Once in a while you will need to change your tip. This can be as a result of wear and tear of the old cue or changing the tip of a new stick you just bought. There are numerous pool cue tips in the market today and it can be very cumbersome to try and get one that fits the bill. However, we did a quick round up for your with the best tips in the market to help you get real value for your money.
So, Which is The Best Pool Cue Tip ?
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Kamui Clear Black Cue Tip – Best Budget Tip
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Zan Hybrid MAX Pool Billiard Cue Tip – Best Premium Tip
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Predator Victory Medium – Best Medium Tip
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CUESOUL Screw-on cue Tip – Best screw on tip
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KAMUI BLACK SUPER SOFT LAMINATED LAYERED LEATHER SS
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Water Buffalo 13mm (Medium-Hard)– Best Tip for English
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Moori IV Laminated Pool Billiard – Best Tip for Spins
What to Consider When Buying a Cue Tip
Density
The density determines the hardness or the softness of the cue tip. Basically speaking, a soft pool cue tip is prone to mushrooming and flattening after hitting the cue ball. This means that it will require more maintenance than a harder tip. However a good number of professional players prefer using the softer tips with the believe that the softness translates to more English and ball control.
Soft Cue tip vs Hard Cue Tip?
The difference in the hardness levels determines the maintenance hat is required for each tip. While as harder tips require little or no maintenance softer tips require regular maintenance. Harder tips retain their shapes and they rarely mushroom after hitting the cue ball. This means that you will not have to replace your tip as often as others will. For a soft tip it is easier to scuff it hence it holds chalk better. They however require regular attention and periodical replacements.
Size
There are tips that range from 10mm to 15mm. However the standard recommended size id 14 mm. This is what most manufacturers are offering in the market as well.
Material
The material used to make the tip generally determines the density and the hardness it will have. The materials vary from phenolic, leather to other materials that are defined by the manufacturers.
Solid leather Tips vs. Layered Leather Tips
The question of which is better between a solid leather tip and a laminated leather tip has always been there. The solid leather tips are made through punching a single pressed layer from a specially tanned leather. These tips have many advantages and many players prefer having them.
With a solid leather tip you get a very distinct solid hit on the cue ball not to mention that it is very affordable. This is the most appropriate tip for the one pies home cues and it is very easy to replace. It require very minimal trimming. However it also comes with some downsides; the tips require more grooming as they compress more and become misshapen. They also tend to be more spongy with time as a result of regular grooming. You will also find inconsistent tips from the same manufacturer due to inconsistencies in the leather.
For layered leather tips, several thin blades of leather are compacted together each on top of the other with glue. The tips are referred to laminate tips in some quarters. The tips last longer and they give better service since they require less grooming. They are stronger overall and hold chalk better which gives more control on the cue ball.
The following reviews will give a summary of the different tips in the market and their properties to help you make a quick buying decision.
Best Cue Tip Reviews
Kamui Clear Black Cue Tip
Kamui is a trusted dealer of billiard products all over the world. This Clear Black Tip is one of the products that has given the brand such a huge reputation. This tip gives the best consistency by limiting the amount of glue that is absorbed in the bottom layers as it has a very flat surface. The installation of this tip is very easy and it requires very little sanding.
The beauty with Kamui clear black cue tip is that you have the opportunity to choose between a hard, soft, medium and a super soft model. The high elasticity provides for extra spin with little force to control the cue ball.
Predator Victory Medium
This is one of the best tips in the market today. It is made of 8 layers and designed to maintain its shape for a longer period. If you have been looking for a high quality leather tip, then this is your perfect bet.
With this tip from predator, you are guaranteed of a long life optimum compression. You also get the advantage of a better sighting and shaping when playing in areas with low lights due to its contrasting colors. With this medium tip you get the benefit of excellent control of soft tip and great durability of a hard tip, you can never go wrong with this predator product.
ZAN HYBRID MAX Pool Billiard
This awesome tip from ZAN is known as a hybrid because it marries two different tips into one. It is made of a medium hardness pig skin contact area and a hard leather core giving it a solid feel. Many players like it as it has less miscues compared to a standard hard tip. With the Hybrid Max you get the power of a hard, the grip of a medium and the awesome control of a soft all packaged in one.
Zan tips are made in Japan using specific leathers that give the tips unique solidity and high elasticity. The awesome result is given by eight or nine lays of pig and hog leather. When you buy this tip you get maximum control of the game and excellent consistence irrespective of the shot you have on the table. This tip simply holds chalk like nobody’s business and highly recommended.
MOORI IV Laminated Pool Billiard
Moori is a famous brand around the world when it comes to cue tip. This particular one is made of 8 layers of selected pig skin to give it high levels of consistency and hardness. You get high levels of shot accuracy when you play with it not to mention that it has excellent billiard chalk retention and high gripping ability. If you like spins, then this is your perfect choice as it gives you exactly that.
With this tip you do not have to worry about mushrooming at any point and it is perfectly made to give you a long life service. The hardness is medium and it gives better cue ball control and top notch shot consistency.
KAMUI BLACK SUPER SOFT LAMINATED LAYERED LEATHER SS
This new Kamui black tip is an improvement to the original Kamui. It has been designed to give more spins to the cue ball at a relatively slower speed on the cue stick.
It is made of 10 layers of pigskin giving it the desired elasticity to help it absorb the cue momentum and finally propelling the cue ball with the desired spin. The SS which means super soft is an extra ordinarily softness that gives the least deflection on the cue ball path. For excellent result, use it with a cue that has high deflection.
Water Buffalo 13mm (Medium-Hard)
Water Buffalo has been known to make top quality tips over the years. The 13mm tip has a hardness of 78.1 which ranges from medium to hard. You get good English and solid hits when you install it. It is well worth the cost and it is very reasonably priced. Very premium quality.
CUESOUL 5pcs Pigskin
Cuesoul makes excellent tips that are affordable to every player from Japan pigskin material.
They are laminate with 10 layers and 14mm in diameter.
You can get the different hardness levels that you like ranging from super soft to Hard. This brand is highly trusted over the years hence you can bank on it and be assured of high quality. Generally speaking this tip plays just like any other premium tip.
Conclusion
There is every reason to enjoy your game with a well-functioning cue stick. You do not have to buy a new cue stick every now and then but you can maintain it with the best cue tip and get the experience of a new stick. We recommend the cue tip as the best as it fits all the general purposes of a cue tip.
