i dont understand the hype about ld shafts

L

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
about 4 years ago i traded a meucci gambler even for a brand new predator blak with a 314 shaft.

it was my 1st cue with a ld shaft. i played with it for a year and after going through about 4 different brands of tips i got to where i played decent with it. i just never could play great with it so i gave it to my gf and bought me a custom.

well she bought me a mcdermott with a g core shaft for christmas. i played with it for a month or 2 and went back to my custom because i just did not like the shaft.

tue nite i pull the mcdermott out of the closet and take it to apa league. big mistake.... i played lousy. i missed easy shots, im talkin easy shots i can make off handed with any cue with a standard maple shaft.i lost 3-1 against a 4 that i shut out 4-0 last time i played him. the only reason i won 1 rack was because he scratched on the 8 lol.

last night i pull my 8 year old viking out of the closet and take it to my bcapl format league. i shot great with it.

i won 3 of my 5 matches. had 1 break and run" only broke 2 times". had an 8 ball runout after my opponent scratched on the break.

cues with ld shafts just dont do it for me. after making 2 honest efforts to play with ld shafts with lousy results i guess the old saying " if it aint broke , dont fix it " applies in my case.
 
It probably took me a month or two just to get used to my Z2. The main thing I did like about it was that I felt I could shoot a more touch-type shot with spin and not have the deflection. Maybe it was the tip, but I was more confident with that shaft on those shots than I am with a standard shaft. It all depends on what suits you. That shaft suited me just fine for a while.
 
I've been playing with Dominator Shafts on my 60" Alex Brick Custom for 4+ yrs. and
really like the way they play. However, I also play with regular Maple Shafts on other Cues
and the results are about the same.
I kind of think that IF a player believes he plays better with an LD Shaft, then he probably
does, as the Mental Game is a large part of winning. I play better with Cues I believe help
me play better.
 
Banks said:
It probably took me a month or two just to get used to my Z2. The main thing I did like about it was that I felt I could shoot a more touch-type shot with spin and not have the deflection. Maybe it was the tip, but I was more confident with that shaft on those shots than I am with a standard shaft. It all depends on what suits you. That shaft suited me just fine for a while.
Click to expand...

Mo deflection, Lo deflection, No deflection. You get use to whatever.
 
It takes more time than a night of a pool league to break the habit of subconsciously making allowances for the deflection of a standard shaft. It can take quite a bit of time if you're older and learned to play with standard shafts.

I learned to play with a standard shaft. However, that standard shaft was 11.5mm and was pretty low deflecting as it was. Then I started playing with a Tiger X Pro, and my game jumped quite a bit. Everything was so much more consistent. Then I got a Bobby Hunter, and decided to give his shafts a shot. I played with them for a year, and they played great as long as I stayed on the vertical axis. I could hit shots with english, but consistency was an issue. I loved the hit of those shafts, Ivory ferrule and all, but holy crap did they deflect A LOT! I got really good action with them though, especially draw.

I recently went back to my old cue with the Tiger shaft. I'm playing better, more consistent, and I'm not afraid to juice the ball 3 rails with inside. It doesn't draw well for me though, but I figured out it's just simply too stiff for me. I don't like the hit of it as much as the Hunter, but it performs better. I'm using the Tiger shaft until I can afford the OB-2 for my Hunter. I can get all the action out of the OB-2 as I could with the Hunter shafts, with the consistency of the low deflection characteristics. I like the hit better than the Tiger shaft too.
 
You need to understand how and why deflection happens! We all know what it is in simple terms, but most don't really know! My opinion is if you shoot with a cue long enough, you will figure it out, eventually!!! If you truly understand deflection and how it works, you can adapt fairly quickly to how each cue plays! Most important thing to remember, how consistent is your stroke??? That is key to the whole thing!
 
i am an old dog that does not mind learning new tricks. " pushing 60 "

heck i have learned more in the last 5 years than i did in my 1st 20 years of playing.

i was just a bar banger knocking balls in pockets until i joined league play. since playing leagues i have learned a lot about english, pattern play, defense, you name it.

i have had both teamates and opponents take the time to teach me things.

when i got the predator i was bound and determined to learn to play with it because it was the 1st high dollar cue i ever owned. i know 1,400 dollars aint much for a cue to some of you but it darn sure was to me even though i got it in trade for a meucci i only paid 200.00 for. the most i had ever paid for a cue was 400.00 for my viking i bought 8 years ago. i now own a 3,000.00 custom i played league for a year with.its been in the closet for the last 2 months but its going to be my daily player again soon right now i am just rotating all my cues just to keep them limbered up.

as for the mcdermott i played with it 3 nights a week for 2 months before putting it in the closet. i shot about 10 racks at the house before heading to league getting adjusted to the ld shaft. i hate not playing with it much since it was a christmas gift from my gf. i think i will get a straight maple shaft for it and use it a lil more often.i do have 2 other mcdermotts with regular shafts i could use on it but the ringwork dont match.
 
lorider said:
i am an old dog that does not mind learning new tricks. " pushing 60 "

heck i have learned more in the last 5 years than i did in my 1st 20 years of playing.

i was just a bar banger knocking balls in pockets until i joined league play. since playing leagues i have learned a lot about english, pattern play, defense, you name it.

i have had both teamates and opponents take the time to teach me things.

when i got the predator i was bound and determined to learn to play with it because it was the 1st high dollar cue i ever owned. i know 1,400 dollars aint much for a cue to some of you but it darn sure was to me even though i got it in trade for a meucci i only paid 200.00 for. the most i had ever paid for a cue was 400.00 for my viking i bought 8 years ago. i now own a 3,000.00 custom i played league for a year with.its been in the closet for the last 2 months but its going to be my daily player again soon right now i am just rotating all my cues just to keep them limbered up.

as for the mcdermott i played with it 3 nights a week for 2 months before putting it in the closet. i shot about 10 racks at the house before heading to league getting adjusted to the ld shaft. i hate not playing with it much since it was a christmas gift from my gf. i think i will get a straight maple shaft for it and use it a lil more often.i do have 2 other mcdermotts with regular shafts i could use on it but the ringwork dont match.
Click to expand...

Check your PMS....

Chris
 
In your original post you titled it, "I don't understand the hype....."

So then, you do understand. Its hype. :smile:
 
The plywood gimmick sticks are not intended for real pool players... it's just an easy way to cash in on the wannabes...
 
softshot said:
The plywood gimmick sticks are not intended for real pool players... it's just an easy way to cash in on the wannabes...
Click to expand...

OK then ... no Smiley?

So why would any A++ to pro player use the plywood and risk not playing their best ? :confused:

Sent from my SCH-M828C using Tapatalk 2
 
Lonestar_jim said:
OK then ... no Smiley?

So why would any A++ to pro player use the plywood and risk not playing their best ? :confused:

Sent from my SCH-M828C using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

A while back I did a contrast of the AZB money list vs the listed predator"sponsored" players ..and frankly it looked REALLY bad for predator.... you can try and find it if you like... if it hasn't been deleted... on "accident"
 
Lonestar_jim said:
OK then ... no Smiley?

So why would any A++ to pro player use the plywood and risk not playing their best ? :confused:

Sent from my SCH-M828C using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

I think I am with him on this... Bring your kindling Softshot and I'll bring my engineered plywood... Doesn't have to be spensive... can even be fo free... long as it gets streamed.......

=)
Chris
 
For me it comes down to this: if you already play well with a standard shaft and have learned to compensate for deflection through years of play and practice, don't switch. If you're just starting out, buy an LD shaft and don't worry about it.
 
SakuJack said:
For me it comes down to this: if you already play well with a standard shaft and have learned to compensate for deflection through years of play and practice, don't switch. If you're just starting out, buy an LD shaft and don't worry about it.
Click to expand...

Hang on, you make it sound like ld shafts don't deflect. They do, you just miss in a different place for 200 dollars extra.
 
ld shafts

lorider said:
about 4 years ago i traded a meucci gambler even for a brand new predator blak with a 314 shaft.

it was my 1st cue with a ld shaft. i played with it for a year and after going through about 4 different brands of tips i got to where i played decent with it. i just never could play great with it so i gave it to my gf and bought me a custom.

well she bought me a mcdermott with a g core shaft for christmas. i played with it for a month or 2 and went back to my custom because i just did not like the shaft.

tue nite i pull the mcdermott out of the closet and take it to apa league. big mistake.... i played lousy. i missed easy shots, im talkin easy shots i can make off handed with any cue with a standard maple shaft.i lost 3-1 against a 4 that i shut out 4-0 last time i played him. the only reason i won 1 rack was because he scratched on the 8 lol.

last night i pull my 8 year old viking out of the closet and take it to my bcapl format league. i shot great with it.

i won 3 of my 5 matches. had 1 break and run" only broke 2 times". had an 8 ball runout after my opponent scratched on the break.

cues with ld shafts just dont do it for me. after making 2 honest efforts to play with ld shafts with lousy results i guess the old saying " if it aint broke , dont fix it " applies in my case.
Click to expand...

Lorider,
Im a traditionalist and haven't liked the ld shafts Ive tried until....the new OB. I actually like that shaft. Its a great way to join some pieces of wood and tip feels very natural and not too light. I am playing with traditional because my shafts are 12.85 and they play well and don't deflect a lot plus they are customized to the cue. I would play with the new OB;s if I had them and Im sure there would be a learning curve of sorts but I think I would suffer through it for 2 perfect shafts that played the same and deflected about a half ball or less....full table.
 
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