Practice Shaft vs Play Shaft
- Thread starter VVP
- Start date
That’s a pretty common misperception - but there’s no physical reason for it to be true. Shaft width has no effect on where we hit the CB.
Here’s a recent post with details:
https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=6572838#post6572838
pj
chgo
For what's it's worth, I play with both shafts and I believe the Predator Z3 11.5 mm shaft allows me to fine tune the accuracy of where to hit the cue ball.
I am fairly new, but I am beating people who have played over 10 years. Level 7 APA guys tell me that I am playing at least level 5 so "fairly new" is a relative phrase.
Is there a pro on this site? Not trying to upset anyone, but I just like to who who are the top level players on this site.
I am fairly new, but I am beating people who have played over 10 years. Level 7 APA guys tell me that I am playing at least level 5 so "fairly new" is a relative phrase.
Is there a pro on this site? Not trying to upset anyone, but I just like to who who are the top level players on this site.
Pangit
Banned
I agree....someones overthinking this.
Be like practicing skeet shooting with a 410 gauge and then in competition using a 12 gauge shotgun.
As others have pointed out this is not a common practice technique in pool. I would ask you to report back on how it works for you, but it will be impossible for you to know whether it had a positive or negative effect.
Keep it simple.
And, you may want to get some lessons if you are just starting out so you don't learn too many bad habits.
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I think it's good to practice with as many cues you can.
After a while you will notice differences in different cues.
I play with different shafts and different cues every week for testing.
If you play with something that isn't so good then go to your favorite it will be like
driving a Cadillac.
In the end when you have an important match you use what works the best for you.
You'll know after a while.
Now once you find your magic wand, you can stick with it...............or not.
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I think it's good to practice with as many cues you can.
After a while you will notice differences in different cues.
I play with different shafts and different cues every week for testing.
If you play with something that isn't so good then go to your favorite it will be like
driving a Cadillac.
In the end when you have an important match you use what works the best for you.
You'll know after a while.
Now once you find your magic wand, you can stick with it...............or not.
.
I think this post might have helped me understand what you're trying to do just a tad better.
So, does the game feel more challenging when you use the 11.5 mm shaft? Again, based on this post, I think that might be what you're doing. Like, you feel you really have to bear down, focus, and stroke more precisely with the 11.5 than the 12.75... If that's not the case, please disregard the rest of this reply.
Anyways... If in fact what I stated above is correct, I see nothing wrong with it as a practice tool to help you maintain your stroke and striking precision. I would just make it a point to also practice with your main playing shaft as well.
Why do I feel this way? It's pretty simple. Plenty of people practice on tables with ridiculously tight pockets. We're talking 4 1/4" (maybe less)… These tables can be fun to play on but they can also be insanely frustrating. Why is that? It's because most of us are used to pockets that are at least 4.5". But if you can practice on a table with sub 4.25" pockets and play well, your game should jump up by a ball or two when going to a table with noticeably larger pockets. I realize there are other factors to how tables play but when it comes to precision ball striking, pocket size is probably the most important variable.
Long story not quite as long, as long as you incorporate your main playing shaft/cue into your practice routines, I see nothing really wrong with it.
Thank you! Good advice. I find I can get away with a slightly bad stroke on long straight shots with my 12.75 mm shaft but will miss with the 11.5 mm if the stroke is slightly bad. I do feel my stroke is improving with the 11.5 mm shaft. Anyway, I practice 8 ball with the 11.5 mm shaft for about 8 of 10 games and with the 12.75 mm for the other two. I use only the 12.75 mm for 9 ball because I find i am not getting good banks and kicks with the 11.5 mm shaft.
That has nothing to do with the shaft itself - see this post for details:
https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=6572838#post6572838
pj
chgo
Maybe it's the increased visibility you get hitting the cue ball with the thinner shaft. I feel I have.a better chance pocketing a long straight shot with the 11.5 mm than the 12.75 mm.
Anyway, are you saying that if you hit the cue ball the EXACT spot for a spin shot, the thinner shaft will not give you more spin assuming the same tip curvature as the wider shaft?
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Thank you, but that's not my question. I am not asking about miscue limit.
The logic is a bit flawed, it's more practicing with a tight pocket table and then playing on a larger pocket table than actually swapping shafts. What you are doing is like using one set of sights to practice then adjusting them while competing. It's fine to have two different shafts to try out, but once you find the one you like better use that one and keep the other as a backup. If you are new to pool it's not likely how the shaft plays is your biggest worry about playing good. Sometimes a player would just feel a bit off when in a match, and changing shafts with a different tip or something different with it can help get through that.
Changing shafts changes how you play with aim and how much action you expect on the cueball for a specific hit, changing pocket size only changes how accurate you need to make the hit and aim, which is what you want for a practice session, with everything else being equal. No one wants to train on different equipment that they compete in. What good is training for one setup when you then go play on another? Your muscle memory will be off. One of the hard parts about pool is that you almost never play on the same equipment, why add in one more variable with your own cue?
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Funny that you said that. I have an Olhausen table with larger pockets than a Diamond and rather than using pocket inserts to improve accuracy I figured I'll use a thinner shaft. I feel it's helping ME and that's what is important to me.
I see Efren Reyes changing playing cue for specific shots in a game and then going back to his "main" cue to complete the game. I guess it might be different tips rather than different diameter shafts that he is using for the specific shot??
I have not seen players swap cues or shafts unless they are going to be jumping a ball. If it happened it's very very rare. I've seen may Efren matches and never seen him change cues for shots in the middle of a game. If you can pocket balls better with the thinner shaft then use that to play with. I don't see why you would use something you are less accurate with in a game. Once you match a shaft and tip with how you aim and shoot, that is what you want to stick with, I think everyone else has the same thought. What you want is tighter pockets if you want to get better at playing not changing cues between practice and actual matches.
I doubt many people would agree to practicing with different shafts then changing them for a match, and I'm sure not a single actual instructor would, or a top level player. Yes people carry different shafts but they are not "practice" vs "competition" shafts.
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If you watch the local matches Efren plays in the Philippines you will see he has 3 full cues. One break cue and 2 playing cues. I will send a link to the video where he changed cue for a specific shot.