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Posts Tagged ‘cue tip’

If you have been using cue stick for some time now and you have been reading the recent posts then you are well acquainted with the said pool equipment. Now take time to look at the cue tip. Yes, the one you are rubbing with chalk to have a good english. This part of the cue comes in all sizes and densities. What are the things to consider in choosing between hard and soft cue tips? The soft tip obviously has more tendencies to flatten out and thus will require higher maintenance. Some says that soft tip produces better english on the cue ball that will make it has a better cue ball control. The soft cue tip was seen to have better chalk retention and easier to scuff. On the other hand, hard tip said to have better consistency and control as well as less maintenance needed. It would still end up to which cue tip is more comfortable on each player’s preference. Some recommended brands are Le Professional Tips for hard cue tips and Elk Master Tips for soft cue tips.

pic via billiards.about.com

This is what you see being used by the players which they place on top of their cue after each shot is done. This provides them better grip so that they won’t miscue their shots. Its cue tip is made out of various materials like leather, being the most popular.

Leather has a tendency to toughen up its surface materials even after constant abuse of use. As more shots happen, the grip on the ball will surely decline which can cause the ball to slide off. And so here comes the pool chalk entering the scene.

This chalk prevents the cue tip from slipping off once shots are taken. Prevent from using the non-lead chalks for its dust settles around the table which can really be harmful to anyone’s health. These chalks can be bought in a wide variety of colors like red, brown, green, gold and blue. They can either be in cue or cone chalks.

Photo via answers.com

There are three major types of cues:

The One Piece Cue is utilized in pool games by the casual players. They decrease evenly in diameter up from the butt down to the tip.

The Two Piece Cue is separated in the middle part for the convenience in transport. It comes with a cue case and yet another kind of the two piece cue is placed around three quarters down the cue. This measures usually 12 to 16 inches from the butt portion.

The other types are cues that have three to five joints. They can be either used for jumping, breaking and weight changing on the butt portion. They are also used as extensions at times to make a longer reach.

Photo via ehow.com

1. Stop Stroke. This is a primary tool to start a good position to prepare for the succeeding shots you will take. This happens when you stop the cue ball at a certain point when it strikes the targeted ball. You make the ball stop at the precise point of impact.

2. Draw Stroke. You bring the cue ball back to your position. This happens with a few varieties that would render you different kinds of results.

3. Follow Stroke. This moves your cue ball to the impact point and convenient for your continuous run of patterns.

4. Spin Stroke. This is tool used to earn various cue ball track lines out of the rail after an impact with the targeted ball. The variety happens according to the number of spins utilized.

Photo via videojug.com

Chalk, dirt, and other foreign substances can build up on the ferrule and over time, will embed on your pool cue like tar. Cleaning the ferrule and tip of your pool cue regularly, by simply wiping it down (ensuring that you fully dry it off) can help prevent this build-up from occurring. This will make it smoother, cleaner, for a better playing shaft, which can only serve to improve your game, and extend the pool cue’s life span. It’s very important to keep your cue tip clean. It will affect backspin, accuracy, touch, smoothness of stroke, and precision of each and every shot that you take. When the pool cue is not in use, it should be maintained by protecting the cue’s tip from any foreign dings, scrapes, gouges, or anything else that may otherwise be of potential danger. This can be achieved by placing it in a cue case, or ensuring its safe return to the pool cue rack. Finally, you must remember that the tip itself should always be covered when not in play.

If you only aim for the regular pool shots, you do not need to invest to a special kind of cue stick. But if you do want to practice and master difficult trick shots, better save some money on a regular 19 oz. McDermott M43D pool cue stick or the like to be able to make this possible. Upgrading your cue stick is a good idea and just makes sure to keep it in good shape. You do not want for sure to waste your money on a trash.

The only thing that comes in contact with the cue ball is your stick’s cue. The shape and the chalk affect its contact and power in every shot. A mushroom-shaped or flat cue is not ideal and most probably won’t hold enough chalk. Purchase good quality chalks such as Silver Cup and Master that could sustain your practice needs for quite some time.

What you will need:
•Cue tip
•Razor blade
•Cyanoacrylic glue preferrably in a gel form ie Duro-gel, Superglue Gel, Loctite 454
•60-80 grit sandpaper
•Paper towel
•400-600 grit sandpaper

What to do:
1. Remove what’s left of the old tip with the razor blade.
2. Sand top of ferrule flat with 60-80 grit sandpaper.
3. Sand bottom of cue tip with the same sandpaper till rough.
4. Apply a light coat of glue to both the ferrule and bottom of tip.
5. Carefully center the top on top of the ferrule as best as you can and hold in place for about 60 seconds.
6. With the tip down, carefully trim the excess overhang to make the tip flush with the ferrule.
7. Gently wet the sides of the tip and burnish with the 400-600 grit sandpaper.
8. Shape the tip to your desired radius.
9. To keep your tip from popping off prematurely, it is best to let the glue cure overnight before final trimming and sanding

Note: It’s recommended to get a tip that’s bigger than your ferrule.