Tips? just a Fad?

[lfigueroa]

Six years ago I special ordered a Schon cue. A month later I got an extra shaft with a Morri tip. I loved it, especially knowing that it was a $30 tip and at the time it was the considered the best thing since sliced bread. Well now I hear a lot about the Kamui and other tips and not so much about the Morris. Are these tips better than The Morris or just the latest tips to hit the market? From experience Morris are some great playing tips, I just dont seem to read or hear much interest in them anymore? Whats the deal?

The tips nowadays, as compared to yesteryear, are pretty good. The quality control is also much better -- I remember having to go through a box of Champions to pick out the good ones. Out of a box of 50, there might be 10 or 15 I liked. So personally, I think the trick is when you find a tip you like to buy plenty from the same batch, because there's no guaranteed the next batch will be the same.

When Mooris first came out, they were a tremendous tip, but then they changed and, in my experience, there were lamination problems (I think the Japanese women they had chewing the whale blubber to glue the layers together got tired and weren't chewing long enough

Today, I like the Kamui black SS tips and find they play as good as about any tip I've ever used.

Funny side story: last year I had Ernie make me a travel Gina, matched to my regular playing Gina. I forgot to send him the Kamui tips I like to put on the shafts and so when the cue came in the mail, I played with it and really liked the tips on it. So I call Ernie to compliment him on the cue and all and I ask him, "What kind of tips are these?" And he says, "Mooris." And I say, "Really?! They play like the old Mooris and not the new ones." And he replies, "That's because they are old Mooris. When they came out I really liked them so I bought a couple thousand of them."

So like I said: when you find a tip you like, buy more than one

Lou Figueroa

 

[Island Drive]

The tips nowadays, as compared to yesteryear, are pretty good. The quality control is also much better -- I remember having to go through a box of Champions to pick out the good ones. Out of a box of 50, there might be 10 or 15 I liked. So personally, I think the trick is when you find a tip you like to buy plenty from the same batch, because there's no guaranteed the next batch will be the same.

Funny side story: last year I had Ernie make me a travel Gina, matched to my regular playing Gina. I forgot to send him the Kamui tips I like to put on the shafts and so when the cue came in the mail, I played with it and really liked the tips on it. So I call Ernie to compliment him on the cue and all and I ask him, "What kind of tips are these?" And he says, "Mooris." And I say, "Really?! They play like the old Mooris and not the new ones." And he replies, "That's because they are old Mooris. When they came out I really liked them so I bought a couple thousand of them."

So like I said: when you find a tip you like, buy more than one

Lou Figueroa

I too used champions for yrs, and knew guys that looked for me at tournaments (makin' a buck) that would approach and show ya a few tips they had for sale. When I used to travel and play W.Coast Arturo and his Mex. friends would hunt me down and I'd hand cut & install em at the hotel, they played good back then. Champions....There were some Perfect ones, tho like you said there were some bad ones, but when they were right, doesn't get any better. When a tip can take ALL the draw you give it, hold up to a gooooood miscue Once in awhile and ''tell you by a miscue to tone it down'' and came with a backing (they came off often, best to r&r it)................you've got the right equipment.

Good LePro still satisfies me....

 

[classiccues]

classiccues:

Hmm.... if that's not an innuendo-ized "coup de gras" insult, I don't know what is.

While I almost despise Kamui chalk (I've written what it does to the cue ball here), if the people [that the person using Kamui chalk plays with] don't mind it, then to each his/her own.

Also, there's something to be said about the psychosomatic thing. Even if the "benefit" is purely psychological, if the person "likes" the product "just because" (and nothing else), that person shouldn't be ridiculed for using it. I happen to like magnetic chalk holders (ones that attach to the pants belt). Should I be ridiculed because of this "just because" preference?

Where I go on tilt is when I see completely untrue or overblown marketing claims. And yes, some of the purveyors of these products are definitely guilty of that!
-Sean

Sean,
Not at all, I do not know anyone that does that, all I am saying is if a product, cue, chalk, glove, funny glasses, or whatever makes you feel that your game is better, then that is great. I am guilty of being one of those guys who chuckle at all the gadgets that come out, good bad or indifferent. Nothing funnier than a guy with a glove, a case with 2 jump cues, 2 players, a stand, a hand towel, 4 types of sandpaper, 3 types of powder, that gets to break and then watch the other guy run out... or he should have taken half of what he spent and got lessons.

But I am all for anything that you feel gives you an edge at the table. The game is about winning, and to win, you must be confident and feel good about your own personal game and the equipment you use.

JV

 

[sfleinen]

Sean,
Not at all, I do not know anyone that does that, all I am saying is if a product, cue, chalk, glove, funny glasses, or whatever makes you feel that your game is better, then that is great. I am guilty of being one of those guys who chuckle at all the gadgets that come out, good bad or indifferent. Nothing funnier than a guy with a glove, a case with 2 jump cues, 2 players, a stand, a hand towel, 4 types of sandpaper, 3 types of powder, that gets to break and then watch the other guy run out... or he should have taken half of what he spent and got lessons.

But I am all for anything that you feel gives you an edge at the table. The game is about winning, and to win, you must be confident and feel good about your own personal game and the equipment you use.

JV

Sure, I've seen those types as well. In fact, a couple years ago, when I was vacationing in Colorado (without my cues, as I hate traveling with them), I walked in to a well-known sports bar/poolhall to ring in the New Year and to "hydate" a little. This place is also a regional APA stronghold, and that night, they were having an end-of-year open 9-ball tourney, which I happened to catch the last-chance announcements for. I could see this tourney was a big attraction, because players from miles around -- other states -- came to play in it. They ultimately would have a full field of 64 players, and many were the gadget geeks as you describe. I figured what the heck, and entered it. I cruised through it with nothing but a wallabushka -- a cue I pulled off the wall and the tip of which I scuffed up a bit with the nail file on my keychain's nailclipper. And there were some mighty p*ssed off gadget geeks that an out-of-town New Yawka took "their" tournament with nothing but a house cue.

Point is, yes, the psychosomatic thing can be taken to extremes, like these gadget geeks demonstrate. I used to be one of those, but learned to "boil it down" to the things that are absolutely necessary, or that do give me true comfort or ease to my game (like the aforementioned magnetic chalk holder).

But "preferences" or "just because" likes, if not taken to extremes, shouldn't be ridiculed. I do think we agree on that.

-Sean

 

[dsoriano]

moori tips
china is making fake moori tips . I really think its destroying the moori market. moori tips seemed to have changed in the last 5 years

MMike.

When Mooris first came out, they were a tremendous tip, but then they changed and, in my experience, there were lamination problems

Funny side story: last year I had Ernie make me a travel Gina, matched to my regular playing Gina. I forgot to send him the Kamui tips I like to put on the shafts and so when the cue came in the mail, I played with it and really liked the tips on it. So I call Ernie to compliment him on the cue and all and I ask him, "What kind of tips are these?" And he says, "Mooris." And I say, "Really?! They play like the old Mooris and not the new ones." And he replies, "That's because they are old Mooris. When they came out I really liked them so I bought a couple thousand of them."

Thanks Guys, this was the feedback I was looking for. This answers my question.

 

[Ghosst]

Point is, yes, the psychosomatic thing can be taken to extremes, like these gadget geeks demonstrate. I used to be one of those, but learned to "boil it down" to the things that are absolutely necessary, or that do give me true comfort or ease to my game (like the aforementioned magnetic chalk holder).

We're kind of veering off on our own here, but I've bought tons of gadgets. Tons. We've all seen the pics. The difference is I don't expect any of them to make the straight-ins easier.

Most of what I carry is under the expectation that if I need to fix my tip I can. If it's humid, I have a glove. If I need to scuff a glaze off, I can. Backache, headache, covered.

We can all play most of our game with a walabushka. Getting your speed control and side perfect is a lot harder, but you can sneak by with one. Branding anyone who buys an LD shaft as a moron (not done here, but many other threads) is what gets under my skin. For those people I highly suggest getting rid of those new-fangled leather tips and going back to the mace. Because, hey, you're real men and you don't need that technology crap.

 

[ENGLISH!]

Fad, no there have always been a variety of tips. But like anything else in life, people will buy things that they feel help improve their game. Special chalk, tips, cues, etc..

We have a line of low deflection gloves coming out, as well as adjustable bi-focals for long and close shots.

JV

If you've read any of my LD stuff I won't be buying the glove. But, can I put my order in now for the glasses because I'm playing more on memory rather than actual sight.