What Cue Tips Do Pros Use?

If you’re passionate about pool, you probably know the names of a few pro players. Maybe you’ve watched them win tournaments on TV or you’ve seen YouTube videos of their amazing shots. It’s nice to have pro players to look up to and emulate. This is why one of the more common questions among amateur players is, “What cue tips do the pros use?”

The Danger of Using “Pro” Equipment

The Danger of Using “Pro” Equipment

It’s interesting to know what kind of equipment pro pool players use. But that’s all it should be: interesting. There’s a tendency for some people to put too much emphasis on the equipment and not enough on practice. There’s no magic bullet that will make anyone a better player. Only practice can do that.

What Makes a “Pro” Level Tip?

You don’t often hear a pro pool player attributing his or her game to the cue tip (unless they’re being paid to say so). The cue, shaft, and tip are all tools that a player uses, but the skill to use those tools have very little to do with the tools themselves, and more to do with the persistence and practice that the player has put in over the years.

Hardness

That being said, there do seem to be some favorite tip brands that many of the top players use. So let’s take a look at what could make these tips so good.

Still, for most new and intermediate players, a medium tip is best overall. 

What Makes a “Pro” Level Tip?

Durability

The truth is that I could dig up information on the types of cue tips some of the top players are using right now. But that information would likely be outdated almost as soon as it was published.

Consistency

With the exception of the sponsored players who have contracts to use certain tips, most players will use whatever they feel most comfortable with at the time. They may try different tips, find one they like, and stick with it for a little while until they try another one they like.

Low-End

Other players don’t pay much attention to the brand of cue tip. Instead, they focus on hardness and size. Still, other players will buy a certain type of tip and then bang it on the floor until it gets compact and hard.

Mid-Range

There are also pro players that pay no attention whatsoever to the type of tip they use; they can and will play with anything.

High-End

As such, it’s always a better idea to find out what kind of tip works best for you. To do this, you should be familiar with a few cue tip factors.

Conclusion

Hardness

Still, for most new and intermediate players, a medium tip is best overall.

Pool cue tips are available in different sizes. The most common are 12mm, 13mm, and 14mm. But, they also make 11.75mm and 12.5mm tips. 13mm is the most common among players. Again, sizes vary among pro pool players, but 13mm tips are the most common.

Durability

Most pro players don’t concern themselves with having their cue tips replaced. They may even have them replaced after every game, or they may go a very long time without getting a new tip put on. It all depends on the player’s preference.

Hard tips, obviously, hold up longer because of their density. Soft tips can mushroom fairly quickly, especially when they’re used for break shots. However, some players like it when their soft cue tips mushroom and compress because they like the feel of how it plays.

Of course, there are numerous exceptions to the above guidelines. Some very successful and talented players will play with only hard or only soft tips, exclusively. They may not even have a specific reason for this besides liking the “feel” or “play” of that type of cue tip.

Consistency

But, when you play enough and get your pool instincts ingrained, you start to get a feel for different tips and cues. This is part of growing as a pool player and developing your skill.