Which Tip?

[sonnic]

I am making my transformation from a beginner to an advanced amature player and i would like to know what tip is good for what. for instanance if i were to get a hard tip what would the plus's and minus's be. and the same for a soft or medium tip. Is it all preference? Do the professionals use all different kinds or do they stick with hard tips? Do you have to be better to play with a harder tip than a softer tip? Lets here your opinion!

[Deb]

I once was in your shoes.

I started to play pool when I was about 9 years old. I didn't really become good at the game till I was about 13 years old when my bro in law Robbie taught me few things about aiming and stroking. At the age of 15, I purchased a used 7ft coin operated pool table from a family friend and had it in my parent's dining room. Daily, I played pool (of course I had to fight to keep my cats off the table). I used whatever cue stick that came with it (it was a lousy bar stick w/ nearly gone tip) I ended up selling that pool table few years later to get my class ring in high school.

I continued to play pool mostly with borrowed cue stick from Robbie and his cuesticks were often a good kind (I'm sorry I can't remember what it was or what tips) I purchased a stick from K-mart (Ok go ahead and laugh at me) and my game went down the toliet.

At the age of 27, I finally purchased a real cue stick, a Viking VM36 and it came with LePro tip. I liked it, but I couldn't do much of english with it. I could do some english with Robbie's stick but I couldn't make up my mind on which tips to get. I didn't want to spend that much $ for a tip, so I spoke with Sid and asked him for his opinion. His first respond was "Get a Moori medium". I asked for his 2nd opinion.."Talisman would be good" I asked about the hardness, and I was told hardness basically depends on how you hit the balls. If you use soft and hard, Medium is your best bet. If you hit hard all the time, Hard is your bet. If you hit soft all the time, Soft is your bet.

I hit soft and hard as well as medium. I have to say that after getting Talisman medium, my game improved and I was able to get more english.

Last weekend, I played pool at a friend's house and I had the opportunity to play with a Predator Shaft, and I fell in love with it. I was able to use bit more of english and get better feedback. That shaft had Talisman tip on it. Now that makes me wonder about getting a Predator Cue with Talisman tip.....if only I had more moola...mmmmm 8)

That's just my opinion.

Deb "Wacky" Varino
deb@seyberts.com

[sonnic]

thanks deb that sounds like good advice to me. I guess i do hit the ball hard sometimes (how could you not?) Im not sure if the moori i have is a soft or medium id guess it was soft because of the mushrooming effect im getting. So your recomending the medium Talisman tip I think i will try that. How much do they cost? And can you break with it? I know my tip is soft now and would never even consider breaking with it. but i assume that if you had a hard tip it wouldn't matter if you did or not. Is that true?

[Deb]

Talisman Pro Tip costs $8.00 each while Talisman Water Buffalo tip costs $10 each.

As for the breaking, I did break with my Talisman tip. Ya see, I don't break all that often and I don't hit "hard" during regular game play (unless I'm drunk and I am losing....just kidding) :wink:

If I had a soft tip, I wouldn't even think of breaking it..I'll just grab a bar stick and break with it. I used to do that until last weekend at a friend's house and I decided to break with what I had. Wasn't too bad. Still could play and run the table.

Glad to be of an help,

Deb "Wacky" Varino
deb@seyberts.com

[sonnic]

What is the difference between the water buffulo and the regular pro tips? as for breaking can you use a medium tip if you cant what about a hard tip? I dont break with my cue but i am just curious because i have heard my friends say that it doesn't matter.

[maughanm]

The WB is Buffalo skin, and I haven't used any yet, but hear they are good tips. The Talisman Pro is pigskin....and for sure is a great tip for the buck. I would say if you break hard....the harder tip would be the best....but I have recently (after reading threads here) started breaking with the Talisman Pro Medium.....what I shoot with....and get good results...especially if you want to control the cue ball on the break....I just seem to get a little more zip on the cue ball with a harder tip.....and they won't mushroom. 8) Then again, breaking is one of the weaker parts of my game.