Pool is a game of precision. If football is a game of inches, then pool is a game of millimeters. And you can’t be a great player if you’re only precise on half of your shots. You have to be precise on the vast majority of your shots if you’re going to get really good. So, with all the talk about tip sizes and their benefits/drawbacks, it’s not uncommon for people to ask: What size pool cue tips do the pros use?
The general consensus is that larger tips (13mm to 14mm) give you more room for error and smaller tips (11.75mm up to 12.75mm) require more accuracy to play with. If this is the case, you would think that most pro players use small tips, right? After all, they must be extremely precise if they’ve gone pro.
How Professional Pool Players Choose Their Cue Tips
Professional players don’t settle on one tip size. There’s no single size the pros use, and you can’t even say most of them use a certain size. They’re all over the board on tip size and even tip density. Some pros use small soft cue tips, while others use large hard ones.
Really, it comes down to their preference and their style of play. Of course, there are other factors at play here, too.
Be Wary of Pro Tip Sizes and Brands
Some pool players have tip sponsors. This means that they’ll be paid to play with a certain company’s cue tip. The size of the tip is often left up to the player, but you’d be surprised to learn that some players don’t pay that much attention to the size and brand of their cue tip.
One mark of a pro player is that they can play well with any kind and size of cue tip. Of course, some other players are very particular about the type and size of tip they play with.
I’ve even heard stories of pro players preferring to play with a soft tip that they’ve banged against a floor to compress it. They just like the way the compressed soft tips play.
Finding the Right Tip Size for You
You find your right tip size by playing for hours with different tips. The tip doesn’t make the player; the player makes the tip. That’s why I don’t recommend buying a particular tip size or brand just because you heard a pro player uses it.
Just because a certain pro player uses, for instance, a 13mm Kamui cue tip, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best tip for you. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try any tip you want to. You should. But, only after you’ve become comfortable with one type and size of tip should you branch out to others.
Beginner Cue Tip Recommendations
For a beginner, a 13mm medium cue tip is the right place to start. It gives you a solid foundation to build on, so if you’re just learning to play pool, avoid jumping around from cue tip to cue tip until you feel good with one.
Sure, equipment can help you develop your skill, and you should play with decent gear, but it shouldn’t be the be-all-end-all.
Once you can walk into a pool hall, pick up a random house cue, run a rack, and do it twice in a row, you’re getting good. I think that should be the goal, personally. Everyone has their own goal, but once I can do that consistently, I’ll know that I’m developing into a good pool player.
Like I said, get comfortable with one cue size and style before you branch out to others.
A 13mm medium tip works because it’s not too big and not too small. It gets you used to an all-around cue: you can put decent English on the ball, and there’s enough surface area to be a little forgiving on miscues.
With a 13mm cue tip you can learn what kind of player you are; you’re not forced to play one style more than another, as you would with a larger or smaller tip.
Players with a little more finesse, relying on English, tend to use smaller tips. Those who shoot with a little more force and who rely on bank shots tend to use larger tips.
If you want a cue with a proper 13mm setup right out of the box, our guide to the best pool cue brands covers makers like McDermott and Predator that ship with a playable medium tip.
And once you’re ready to pick a tip yourself, our best pool cue tips guide breaks down what to buy.
Related Articles
For more on this topic, check out how to play pool, how long a cue tip lasts, soft vs hard cue tips, billiard game types, and best cues for beginners.
Browse our full Cues hub for tested picks, buying guides, and head-to-heads.