What tip do you use for Breaking?

F

firetrain

Registered
Phenolic or a hard leather tip?

I'm just curious when style of tip most people use for breaking. I am having a tough time controlling my cue on a 9 ball break with the phenolic tip, and was wondering if it made sense to switch it?
Do you lose alot of power with a leather tip? I also play alot of 8 ball and am very happy with my break speed/power as it sits now.
 
I have an easier time parking the cue ball with a leather tip, so I use a Samsara. Jumps well too. Couldn't be happier.
 
The Samsara is quite good,but the Madman J/B tips made by Juan that posts here are like Larry Fitzgerald :cool:,the best there is currently.

Just make sure someone that really knows what they are doing installs it. Even though they are leather,they cut like aluminum. They're reasonably priced too. Tommy D.
 
In my experience the difference between phenolic and leather is about 2-3 mph in speed at the most. (based on personal testing with the breakspeed app)

The phenolic will give you more trouble with the cue ball leaving the cloth but on the other hand it will provide a little more speed. I break with a BK2 with a white diamond tip and am very happy with my setup.

In nine ball how the balls are racked has more to do with the break coming out well then the mph.... in my experience:cool:

Dudley
 
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atthecat said:
i have an easier time parking the cue ball with a leather tip, so i use a samsara. Jumps well too. Couldn't be happier.
Click to expand...

yep changed to one a couple of month ago. Best break and jump tip i've ever used. I just wish i would have tried it sooner. I have a white diamond on another cue and it breaks ok but i have so much more control with the samsara try one you won't regret it.
 
Have someone stick you cue on the lathe and score rings in the phenolic tip before you discard it... All phenolic is not created equal and some of the stuff just wont grab the cueball to allow you to control it....
 
Just curious, you guys are giving lots of advice on the tips you can use for breaking. Are all of them legal as far as BCA/VNEA/APA goes? I will be playing BCA and VNEA this coming season and will be putting a new tip on my breaker. I want to make sure I wont get to a tournament somewhere and have someone complain.
 
I use a Le Pro. Works fine and I get better cue ball control. I have read that you have to pick through them to gey a good one but I have had good luck and never got one that was sh#$^y. Have a BHQ being made and it will have a Samsara tip but not due for a while. The lepro should be legal. I also use my medium moori for breeaking but it does not do as well as the LePro. Had to keep reshaping it till the mushrooming stopped.
 
I use a McDermott I1 shaft on a McDermott sneaky pete to break. It has a Kamui Hard Tip on it.
 
I have a Schmelke, 23 oz, with the standard hard leather tip; had to trim it down when it mushroomed but I get great breaks and good control in 8 and 9 ball. My wife uses the Predator BK2, 19 oz, with phenolic, and she breaks about as well as I do with slightly less control on the cue ball. I'm not sure if that's because she doesn't control the cue ball as well or because the leather leads to more control, but the bottom line is this:

I like the cue I break with, she likes the cue she breaks with. The statistics on the tip you get aren't as important as how much you personally like it. If you like the ping sound of a phenolic tip and very little feedback through the cue, go with phenolic. If you like a slightly more solid sound and more feedback, go with leather. I would recommend hard or medium rather than soft for the break, though.

I don't know of any tips that aren't legal in the APA, but I can't speak for BCA or VNEA.
 
I use an ODEGA tip for breaking. These tips are 11 layers of pig skin. Rock hard and grips the cue ball. This tip is better then the Samsara IMO both in a playing and install point of view. Legal in all formats of league play.
 
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Sarnia Shorty said:
Just curious, you guys are giving lots of advice on the tips you can use for breaking. Are all of them legal as far as BCA/VNEA/APA goes? I will be playing BCA and VNEA this coming season and will be putting a new tip on my breaker. I want to make sure I wont get to a tournament somewhere and have someone complain.
Click to expand...

BCA requires a leather tip, VNEA not so much.
last I heard the bca wasnt being really strict on the rule, but if an opponent complained, you would be made to stop using it.

I have samsaras in stock :)
 
I used to play with a Samsara which i loved, now i have a White Diamond Tip. Which i am equally happy with!
 
I used Pressed hard leather but am now using phenolic and am much happier with my breaks.
 
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