Time for a Tip Change

[buckshotshoey]

Two parts to my story....ill try to keep it short.

Part 1
I've been watching a lot of videos of pros and top amatures and I see one thing in common....no matter what brand tip they use, it always looks like they use it to the very last fraction of an inch. I bet most of us do. Why? Does it feel better? More consistent/accurate?

For me, using a medium tip, the impact feels softer when tip is thicker and much more solid when tip is thinner. Ok that makes sense. I've been using Tiger Onxy. Very consistent tip. It felt pretty much the same from "broken in" down till the last three (one above orange) layers on the side. At that point they start feeling hard. I liked it. I was playing well. Tip held chalk without maintenance. Really liked it. Now on to......

Part 2
My first Onyx cost $12 30 (or very close) my second was $23.00! I decided there wouldn't be a third. Why the sudden increase? MAP pricing. Not going to make this a m.a.p. debate. Just decided not to support the company's pricing policy. I will NOT pay 23 friggin dollars for a friggin piece of leather. Now to find an alternative.

I tbought about it for a while and came to the conclusion that I liked the well used Onyx.
I thought a hard tip might give that feel. So I put on a hard Morri. Got to say I got what I wanted. It feels firm at install. Grabs the ball and holds chalk well after about 30 games or so. No sign that a break in is going to be necessary. I can control the cue ball well (my speed control is a little off getting used to it). It hasn't altered my accuracy, though I think I'm actually a little better. And it cost less then 8 bucks. I think Mr Morri and I are going to be good friends.

Something I have observed. ...my draw shots seem to be easier with this tip. Why? I'm stroking the same. By easier I guess I mean "less effort"? Not sure, but they are positive and crisp for sure.

So in closing, Im asking why do most pros and better amateurs like worn out tips? Is it basically because it feels like a hard tip? You never see some of them using a new tip during a tournament. Obviously a vid with close up shots is necessary. I will post examples as I find them. Also, why does the draw with a hard tip seem "more effortless", (pardon the grammar) then with a medium tip?

 

[Kimmo H.]

I have paid some attention to this too. I think most pros play with worn tips is that as there is less variables to affect their game. Leather doesnt compress perfectly evenly and that atleast in my opinion is the reason for playing with lower tips, less leather to compress unequally
Im no professional but i do like my tips a bit sorter than they tend to be new. Especially with soft tips.
This doesnt apply as drastically to hard tips though. I just installed a Kamui Clear Black Hard tip, and it plays great even when its fairly high for my taste. Definitely going to use hard tipsfrom now on, they are great

 

[Kimmo H.]

I talked to a former pro player about this, and his take on this is that a lower tip may help some with unintentional touching of CB on practice strokes. I dont remember the english term for that foul, but im sure someone will help me out with that :wink:

He says that he can only see the ferrule clearly, but not the tip so he sometimes went too close to the CB touching it, giving away BIH to the opponent. He played with relatively low tips too in his short career.
Personally I dont stroke quite that close, so Im not too bothered with this. Just thought it'd be nice to share different reasons for different persons :thumbup: