Reasons to Break with a Separate Cue

Pre-Flag Master

Pre-Flag Master

Cue Ball Man
Silver Member
I heard a new (new to me anyway) reason to break with a separate cue yesterday. The guy said that if you break with a cue it is more apt to warp. Does this sound legit to you?

Here's a list of other reasons I've heard to break with a separate cue. I'd like to know if there are even more reasons still. And please share whether you think the reason stated is legit or not...

Cues run the risk of being damaged when breaking, so why use your playing cue. I'm not sure I'd agree with this one. I would think that a well made cue, with no flaws, would not have a problem being used to break.

If you break with your playing cue, the leather tip will tend to flatten out and lose the radius you would normally like to play with. I agree with this reason.

Some cues play better and some cues break better. Why not use a separate break cue if you get a better break with that cue. I agree with this reason.

thanks
Fatz
 
It all depends on how hard you hit the cue ball.
If you break with a hit that is in the realm of what you would play, and don't bend the shaft on the table as you follow through,there is no reason not to break with a playing cue.
If you do break with a hit that is harder than what you would play and have the tendency to put the cue shaft onto the table with the follow through, I would recommend that you use another cue for the break.
That how I see it.
Neil
 
conetip said:
It all depends on how hard you hit the cue ball.
If you break with a hit that is in the realm of what you would play, and don't bend the shaft on the table as you follow through,there is no reason not to break with a playing cue.
If you do break with a hit that is harder than what you would play and have the tendency to put the cue shaft onto the table with the follow through, I would recommend that you use another cue for the break.
That how I see it.
Neil
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Nice explanation Neil.

The reason I use 2 different cues is that my break cue has a harder tip. I don't use any English on the break so I am looking for solid impact. My stick does not touch the table so bending my shaft is not a consideration. This also cuts down on the number of times I have to reshape my tips.
 
I break hard, and i broke my PH shaft tonight on my break cue, id hate to have that happen to my player.
 
I've heard It mentioned before, but I can't say for sure if It increases the odds or not, what I can tell you is that I've had 2 production cues that I used as break cues that did warp on me in my earlier years. I've also shattered a sp shaft breaking with It, mostly due to the lack of a collar though. for a few years now I have been using a Purple heart conversion that I made up up for my break, with PH shaft, Phenolic ferrule, and hard leather tip. It's held up to everything I've thrown at It and still rolls dead straight.

On the other side of the spectrum, I've had maple shafts that I used to break with that didn't warp, so It's Hard to say If the ones that did were due to breaking, or if It would have happened anyway.

Greg
 
I'd like to hear from the CM's on the board if they feel an ivory ferrule is more prone to damage if you break hard. I know some players won't break with their playing cue for this reason.
 
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DogsPlayingPool said:
I'd like to hear from the CM's on the board they feel an ivory ferrule is more prone to damage if you break hard. I know some players won't break with their playing cue for this reason.
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Breaking with an ivory ferrule is a bad idea. IMO

Alan
 
You can play eighteen holes with a nine iron. You can play better with a set of clubs. :thumbup:

I actually never considered the affect on the cue until recently when I saw broken cues in this forum. I often broke with my best cue but have preferred to use my break cue since about 1991. I break better with it.
 
Trent said:
I break hard, and i broke my PH shaft tonight on my break cue, id hate to have that happen to my player.
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The more I learn about you, the more I DON'T want to piss you off!! :)

YES, breaking with you playing can cause a shaft to warp if you break hard.

I turned a NEW McWorter into a banana, the likes he had never seen, with one fell swoop.
 
I have seen tips chipped and a few tips pop off on a break shot over the years. They were phenolic tips in most cases. I also saw a idiot break a sneaky pete (wood to wood/no collar) cue at the joint when pressing it into the table after the break. He jumped more cue balls off the table than balls in pockets. Phenolic tips and poor breaking technique seem to be the common denominator.

I have seen countless break shots from people using their leather tipped playing cue and have not seen any issues.

What about you guys that have been breaking with your playing cue for years. Any issues?
 
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pescadoman said:
The more I learn about you, the more I DON'T want to piss you off!! :)

YES, breaking with you playing can cause a shaft to warp if you break hard.

I turned a NEW McWorter into a banana, the likes he had never seen, with one fell swoop.
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lol ya i actually break more shafts breaking than i care to mention :rolleyes: this last one split into about 5 pieces like a bunch of long tooth picks, i just walked over and tossed it in the trash grabbed another shaft out of the case and went about my bussiness the other team was shocked. one said arent you mad?? i said nah i know a guy that makes em lol

for a guy like me i have to have a break shaft cuz i put all 260 pounds behind it lol

its just a good idea to have a break cue, typically people want diffrent attributes to each cue.
 
JMW said:
I have seen tips chipped and a few tips pop off on a break shot over the years. They were phenolic tips in most cases. I also saw a idiot break a sneaky pete (wood to wood/no collar) cue at the joint when pressing it into the table after the break. He jumped more cue balls off the table than balls in pockets. Phenolic tips and poor breaking technique seem to be the common denominator.

I have seen countless break shots from people using their leather tipped playing cue and have not seen any issues.

What about you guys that have been breaking with your playing cue for years. Any issues?
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I've always broken with my player(McWorter). To be honest, the shaft I bent did so because I popped the cue ball off the table and then laid on the shaft with an amount of force that Sigel would have been proud of.

I can't say that breaking with it has affected my game, but I have never been that good.
 
JMW said:
What about you guys that have been breaking with your playing cue for years. Any issues?
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I have broken with my early JOSS many, many times. Never hurt it. It's a Janes cue with Stroud shafts.

I have preferred to break with my "break cue" since about 1990/91 though. It isn't really a break cue. Standard shaft with a slightly harder tip (Milk dud made by me out of a Le Pro). Never hurt the shaft. Perfectly straight. Cue in beautiful condition except for the beginning of a tiny crack in the joint collar, which I am sure is from years of breaking with it. But again, the shaft is perfect.

Why do I prefer it? I break better with it. The feel, the balance, the tip.....it just works better for me.

I play with a steel joint and break with a wood to wood. Odd by some people's standards.

My break cue by the way, is a McDermott D-2, original shaft, original ferrule.

Just to emphasize what my shafts have endured, I have broken Mike Sigel "style" for more than twenty years. Yes, I bend the cue hard. Yes, I know lots of people say it's wrong. I don't care, it's how I learned to break, it wasn't imitating him, it simply evolved that way well before I knew how he broke. Which I found out when I played him.


Who knows, maybe I just have good shafts? I dunno.
 
Chopdoc said:
I have broken with my early JOSS many, many times. Never hurt it. It's a Janes cue with Stroud shafts.

I have preferred to break with my "break cue" since about 1990/91 though. It isn't really a break cue. Standard shaft with a slightly harder tip (Milk dud made by me out of a Le Pro). Never hurt the shaft. Perfectly straight. Cue in beautiful condition except for the beginning of a tiny crack in the joint collar, which I am sure is from years of breaking with it. But again, the shaft is perfect.

Why do I prefer it? I break better with it. The feel, the balance, the tip.....it just works better for me.

I play with a steel joint and break with a wood to wood. Odd by some people's standards.

My break cue by the way, is a McDermott D-2, original shaft, original ferrule.

Just to emphasize what my shafts have endured, I have broken Mike Sigel "style" for more than twenty years. Yes, I bend the cue hard. Yes, I know lots of people say it's wrong. I don't care, it's how I learned to break, it wasn't imitating him, it simply evolved that way well before I knew how he broke. Which I found out when I played him.


Who knows, maybe I just have good shafts? I dunno.
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Sounds like the same shaft I use to break with, and one of the ones that warped on me. It could have been humidity related, that's why I won't say that breaking causes It.. It was a d series that I used for My break cue though, because much like you mention at the time I shot with a steel joint and broke with a 3/8 wood to wood face. The cue broke a ton. I ended up eventually switching over to a wood to wood for My player too, but still use another cue to break with.

I can think of many reasons besides worrying about the shaft warping to use another cue for It. For one I hardly ever have to reshape the tip on My player, and I worry less about any radial inconsistencies of the tip. Another big one in My book is that should a tip pop off more then likely It's during or soon after a break. At least If My break cue goes down, The player that I'm tuned into doesn't. That sort of thing doesn't happen often to me, but My luck It would happen in the middle of a match or tournament. My break cue also takes some punishment, and is built to take It. I would not want to put My player through that. My ferrules don't get too thin,crack, or get sanded to a cone either. I have a bunch of those come in for repair from people that use one cue to do both jobs.

I use to break with the same cue many years ago Myself, I just have no reason now. I have My own break cue, but I can grab any old cue off the wall and break well with It after a few racks just the same. I don't feel as comfortable using that same cue to shoot with though, so I prefer not risking any unintended changes to It.That's just me though, Everyone is different. Some people prefer to use the cue because they are use to the weight and balance of It, therefore feel It helps with their break. If It works for them I have no issue with It, It usually ends up in more repair work though, so I recommend using a different cue to break with. Ultimately It's their decision to make not mine.
 
JMW said:
I have seen tips chipped and a few tips pop off on a break shot over the years. They were phenolic tips in most cases. I also saw a idiot break a sneaky pete (wood to wood/no collar) cue at the joint when pressing it into the table after the break. He jumped more cue balls off the table than balls in pockets. Phenolic tips and poor breaking technique seem to be the common denominator.

I have seen countless break shots from people using their leather tipped playing cue and have not seen any issues.

What about you guys that have been breaking with your playing cue for years. Any issues?
Click to expand...

my 1st cue was a viking and i broke and played with it for 3 years. i bought a higher end cue for playing and put a buffalo tip on the viking and used it strictly for breaking for a year.

i then moved up to a breaking stick with a phenolic tip.

i have never had a problem with the viking and it is still as straight as the day i bought it. i occasionaly put it in my case and play with it in league so it will not feel neglected after serving me faithfully all these years lol.
 
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