which tip do you use?

[sydneygeorge]

On my JP Ultimate 3/4 I have tried;

Elks.....................disliked............never again
Talisman soft........liked................will use again
Talisman hard.......too hard...........never again
MW super tips.......disliked............never again
Kamui SS 14mm....too soft............never again
Kamui H...............good................probably not
Kamui M...............good................borderline
Kamui MH.............very good.........will keep using
Master B.Magic......undecided.........probably not
Brunswick.............disliked.............never again
Blue Diamond........disliked.............never again.

My opinion only and yes I love experimenting.

[pottr]

How long did you give each tip before making a conclusion? I always allow the life of the tip before I make my mind up.

Had I tried all those tips listed above, I would have been weighing in up for about 3 - 4 years.

How often do people wait before changing their tips? I'm usually 3/4 month guy and I play 2/3 times a week.

[sydneygeorge]

How long did you give each tip before making a conclusion? I always allow the life of the tip before I make my mind up.

Had I tried all those tips listed above, I would have been weighing in up for about 3 - 4 years.

How often do people wait before changing their tips? I'm usually 3/4 month guy and I play 2/3 times a week.

I will usually give a tip 4-5 hours of practice/play before moving on if there is no potential.
Now that I have a favorite it's my bench mark and assessment is much easier, I have revisited the tips I marked "never again" just to be sure and in every case removed them after an hour or two.

[jrc750]

... I have revisited the tips I marked "never again" just to be sure and in every case removed them after an hour or two.

I know it's only your opinion, but why didn't you like the MW supertips ??
I love em

[matt926_uk]

wow, someone else who doesn't like mw supertips, glad i'm not the only one.
i really don't know why, only i played terrible when i put them on, strange because i love elk masters.

[sydneygeorge]

I know it's only your opinion, but why didn't you like the MW supertips ??
I love em

To me they are just too close to the Elks.

[pottr]

In my experience, a few hours isn't anywhere near long enough for a tip to even bed in properly.

Particularly a soft tip like an Elk or Bue diamond. I fear you've dismissed all but the laminated tips because you haven't let them bed in.

I changed my tip Monday morning (Elk) and have played around 20 frames with it. It's still nowhere close to what I'd consider bedded in. I don't imagine it will be tonight after the hour or so's practice I'm due before my match.

[sydneygeorge]

In my experience, a few hours isn't anywhere near long enough for a tip to even bed in properly.

Particularly a soft tip like an Elk or Bue diamond. I fear you've dismissed all but the laminated tips because you haven't let them bed in.

I changed my tip Monday morning (Elk) and have played around 20 frames with it. It's still nowhere close to what I'd consider bedded in. I don't imagine it will be tonight after the hour or so's practice I'm due before my match.

Fair comment Pottr.
About 3 years ago after a 15 or so year absence from the game I became a " born again accolyte " so I thought coaching is a must if I am to avoid my former mediocrity so.
I had 5 or 6 lessons from a former Aust. billiards champion Joe Minici.
Joe fitted several Elks for me and I played with them,never really considering the cue tip as a variable.
After about 18 mths of playing with Elks I stumbled on an article on Talisman tips,I purchased, loved the product and from then on I have been experimenting.
I have now settled on Kamui and they are now mybenchmark tip.

[pottr]

I'm yet to try the kamui ones. I use Elks but it's purely down to my idle nature and not having bought better tips. I tip around 10 of my mates cues and when I had a surplus of better tips I found myself sticking them on my friends cues because I was too lazy to pop to the snooker club and buy some Elks.

I know you said you didn't like the MW tips but they are consistent which helps. They're the happy medium for those not wanting to spend over £50 for a fair number of tips.

Can't beat Elk for the cost factor.

If you're searching for a tip to try then try the moori pig skin ones. I used to play with the slow ones (softer) but I'm in the minority it seems of players who don't like a rock hard tip. The moori tips are expensive but far and away the best tips I've played with... i'm gonna order some now actually so I don't forget

[HemiRR]

I never sand the top of a tip once it is shaped. I play a lot power shots (eg 4' from object ball needing to roll ahead 10" I play a firm power stun through) and was only getting 4-6 weeks 'good' playing time from an Elkmaster and then there was all the maintenance work re-trimming and burnishing the side. I tried a Talisman domed layered hard and have used 5 in a row. I am getting about 5 months play out of a tip. I never touch these tips once they are on (had one tip side trimmed after about 3 months). I am considered the 'king of the swerve' at the club, I regularly amaze others with my slow spin around the black and I can draw a ball as good as anyone at the club. eg red ball on baulk line half way between yellow and rail, cue ball half way between rail and pink - I can draw back well past the pink spot without touching the side rail. With the Talisman I get consistent play and virtually no break in time eg New tip 10 minutes practise ran 74 with all played shape (no poor shape shot with getting lucky to land on another shot)

[tomw]

I play with an Elk Master (mushroom shaped - 11mm tip on a 9,5mm ferrule), and can play 2 whole seasons with one tip (if I don't miscue badly)....

I really don't know why players change tips that much, since I have the feeling my Elk always stays the same, and is of very good quality.

On my spare cue I tried a Mike Wooldridge tip once, it felt like hitting the ball with a rock... and the sound was terrible too!

[belld]

I play with a Phoenix medium at the moment and find them very reactive
and consistent. I don't have to shape it time and time again once
it has been done you play and play and the tip never flattens out
at all. I still like the Elk tip and have one on my spare cue at the
moment and can't really decide which tip i prefer even though they
feel two different tips with one been hard and one been soft. I get
the same results from both tips and at the minute are torn between
the two. I have tried mw supertip and pro granite and get more throw
and tend to hit the balls thin with these tips so i have ruled them out
on that basis.

[Chappers]

At the moment i'm using a Black Kamui (medium) layerd tip. It might not suit some players because its a little harder than other tips in my opinion. I've used a few different tips over the years, even the screw in tips !!

[andy carson]

pro granite on my stick at the moment and its currently getting better and better every time i go to the club, had it on about 6 months now and still virtually no wear on it.

wouldnt mind trying a moori slow but loathe to change with this one playing nicely.

[Jake O'Sullivan]

which tip do you use?

I'm now using a blue velvet tip and absolutely love it!