Shaft diameter to skill level

Plagueis said:

Now this conversation got me thinking, I went from a standard maple shaft to a Mezz WX900 12mm shaft (medium 1st gen kamui brown tip) and I can honestly say this has helped my game immensely.

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Well, don't really ask instructors on that, they are way too deep in the conventional approach. Yes, that is a constructive criticism to instructors on this very topic and also against the conventional wisdom that a thicker shaft "is easier to play".

I went gladly from a 12,7mm shaft to 9mm snooker shaft (Cuetec Fusion).
My aiming has instantly improved greatly, the accuracy of applying proper spin also. And this shaft is a cheap, non-LD one but has better LD properties than the conventional LD shafts due to diamter an very slim ferrule.
With 12,7mm I was never really sure where the tip would hit the CB exactly.

Simply due to the fact that the smaller size does not obstruct my view to the cue ball anymore AND I know exactly were I will be hitting the CB.
The canonical taper also helped. Canonical with an open bridge is far easier to play and keep the sliding straight. You'll get intro trouble with a closed bridge, yes.

Now to your question, going 11,7 or 11,5mm or something will not have that big of an impact versus your excellent WX900 really.
You would need to go down to 10,Xmm or something to get a real difference - if you can try the slimmer Carom cues for fun.
However, from your description your equipment was limiting (or not fitting for you) you before but now not anymore. You have identified that it's about fundamentals now. Go work on them.

Last thing: keep practising the lag and the CB should touch your tip when it returns not too far off the center.

Cheers,
M

All instructors?

Some players do much better with a thin shaft or a very short cue on aim (cue ball and object aim and strike both).

But that is some players. Any experienced player can try either option for a while and see how they do.

M.G. said:

Well, don't really ask instructors on that, they are way too deep in the conventional approach. Yes, that is a constructive criticism to instructors on this very topic and also against the conventional wisdom that a thicker shaft "is easier to play".

I went gladly from a 12,7mm shaft to 9mm snooker shaft (Cuetec Fusion).
My aiming has instantly improved greatly, the accuracy of applying proper spin also. And this shaft is a cheap, non-LD one but has better LD properties than the conventional LD shafts due to diamter an very slim ferrule.
With 12,7mm I was never really sure where the tip would hit the CB exactly.

Simply due to the fact that the smaller size does not obstruct my view to the cue ball anymore AND I know exactly were I will be hitting the CB.
The canonical taper also helped. Canonical with an open bridge is far easier to play and keep the sliding straight. You'll get intro trouble with a closed bridge, yes.

Now to your question, going 11,7 or 11,5mm or something will not have that big of an impact versus your excellent WX900 really.
You would need to go down to 10,Xmm or something to get a real difference - if you can try the slimmer Carom cues for fun.
However, from your description your equipment was limiting (or not fitting for you) you before but now not anymore. You have identified that it's about fundamentals now. Go work on them.

Last thing: keep practising the lag and the CB should touch your tip when it returns not too far off the center.

Cheers,
M

Click to expand...

Where in Hell do you get that "information"?
What is a "conventional" instructor?

Other than that, good answers.

PBIA MASTER INSTRUCTOR
randyg

Plagueis said:

Hi, just a quick question for the instructors and those interested. Recently I was talking with a fellow player at my league and he spoke of going from a super soft tip to a medium and found his potting skills to get improve. He concluded that he was making fewer mistakes as a result of unintentional spin applied to the CB.
Now this conversation got me thinking, I went from a standard maple shaft to a Mezz WX900 12mm shaft (medium 1st gen kamui brown tip) and I can honestly say this has helped my game immensely. It's allowed me to reliably use side spin at low, medium, and high speeds however it got me thinking that I may have taken it upon myself to advance a little quickly. My question is if any instructors would agree that going to a 314-3 or perhaps OB-1 shaft would help advance at a slower pace. To not bite off more than I can chew as it were.
To be clear sometimes when I miss a shot I think back and say to myself: didn't account for throw/deflection properly, didn't stroke the ball smoothly, didn't take my time and commit to the shot, or even that I simply missed a shot with poor accuracy for that angle. I'm at the point where I think perhaps taking a step back and downwards might be beneficial rather than trying to play above my skill level and compounding errors.

Any advice is most welcome

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Sounds to me like you know where you are in pool. Keep on looking for your right answer.

randyg

Since all players are individuals, there is no right or wrong answer to your question. some players are more comfortable with different tips, shaft size, cue weight, etc. You need to find what works for you and stick with it, Overall, it's not about the equipment, it's about what you do with it. I've seen players knock off a tournament using a house cue. I honestly believe there is no cue that will make you a better player.

Plagueis said:

What I'm asking is, from the stand point of an instructor, if I may have gone too far too fast, would it be beneficial to back off a bit? To take a step back rather than let my progress be hindered by too many mistakes. How can I work on some key issues with my game when I've got an abundance of mistakes to deal with (a bit of an exaggeration)

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Practise (not play). Boring stuff, basics, the things you are not good at. But per day exactly only one until you achieve an improvement. Don't try to improve all at once or something - you'll get frustrated and stuck.
Also practise completely different things (play Carom or Cowboy pool or .... ).
Actually get an instructor. I had a carom instructor for 1/2 year.

Then I used to practise rail shots a lot. Then I practised rail shot + position for next shot. Then longer rail shots and position with a lot of spin. Then the "Neil Robertson" top spin banana shot to park the CB near the cushion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdPXe9DvLsE

Back off a bit? Yes. You clearly need to work on fundamentals now. And you will need to do that from time to time again.
For me the most important thing still is the alignment BEFORE I step into the shot and assume my stance. You'll need to find out your key element.

Good luck! May your WX900 serve you well!

M.G. said:

Well, don't really ask instructors on that, they are way too deep in the conventional approach. Yes, that is a constructive criticism to instructors on this very topic and also against the conventional wisdom that a thicker shaft "is easier to play".

I went gladly from a 12,7mm shaft to 9mm snooker shaft (Cuetec Fusion).
My aiming has instantly improved greatly, the accuracy of applying proper spin also. And this shaft is a cheap, non-LD one but has better LD properties than the conventional LD shafts due to diamter an very slim ferrule.
With 12,7mm I was never really sure where the tip would hit the CB exactly.

Simply due to the fact that the smaller size does not obstruct my view to the cue ball anymore AND I know exactly were I will be hitting the CB.
The canonical taper also helped. Canonical with an open bridge is far easier to play and keep the sliding straight. You'll get intro trouble with a closed bridge, yes.

Now to your question, going 11,7 or 11,5mm or something will not have that big of an impact versus your excellent WX900 really.
You would need to go down to 10,Xmm or something to get a real difference - if you can try the slimmer Carom cues for fun.
However, from your description your equipment was limiting (or not fitting for you) you before but now not anymore. You have identified that it's about fundamentals now. Go work on them.

Last thing: keep practising the lag and the CB should touch your tip when it returns not too far off the center.

Cheers,
M

Click to expand...

I will not be polite in my response because the response I'm quoting above was not polite.

The above advice is dangerous. Making a change from a 12.7mm shaft to a snooker 9mm shaft is not effective for pool. The positive effects will wear off over time and eventually, the player will find that there will be more negative than positive.

If it were better to use snooker shafts for pool, you would see more pros using them. Snooker balls are smaller and lighter than pool balls. Keep that in mind. Snooker players who switch to pool, eventually also change their cues to those more suited for pool.

The cues used for carom play are not slimmer as the poster above wants you to believe. In fact, it's the opposite. The taper of those shafts is much sharper, and it will be difficult to shoot big shots in pool with a long stroke with a closed bridge. You will feel the change in taper of the cue as it goes through your fingers. Carom players use shorter bridge lengths and aren't as affected by the sharp taper.

Change is often necessary as players strive to grow, and there is no easy answer to what changes a player should make at any given time. My best recommendation for the OP would be to ignore uninformed advice like the one posted above.

When you do experiment, make sure you give your change enough time for you to adjust and decide whether or not the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I do like low deflection shafts and if you feel like you want to try one, I think you should.