Tip size, accuracy, why?

Linwood · 2017-07-24T03:23:04+00:00

Scenario: I've never been much of a player, and have not played for 12 years, and just got a table and starting to learn again. I wanted to understand the whole low deflection issue, and also tips. With the kind assistance of Billiard Bills (Bill Lister) I first got a new tip, and now have a setup with a low and regular deflection shaft with the same tip on each (Precision Layered medium) to compare on the same butt. Serious kudos there, lots of help. My question is not about low deflection. I'm shooting alternate racks with each, I see the difference, I understand the LD issue, and frankly can't decide if I have a preference. I'll get there with some more shooting. Let's not talk about squirt. My question is about tip size. Maybe taper. The difference in feel due to size on these shafts is immense. Most of what I read implies that tip size affects how accurate you need to be. The general sense I get is by being a smaller size, you are required to hit more accurately wherever you hit, e.g. trying to hit in the center with a small tip you are more likely to introduce spin you did not intend by being off center. Why? OK, let me elaborate just a bit. Both of my tips - 13mm and 11.75 are cut to approximately the same radius by Bill ("Between a dime and a nickel"). Assuming these are not incredibly soft and same radius, and unless you hit WAY on the side of the cue ball, it seems to me you are going to get the same exact area of contact in the exact same place. It's not like this is a concave surface that's different sizes and cups the ball -- both are the same type tip, same radius -- for the same speed hit, it seems like to me their point and size of contact is the same. So why do people say it requires more accuracy for smaller tips? Is it that it is more difficult to BE accurate, to hold properly? Does taper play a role? That seems to add to the "delicate" feeling of the LD shaft. Or is it actually bunk? That it's all about feel and preference but for center-aimed hits they are about the same? Or is it that people with 13mm tips generally use a nickel radius and with small tips a dime or smaller? Since the tips deform, there is then a difference in contact area. But that's about radius, not size. Or is it that most small shafts seem to be low deflection, and slight off-center shots actually do go in a different direction (but... that would seem to imply the LD would be more accurate if you are off center a bit). So... why do people say you have to be more accurate in your stroke to use a small tip? With the caveat I'm pretty darn inaccurate, I'm just not seeing it. For reference, if I shoot a rack myself, I'll probably miss 5-10 shots before I pocket 15 balls, so way down in the "D" category. But a couple weeks ago it was 10-20 misses. ;)