Firsthand experience with the Century Pro G2 Cue Tip

I have heard praises being sung about the Century Pro cue tips. They come highly recommended by the likes of amateur players to the pros. I decided to give one of these tips a try to see what all the buzz was about. I also wanted to find the disadvantages so that our readers can make a truly informed decision.

Century Pro manufacture four main grades of cue tips. They are the G1 (soft), G2 (medium), G3 (medium hard) and G4 (hard). There is additionally a custom G5 super hard tip. The usage of these tips depends on the preference of the individual as each of them have their pros and cons based on the kind of shot you are playing.

Rhys here from Cue News, and I opted to test out the Century Pro G2 cue tip as it is the midway point between hard and soft. It would be the ideal starting point from which I could gauge the quality of the tips in general and a recommended starting point for beginners who have not yet cemented a playing style.

Specifications

The Century Pro G2 cue tip is a 10mm single layer tip made from grade A+ leather. Century Pro has apparently utilized a unique manufacturing process in the production of these tips. Each tip is said to be scientifically tested to guarantee its consistency within just +/-5% tolerance. That’s impressive on paper but let’s move on to what really matters: the human element.

Unboxing

The tips are sold in a box of four. One box is priced at £19.95 on the Century Pro website. They are packaged in a square shaped, cream colored box with the Century Pro logo and the grade (G2) on it. Opening the box reveals four cue tips laid out in a 2×2 array with G2 printed on the bases of the tips. They are countersunk into a protective foam material. Removing the tips reveal that they are blue in color. Judging from their feel and how they look, the tips seem to be very good quality material and build.

Breaking In

The installation of the tip was your typical cue tip installation. It was attached and shaped fairly easily. I was pleasantly surprised when I started the process of breaking in the tip. I proceeded to play hard continuous shots so that I could get it to compress and trim the mushroom that developed, but I couldn’t. The tip would not change its shape. After two days of power shots and compression, there was a minute edge that I could just file away. The truth of the matter is that the tip did not require breaking in.

Maintenance

Maintenance of the tip was not really required. The only thing I did was to use a scuffing tool to loosen up the surface a bit so that it could hold the chalk better. But to be honest, I didn’t actually have an issue with the way it was holding chalk.

Verdict

I would hate to give a product a 5-star rating that really didn’t deserve it. Since I personally couldn’t find any issue with the tip, I set out to find someone who could. I contacted persons who I knew used this tip in order to get their feedback. I also went searching online for issues. I saw one individual comment that the tip was harder to cut than other manufacturers’ tips. This was quickly debunked by the other 95% of installers so it didn’t hold up. I was therefore left with one option.

I hereby give the Century Pro G2 cue tip a 5-star rating. It is as close to the perfect tip as is currently possible. I recommend you give it a try and let me know if you can find any faults.