It is not uncommon for me to have students come to me for help with their draw. There are many reasons that newer players struggle with draw shots. But one reason that has popped up more frequently lately has nothing to do with the player’s stroke. The issue has to do with the tip on the player’s cue.

This may sound simple and rudimentary, but it is surprising how often players simply put their cue together and start playing without inspecting the cue tip. In a number of cases, the student’s cue tip was almost flat. When a flat cue tip strikes the outer edges of the cue ball, the edge of the tip makes contact with the ball, causing a miscue.

What should the tip look like? The shape of the tip has always been compared to the curve of a nickel or a dime. Simply lay a coin on a table and hold your cue tip right on top of it to check its shape. I prefer a dime-shaped tip, because for me it takes longer for the tip to flatten out. Some players may think that the tip will play differently if it has a dime shape as opposed to a nickel shape, but I’ve played with both and I get the exact same action on the cue ball.

Do some research before you buy a tip, because some tips tend to mushroom out more quickly than others. Obviously, soft and medium tips will tend to flatten out sooner. I’ve found that new tips mushroom pretty quickly. Once you’ve reshaped it and burnished the sides a few times, it will hold its shape longer.

If your cue tip needs reshaping, start by running a piece of sandpaper over the tip. Don’t use anything too coarse, like 100 or 80 grit. Those will tear the tip up. I’ve always preferred 220 grit.

I always sand the tip down from the top. I place the paper on the top and start gently sanding down toward the edge. As I do that, I constantly spin the shaft slowly so that I’m sanding the entire tip evenly. As you work your way around the tip, sand on a slightly steeper angle until you get the desired shape. You’ll start seeing the shape develop.

Sanding the side of the tip is the tricky part. I usually take some masking tape and lightly wrap it around the ferrule just beneath the base of the tip so that I’m never scratching the ferrule as I’m sanding the side of the tip. I rub the sand paper vertically, again spinning the shaft as I go.

When you’ve finished sanding the side of the tip, put a little water on your finger and run it along the side edge only of the tip. Then burnish the side of the tip with a piece of leather or a dollar bill. The burnishing hardens the side of the tip, preventing mushrooming.

After you’ve reshaped the cue tip, always use a tip tool or scuffer to rough up the leather just a bit so that the chalk will properly adhere to the tip.