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Pool is a part of the cue games. It is distinguished by the way it is played. It has a level table with a rail around it which supports six ball pockets in all the four corners of the table as well as in the middle of the lengthy side of the table, making a total of six holes. There are 16 balls including the white cue ball that is used to push or stroke the others towards the ball pockets. There are many cue games and pool is just one very distinctive one among them.
So what pool cue tip should be used?
Although there are many different types of pool cue tips that you can use on your pool cue, the most common pool cue tip is one of medium hardness. Depending on how often you play pool will depend on if you want medium, soft, hard, or a phenolic tip as well as what brand you should buy.
If you would like to know more about what pool cue tip should be used, you will want to keep reading this article. You can also check out this video to learn about different pool cue tips.
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Pool Cue Specs
A typical two piece cue for pocket billiards is usually made mostly of hard or rock maple, with a fiberglass or phenolic resin ferrule, usually 0.75 to 1 inch long, and steel joint collars and pin. Pool cues average around 59 inches long, are commonly available in 17–21 ounce weights, with 19 ounces being the most common, and usually have a tip diameter in the range of 12 to 14 mm.
A conical taper, with the shaft gradually shrinking in diameter from joint to ferrule, is favored by some, but the “pro” taper is increasingly popular, straight for most of the length of the shaft from ferrule back, flaring to joint diameter only in the last 1⁄4 to 1⁄3 of the shaft.
While there are many custom cuemakers, a very large number of quality pool cues are manufactured in bulk. In recent years, modern materials such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, aluminum, etc., have been used more and more for shafts and butts. A trend toward experimentation has also developed with rubber, memory foam and other soft wraps.
There are not many integral parts to a pool game. It rather all depends on the talent of the player to get as much done as possible with what they have to work with. First, there is the level table on which the whole of the game is played. Then the pool cue that is the most important component of the whole game. Last comes the collection of six balls with which to play the game.
The tip of the pool cue is said to be its most important part. This is held as true since the tip of a pool cue is the only part of the pool cue that touches the cue ball. More often than not, it is made from hard leather, but they can also be made with hard phenolic resin. Either way, their only job is to impact the cue ball in a sufficient manner so as to put all the other balls into the pockets quite effortlessly.
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If you are tired of your kids (or friends) ruining your good pool cue when they play then having these extra ones will keep that from happening (just be sure to hide your good one!).
Types Of Pool Cue Tips
There are basically four types of cue tips when it comes to a pool cue. They are soft tips, hard tips, medium tips, and phenolic tips.
- Soft Tips
These kinds of tips tend to absorb more impact, resulting in the tip staying for a fraction of a second longer than pool cues with harder tips. This could result in an ‘English’, a cue ball spin when struck off center. Softer tips tend to get out of shape faster and require daily regular maintenance so as to keep a rounded shape and fix any sort of mushrooming where the tip bulges out from the ferrule. Due to these additional and regular maintenance, softer tips tend to be replaced very quickly as well.
- Hard Tips
These kinds of tips do not absorb impact nor do they stay on the cue ball as much at impact like, say, a softer tip would. Due to this, they are liable to create less spins and more miscue, which is when an unintentional slippage between cue tip and struck ball occurs, which means striking the cue ball further off the center point. Tips like these due to their hardness don’t need so much regular maintenance and play more consistently and last longer. Hard tips are also long lasting and are cheaper in comparison due to their so called defects.
- Medium Tips
Most pool players favor medium tips because they function somewhat between the extra crisp hardness of the hard tips and the ultra softness of the soft tips. Medium tips will give one lots of spin and at the same time will not get misshapen so easily nor will they wear out as quickly as the softer tips. Made of medium hard leather for the most part, medium tips hold on to the ball for one extra part of a second than a hard tip but that does not impact the functionality of the tip like a soft tip. In fact, most manufacturers put a medium tip on their pool cues by default.
- Phenolic tips
These tips are made of phenolic resin or carbon fiber depending on the need of the player. These tips are extremely hard and have very little give to them at all. These are standard issues on most of the breaking cues. Break shots are usually made to the center of the center of the cue balls so that the phenolic tip, as hard as the balls themselves in fact, can put a smooth solid hit on the cue ball without the danger of mis-cueing. Tips such as these are gaining popularity over others as they need almost no maintenance and they can transfer most of the power from the pool cue.
Considering Tips
As seen in the above description, all the different tips have something or the other going on for themselves. Whether it be the friction coefficient brought to the tips by the proper usage of the chalk, less so in the case of harder tips and more so in the case of softer ones, resistance or reluctance to miscue or the requirement for regular or not so regular maintenance, each and every tip has a good side to it and a bad.
Another thing to consider when it comes to the use of the best tip is the size of the said tip. This choice will be completely up to what kind of pool cue one would be using at a time. Standard pool cues come with a tip at the end of their shaft that is usually 13mm diameter. This can be turned down to either a smaller one or a bigger tip may be requested and a tip that is wider than the shaft has to be turned down to the size of the shaft.
Conclusion
So which tip should I buy? Which tip will turn your game up in excellence and require the least amount of maintenance? There are many good brands available that have just that extra something one might be looking for like Moori, Kamui, Tiger and Samsara. No matter what tip you choose though, you should get one that helps you and makes you more comfortable when you play pool. Every tip for your pool cue that you can imagine is available right here and is always a good price.