Tip hardness???

J

jmeier1981

Registered
What does everyone use and why???

The reason I ask is because ive spent most of my pool career shooting with a triangle tip that is roughly an 81hardness I think on most scales and have just started playing around with other tips and shafts. I just picked up a 30" OB Classic with the stock tip and the feel is quite a bit softer than the Kamui med black that is on the cues other shaft and Im wanting to go a little harder for a more crisp feel the Kamui med black I think is a 78hardness and the Kamui hard black is like 85hardness. So are there any real advantages or disadvantages to a harder or softer tip other than personal preference/feel? Ive shot plenty of whole racks with my break cue and phenolic tip and I can still get all kinds of draw or follow and maybe even slightly more accurate with longer straighter shots.
Ive heard people complain about missing more when going to a soft or super soft tip... is the tip really to blame or is it just a mental thing???
 
I use soft tips because that's what I began with...so it just feels right. Kamui Black SuperSoft and UltraSkin Soft.

I enjoy finishing racks with my break cue occasionally just to get the feel of a hard tip; Sarmarsa break tip. I think I get all the CB control I get with my soft tips.
 
I caught Dr Cue Tom Rossman at the BCAPL in Vegas at the end of his demo when he asked if there were questions. I asked which tip puts more spin on a cueball. Paraphrasing his answer, he said a hard tip puts more spin on a cueball. He also added that you need to be more accurate when using a hard vs a soft tip as the hard tip is less forgiving. I have always believed this to be true and couldnt think of a more appropriate expert on spin except perhaps Dr Dave. I own both of their books.
 
I put a Kamui Black Hard on my Predator 5K8 when the original Everest tip bit the dust. I love it!
Great thread!
 
I have a pretty robust stroke and have tried a fair variety of tips from Elkmaster / Sniper . Triangle / LePro etc and have found that if I am stroking the ball firmly like I do when I am playing 9 ball or even 8 ball, I like to play with a harder tip on a larger (12.75mm or so) shaft. However, I am finding that I like a softer tip and smaller diameter shaft (11.75) when I am playing in close quarters combat like in one-pocket.

The Everest tip that came standard on my Predator Z shaft works very well.... I guess they knew what they were doing when selecting a good general stock tip for that shaft. I just seem to be able to apply english to the ball with less effort with that diameter of a shaft and a softer tip... I do use a dime radius on the smaller diameter shaft.

I use Sniper tips on my larger diameter shafts and they are extremely consistent with very few miscues. I use a nickel radius on these larger shafts. Nice fat and stable is what I am going for when the table gets wide open and I am looking for good heavy stroke.

Lesh
 
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