Low deflection back to solid maple? Have you?

nj82tj

The dude abides.
Silver Member
Just like the title says. Have you played LD shafts and end up back with a solid maple? I sent in my ob and have been shooting with the solid maple in the mean time. I think I like it more. Anyone else? I'm struggling with this a little. Personal preference, I know, but I'm curious.
 

Danimal

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I did it, and it took me a solid year to adjust to the maple.

I don't like the feel of LDs anymore.

Since I made the switch I've been playing my best pool.
 

nj82tj

The dude abides.
Silver Member
Good points thanks. I'm by no means a pro player but I'm decent. I tried LD shafts and I really want to like them but I feel better with a solid maple and a nice tip. I'm not really a power stroke shooter, maybe that's why I like maple? I dunno. Again, just looking for some insight from others on here. Thanks! 🍻
 

john coloccia

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I tried LD for a while. Had to send the cue back for reasons unrelated to liking it or not, but I haven't had a desire to go back to LD, and I probably never will. As I get better, I find myself using MUCH less english anyhow.
 

barrymuch90

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I used predator for awhile then bought a custom(Dan Dicola)with Intentions of buying a predator shaft but after getting used to the feel of the cue I decided not to get a predator. I used ld long enough to see the big difference needed in aiming squirt deflection etc. I believe the difference in ld n maple helped realize all these small factors that are necessary to play at a high level. At this point in my pool career I believe I could play effectively with anything if I had time to get used to it so it comes down to preference in hit and feel and for me the Dan Dicola just feels right in my hands.
 

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I tried a Predator 314 shaft (original) and I didn't care for the hit.....went back to orig. maple shafts within a month and have never thought about using anything else ever since.
 

victorl

Where'd my stroke go?
Silver Member
Yes, I switched back almost a year ago. I think it's improved my game in most areas, but the only thing is I find firm shots with inside english are much more difficult and not as consistent, so I try to play for shape where I can use center ball/outside english as much as possible. I still have my LD cue handy on the sidelines for the odd occasion where I need to shoot a stroke shot with inside. I think people are confused when I switch cues in the middle of a run for a single shot and then switch back again for the rest of the run.
 

mortuarymike-nv

mortuarymike-nv
Silver Member
Meucci

To me the worse shaft cue was the meucci black dot shaft.
Switched back to solid maple and never want to use another LD shaft for the rest of my life.

I am in my shop and I have everything it takes to make a new pool cue
Making one right now ...

My point is I can make myself solid maple or non laminated LD shafts .

I prefer solid maple ....
 

nj82tj

The dude abides.
Silver Member
Yes, I switched back almost a year ago. I think it's improved my game in most areas, but the only thing is I find firm shots with inside english are much more difficult and not as consistent, so I try to play for shape where I can use center ball/outside english as much as possible. I still have my LD cue handy on the sidelines for the odd occasion where I need to shoot a stroke shot with inside. I think people are confused when I switch cues in the middle of a run for a single shot and then switch back again for the rest of the run.

I would definitely scratch my head if I saw you switch for one shot. Ha.
 

nj82tj

The dude abides.
Silver Member
BTW, if you'd put the Pechauer LD shaft on your cue, you might never have looked back. I'll still be using mine as a backup when my new cue gets here. Those are solid and deserve more notice.

Edit: "Solid" was a poor choice of wording. They are not solid maple.

I knew what you meant. Good catch tho. 👍
 

WillyCornbread

Break and One
Silver Member
I shot with a Predator for a year or so, then I bought a custom PFD cue with solid maple shaft.

I like the balance of the PFD, but I've gone back to my Predator as my player for now - I found myself whiffing on super thin feather the ball kind of safety hits. I believe this is the solid maple exposing a minor flaw in my stroke. When I lost 2 matches because of this I went back.

Obviously this is the indian and not the arrow, but I didn't / don't have the patience to adjust right now because of league regionals / vegas playoffs.


b
 

BigBoof

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am going through this debate myself. Just got a Sly with standard shafts and his own LD shaft. The LD shaft and I hit it right off, breaking and running two racks of 10-ball. I tried a solid maple shaft next and it didn't feel much different, moved the cue ball similarly.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Allen Brown

Pool Whale
Silver Member
I used a Z2 for about 4 years and have been using my custom cue makers shafts for the past 4 years or so. I won't ever go back to anything other than what the maker makes. To me it's like buying a ice cream cone with no ice cream in it. I don't want to mess myself over for what I've paid for.
 

nj82tj

The dude abides.
Silver Member
I used a Z2 for about 4 years and have been using my custom cue makers shafts for the past 4 years or so. I won't ever go back to anything other than what the maker makes. To me it's like buying a ice cream cone with no ice cream in it. I don't want to mess myself over for what I've paid for.

That's a good analogy.
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
Just like the title says. Have you played LD shafts and end up back with a solid maple? I sent in my ob and have been shooting with the solid maple in the mean time. I think I like it more. Anyone else? I'm struggling with this a little. Personal preference, I know, but I'm curious.

Why are you struggling? With the switch or the idea of switching back?

Lower squirt (LD shafts) helps a lot of people. It doesn't help everyone. I have something like 12 or more low squirt shafts. I played with a 314-1 for a few years, but I had to load it up with mass to increase the squirt. And today, I'm back to shooting with a regular shaft. And I'm having a great time, and I certainly don't have any issues using mega doses of either side of the ball, inside or outside, at any time. My speed control is better, shots with english make more sense (I had a good handle on squirt years before the advent of low squirt shafts), and I haven't been a "bad shotmaker" in decades. Low squirt shafts never made me a better shot maker.

Freddie <~~~ back to normal
 
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john coloccia

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm sure it's been discussed somewhere, but does anyone have any idea what most pros are shooting....or put another way, what most pros would shoot without endorsements?
 

one stroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Why are you struggling? With the switch or the idea of switching back?

Lower squirt (LD shafts) helps a lot of people. It doesn't help everyone. I have something like 12 or more low squirt shafts. I played with a 314-1 for a few years, but I had to load it up with mass to increase the squirt. And today, I'm back to shooting with a regular shaft. And I'm having a great time, and I certainly don't have any issues using mega doses of either side of the ball, inside or outside, at any time. My speed control is better, shots with english make more sense (I had a good handle on squirt years before the advent of low squirt shafts), and I haven't been a "bad shotmaker" in decades. Low squirt shafts never made me a better shot maker.

Freddie <~~~ back to normal

You don't have to load up masse to get more squirt you simply have to get father to the edge of the cue ball , what a LD shaft does is allows you to play closer to center get more spin with less squirt ,,
All shafts have a learning curb , one of the best things of a LD shaft is if a ball is close to the cue ball path but u need big English you can shot that shot and not worry about clipping that ball along the way

1
 
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