8 ball pool - best tip type

[opoole]

Hi again guys,

Want to get my cue re tipped in time for the bucs-upc champs in Feb, but am an amateur on tip knowledge.

What type would be best for 8 ball (also play a bit of snooker so need a versatile tip)?

Have a craftsman dominator, 9.5mm if it helps, and obviously need a tip that helps with spin/control etc. Could you direct me to any guides etc on whether to choose soft/hard etc?

Thanks :-)

[hotpot]

A nice worn in blue diamond is ideal for pool , maybe a bit soft when fitted but ideal when settled .

Or an elkmaster , which is quite similar . Both are good for snooker aswell .

[Jellibeen69]

tried nearly all tips on my pool cue, best so far is the mike wooldridge super tip. nothing better at holding the chalk and applying spin. That includes from cheap all the way up to the Kamui, nothing has been so consistent, and I hit the white off of the ball.

Plus get yourself one of these.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380308975303&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_500wt_922

saves on the sanding of your tip, which means they last far far longer.

hope this helps.

[the_paz]

i've always used elks, but heard some good things about mike woodridge's super tips too.

[snookerpoolman]

i've always used elks, but heard some good things about mike woodridge's super tips too.

Yeah I use Elks too for both my pool and snooker cues. Don't hold with all these fancy pants expensive tips (Talisman, Kuami etc etc....) Seems all a bit too 'faddy' for my liking... One or two of the snooker lads I know have tried them with at best mixed results.

Saw a thread on here the other day and they were quoting £6 - £7 for ONE Tip!!! The average cost of an Elk is usually 50p or thereabouts (and Blue Diamonds only a little bit more..) and these super-duper new fangled tips only do the same job at the end of the day...

As I've said in previous posts - why fix it if it aint broke??:confused:

[eaoin11]

My favourite tip for pool now is Tweeten's Diamond Plus tips. You can get them from craftsmancues, ADR or Coutt's Cues I think. Very responsive, a tad softer than Elkmaster but firmer and better quality than Blue Diamond because they hold their shape and hit well straight away.

[eaoin11]

Yeah I use Elks too for both my pool and snooker cues. Don't hold with all these fancy pants expensive tips (Talisman, Kuami etc etc....) Seems all a bit too 'faddy' for my liking... One or two of the snooker lads I know have tried them with at best mixed results.

Saw a thread on here the other day and they were quoting £6 - £7 for ONE Tip!!! The average cost of an Elk is usually 50p or thereabouts (and Blue Diamonds only a little bit more..) and these super-duper new fangled tips only do the same job at the end of the day...

As I've said in previous posts - why fix it if it aint broke??:confused:

The problem with both elks and blue diamond are inconsistency. These days even 'good' bedded in blue diamonds move all over the place and I've seen a lot of dudd elkmasters - ok if you can select a good one. More options are always a good thing.

[snookerpoolman]

The problem with both elks and blue diamond are inconsistency. These days even 'good' bedded in blue diamonds move all over the place and I've seen a lot of dudd elkmasters - ok if you can select a good one. More options are always a good thing.

Funny one this... I've never yet found a bad Elkmaster, and that's in over 25 years of playing League Pool and Snooker. I am aware of comments on here about inconsistency, but likewise, since I sell them as well I've never had any returned or a complaint about them?? Maybe that is because I only sell the genuine Tweetens Elkmasters and I've never even seen a Dudd or Fake Elkmaster, even though there's talk of such on TSF...

[BoBnoGG!n]

i think people just dont know what theyre looking for when theyre talking about tips. like if you like a spongy tip, sure u might get spin, but u do lose some amount of power. while i find harder tips hit more 'accurately' but its harder for touch shots and control. dont ask a forum what the 'BEST' something is for anything, cause its all a matter of opinion. personally, i like firm tips. so i like a nice bedded in Blue diamons, Elk, Or fresh out of the tub Pro granite. i find things like talismans etc too firm for Pool, altho the new soft ones r good. aurora r great too. umm omin reds, real nice kick if u like hard tips, but not for me. it just didnt giv me the responsiveness i need. but i like progranite cause i dont need to play them in as much. just half hour hit n its good to go, n lasts ages.

[Jellibeen69]

got a tub of the pro granites, and would tend to agree initially.
but after playing with one for a week or two, I just found they got too hard and I ended up scuffing the surface nearly every time I took my cue out of the box......
maybe a little to hard for me, but I do agree, its pointless asking really as its all about how you play and your personal preference.
You really do have to just try everything out there, to see what suits your style of game....

[BoBnoGG!n]

got a tub of the pro granites, and would tend to agree initially.
but after playing with one for a week or two, I just found they got too hard and I ended up scuffing the surface nearly every time I took my cue out of the box......
maybe a little to hard for me, but I do agree, its pointless asking really as its all about how you play and your personal preference.
You really do have to just try everything out there, to see what suits your style of game....

hav u tried light green master chalk? i guarantee u, it will stick better than triangle. i use master chalk now, if i can, because it just coats much better, and holds on better. even when i miscue i dont bother scuffing or sanding the tip, i just chalk n play. been about a month n a half since i last sanded my tip :)

[eaoin11]

i think people just dont know what theyre looking for when theyre talking about tips. like if you like a spongy tip, sure u might get spin, but u do lose some amount of power. while i find harder tips hit more 'accurately' but its harder for touch shots and control. dont ask a forum what the 'BEST' something is for anything, cause its all a matter of opinion. personally, i like firm tips. so i like a nice bedded in Blue diamons, Elk, Or fresh out of the tub Pro granite. i find things like talismans etc too firm for Pool, altho the new soft ones r good. aurora r great too. umm omin reds, real nice kick if u like hard tips, but not for me. it just didnt giv me the responsiveness i need. but i like progranite cause i dont need to play them in as much. just half hour hit n its good to go, n lasts ages.


Blue Diamond, Diamond plus and Pro-Granite are all buffalo hide tips and having tried all three I'd say Diamond Plus are smack in the middle for hardness. As you say, I do prefer the easier control of a softer tip but don't lack cue power on the small tables and I think the hit feels pretty solid.

Have you tried Diamond Plus? I can send you one if you like :D

[jaffa.johnson]

For me, MW Supertips/Elkmaster

[Matt-10ant]

Eaoin will you send me a Diamond Plus tip pm me mate and we will sort something out

[jaffa.johnson]

Whats the difference betwen tweeten blue diamonds and buffalo blue diamonds?

[eaoin11]

Whats the difference betwen tweeten blue diamonds and buffalo blue diamonds?

From what I remember, the description provided at Craftsman says that tweetens DP's are made the way blue diamond used to be years ago with a better binding glue.

[eaoin11]

Eaoin will you send me a Diamond Plus tip pm me mate and we will sort something out


Hi Matt will send a pm

[BoBnoGG!n]

yeh ive tried a few diamond pluses, work great! wanna buy a box full. anyone know where i can get a whole box, maybe more, without spending too much?

[jaffa.johnson]

I had a buffalo diamond tip I got a few months ago but never tried it.

Following my last post in here, I read that buffalo blue diamonds are made by tweeten so my question as to whats the difference between buffalo and tweeten is not even a valid question.

Anyway, I fitted the buffalo blue diamond to my cue today and yes, they are ace.

Really really enjoyed playing with it and think going to get some more.

BoBnoGG!n; How bigger a box do you want?

Found box of 50's on ebay.

http://sports.shop.ebay.co.uk/Snooker-Pool-/21567/i.html?rt=nc&Type=Cue%2520Tips&_nkw=buffalo&_catref=1&_dmpt=UK_SportingGoods_SnookerPool_RL&_fln=1&_sac=1&_ssov=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282

Maybe if you email ADR147 he might sell you the specific amount you want.

[jaffa.johnson]

Whats the light green master chalk you mentioned?

Is it this?

http://www.billiardsboutique.com/master-chalk-12-pack-64-p.asp

[BoBnoGG!n]

yer i know, but i dont wanna spend 65 AUD for tips atm =[ hahaha

umm its green, not light green, my bad. but its rpetty much similar shade/color to the triangle stuff, but i find its better. specially on hard tips. http://cgi.ebay.com/Master-CHALK-gross-box-billiards-pool-cue-tip-GREEN-144-/360307798508?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e404b1ec

[jaffa.johnson]

Has anybody else tried this chalk?

[tako]

My favourite tip for pool now is Tweeten's Diamond Plus tips. You can get them from craftsmancues, ADR or Coutt's Cues I think. Very responsive, a tad softer than Elkmaster but firmer and better quality than Blue Diamond because they hold their shape and hit well straight away.

I agree.. I've used the same tip for almost 3 years now. First ones get worn out, but it was worth it. I've got myself trophies from some of the tournaments I joined with this cue tip. Try it! No regrets on this.

[snookerpoolman]

Whats the light green master chalk you mentioned?

Is it this?

http://www.billiardsboutique.com/master-chalk-12-pack-64-p.asp

:mad: Bl@~dy Hell! £7.35???? (At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!!)

I have Tweetens Master chalk in boxes of 12 available in Blue, Red, Burgundy, Gold or Black @ £4.50 inc. UK P & P

Tweetens Triangle Chalk x 12 in Green at the same price...

Oh and they're all genuine Tweetens - not copies or fakes...

PM or contact me on 07740102927 to order....

Dave, Snookerpoolman

[aucott80]

anyone use the kamui tips?

[james250t]

This is a difficult question to answer, as it has been mentioned before it depends on playing style a lot. If you are a touch player and don't play a lot of big power shots then something softer is ok. The other thing to consider is breaking, you are far better off with a very hard tip for breaking because you will get more speed on the white as the tip wont compress as much as a soft tip and the cue ball will leave the tip faster and should generate more power. I have tried a lot of tips, elks, blue diamond, mike what's his name and talisman soft (if there is such a thing ha ha) I find I miss cue very little (not once in two months) with elk masters, not sure it's the tip it's self but they hold chalk very well which must help. I can also screw back 3 lengths of a uk pool table with these tips. I use a 8.5mm cue but to be honest I can get the same result with a 9mm or bigger. Bear in mind if you play with a lot of side or bottom etc it's good to have a lot of chalk on the tip to prevent a miss cue etc, the elks are perfect for this!
Sometimes you may have to fit 2 or 3 to get one that is perfect but they are so cheap it's not really a problem is it!