Fast,
you can use whatever you want. I beg to differ with you. I have a hell of a lot more experiance at installing tips than you. I have refered to my 3 decades plus, of experiance within this post.
However, it's been kinda slow the last couple of years, but I managed to shape about 3,000 plus tips last year. How many did you shape, Fast?????
To Locki and the rest of you, who are interested,
As far as who should use what shape, several things come into play. Like, his or her stroke, along with the dia., of the ferrule, the taper of the shaft, as I said before.
The over all "NATIONAL" average shape is as I said, like a "NICKLE".
Been shaping them for 30 plus years, now. I know what I am talking about. Been there done that.
Get the new player started out with what they will use in the future. This is only good judgement. Then they do not have to change up down line.
When I install a new tip, I do use about a dime shape, [depending on the tips hardness, also what the seasoned player tells me he or she plays with], and also tuck the sides in at the rim, more than it should be for a finished tip.
After the tip is played with for a couple of hours, it winds up being a nickle shape, with the sides straight and not mushroomed.
I have had several folks say to me, you didn't shape my tip right. I explain, this is shaped properly for the tip to become the proper shape after hitting balls for a while.
I have never had a single complaint, that the tips not the right shape, after they played with it for a spell.
New cues will have the proper shaped tip [ like a nickle] when it's first purchased, for sales purposses only. It looks good.
. After playing with it for several hours, it needs to be re-shaped , because it's now broken in.
I wrote a post not long ago, about not letting "ANYONE", play with your cue.
Reason is, because you have a differant stance, evelavation of the cue, and you hold the cue differantly than another person. You, season the tip to your stroke. Someone else using your cue, will change the shape of the tip just a little. That being the case, you will now address the ball as normal, but the tip will address the ball from a little differant angle. Example, if the guy uses more center ball, the tip becomes flatter. if the person uses more draw and gets lower on the ball, it becomes rounded more than normal.
My advice to you folks is, do not let anyone play with your cue.
I have seen the differance on many tips used by someone else, other than the owners. I have re-shaped many of them because of this.
I hope this clears up this topic.
Let me know?
blud