losing my belief in break cues..

trob

trob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I've been revamping my break. I think from breaking at home with the magic rack I've gotten lazy..it's just to easy to break with it and at home is the only place I get to use one. I've gotten back to basics and honestly have gotten my consistency back. I decided a few days ago to put a side my sledge hammer and go back to breaking with an old fake dufferin sneaky pete I bought at the expo a long time a go. nothing special about it ..18oz..hard tip. Guess what ..no difference! I'm dropping balls just as consistently...getting the same action and honestly I rarely drop nine balls on the break and I've dropped it multiple times every day! I'm thinking of just buying a jump cue and going back to breaking with this. Are we being duped into believing these break cues make such a difference? I'm starting to believe so...


I need to add this.. I don't think it's a bad thing to have a break cue! I'm wandering if there is really that much of a difference between breaking with a normal cue and a specific cue made to break with.
 
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Perhaps. Maybe it is only personal preference. I use a break cue to save wear on my tip. I also like to break with a lighter cue and a larger diameter shaft than on my playing cue.
 
I guess I should clarify..I don't mean that having a separate is a bad thing. I do prefer a harder tip to break with but is that $600 mezz or bk3 breaking any better then a plain old sneaky pete I paid $20 for lol
 
"Belief"

I don't know if I "believe" inna break cue. I do like to have a seperate cue just for smashing the rack.

While making a change on my breakcue, I used my old "breakcue" which is justa reg old heavy cue with a hard tip. I couldn't believe how well I was breaking with it!! :grin: Honestly, I think we all tend to get a little lazy when you buy a cue specifically designed for breaking. What I am saying is that I was more mindful(is dat a werd?), of my stance, body angle, hit ,stroke,etc.

I get the break cue by design back on-line, and it too is hitting just superb ! :thumbup:

so now in my trials, I have 2 good break cues to study with, and am actively using both.

Bottom line: I guess if you "believe" you needa cue specifically designed for the break, then you "need" one to hit well. :wink:
 
The biggest difference between a Break Cue and a player is the shaft and tip. A breaker shaft isn't tapered like a player, and the tip is generally harder and wider than most players would prefer. With that said, almost any cue could be used as a breaker with the right shaft/tip combonation.
 
Webb got it. If the cue's ferrule can hold up, it is lighter than your playing cue, and your tip can stay consistent, it really shouldn't matter. I occasionally break with my player and have great results, but worry about screwing up the super soft tip and OB2 ferrule.
 
MahnaMahna said:
Webb got it. If the cue's ferrule can hold up, it is lighter than your playing cue, and your tip can stay consistent, it really shouldn't matter. I occasionally break with my player and have great results, but worry about screwing up the super soft tip and OB2 ferrule.
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In the past I've offered people the chance to have a cool looking breaker vs the standard black by selling them any Viking converted to a breaker with a VCrush shaft/hard tip. Changing the joint to stainless steel also helps, but it's not absolutely necessary. But if buying a Viking isn't you're thing, I can get you a Vcrush shaft to fit your cue.. its that easy.
 
I agree, a couple years ago i bought a top of the line break cue & not wanting to bash the brand name lets just say after many many breaks i could not figure out why this cue was worth $400 i sent it back . I believe as mentioned before its the archer not the arrow imho
 
I'm 62 years old and have played off and on for close to 48 of those years. Well I have 2 bad shoulders (joint replacements on both sides) so I wanted to try out some of the break cues I've read about here to see if it would help and lessen the stress on my shoulder.

Well I started with an Orange Crusher last year and like it. I don't break hard because I can't. Using the Break Speed App, I average about 17 mph. I know that's not very fast but it's as fast as I can get.

Thinking maybe another break cue would be better, I tried a McDermott Stinger. I bought the one with the extra shaft so I could keep it at work and use it in other places beside's my home table. Well I only average about 16 mph using that cue.

Using my playing cue I am somewhere in between the two breakers. I do feel more confident using the Orange Crusher and it does feel better on my shoulder so I use it.

I know I'm not going to damage my playing tip with the speed I break, but why take the chance? I think using a dedicated break cue will at least make the break more consistent and also give the shooter more confidence. Whether it is necessary or not is a different discussion.
 
I break with a fully off the shelf Action rng07. I added some weight to it, its at 20.3 I believe. I have crushed 4 off the break in 9-ball on a bar box and guaranteed at least 2 per break in 9ball. 8 ball on a bar box I can usually drop 2-3. I've used a few other break cues, house cues and I can't replace this cue. I absolutely love it for breaking. I used it as a play cue for a few weeks before I committed to buying an upgraded main cue. And I bought it for $60 :)

Here's the specs from budget cue:
Specifications
Tip: 10 layered, vacuum sealed, 13mm proprietary boar skin tip
Ferrule: 1" Fiber ferrule
Shaft: 29" hardrock maple, 10 - 12" pro taper, brass insert
Collar: Stainless steel Joint: Piloted, pin 5/16 18
Rings: (shaft, forearm and plate) 2 stainless rings surround two white composite rings which surround the black and white checkered pattern
Forearm: Honey colored Zebra Wood
Wrap: Irish linen, black with white linen
Sleeve: Honey colored Zebra wood
 
I personally dont believe a break cue can make you or help you break better.......i use a players 19oz sneaky for my break. Picked up a friends 200 dollar "break" cue and there is no difference. Its main purpose in my opinion is to save your player wear and tear from such violent shots that breaking presents.
 
$400 plus for a break cue? You can grab something off the wall and put balls in the pockets.

A cheap sneaky with a Super Pro or a pressed Triangle for a tip.
Change the ferrule if need be.

There are cheap break cues available for under a 100 so if anything, you don't need to break the bank for one.
 
Blue Hog ridr said:
$400 plus for a break cue? You can grab something off the wall and put balls in the pockets.

A cheap sneaky with a Super Pro or a pressed Triangle for a tip.
Change the ferrule if need be.

There are cheap break cues available for under a 100 so if anything, you don't need to break the bank for one.
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And Todd Im sure you can pick up a good break cue at the red rose , he he says the cues he has in that case are the same as or better then the cues I bring in there. :D So remember to ask him to hook you up... If you dont mind paying double what you can get them off of Ozone Billiards or Cue and Case or somehwere else wherever he gets them from .;) lol
 
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Well if it means anything the placebo effect is real. Some people tend to break better with a break cue simply because they think it will help. Confidence is everything in this game.
 
ARROWCRUSHER said:
And Todd Im sure you can pick up a good break cue at the red rose , he he says the cues he has in that case are the same as or better then the cues I bring in there. :D So remember to ask him to hook you up... If you dont mind paying double what you can get them off of Ozone Billiards or Cue and Case or somehwere else wherever he gets them from .;) lol
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I'll buy it from you so frank can accuse you of ripping him off!! lol
 
My break cue is a sneaky pete from the same maker as my playing cue. Nothing special about the weight, the shaft or anything. I use a leather tip as well.

While that cue was being made I was breaking with a 4 point 4 veneer cue from the same maker and I ran my first 6 pack (on a valley barbox mind you, not that big of an accomplishment) using that cue to break with.

I do use a seperate cue though to keep the tip on my playing cue in good shape though.
 
Dedicated break cues like the bk2 and the deep impact pro are significantly better than normal cues and jump/breaks, not so much in max power, but in cue ball control at max power. Low deflection properties help break cues a GREAT deal.
 
Yep. That's the company line right there. Other then them telling you so where's the scientific evidence to back it. Because the eye test is giving me the same results.


Masayoshi said:
Dedicated break cues like the bk2 and the deep impact pro are significantly better than normal cues and jump/breaks, not so much in max power, but in cue ball control at max power. Low deflection properties help break cues a GREAT deal.
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