Hello members:
Being a new member have many questions. I was told by a online dealer that a $ 50 or $ 500 break cue all do the same thing. So, I bought a J&J break/Jump cue for reasonable price. Does not have much feel but I guess does the job OK, would a nicer break cue provide better feedback or should I stick to what I just bought ? Thanks again in advance !
I've had maybe 10 break cues over the years. In extremely simplistic terms, ALL cues do the same thing in that they hit the cueball into the object ball. However, there are some differences in cues that might make a difference to you.
I have hit with a J&J cue, and they are *ok*. For me, one of the most important aspects of a break cue is the balance. This is what gives me the feeling that I can really lay into the break shot if I choose to do so. You really need to decide what you are looking to accomplish with your break cue. Are you looking for more power? More accuracy? Do you like to break soft medium or hard?
In my experience, I really like break cues that are low deflection. I think on the break more than any other shot this is important, because if you are breaking hard at all, an accurate hit on the cueball becomes tougher, and the consequences of an off center hit are greater. So the Predator and OB cues work great in that regard. I feel they improve the accuracy of the break. Of all the cues I've tried, the BK3 Predator seems to hit the hardest. The feel is so-so, although I like it better than the J&J. I personally think a break cue should be rear balanced. The BK2 seemed to really get this the most right. Many say the BK2 felt the best of all the Predators, and I am inclined to agree. I own a BK1, 2, and 3.
I own the following break cues, and all of them have been my main break cue for years. BK1, BK2, BK3, X-Breaker Gen 3, OB 1st gen break shaft which goes on my X Breaker, Mike Gulyassy break shaft for X-Breaker, Omen jump break, probably some others I'm forgetting.
Overall my favorite is probably the BK2 or BK3. However, I LOVE the feel of the X-Breaker. Mine was built by Samsara and has the most amazing balance. Plus, it is incredible to look at. I am in the process now of trying to get a shaft I like for it.
I've also tried out Mezz, and they are quite nice.
A big thing that makes a difference on a break cue is the tip. I have come to like phenolic tips, but I don't like the one piece ferrule. For whatever reason, I feel like it just eliminates all the feel from the break. Your question was about feedback. I find the one piece tip/ferrule provides the worst feedback, essentially none. I like the feeling of "compression". I find I get this feeling out of a regular tip on the ferrule. Depending on how you break, and how hard, phenolic tips can give that compression feeling. The Mezz Sonic tip gives this feeling. The Hammerhead, Taom, and Zento also do. My tip of choice is the Hammerhead, but Taom and Zento are also very nice. I have installed Hammerhead tips on people's J&J cues, and it really improves the feel a lot for me. So that is a $40 option for you to try out. If you aren't breaking pretty firm (say 21-25mph), then you might consider doing a hard leather tip. Something like the Samsara, or even a black WB water buffalo is nice. The point is that if you are not hitting the break hard enough for the tip you have, then you will not get any feeling of compression, and the break will feel weird.
Another big thing is the taper of the shaft. For a while, the trend was to make break shafts fat and very stiff tapered. I think this is the wrong approach. I long straight taper, or close to straight, just feels better. It is easy to "stroke" the break shot, and a big follow through simply feels better.
The fact is, those $400 cues are that price for a reason. The reason is a reality. There are differences. Whether or not those differences are obvious to a particular player is one thing to consider. Also, whether or not those differences make a difference for YOU is another thing. Your best bet is to TRY OUT other break cues, and see how they feel for you. You can realistically pick up a 2nd hand BK2 for probably like 200 bucks these days.
For me personally, I want the best break cue I can possibly have. I am very sensitive to the differences. Try some others out. That is the only way you will get the answer you need.
KMRUNOUT
