

If you shoot with a carbon fiber shaft then you can break with it. That was the selling point of the shaft. Little maintenance, doesn't warp, strong, low deflection and you can break with it. That was the initial selling point. Till they found out they can make a carbon butt and call it a break cue and sell even more.

Any decent solid maple shaft isn't going to be hurt with a break, either. I break with whatever cue I'm playing with, even my 12mm 31" long pro taper shaft.

I won't buy or make myself a break cue.

 

[dquarasr]

Recently bought a break/jump with a phenolic tip/ferrule. After shooting with a few i couldn't deny the difference when hitting with the phenolic. Absolutely necessary? No, but I'm glad I bought it.

I did the same and I did side-by-side comparison between my 18.5 oz break cue with a hard leather tip and my (new to me) 25 oz break/jump cue with phenolic tip. Using Predator Break Speed app I gained 1.0-1.3 MPH on my breaks.

 

[preacherman]

Not necessary at all. Especially now with magic racks and cut breaks. Nothing more than a luxury. I have a Jacoby heavy hitter with a phenolic tip that I use on my league night so I can smash my wooden rack 8 ball racks. But all the 9 ball tournaments are magic rack nine on the spot now, so i just use my playing cue for that.

I always laugh at the marketing and prices for some of these crazy expensive break cues with carbon fibre shafts. “Our most technologically advanced break cue yet providing unparalleled energy transfer” meanwhile everyone breaks 12mph now LOL would’ve been more useful 20 years ago!

I have never had an "official" break cue. But I don't have the strongest break so I think it might be worth getting - Just so expensive. That being said back when I started playing pool I got a cheap no name heavier cue stick (maybe 21.5 - 22 oz) and it may be a cheap piece of junk but it breaks great! But it is a one piece. So I never take it to pool halls (though I have been tempted).

Have a great day.

Jim "Preacherman"

 

[gregcantrall]

the worst players have the newest/shiniest stuff and the 'players' have a mixed bag of well used 'tools

HAY HAY HAY! Trade Secret Leak detected.
I don't necessarily hide my speed, it's more of ......well in a $2 game I don't attempt $20 shots. .......If you have a $20 game.....let's hook 'em up.

 

[trob]

For those that use a house cue:: how do you know how hard the tip is ???

Me, the break shaft has an XX hard (but still pig leather) tip.

Well in my many years of experience house cues in bars always have hard tips. They keep their shape and last forever which is exactly what the owners want. House cues in a pool hall might be better but in a bar they are made to take punishment from idiots not playability.

 

[billiards_watch]

For instant proof of that go to ANY golf driving range. Its odd how the worst players have the newest/shiniest stuff and the 'players' have a mixed bag of well used 'tools'. Pool is same way. Some of the league players i see have ALL the latest shit and still can't run four balls on a Valley with BIH.

Then I take it you have the finest cue collection on here.

 

[Poteet]

Some players keep a break cue in their pool case. How necessary is this?

Im going to say first. I'm not talking about an expensive break cue.

But if you want to break consistently. You should break with the same cue every time. If nothing is important to you. Then no one can convince you that you need anything for pool.

 

[boogieman]

Any decent solid maple shaft isn't going to be hurt with a break, either. I break with whatever cue I'm playing with, even my 12mm 31" long pro taper shaft.

I won't buy or make myself a break cue.

If You Cant Break With A Cue Its Not Worth Having

I had a shaft brought in for tip replacement. Where the ferrule was compressed like a crushed tin can. When I told them it would need a new ferrule and tenon. and reccomend they dont break with it, they got mad stating the guy at the pool hall that sold them the cue said if you cant break with...

forums.azbilliards.com

 

[djoverboard]

I have never had an "official" break cue. But I don't have the strongest break so I think it might be worth getting - Just so expensive. That being said back when I started playing pool I got a cheap no name heavier cue stick (maybe 21.5 - 22 oz) and it may be a cheap piece of junk but it breaks great! But it is a one piece. So I never take it to pool halls (though I have been tempted).

Have a great day.

Jim "Preacherman"

You don't have to break the bank to get a decent break cue. I bought my Action break/jump two months ago at my local pool hall for $150. Slightly less than what it was listed for online. It works great I may even try to learn to jump.

 

[garczar]

I have to disagree, a friend of mine was at the DCC a couple of years ago, he got there at about 7:00am Saturday morning, he said he saw SVB practicing his break, the guy who checked him in said he had been there for 2 hours practicing his break, I think Corey Duel takes the cake though, he has had both an 8ball and 9 ball break banned in competition, there was a lot of time put into figuring out those breaks.

Didn't say a word about practice regimens, did I??????? I was talking about being so ultra-anal about break cues. That guy talked about different shafts for different tables and shit. NO good players do that.

 

[SSP]

Didn't say a word about practice regimens, did I??????? I was talking about being so ultra-anal about break cues. That guy talked about different shafts for different tables and shit. NO good players do that.

Not even the best players on the planet go to these extremes. Whatever works i guess but i just don't see the need to be so ultra-specific for breaking.........I was talking about this, no disrespect, just difference of opinion.