Could someone please summarise the different kinds of tips and their properties?

[snookerguy7]

I'm ashamed to say that I've been playing for about ten years now and I still know next to nothing about tips. I let them get in horrible condition (I've gone over a year without changing before), and have never actually changed one myself as I know a guy who's happy to do it for me. Anyway, he's moving away now so I'm going to have to learn to change them myself! And I'd kind of like to learn more about the different kinds of tips so I can decide which type to go for. I know at the of the day it's a personal preference, but there's got to be some key points that will give me a rough answer as to what would be best for me. It essentially boils down to two questions:

• What are the differences between how a soft tip and a hard tip will play? I did some research and apparently soft tips wear down quicker... but the page seemed to claim that there's no difference in how they play? So why would anyone go for a soft tip?
• What are the leading brands? Triangle are the go to guys for chalk, is there a tip equivalent?

If it's important, I'd describe myself as "decent". In a three frame match I'd usually make a thirty and a couple of twenties, to give you an idea of what level I am. I tend to use quite a lot of spin, moreso than most people I'd say (for example going from a just off straight blue to pink, I'd rather play a screw shot off the cushion than a stun down). Don't know if those points would influence the kind of tip I should go for, but thought I'd include them anyway.

[Ramon]

Wel, as u said , it's a matter of ersonal preference !!
Imo , u have to try them and see what suits ur game !!
In general speaking , hard tips require a more accurate cue action !! less room for error in ur cue action !!
Laminated tips re harder comperd to press tips and more consistent !! Also more expensive !!
I play with ADR soft Laminated tips !! The CB respons and spin u get with those tips re just amazing !!
Anyway !! I hope u get sum Posts from other members as Well !!
Thr re also a few threads on this forum regarding this matter !! U may wanna read them . That could be useful !!
Enjoy ur game !!

[MikeWooldridge]

Both of these pages wil help you:

http://www.handmadecues.com/3-Extras/20-cuetips.htm

http://www.handmadecues.com/4-Info/30-retipping.htm

[Master Blaster]

The great pros play with elks. That's the end of the story really.

Not quite. They play with good, hard elks. An elkmaster tip is on the soft side (compared to other tips). A soft elk is useless, so tippers find good hard elks, or press elks in a tip press for the pros, or use bedded and played oversized pool tip elks. A few pros use laminated (pig skin) tips such as Kamui and Talisman but most use single layer hide tips such as elks, titan, etc.

The benefits of single layer tips are paramount for the pro player; more spin, more screw, more top spin, more side (Trump, Robbo, Smurf). It's a better tip for break building in the balls because it has more feel and give (Ronnie). I've been through every laminated tip and they're lovely in the sense that once you shape em, you don't need to work on them again. But you hit that big stun blue in and out of baulk a lot and watch the layers split. Out of the lammys, a Kamui is the best lammy for me. When you receive one, it's pretty obvious it's the best made just by looking at it.

The ultimate tip for me is a Buffalo Diamond Plus, really consistent across the box, harder than an elk but still plenty of give to grip the ball and develop spin, not too much deflection and reshaping is far less than an elk. It's like the blue diamonds Davis used in the 80s. It's a third of the price of laminated tips and you'd get 6 for the price of a Kamui, so cost wise, it beats the lot. I could talk about other single layer tips such as GBL Pro Granite, Blue Knight, etc. but there's no point really, it's got to be a really good pressed elk or a Buffalo Diamond Plus.

Buy one off ebay and try it, you won't regret it. If you really can't be fussed with the occasional filing of a BDP, get a Kamui.

[bolton-cueman]

The great pros play with elks. That's the end of the story really.

Not quite. They play with good, hard elks. An elkmaster tip is on the soft side (compared to other tips). A soft elk is useless, so tippers find good hard elks, or press elks in a tip press for the pros, or use bedded and played oversized pool tip elks. A few pros use laminated (pig skin) tips such as Kamui and Talisman but most use single layer hide tips such as elks, titan, etc.

The benefits of single layer tips are paramount for the pro player; more spin, more screw, more top spin, more side (Trump, Robbo, Smurf). It's a better tip for break building in the balls because it has more feel and give (Ronnie). I've been through every laminated tip and they're lovely in the sense that once you shape em, you don't need to work on them again. But you hit that big stun blue in and out of baulk a lot and watch the layers split. Out of the lammys, a Kamui is the best lammy for me. When you receive one, it's pretty obvious it's the best made just by looking at it.

The ultimate tip for me is a Buffalo Diamond Plus, really consistent across the box, harder than an elk but still plenty of give to grip the ball and develop spin, not too much deflection and reshaping is far less than an elk. It's like the blue diamonds Davis used in the 80s. It's a third of the price of laminated tips and you'd get 6 for the price of a Kamui, so cost wise, it beats the lot. I could talk about other single layer tips such as GBL Pro Granite, Blue Knight, etc. but there's no point really, it's got to be a really good pressed elk or a Buffalo Diamond Plus.

Buy one off ebay and try it, you won't regret it. If you really can't be fussed with the occasional filing of a BDP, get a Kamui.

more googled nonsense. Yawn.