What's the deal with those funky grooves in the X-Breaker tip??

[Flex]

Some posters seem to think they actually help control the cueball on the break. Is it the grooves? Or the chalk? Won't those grooves disappear with use? And if they're so necessary, what will happen after they are worn down/go away, etc? Are those grooves that I saw in the photos there for a purpose, or are they just a by-product of a rough installation of the tip?

Flex

 

[Snorks]

I guarantee you they are intentional. Richard sent me a replacement to my old one this week. It breaks awesome! The groves help hold chalk better but I've noticed one thing that I find weird. When I break now, the chalk seems to explode off the face of the ball. I have had to clean up the chalk off the table where I am breaking from several times. I hope this doesn't continue since it's making a mess of all the tables I'm playing on (including my home table). I'm not sure if this is due to the grooves or not, but I am almost using no chalk right now since I have to clean the table so often.

Anyway, bottom line, the grooves are intentional and you can get a ton of chalk on the tip. I just wish it would stay there ... and yes.. for whatever reason, the cue ball really likes to park in the middle of the table now. Again, I'm not sure why but that's where the cue ball seems to always end up.

 

[ridewiththewind]

... and yes.. for whatever reason, the cue ball really likes to park in the middle of the table now. Again, I'm not sure why but that's where the cue ball seems to always end up.

Ain't it cool?!

As to leaving chalk all over the table...I agree that I, too, have experienced chalk exploding off the tip...however, considering that I am pocketing at least one ball on almost every break, I'll deal with the trade-off of extra brushing of the table.

Lisa

 

[Black-Balled]

I would think that the grooves are to assist in holding chalk. Joe Blackburn did the same think to my j/b tip when I inquired about how to make it hold chalk better.