I know alot of shaft diameter is preference, but if you had never played pool in your life and were just starting the game in this new age of LD shafts would you choose a 11.75 shaft? I would think it would be best to learn with since they have the lowest deflection usually. Would love to hear your opinions on the subject.
Can playing with a 11.75 shaft make you better?
- Thread starter xRASHx
- Start date
I really don't know. Even some advanced players sometimes complain about the precision that the smaller diameter shafts require.
If you only learn to play with the lowest deflection, you will never know how to play with the high deflection shafts. It's probably best to experience both to see which you can play with best. That's just my opinion. Maybe some others will have different insights.
JoeyA
this is interesting, ive always felt that i was more accurate with a larger diameter shaft. i hope more ppl chime in on this
Thinner shaft means you can hit further away from center ball, thus spinning the ball more. That's why carom players use such thin shafts. But your stroke must be much straighter since smaller deviations result in more spin. Deflection is not as pronounced since a thinner shaft has less mass at the tip and flexes more with off center hits.
For a beginning player, you most definitely would not want to use a shaft at 11.75mm. I would suggest any new player use house cues to learn the required adjustments for using many different cues.
For a beginning player, you most definitely would not want to use a shaft at 11.75mm. I would suggest any new player use house cues to learn the required adjustments for using many different cues.
It's a matter of feel.
Personally I use thicker shafts (13mm+) because I have larger than normal hands/fingers. Anything smaller feels like I'm shooting with a pencil.
Personally I use thicker shafts (13mm+) because I have larger than normal hands/fingers. Anything smaller feels like I'm shooting with a pencil.
brulez
cut master
I have the z2 with the 11.50. It took me a while to learn with it. but after i spend a good soild week learning how to use it, it turn in my favor. I didnt start out with a 11.5 though. my first shaft i learned on was a 13. I love the smaller tip size, but you do have to alot more precise, which has helped me learn my english, contorl, and stroke alot more bcuz of it. I went to the pool hall about 3 months later, after a 2 week break, and i ran my first table with a house cue which was about 13. ever since then my 11.5 has be wonderful to me. I do suggest though as a novice, to start with a larger size though. and then teach your self on a more precision shaft how to control all the stuff later to make it perfect.
I spoke for a short time with Billy Incardona one day in Dallas about this very subject.AS I recall he was playing a smaller shaft diameter,around 12mm or possibly less,it seems that Efryn and many Filipino players are doing the same.
I asked Billy,who knew my game fairly well,if it would benefit my game,since I am not a top player or even a good b or c shooter if it would actually hurt my play since my fundamental ball striking was inconsistent,
The question I asked was "would i actually play worse because my inconsistencies would be magnified more than the potential benefits achieved?"
Billy told me that he thought that the risk of playing the thin shaft would out weigh any gains that I might gain . He suggested that I stick with thicker shafts.
This is consistent with my own observations,I have never been able to play with pro taper shafts nearly as well as I do with thick taper,billiard or european tapered cues.
I currently am playing with a Schon,I have several shafts,all with various tapers and thicknesses to experiment with and the results are not clear or final,but the Kikel shaft with a 13.25 shaft is much more accurate and consistent,particularly on long long banks.
I play the best in the short 5/8 of the table and cut balls thin best with the 12,7 shaft and find that I draw the ball with more ease and power than any other shaft . This is the smallest shaft I currently have.
I am looking forward to getting my original Deano back which is about 12.5 at the tip but gets thick quick ,so I can continue the experiment.
My expectation is that if the taper is strong and the shaft stiff enough that the smaller mm will be helpful with minimum negatives associated with the thin shaft
At any rate John Nemic is making me a handful of shafts so i can actually test better this for myself
I am aware that some jerk is going to say that if I would take the time,practice and get instruction that I could play with anything. "a good player can play with anything"
While they have some obvious truth ,they are ignorant of other factors which are also factors which are the subject of the present discussion as i understand it
dean
I would be interested in personal helpful comments on my PM if anyone could offer insight
I asked Billy,who knew my game fairly well,if it would benefit my game,since I am not a top player or even a good b or c shooter if it would actually hurt my play since my fundamental ball striking was inconsistent,
The question I asked was "would i actually play worse because my inconsistencies would be magnified more than the potential benefits achieved?"
Billy told me that he thought that the risk of playing the thin shaft would out weigh any gains that I might gain . He suggested that I stick with thicker shafts.
This is consistent with my own observations,I have never been able to play with pro taper shafts nearly as well as I do with thick taper,billiard or european tapered cues.
I currently am playing with a Schon,I have several shafts,all with various tapers and thicknesses to experiment with and the results are not clear or final,but the Kikel shaft with a 13.25 shaft is much more accurate and consistent,particularly on long long banks.
I play the best in the short 5/8 of the table and cut balls thin best with the 12,7 shaft and find that I draw the ball with more ease and power than any other shaft . This is the smallest shaft I currently have.
I am looking forward to getting my original Deano back which is about 12.5 at the tip but gets thick quick ,so I can continue the experiment.
My expectation is that if the taper is strong and the shaft stiff enough that the smaller mm will be helpful with minimum negatives associated with the thin shaft
At any rate John Nemic is making me a handful of shafts so i can actually test better this for myself
I am aware that some jerk is going to say that if I would take the time,practice and get instruction that I could play with anything. "a good player can play with anything"
While they have some obvious truth ,they are ignorant of other factors which are also factors which are the subject of the present discussion as i understand it
dean
I would be interested in personal helpful comments on my PM if anyone could offer insight
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I just got the OB2 pro and I love it. Playing better, but not sure why. Maybe it is the new equipment high I am still on.
I grew up in Greece playing a little 3 cushion. Small diameter shafts was what all places had. I use a Z2 and play fine with it but just two days ago I put a 314-2 shaft and have noticed that it is definitely more forgiving. I purchased wifey a bottom of the barrel, Pink, Lucky McD and have been "breaking" it in for her on our basement table 
..... Might have to spraypaint it and take it out....
Bottom line, my personal opinion in using a small diameter tip is like playing on smaller pockets, It makes you better.
..... Might have to spraypaint it and take it out....Bottom line, my personal opinion in using a small diameter tip is like playing on smaller pockets, It makes you better.
That a thinner shaft lets you hit further away from center doesn't make any sense to me either. There is only a small portion of the tip that makes contact with the CB. The only possible scenario that I can think of is if you are hitting very low and then you could possibly be hitting lower with a smaller diameter because of possible interference with the table. But even at that if you were to hit that low you would be scooping under the ball.
But if you consider tip widths from the center then a small tip width would allow you to have more tip widths from the center than a larger tip, being that a 1/4" would fit twice as many tip widths than a 1/2" tip on a CB but the spin would still rely on the contact point, stroke, follow thru, speed, and etc not the width of the tip. That is why you shouldn't refer to tip width from the center since not all tips are the same size.
Now consider the way that the tip is shaped. If it is a dime or nickel etc and the contact point will change.
What it comes down to is to keep the game simple and don't worry about stuff that is too technical and will never make that much difference in your playing ability. Just use a shaft that feels comfortable and don't put too much into the marketing BS that is used to sell the latest and greatest snake oil.
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11.75 mm vs 13mm
I believe the precision required with the smaller shaft makes you pay closer attention to what you do and a little less deflection is nice and a little more draw is nice too but I play my best with the 13mm I tend to hit the ball better overall.
336Robin :thumbup:
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com
I believe the precision required with the smaller shaft makes you pay closer attention to what you do and a little less deflection is nice and a little more draw is nice too but I play my best with the 13mm I tend to hit the ball better overall.
336Robin :thumbup:
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com
Just started playing pool about a month, tried with 13mm Schon and custom, 12.75 314-2, and last night with a Z-2. Dont think I feel any difficulty, as a matter of fact I dont feel much different. Does it make me play better, no, worse, also no. Am I too new and unexperience to feel the difference, maybe.
Bingo. I think its all what you like to play with. I have a 314 shaft that's 11.75 and I love it playing 9 ball 8 ball 10 ball, but when I play one pocket I switch over to an 11.25 high deflection shaft I feel I play better one pocket with it.
I use both the Z-2's (11.75mm) and the 314-2's (12.75mm). I find that I have increased cue-ball control with the smaller diameter especially when I go beyond one tip from center, but also lose out on margin of error on long shots. You need to be a dead stroke for long shots to use a 11.75mm on a 9 foot table IMO.
No, I wouldn't recommend starting out with an 11.75mm, go instead with the 12.75mm.
No, I wouldn't recommend starting out with an 11.75mm, go instead with the 12.75mm.
I actually have a different opinion. I used to play snooker for many years before I moved to the US. So I've gotten used to playing with smaller tips (~9mm). After using 13mm shaft for a few years, I rewarded myself with a Z, replacing the 314 that came with the cue I won in a local tournament. I do agree with most that smaller tips tend to be less forgiving, but I don't agree that people who use smaller tips will shoot worse using conventional shaft with bigger tips. For someone who is new to the game with inconsistent stroke, smaller tips will definitely make the learning curve steep, but I think it's a rewarding one. The precision, consistency, and focus are things that you ultimately want to learn to succeed in this game.