Are LD shafts only really helpful on long shots w/ a lot of side spin?
- Thread starter bobbydee
- Start date
Good point!
Paul_#_
Well-known member
How helpful is using an LD shaft on shots close to the pocket (OB and CB on the same half of the table) and inadvertent spin applied?
Or on those shots where side spin was not inadvertently applied?
If you're bridging at the cue's natural pivot point it doesn't matter, either one is just as forgiving. If you're not, then LD will deviate less but both will be off. On loose equipment you'll make more balls, but still wonder why in the hell the cb did what it did. If you're bridging at the pivot point of a normal deflection shaft and not on an ld shaft, then the normal shaft will be much more forgiving of stroke deviations.
Paul_#_
Well-known member
As to BobbyDee's question, Are LD shafts only really helpful on long shots w/ a lot of side spin?
ChatGPT said it helped some to a lot even on shots with side spin where both cue ball and object ball were on the same half of the table. See below. This likely could mean whether spin was intentional or inadvertent.
ChatGPT claimed it got some (or all?) of this info from Dr Dave at https://drdavepoolinfo.com/faq/cue/low-squirt/
ChatGPT said it helped some to a lot even on shots with side spin where both cue ball and object ball were on the same half of the table. See below. This likely could mean whether spin was intentional or inadvertent.
ChatGPT claimed it got some (or all?) of this info from Dr Dave at https://drdavepoolinfo.com/faq/cue/low-squirt/
Being an old school long ferrule guy, that would be my guess. In the rotation games with tight pockets and limited positional options, the pros especially, want the bigger window of consistency.
No need to guess
Just shoot parallel to the aiming line
what he said
LD changes the aim of every shot with spin, even if it’s 1” away.
I find LD shafts are almost impossible for jump shots. But I am not good at that since a fall which totally separated some shoulder muscles.
I have been playing with the wood shaft version of a lower deflection shaft, aka Kielwood.
CF shafts just didn’t feel good in my closed bridge since I don’t wear a glove. So I know
that KW shafts are not equivalent to a CF shaft in terms of degree of deflection. But I’ve
played with maple shafts for over 6 decades and deflection is just a natural phenomena
of the game. I don’t even think about it when I aim on a rail to rail shot 9’ away. Your eye
just knows where you aim, even on a slower stroked CB, when you hit as many pool ball
as I have. After getting my first Kielwood shaft, I fell in love with it after about 90 mins of
practice. There’s absolutely less deflection than maple shafts and hard struck shots barely
exhibit any that I can discern. The shaft hits more firm and it feels like you can stroke the
CB with English and the KW still imparts the feel of a center ball hit. It just feels solid & stiff.
I can aim tighter. I’m making really hard cut shots more often and still getting great position.
Anyone that likes the feel of a wood shaft really should try a Kielwood shaft. The challenge
is if you borrow another person’s cue, it might be heavier or lighter and different size shafts
than you normally play. For the price, I think you should just order one that fits your favorite
cue. I’m not suggesting switching from CF to KW but I’m saying KW is superior to orig. maple.
CF shafts just didn’t feel good in my closed bridge since I don’t wear a glove. So I know
that KW shafts are not equivalent to a CF shaft in terms of degree of deflection. But I’ve
played with maple shafts for over 6 decades and deflection is just a natural phenomena
of the game. I don’t even think about it when I aim on a rail to rail shot 9’ away. Your eye
just knows where you aim, even on a slower stroked CB, when you hit as many pool ball
as I have. After getting my first Kielwood shaft, I fell in love with it after about 90 mins of
practice. There’s absolutely less deflection than maple shafts and hard struck shots barely
exhibit any that I can discern. The shaft hits more firm and it feels like you can stroke the
CB with English and the KW still imparts the feel of a center ball hit. It just feels solid & stiff.
I can aim tighter. I’m making really hard cut shots more often and still getting great position.
Anyone that likes the feel of a wood shaft really should try a Kielwood shaft. The challenge
is if you borrow another person’s cue, it might be heavier or lighter and different size shafts
than you normally play. For the price, I think you should just order one that fits your favorite
cue. I’m not suggesting switching from CF to KW but I’m saying KW is superior to orig. maple.