World #2 Jayson Shaw joins the DigiCue Team

shanesinnott

Follow Through
Silver Member
We are proud to announce that Jayson ‘Eagle Eye’ Shaw has joined the DigiCue Team of Pro Players. Jayson is currently the WPA #2 ranked player in the world, one of the hottest players on the world tournament circuit and a threat to win any event he competes in.

So why would one of the best players in the world endorse a billiard training aid? Jayson Shaw: “As good as I am playing right now, every now and then my stroke gets a little out of line. We all have bad habits that surface from time to time so when I practice with the DigiCue it immediately alerts me with a vibration when my stroke is not where it needs to be. When most people think of training aids they think they are only for beginners but I really do believe that the DigiCue can benefit any player of any skill level.”

Introduced by OB Cues in November 2016, the DigiCue has been one of the fastest selling products in the billiard industry over the last 10 months. It is a small electronic device that slides onto the back of any pool, snooker or carom cue and will alert you with a subtle vibration when it detects your stroke going off line, jumping up on the shot or poor follow through. With an MSRP of $99.99 and a replaceable battery that is good for 40,000 shots, the DigiCue is a perfect gift and a great compliment to anyone that wants to get serious about their game.

The DigiCue was developed by OB Cues who are headquartered in Plano, Texas and are a leading manufacturer of high performance Pool Cues and Pool Cue Shafts made 100% in the USA since 2005. For more information on the DigiCue, OB Cues, OB shafts or to become an authorized dealer, please visit www.obcues.com or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/obcues

Jayson Shaw Web Slide.jpg
 

boogeyman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
He's going to be mad when he finds out there's a new one coming out. ;)

He would be madder if he didn't get the sponsorship.

But are you kidding me?
He doesn't need this training aid! His stroke is pure as all get out.
He is only endorsing it (and following a script) because it's his sponsor.

But if you're number two player in the world, and you get a sponsor, you follow the sponsor's rule(s). Business is as business does.
 

9ballhasbeen

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cue Question

Hi, so are we to understand he is playing with OB Cues or is he only endorsing the Digi-Cue product? I ask as I thought he was playing for Meucci Cues.

Thanks!
 

shanesinnott

Follow Through
Silver Member
Hi, so are we to understand he is playing with OB Cues or is he only endorsing the Digi-Cue product? I ask as I thought he was playing for Meucci Cues.

Thanks!

Jayson is still sponsored by and plays with Meucci Cues. His sponsorship with us is for the DigiCue brand.
 

shinobi

kanadajindayo
Silver Member
Has anyone seen Jayson USING the digicue?

I saw a video of Jason testing the DigiCue that had been modified so that instead of simply buzzing (that only Jason would feel) it also turned on an external light.

Perhaps that early try-out led to conversations with OB and eventually this arrangement.
 

Tin Man

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
DigiCue

This thread got me interested. I ordered a DigiCue and it arrived today.

It's too early for me to tell if this is going to be useful. Here is my initial experience.

It was simply enough to use. Nice clear instructions, easy to set up, easy to toggle from one level to the next.

I set it on the easy level for 'novice' and expected that I would run need to move to at least the intermediate level, if not the advanced. After all I am a pretty strong player. I was shocked to find out that the majority of my shots made the device buzz. I knew it was working correctly and that I was on level 1. I shot some softer shots and it didn't go off. But many of my medium speed swings were making it buzz. Interesting.

It's possible I have some unusual mechanics. For example, one some shots I do a 'toss and catch', where I literally toss my cue at the cue ball, let the cue slide through my hands, and catch it at the end. I don't think about this, it's just part of how I hit some shots. I thought maybe the DigiCue didn't like that. But later after some practice I got so I was doing this and some of the time it didn't buzz. So I guess I just wasn't tossing straight enough, or maybe the timing was off.

I decided to try to play the 6 ball ghost and count it as a loss if I buzzed. I lost 5-0. Each time I set up the shot that had triggered the buzzer and for the most part I was able to work on the shots until I could make them without buzzing.

Some shots I really struggle to get the device not to buzz. In particular very soft shots with spin were causing me some trouble, more so than firmer shots. Interesting.

Where I started getting frustrated was there are a few shots I haven't figured out a way to avoid making it buzz. I had a shot where I was jacked up on the side rail and had to draw the cue ball. I have yet to find a way to shoot this shot without making it buzz. Also, shooting off a rail with any speed I can't figure out a way to avoid the buzz as well. Maybe the acceleration is too abrupt, maybe my swing can't complete smoothly. I'm not sure.

I do understand where the others are coming from that have said they would like to know what triggers it. Like a phone app that synchs that tells you what went wrong. I'd also like to know if some of these shots (like the jacked up shots) are even possible without triggering it or if this is a level shot only. (I tried a few masses as well and I don't know if it's really designed for extreme curves for example).

I am friends with Mike Fieldhammer, aka BilliardCoach. I might have him watch me and try this device out a bit with me. Maybe he can give me a second opinion.

All in all, I'm interested in toying with this some more but not entirely convinced. Maybe I can use this while doing drills, or working on certain shots that I might steer on or not approach as confidently. I'm not sure. Part of me wonders if my fundamentals might just be a little out of round but extremely effective, and that trying to tinker with them too much might cause more harm than good after 30 years. I wonder if Efren's stroke would make this thing buzz.

I've hung it up for today but I will try it again tomorrow. For anyone that has used it more than me please feel free to share some feedback or suggestions. It does feel satisfying to hit a long draw shot and not get buzzed. I'm certainly not disappointed with this, but I do hope there is a way to get something tangible from this. I really think it's a good idea. If for some reason I can't find a way to use this to improve my game I will certainly keep up on what other innovations they come up with. They are certainly on the right track and might already be there. As I said it's still a little early for me to tell.

Thanks guys and thank you Digi.
 

Cardigan Kid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I received the DigiCue from OB through their giveaway they had on AZ last year. Although I never did write a complete review, I worked the DigiCue into my practice routine and eventually found how it can be most effective, so I'll take this thread as an opportunity to write about it.

The DigiCue I have is not the Blue version so you have to take a mental snapshot of your last stroke and review it if the buzzer goes off. This gets a lot easier the more and more you use DigiCue as you start to instinctually communicate with the device. After a run of shots without it buzzing, you will know what you did wrong on the very next "bad" stroke.

That's where I believe the DigiCue's strength is - it gets the player to hyper focus on mechanics so much to the point of building that muscle memory in a more concentrated way. There really isn't another training aid like it.

To maximize the effectiveness of the DigiCue, through my time with it, I noticed that it works best on drills that concentrate on stroke mechanics.

Sure you could play the ghost with it installed on your cue, but many times you will be wondering if it went off because of a bad stroke, or because you used extreme English with a perfect stroke and the vibrations of off center hits made it go off.

There are countless times, I executed the correct shot, with the desired results only to be told by DigiCue that it was a bad stroke. This is where the player can get into trouble because you might over compensate or change to satisfy DigiCue and that will be just enough to throw you off.

Because of this, I decided to utilize DigiCue in a very isolated training regiment and it has worked wonders and makes for a fun "ghost" type game you can play on your own versus the DigiCue. All you need is empty pool table, a cue ball, and the DigiCue.

Here's how I currently apply the DigiCue into training.

The Steve Davis drill was highlighted in Mark Wilson's book as a way to test the straightness of your stroke. Here's a video of a young Steve Davis, demonstrating this drill....

https://youtu.be/W3Kvfhg7rx0

Later, I would discover that the German PAT tests in level 1-3, Ralph Eckert would take this drill to the next level and you would hit one ball at a speed of 2,3, or 4 rails down and back and try to keep it within the width of a dollar bill. The max speed would be 4 rails and have to keep it on that line.

Here's the example of that drill on level 1...

https://youtu.be/YBqsF76Vs0Q

Now with the DigiCue, for the first 15 minutes of practice (sometimes I'll even go 30-45 minutes on this). I will go through the levels and get 10 shots and see if I can get a perfect score (no buzz) but the speed has to be a 3 rail speed.

My best to date against the DigiCue was 10 for 10 level 1, 7 for 10 level 2, and 5 for 10 level 3. Of course there are nights where I get goose eggs, and that is up to me to figure out how to get back on line to beat DigiCue.

The key with DigiCue is the repetition. And with just you and a cue ball and doing this drill, you then become a student of the DigiCue. But also, the repetition of stepping in and down into your stance, pre shot routine all now have a purpose and can become more instinctual because you are now playing against something, but in a controlled environment and learning from the mistakes.

I imagine with the new DigiCue Blue, you could do this drill with your phone next to you on the table and upon a buzz, you now can get feedback as to what really went wrong and if that was the same that you felt was wrong. So the Blue is definitely the next level.

This is a great invention and works great when utilized in the right context. I believe that the Steve Davis drill and DigiCue would challenge even Jayson Shaw and help any pool player that needs to warm up before a match or freshen up their stroke.

Thanks again to OB for the opportunity to learn with this amazing device.
 
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Tin Man

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Thank you Cardigan. I appreciate the feedback and tips.

I just finished session two and I believe I have grown to be a fan of the DigiCue.

This time I started with Joe Tucker's straight in drill. Half court straight in shot, 25 shots total, 5 stops, 5 punch follows, 5 punch draws, 5 follows, and 5 draws. I had this little bugger set on novice and it was still challenging for me. I hit nearly all of my stop shots without getting buzzed. The punch follows and punch draws weren't much worse. But when I started trying to follow the ball I was more erratic. Even on shots I hit clean enough to follow the cue ball into the pocket I was getting buzzed some of the time. I spent a little extra time experimenting and got to where I was smoothing the follow shots pretty good. Then my deep draw shots came and I found that most of the time I could avoid the buzz.

I think my problem with the follow shots is I wasn't accelerating through the ball well enough. I wonder if on some shots I flinch a bit, or let off on my stroke. When I started really swinging through the ball the buzz went away.

I also have trouble on some softly rolled cut shots. For example, cue ball on the head spot, object ball on the foot spot, open bridge, cut it in at pocket speed. I must be steering a little or something.

Finally I tried throwing one ball on the table and shooting it with ball in hand. When I made it without buzzing I'd go to two. Then to three. If I missed or buzzed I'd take a ball off. THIS DRILL WAS HARD! I failed at two several times before making it to three. I think I maxed out at six. I would think I had it dialed in and then- BUZZ!!!

What I can say is that it feels really good when you start hitting your shots well without the buzz. I am definitely putting much more focus into even easy shots, making sure my cue line is straight, making sure I am accelerating through the ball. The timing of the swing and the rhythm of your shooting becomes really absorbing.

I think I'm going to like this. At worst it will make me bear down when I'm practicing. At best I might be detecting and ironing out some bugs in my swing. I am always a little skeptical until I have more sample size but I will say that as of this moment I am very satisfied and interested in working with this again tomorrow. I'll keep you guys posted as I progress.
 

medallio

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I THINK there is a certain amount of time you have to freeze after stroke or it will buzz. Try freezing for a moment after shot. I could be wrong, but I swear it buzzed less often when I focus on that
 

Cardigan Kid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thank you Cardigan. I appreciate the feedback and tips.

I just finished session two and I believe I have grown to be a fan of the DigiCue.

This time I started with Joe Tucker's straight in drill. Half court straight in shot, 25 shots total, 5 stops, 5 punch follows, 5 punch draws, 5 follows, and 5 draws. I had this little bugger set on novice and it was still challenging for me. I hit nearly all of my stop shots without getting buzzed. The punch follows and punch draws weren't much worse. But when I started trying to follow the ball I was more erratic. Even on shots I hit clean enough to follow the cue ball into the pocket I was getting buzzed some of the time. I spent a little extra time experimenting and got to where I was smoothing the follow shots pretty good. Then my deep draw shots came and I found that most of the time I could avoid the buzz.

I think my problem with the follow shots is I wasn't accelerating through the ball well enough. I wonder if on some shots I flinch a bit, or let off on my stroke. When I started really swinging through the ball the buzz went away.

I also have trouble on some softly rolled cut shots. For example, cue ball on the head spot, object ball on the foot spot, open bridge, cut it in at pocket speed. I must be steering a little or something.

Finally I tried throwing one ball on the table and shooting it with ball in hand. When I made it without buzzing I'd go to two. Then to three. If I missed or buzzed I'd take a ball off. THIS DRILL WAS HARD! I failed at two several times before making it to three. I think I maxed out at six. I would think I had it dialed in and then- BUZZ!!!

What I can say is that it feels really good when you start hitting your shots well without the buzz. I am definitely putting much more focus into even easy shots, making sure my cue line is straight, making sure I am accelerating through the ball. The timing of the swing and the rhythm of your shooting becomes really absorbing.

I think I'm going to like this. At worst it will make me bear down when I'm practicing. At best I might be detecting and ironing out some bugs in my swing. I am always a little skeptical until I have more sample size but I will say that as of this moment I am very satisfied and interested in working with this again tomorrow. I'll keep you guys posted as I progress.

I also forgot to mention that I have experimented with a variety of cues and shafts. I found that the longer the cue, the harder it is to get a good hit. I play with a 62" cue. I have also used a standard length with a mid cue insert. Whenever I go with the standard length cue, no inserts or extensions on the back, it's easier to get a good hit.

I'm fairly sure that if you have a lot of cue butt after your grip hand, that's the part that will give away the small movement that breaks the virtual plane the DigiCue senses and indicate a bad hit...even though you may have been flawless in your fundamentals.

At times, with the longer cue, even though I execute a great hit on the cue ball and send it straight up and down three rails, I still get a buzz.

I've had better results when I play a standard size cue where my grip hand would be right on the butt of the cue and therefore on the upper rubber edge of the DigiCue, thus steadying the area with the device more.

For me the longer cue allows me to open up my arms more so I play with that, and I test with the DigiCue on that as well.

So I do believe the length of the cue does play into a factor in how the DigiCue senses the shot.
 
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