sledge hammer vs Predator BK....what do u prefer and why?

[predator]

Croatia??? Don't you have bigger problems to worry about then which break cue works better?

Actually, no. I don't have any bigger problems at the moment, break cues are the main issue, LOL. Maybe you think that we're in a war or something. I can assure you we are not. We're not yet where we want to be as far as living standard is concerned, but we're getting there slowly.

Perhaps you need to educate yourself before making such stupid comment. Am I worth less as a poster or a pool player just because my country doesn't have huge oil reserves or zillion nuclear war heads? I think not.

Would Efren be considered even better if he came from a richer country? Better don't answer that one.

 

[Black-Balled]

That is a good post .I'll look in to taken some off the break .and see if i can make more balls now i can make 3 to 4 balls in the break now and stop the rock in the middle ...
So is that good .or what ????

Do you mean every day or every session or every game? I'll take the 7

 

[vapoolplayer]

Do you mean every day or every session or every game? I'll take the 7

i took it that he was CONSISTENTLY making 3-4 balls and stopping the rock black balled...............

if you're getting the 7, i'm gonna need the orange crush

i'll have to remember to take deadstroke with me to the DCC next year as my designated breaker.........

VAP

 

[ceebee]

The SledgeHammer Cue is a great Cue & it comes as a Break/Jump Cue.

The Predator BK is another great Cue.

Purchasing one of these fine Cues to play with could well be a good investment, I really mine. Knowing how to use a break cue is the next requirement.

I have several players in my local area that wouldn't use a break cue, to save their pool game, but they don't have a good dependable break shot either. When they are playing a subordinant player, with a spot, & they are breaking well, they generally win. When they are not breaking well, they lose. When they play an equal, they don't seem to have the management of their game to play their equal & win consistantly, due to their non-dependable break shot.

Look at the Pros, they have the same problem, down to the very last one, male or female. When their break shot is on, they win, when their break shot is "out to lunch", they lose. This is slowly becoming a well known fact.

 

[pharaoh68]

ok this may sound a little weird but I say neither. For starters, I don't really like Predator cues at all so I veer away from that. PLus, that Panther running down the side is a little corny looking for my tastes. THe Sledgehammer isn't bad but, Man! $300 for a break cue? Wow! I've played with both and while the Sledgehammer is a better break cue in my opinion (plus it also has a jump joint) I found the best deal to be a J&J jump break that I bought off ebay for $50! It breaks just as good as the sledgehammer and also has a jump joint. J&J cues jump really, really well. And, on top of it, it looks a hell of a lot like an Andy Gilbert jump break. Anyway, thats just my opinion. I get the same solid break and the same effortless jump but I save $250!

 

[vapoolplayer]

Man! $300 for a break cue? I get the same solid break and the same effortless jump but I save $250!

could someone please tell me again why there is no money in pool??!!??


VAP

 

[mjantti]

I've been demolishing the rack for the last 10 years with my Falcon JB and I always have used a regular Le Pro tip with some special treatment which makes it hard. Recently I put a phenolic tip on and my break is a little bit better, the energy transfer seems to be slightly higher than on a regular tip plus the phenolic tip refuses to mushroom at all and keeps shape very well. BUT, the most significant change is in jumping. I can clear a ball much closer with the phenolic tip and jumping is very easy to a point that I needed to adjust my jump speed or I would end up jumping off the table with the old jump speeds... I have tried a bunch of phenolic tip-ferrule combinations and they somehow seemed to be too hard, jumping was easy but I didn't like it as a break cue.

I agree with StormHotRod and Predator here, getting a decent cue or a JB cue and putting a phenolic tip on is a very good choice.

 

[Eric.]

I like the control I get form a leather tip. With a phenolic tip, you feel like you get more power because of the sound--but do you really make more balls and run out more racks? Everyone has a different style and different breaking speed, so it is really heard to generalize. I do see a lot of players using a sledgehammer and loss the cue ball because they are trying to hit the ball as hard as possible. The interesting thing is they do not even know they are not breaking all that well--they think just because of the sound and that a ball drops, they must be doing something right.
Break shot is like any other shot that requires a lot of practise. And it is a shot you get to execute at least once every two games in an alternate break format. A precise break sets the tone for the whole match. There is no magic cue without practise.
When I use the sledgehammer, I try to hit the ball softer. I think that is the way to go.
The Sledgehammer has a pretty long taper and if the player hits the bottom of the cue ball, it will draw back. It is very important to hit the center of the cue ball and it is easier to get used to that by hitting the cue ball softer to begin with.
I know some people like the Bk with a hard tip. I personally like that better becasue I can control my ball a bit more precise and get a bit more power with the phenolic tip. But my favorite is a leather tip. It is something I have gotten used to. Believe me, if you know how to move your body with good timing, you do not need a hard tip to smack the pack.

Tiff

I have to agree. I used to use a BK with a hard buffalo tip, cut down low and flat. It broke well, with good cueball control. Since my BK left me , I've gone to a simple Jump/break with a strong taper and a "Bunjee" type of semi-phenolic tip. IMO, this gives me the best of "hard hitting, with control". The tip has leather shavings mixed into the phenolic and it isn't as unforgiving as the pure phenolic tips.

Again, IMO, the tip/stick/ferrule, etc is only a small part of how well you break. I am more concerned with my technique. Power comes from the leg drive/hips and good timing at impact. You also have to hit the head ball squarely. You'll get more by improving your technique, rather than look for a quick fix in equipment.


Eric >for what it's worth

 

[vapoolplayer]

The tip has leather shavings mixed into the phenolic and it isn't as unforgiving as the pure phenolic tips.

i didn't realize they mixed the two.........interesting.

VAP

 

[Purdman]

Break Cues

Guys, I have had em all. I have sold most of them. What do I break with? A 21 oz. Meucci 97-15. I have a processed buffalo hard tip flatter than a nickel.
Sum- bit@h breaks em like nobodys business. Put the cue ball in the middle of the table 95% of the time. (Thanks CeeBee) I suggest you use what works best for you. Try before you buy. That's my advice.
Don P.
Anybody want to buy a MG Custom $1,200 Burl Sledgehammer? Trade? Stake a tomatoe? Put a bird house on top of it? Start a nice fire? Hell, forget it!!!

 

[fxskater]

Guys, I have had em all. I have sold most of them. What do I break with? A 21 oz. Meucci 97-15. I have a processed buffalo hard tip flatter than a nickel.
Sum- bit@h breaks em like nobodys business. Put the cue ball in the middle of the table 95% of the time. (Thanks CeeBee) I suggest you use what works best for you. Try before you buy. That's my advice.
Don P.
Anybody want to buy a MG Custom $1,200 Burl Sledgehammer? Trade? Stake a tomatoe? Put a bird house on top of it? Start a nice fire? Hell, forget it!!!

I get my Tomato Stakes for $1 a piece, can you match that?

 

[Purdman]

I get my Tomato Stakes for $1 a piece, can you match that?

Hell NO!!!!!!!
Don P.

 

[Hal]

When I was younger, my dad got a truck load of casket handles. (I mean a WHOLE truck load) That's what we used for tomato sticks and tobacco sticks.

 

[whiteoak]

Stinger b/j cue

just logging in to ask the same question...if I could add one cue to the question? Jerico J/B Cues The Stinger and The Thumper(older version I think?)...currently I break with a basic two piece Fury DL, (cheap and I can hammer on it), but I noticed last night in a match that it's beginning to warp from the 'snap'...so I'm in the market for a J/B cue now...I noticed that BCA and BCA Master Instructor Tom Simpson endorse the Jerico Stinger...any advice on any of these would be appreciated...

Jersey,Just got a Stinger(through Tom Simpson,by the way) and it is great.I am an average breaker and pathtetic jumper but my son was home last weekend and he is really strong in both areas and when he used the Stinger he preferred it over his Sledgehammer which he has used for several years.Thanks,M.S.

 

[Purdman]

When I was younger, my dad got a truck load of casket handles. (I mean a WHOLE truck load) That's what we used for tomato sticks and tobacco sticks.

Do you have any left? Are they long enough to make a shaft? How much? LOL
Don

 

[Hal]

Do you have any left? Are they long enough to make a shaft? How much? LOL

No, I'm sorry. That was probably 30 years ago. The farm has since been sold. They were aluminum and about 6 feet long. Would've probably made a unique butt cap or something like that.

 

[Jersey]

Jersey,Just got a Stinger(through Tom Simpson,by the way) and it is great.I am an average breaker and pathtetic jumper but my son was home last weekend and he is really strong in both areas and when he used the Stinger he preferred it over his Sledgehammer which he has used for several years.Thanks,M.S.

Cool...How much did you lay out?...have you seen the 'Thumper'?...its by Jerico also?...

http://www.hawleys.com/jerico/thumper.htm

Do the Stinger and Thumper appear to be the same?

Thx~

 

[onepocketchump]

I have to agree. I used to use a BK with a hard buffalo tip, cut down low and flat. It broke well, with good cueball control. Since my BK left me , I've gone to a simple Jump/break with a strong taper and a "Bunjee" type of semi-phenolic tip. IMO, this gives me the best of "hard hitting, with control". The tip has leather shavings mixed into the phenolic and it isn't as unforgiving as the pure phenolic tips.

Again, IMO, the tip/stick/ferrule, etc is only a small part of how well you break. I am more concerned with my technique. Power comes from the leg drive/hips and good timing at impact. You also have to hit the head ball squarely. You'll get more by improving your technique, rather than look for a quick fix in equipment.


Eric >for what it's worth

To my knowledge there is no "Bunjee-Like" tip out there. There are the Bunjee Tips and the ones who claim to be "like" the Bunjee Tips. There aren't any other manufacturers who have duplicated Bunjee's tip process and any who claim to are probably lying about it.

As to the question at hand: The Sledgehammer and the Predator have vastly different approaches to a break cue. I personally find the Sledgehammer type of cues "better" for breaking. This includes the Fury, Stinger and Bunjee BBlasters. This is only my personal opinion. Platinum Billiards did some testing and found that the Fury performed best among the test cues. I would say that the best value on the market in my opinon are the Fury JB and the Bunjee Blasters.

At the Fury Experience this past weekend there was a player who used his Sledgehammer and came up dry on three 9-Ball breaks. When I asked him to try the Fury he averaged 2 balls a break with it. Take it for what it's worth.

John

 

[NOSAJ03]

Both the BK and Sledge are good cues. They will always do the job for someone. Personally I dont prefer either but have owned both. I first got the Sledge because of all the hype and I saw a lot of the pros using it at the Seniors Tournament at MIzeraks. Nick Varner was the one that impressed me the most because he was slamming the hell out of the rack with that thing and getting good midtable position. I got one at a cheap price used and I fell in love with the way it played. I too had a problem with miscueing and misposition because of the phenolic tip but I let off a little and then it was fine. Then one of the guys in the ph I play at had a brand new Bk and said that the butt was to skinny for him and he was looking for a new break/jump. I let him try out my sledge and after a few racks he eagerly offered to trade my used sledge for his brand new BK. I was reluctant but he kept pleading so I told him we'll trade cues for a week. I played with the BK everyday for the next week. It was smaller than the Sledge but Id didnt bother me any. It broke ok, didnt have the power of my sledge and position about the same. After A few days, I started to notice the difference between the two and I was ready to get my sledge back. I really didnt like the way the BK played. I thought I wouldnt need another cue until I cam across my current cue an Omen custom b/j. Ive heard about them before I have never played or seen one in person. Once I got it and played a few racks, I immediately put away my sledge. It seemed to break better and I had no problem controlling the cb with the phenolic tip it had. The omen cue is the one that I would recommend to anyone although Im looking at getting another cue. Im actually looking at a Gilbert, Mace or Showcase Buster. I dont think Ill ever settle with one but I know Im going to regret getting rid of the Omen (if I do )

 

[sonia]

Breaking

I just bought a sledghammer, and have been having trouble controlling the cue ball on the break. Anyone else have this problem, what did you do to change this, I normaly have pretty good cue ball controll the the break with my normal cue.

Mack

Trouble controlling the cue ball is saying that your cue ball does not not come to a dead stop when you break the rack. It also says that you are putting too much power into the break, and it also means you are not aiming the center of the cue ball to the center of the one ball.


sonia