★ Skinny Shaft vs. ★ Fat Shaft

I suspect it's one of those things where the perceived difference is much, much larger than the real difference.

A smaller/larger tip gives us a significantly different visual, so our logical minds tell us it must have a significant effect on the CB.

But in the grand scheme of things, the effect would be almost unmeasurable.

I use an 11.75mm tip because I like the way it feels in my bridge hand and gives me the perception of more accurate placement on the CB...but it's just a perception.

I prefer the smaller diam as well due to having small hands with stubby fingers. makes a closed bridge easier for me. I sometimes think I am more accurate as well.

Mike

bdorman said:

I use an 11.75mm tip because I like the way it feels in my bridge hand and gives me the perception of more accurate placement on the CB...but it's just a perception.

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I'm right with you on the perception part! I tried an 11.75mm shaft for a while and really liked it, then went back to 12.75mm for a while and am now back at 11.75mm. I really think it's the visual and perception of a more accurate tip placement on the CB. I don't think it makes much of a physical difference, but it's something that just feels better and more accurate to me so I think I'm going to be sticking with it, at least for now.

I like a larger diameter,12.8-13.1. Put a spot on the wall and back up 10ft. Now get a golf ball and a softball and see which one you can hit that spot more often with. We are trying to hit a small spot on the cue ball as accurately and as often as we can. Makes sense to me that a larger tip makes it easier. Just my opinion.


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I prefer a fatter shaft. I started using a 14mm over 45 years ago on the advice of Jack Taylor and I think I have more control with it. In addition, I built my closed bridge around a fatter shaft and anything much smaller makes the shaft feel too loose in my bridge.

I have an OB 2+ shaft that is 11.75mm that I use strictly for 3 cushion. It seems I get more spin off of it but this could just be perception as previously noted and it has a conical or European taper that really bothers me when I am playing pool. For pool I use a 12.25 hard maple shaft with a pro taper that I love.

I probably played my best pool with a 10-1/2 -11mm shaft. I am talking rotation games. It was the thin cut factor that I believe this. It felt better too as I have small hands. I felt I controlled cue better as I didn't have to shoot as hard get the desired position.

At one time a friend made a cue for me and it had a 13.01 mm shaft. I figured I'd hate because of mm size. It turned Out I loved it. Long straight shots nailed them. Balls made were center pocket. The shaft actually felt good too. The thin cut shots however were not nearly as accurate.

I have determined with the skinner shafts it is visual, but not all. I think the skinner shaft allows for a more precise hit on the cue ball. This may be some visual, but your eyes zero in on the point to hit because a smaller tip allows you to hit it. It sounds crazy and I could be wrong but I've tried both. That's what I come up with.

When I played with my skinny shaft I think I relied on speed to much, but it worked for short term. I rolled balls so much to the point it screwed up my stroke and follow through. I'm still experimenting a lot, lol. I've got into the low deflection shafts now and it's a huge learning process.

Scott

When I started playing, I noticed that the good players that had been playing for a while had thinner shafts and, especially in the bridging/stroking area. I also noticed that when I tried their cues I got a lot more action and better feel than with my stock 13mm shaft, with less effort. With my shaft it felt like I had to work a lot harder for the spin to take. Perhaps because my stroke was so poor, because today I can get whatever action I need with any diameter shaft, easily too, but at the time that was not true.

It was always a disappointment to go back to the log shaft afer that. I also started playing snooker, and I loved the thinner cues so much I tried using them for pool. Ever since, I can't play with stock 13+ mm shafts. It just feels like a telephone pole to me, not to mention that it obscures my view of the cueball. I now use 11,75, and I dont' think I'll ever go back to anything larger. However I do agree that especially with ld shafts I find power follow shots more challenging with the skinnier shafts. When i play snooker I always find that the whippier the shaft, the tougher it is to follow the ball well (and pocket the ball). I don't know if that is real effect or just me.Draws are about the same for me. I also seem to cut balls better with the thinner shafts, but I think that's just what I'm used to.

As an afterthought, I've always had an idea for a specialty shaft for power follows (especially from the cushion). The shaft should be medium thickness, conical and very stiff and have a HEAVY ferrule. You rarely have to smash shots from the cushion, but if I had to, that's the shaft I'd want. Of course such a shaft would be useless for anything else, apart from masses, so obviously I'll never get to test my idea. It would be an interesting experiment though.

I also feel that I get the best follow, stun, and controlled draw with a 13mm shaft. My tip-placement accuracy suffers with the 11.75mm shafts, but it definitely seems a lot easier to get table length draw shots and to get maximum spin. There must be a happy medium tip diameter where both follow, draw, side spin, and accuracy balance out. Im guessing 12.5mm might be the best of both worlds

stratshutr said:

I like a larger diameter,12.8-13.1. Put a spot on the wall and back up 10ft. Now get a golf ball and a softball and see which one you can hit that spot more often with. We are trying to hit a small spot on the cue ball as accurately and as often as we can. Makes sense to me that a larger tip makes it easier. Just my opinion.


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It would actually be the other way around. By that reasoning a 2 1/2" diameter shaft would be the rage but I don't think anyone would actually believe that or even try it. The tip to ball contact area is quite small, with both the tip and ball being round you need to be very accurate with tip placement. The smaller tip should make it easier to hit pinpoint spots on the cue ball. No matter what size your tip/shaft is if you are aiming for center ball and you hit left or right of that spot the cue ball will squirt left or right sometimes even causing us to miss the shot.

JoeyA said:

★ We're talking about 12.25mm and under for skinny shaft.
★★ And 12.75 and up for Fat Shaft.

It is becoming more and more clear to me that it is easier to cut balls and spin your cue ball with skinnier shafts than it is with fatter shafts. (not saying that you can apply more spin with either)

Also, it seems to be easier to shoot follow shots with fatter shafts (typical angle follow shots - not extreme cut shots).

Any thoughts or comments of why or why not?

JoeyA

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For me it doesn't matter much.
I have shafts that range from 11.5 to 13.2 and I notice only
very minor difference, perhaps just a little more action on
the cue ball but that's it.
Cuts? Never noticed it.

After all, no matter how wide the shaft is it's all about how
wide the contact point is on the tip.
And tips can take many shapes.

JoeyA said:

...it is easier to cut balls and spin your cue ball with skinnier shafts...(not saying that you can apply more spin with either)

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What do those words mean?

How is it easier to cut balls?

How is it easier to spin the CB (if you don't get more spin)?

pj
chgo

bdorman said:

I suspect it's one of those things where the perceived difference is much, much larger than the real difference.

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Yes, if there's any real difference at all.

...an 11.75mm tip ... gives me the perception of more accurate placement on the CB...but it's just a perception.

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It's not just a perception in this case. With a smaller tip you can more accurately estimate exactly what part of the tip will contact the CB (because there's less of it that won't).

pj
chgo

stratshutr said:

...get a golf ball and a softball and see which one you can hit that spot more often with. We are trying to hit a small spot on the cue ball as accurately and as often as we can. Makes sense to me that a larger tip makes it easier.

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fastone371 said:

It would actually be the other way around.

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Yes. We can't hit the spot with any part of the soft ball or golf ball - only one specific "point" on either will make contact with the spot. It's easier to estimate where that point is on the golf ball.

pj
chgo

The ideal shaft size for me would be 12.60 -12.70mm with a 17" taper, flat faced wood joint face and weigh >4. ozs........but it's a real challenge to find a 12.65mm shaft with a long taper that weighs over 4 ounces when there's no brass in the shaft.

In my experience, skinny shafts allow great short table (1/2 table) position and are great to use playing on the sandbox tables (7' versions) but are not a good choice for me when I play on 9' and 10' tables which is where I mostly play.......I really do not like playing on the junior size tables........that's why I quit playing APA 5 years ago.

When you practice basketball, you always should use a 10' high basket. Some grammar school playground areas have shorter baskets for the younger children to use.......I don;t shoot baskets on 7' or 8' high baskets......if it isn;t 10' tall, I won;t even bother taking the basketball out of my car's trunk. I feel the same way about 7' pool tables. Great for kids growing up to use but the real game is played on a 9' table and playing on 10' tables distinguishes one's skills and abilities pronto......you can't hide a mediocre pool game on a 10' table.......any flaws and weaknesses in your game appear immediately unlike on a 7" table.....even on a Diamond table.

IMO......pool was meant to be played on the larger size tables as far as I'm concerned. but if you favor playing on 7' tables, then a skinny shaft is better suited since it's more akin to playing 1/2 table shape. When I practice on 9' tables, I use a drill where I lay a pool cue across the middle pockets dividing the table in 1/2 (50" x 50" playing surface). If my cue ball touches the cue stick dividing the table at any time or a object ball does, I restart the drill. A skinny cue shaft is more effective controlling the cue ball in that drill......much more effective but it's a definite limitation for me playing on the full size 9' table......I play much better with a thicker shaft than a skinny one.......All my cues' shafts are 12/7 - 13mm.

Matt B.

A smaller tip does not:
- produce more or less spin (hitting the same CB spot)
- allow a more off center hit
- require more accuracy ("forgive" less)
- etc.

It only:
- makes it easier to see exactly where your tip hits the CB
- creates less squirt

pj
chgo

JoeyA said:

Another knowledgeable player wrote this: "Probably doesn't matter with an open bridge but if you use a closed bridge it matters a hell of a lot to those with thicker or shorter fingers vs. thinner or longer for comfort based on looseness or tightness within the loop as well as whether it's flopping around in different directions from being too loose."

JoeyA

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That is how I feel. I use a closed bridge on almost all my shots. I like the feel of the cue to be "tight" in my bridge and a thin shaft makes my bridge feel too loose because I can't get the same "grip" on it.