If you have only been playing pool using the nearest cue stick, you may not be aware that the cue at the tip can be worn away over time. Players who start playing seriously for the first time or buy a pool table often continue to use the cue tips until long after they should have been replaced.
A cue tip has to be changed once the leather on it reaches the thickness of about 2mm, the thickness of the smallest coin in most countries. If you notice that you are missing shots or miscuing, it is a sign that the cue tip is too thin and that you should replace it with a fresh cue tip.
The process of replacing the cue tip can be oddly overwhelming if you are unaware that it even needs to be done. Fortunately, the process is easy to do. You can easily increase your overall shooting ability if done properly, as fresh cues are often much more capable than completely worn ones.
How Long Should A Cue Tip Last?
Organic cue tips made out of leather will require replacing in six months, sometimes earlier if the cue stick is not used and chalked regularly. Inorganic cue tips, commonly made from phenolic, can last several years as they are much harder and are not prone to drying out when not used.
It should be noted that several different types of cue tips are on the market and that most players have their preferences. Many professional players use super soft cue tips that they replace before a match day to ensure they have the best possible play.
Bar owners prefer to have much harder tups as the cue stick will experience much more abuse, and having something soft will only add extra costs. This is often why you will find that private cue sticks have much softer cue tips than the rock-hard ones your local sports bar has.
How Long Does A Soft Cue Tip Last?
Soft cue tips are not made to last much longer than a few months, often going dry and hard within two or three months. These cue tips are meant to be used constantly and are preferred by technical players seeking to do trick shots.
It should be noted that many owners put their softer cue tips in plastic bags to prevent them from drying out on cue sticks. This is often when they play pool at home or like to play local sports but don’t want to buy soft tips, which can become expensive continually.
We recommend that you take a second to consider how often you and your friends will play pool and in what conditions you will play. Often just getting a harder leather tip two or three times a year will ensure you always know how your cue stick will behave while playing.
How Long Should A Pool Cue Tip Dry?
If you have a pool cue tip that requires it to be glued onto the cue stick, it should take around 30 minutes for the glue to dry fully. We recommend waiting around 40 minutes to adjust for humidity and heat in the air, allowing you to have a tip secured before the first shot.
If you do not wait for the glue to dry fully, you can find that the pool cue tip moves while used, often going unnoticed as the first shot does not move the tip. As you play the game, the cue tip gets moved around, and the glue has completely dried when most players notice the problem.
If you are unsure if the glue has dried, it is always better to wait a few more minutes and continue the game with only one pool cue stick. Many people have found themselves with their last cue tip sitting strangely on their cue stick simply because they didn’t want to wait for everything to dry.
Are Screw-On Cue Tips Good?
Most average cut sticks use screw-on cue tips because they are easy and quick to replace, but they are not considered good for the sport. A fixed pool cue tip is much more stable and will allow you to make the same hit multiple times without stressing about the cue tip having changed.
Most cue sticks aimed at the average player or those still learning to play professionally will have a screw on tops specifically because they can be more affordable. If you buy a pool cue stick of higher quality, you may find none of them; use screw-on cue tips.
We recommend using a screw-on cue tip because they allow you to make mistakes and abuse the cue stick without stressing. When you have the right experience and want to try trickier shots, buying a cue stick that requires the cue tip to be glued on will give you the space to grow.
How Do You Preserve A Pool Cue Tip?
We have one basic recommendation when it comes to cue tip maintenance, and that is to keep it in a cue tip box when not being used. Keeping it out of sunlight, out of the car for long periods, and ensuring that it isn’t bashed against the ground or hard surfaces.
These are the basics of maintaining your pool cue tip when you are not actively using it to play a game of pool. When actively playing, we recommend chalking the cue tip as needed and avoiding pointing it in any direction where it can hit anything other than the cue ball.
Many pool players keep their hands near the cue tip to avoid hitting it accidentally when they need to move around. On this note, we recommend never leaning on your cue stick; this causes it to bend significantly, usually requiring that you replace the entire stick.
Do Pool Cue Tips Make A Difference?
The pool cue tip you use makes a massive difference in the type of game you can play and how you move the balls. Many people find that when they move to softer cue tips, they can’t hit as hard but can do more trick shots.
Harder cue tips are great for breaking and can allow you to hit the balls much harder, which can be important when playing a standard game of pool. We have seen many professional players switch their cue sticks mid-game when the game becomes much more technical.
It should be noted that only training to play with one type of cue tip is very disadvantageous to your overall skills. Moving through different types of cue tips will allow you to learn different skills and be flexible, getting to know how to do trick shots even when you are in an unfamiliar bar.
How Often Should You Chalk Your Cue?
Choosing when to apply more chalk to your cue tip is an important skill to learn, and it is something that every pool player will give a different answer to. You will need to learn what level of chalk is the best for your playing style, sometimes chalking right before each shot you take.
Many believe in chalking after every second or third shot, while others believe in chalking right before every shot they take. When playing in a sports bar or unprofessional setting, players may only re-chalk once every four or five shots they take.
Knowing when to chalk is something you will have to learn on your own and will be affected heavily by your preferences. We recommend chalking when you feel the cue tup is no longer behaving as you expect it to, which may mean applying more chalk to your cue after every shot.
Conclusion
If you have a soft pool cue tip, you should replace it every six to eight months; harder tips should be replaced when they break, while extremely soft tips only last a month or two. Generally, if the cue tip is no longer shaped right and has grown too thin, replace it with a new tip.
Be careful not to shoot without a cue tip; your pool table felt will not enjoy that.
