What do you like in a break cue?....

jazzn4444

jazzn4444

the Unknown
Silver Member
This thread is most likely as controversial as the "Layered Tip" thread, but a few of us AZers were wondering:

Do you prefer a heavier or a lighter break cue?
Do you prefer a phenolic or a leather tip?
Do you use a break/ jump, or do you have 2 different cues?
If you can, please be specific with what you use. Thanks for helping!
 
Hey thanks Jazzn...

I used to have a Sledgehammer, 19 ounces, for over a year. I never could adapt to the combined phenolic tip. It just seemed to clicky and could never control the cue ball comfortably. I sold it.

I had a Gilbert jump/break in which I loved, but was talked into selling by a good friend of mine since he is becoming a Gilbert freak. I did make a few dollars on it at least. It was around 19 ounces and had a leather tip. If I can get a chance to get a deal on another, I probably would buy it.

I am now thinking of going to a lighter cue, around 17 ounces, with a leather tip for breaking. I am a small guy but I do generate some speed with my break, be anxious to see how that compares to breaking with a 19.

Shorty
 
--Lighter. 18.0 ounces is what I prefer. For me it's all about the speed of the cue stick.

--One-piece phenolic ferrule/tip. I kept cracking old ferrules and popping off tips (even brand new ones), so I just got a phenolic ferrule/tip -- mostly for the fact that it will never break than because it breaks any better

--I don't believe in jump cues. If I jump, it's with my playing cue. And since my playing cue has a Predator shaft, this means I just kick instead.

--I use an Espiritu jump/break cue. Birdseye maple, phenolic tip. Love how it breaks.

jazzn4444 said:
This thread is most likely as controversial as the "Layered Tip" thread, but a few of us AZers were wondering:

Do you prefer a heavier or a lighter break cue?
Do you prefer a phenolic or a leather tip?
Do you use a break/ jump, or do you have 2 different cues?
If you can, please be specific with what you use. Thanks for helping!
Click to expand...
 
2 quick replies already. thanks guys

StevenPWaldon said:
--I don't believe in jump cues. If I jump, it's with my playing cue. And since my playing cue has a Predator shaft, this means I just kick instead.

--I use an Espiritu jump/break cue. Birdseye maple, phenolic tip. Love how it breaks.
Click to expand...

Steve...
I know you said that you don't believe in jump cues, but do you ever use the break/jump for jumping instead of your playing cue? I've heard from ALOT of people that said the predator shafts aren't good for jumping...
 
I like my beaking cue to be around 19oz, slightly lighter than my playing cue.

I'm not a big fan of phonelic tips, i don't like they way they hit. I've currently got a White Diamond tip on my break cue which splits the balls like a phenolic tip but has a much nicer hit.

Got a Predator BK for breaking, bunjee for jumping.
 
I have an old Falcon JB with a phenolic tip. I've tried several break cues with phenolic tip-ferrule combination but I didn't like the hit. The phenolic tip on my break cue works very well, but for some reason I'm not that accurate with jump shots anymore. I can get the cueball to jump very easily, but making an accurate cut on the object ball seems to be slightly more difficult compared with a regular leather tip. Or maybe I've adjusted my jump stroke too much after installing the phenolic tip, dunno. Oh, the cue weights 19oz, it used to weight half an ounce more, but I took the weight screw off and that improved my break very much. 0,5oz made a huge difference for me. Maybe I could get even more out from my break by selling the Falcon and buying a lighter break cue, but I don't want to let my old "partner" down :)
 
I use a light cue, 18 oz with a leather tip. It's a jump-break cue though do not use it to jump with. If I jump I use my regular playing cue, a Schon.
 
jazzn4444 said:
This thread is most likely as controversial as the "Layered Tip" thread, but a few of us AZers were wondering:

Do you prefer a heavier or a lighter break cue?
Click to expand...


Well I am having a Break Q Build as I write this. Birdseye Forearm & Butt, White Linen Wrap with Brownish specks. Weight will be 16.5 Ounces, with 13 mm Shaft, and a Tiger Hard Tip. I have been trying different Weight house Q for months, and 16.5 Should be the TRICK for me. Also if i need to adjust the Weight there will be a Set of Weight Bolts... :p
 
Bruce S. de Lis said:
Well I am having a Break Q Build as I write this. Birdseye Forearm & Butt, White Linen Wrap with Brownish specks. Weight will be 16.5 Ounces, with 13 mm Shaft, and a Tiger Hard Tip. I have been trying different Weight house Q for months, and 16.5 Should be the TRICK for me. Also if i need to adjust the Weight there will be a Set of Weight Bolts... :p
Click to expand...

Mind if I ask who you having do it?

Shorty
 
Shorty said:
I had a Gilbert jump/break in which I loved, but was talked into selling by a good friend of mine since he is becoming a Gilbert freak.
Shorty
Click to expand...

Gilbert Freak is very strong... maybe Gilbert enthusiast... or Gilbert supporter... Okay, Okay, I'm a freak I admit it. Is there a 10 step program for Gilbert freaks?

Skippy
 
SkippyFL said:
Gilbert Freak is very strong... maybe Gilbert enthusiast... or Gilbert supporter... Okay, Okay, I'm a freak I admit it. Is there a 10 step program for Gilbert freaks?

Skippy
Click to expand...

Yeah. The first step is to buy a Gilbert cue for your friend that got you into this mess...
 
Cues

For Breaking - Shurtz Sneaky Pete with SS joint, 20 oz., with hard Hercules
tip.

For Playing - Shurtz custom cue with Bacote, Paduak, and other inlays,
with medium hard Hercules tip, 20.2 oz., slimline butt.

For Jumping - Use Playing cue, have a Frog, and have a Scorpion jumper,
depends on the jump shot.

Cases - Porper 4 x 8 hard case, and Crystal Leisure Wizard soft case with good
pockets.
 
I just use my playing cue for both breaking and jumping 21oz. I've tried a friends bunjee jump cue and i must say it's alot easier to jump and sometimes more accurate
 
I don't have anything fancy for a break cue. I just use a Cuetec jump/break combo. I was originally gonna put a phenolic tip on it for the jumping aspect but when I got it I found that it jumped pretty well just the way it was. It's 21 ounces.
 
I use a Lucasi j/b cue. It's 19 ounces and I have a phenolic tip on it. It breaks decently hard and is a very good jumper when I need it.

I have a no-name pete with an european cone taper I used to use for breaking. It was 19 ounces and only had a Le Pro on it. It was probably the best break cue I had, but I screwed it up when I put a phenolic tip on it. For some reason the cue ball would fly off the table every time I broke with it.
 
Shorty said:
Hey thanks Jazzn...

I used to have a Sledgehammer, 19 ounces, for over a year. I never could adapt to the combined phenolic tip. It just seemed to clicky and could never control the cue ball comfortably. I sold it.

I had a Gilbert jump/break in which I loved, but was talked into selling by a good friend of mine since he is becoming a Gilbert freak. I did make a few dollars on it at least. It was around 19 ounces and had a leather tip. If I can get a chance to get a deal on another, I probably would buy it.

I am now thinking of going to a lighter cue, around 17 ounces, with a leather tip for breaking. I am a small guy but I do generate some speed with my break, be anxious to see how that compares to breaking with a 19.

Shorty
Click to expand...

When I was in Vegas talking to people about breaking cue, a lot of them shared your concern that they kept losing the cue ball with the sledgehammer. I know you have flattened your tip but I believe that is not the reason why the ball is so hard to control.

I tried the new sledgehammer and it seems to be a little bit better than the old one--but still, I am not very fond of the way the cue ball reacts. I believe the long taper of the sledgehammer, along with its smaller tip, requires the player to really hit the ball pure and clean, which is very hard to do during a break shot. I see a lot of players putting all sorts of spin on the cue ball when they break with the sledgehammer.

I like a breaking cue with a stronger taper (not conical), 13mm, with a nice foreward balance about 18.5 to 19 " from the butt. I can control my ball a lot better (no cue ball flying off the table or unwanted spin on the cue ball). Although it is true that skill plays a big part in the outcome, with a better cue, I can break the balls the same way and get better result.

I had a few sledgehammer and I sold them all a long time ago. I am using a new breaking cue made by a friend of mine. I am very happy that I have finally found a really good breaking cue. With this cue, my cue ball is always flat and it stays in the middle after my break. I can even go to a heavier cue now because I do not have to worry about losing control.
 
i like a break cue to have a little more solid shaft than my playing cue. all i break with is a shaft that Mueller's made for me, to fit onto a Cuetec Butt. it is 13.5mm, about a 10" taper, and has a medium hard tip. i have had both custom and production break cues, and this works as well, if not better, for me than any of the break cues i have ever had.

DCP
 
Thanks to all who posted. Your promptness is greatly appreciated. I have a few more questions based on the replies given.

If you use a break/jump, do you prefer phenolic all around or a leather tip?

Some of you use a break cue and have a separate jump cue. Do you "bastardize" an old cue for your break?

And for SplicedPoints: It's been my experince that if you break good with a leather tip, it's not a suggestion to move to a phenolic.
 
jazzn4444 said:
Some of you use a break cue and have a separate jump cue. Do you "bastardize" an old cue for your break?
Click to expand...

I used to but after a while the ferrull always used to end up cracking. I bought a Spark Break which for the money is a very decent breaking cue. I then got the BK and to be honest theres not to much difference between the way they break.(when the BK had a leather tip on it.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top