Can someone educate me about tapers?
- Thread starter phinmole
- Start date
A pro taper shaft usually has 10 or more inches of the same diameter from the tip back down the shaft and then gradually gets larger to the joint.
Standard taper means this is the cuemakers normal taper.
Modified pro taper usually means the shaft gets slightly larger during those first 10 to 12 inches, but not drastically larger.
Stiff Taper means that the cue gets larger from the tip backwards much quicker and has more meat in the middle of the shaft.
European, Carom or Snooker tapers are usually cone shaped or almost cone shaped from tip to joint.
The above definitions may be over simplified but they give you a good start.
Standard taper means this is the cuemakers normal taper.
Modified pro taper usually means the shaft gets slightly larger during those first 10 to 12 inches, but not drastically larger.
Stiff Taper means that the cue gets larger from the tip backwards much quicker and has more meat in the middle of the shaft.
European, Carom or Snooker tapers are usually cone shaped or almost cone shaped from tip to joint.
The above definitions may be over simplified but they give you a good start.
Last edited:
good information.
I recently shot with Earl Strickland's Gulyassy cue and the taper was extreme. How would you describe this type of taper to a cue maker?
The shaft was the same diameter almost all the way down the shaft until the last 3" or so and then it coned out drastically.
I really liked how this cue shot.
I recently shot with Earl Strickland's Gulyassy cue and the taper was extreme. How would you describe this type of taper to a cue maker?
The shaft was the same diameter almost all the way down the shaft until the last 3" or so and then it coned out drastically.
I really liked how this cue shot.
cueman said:
GREAT INFO.
Strickland's Shaft
Let me get this straight now, cause Earl is someone I'm not reluctant to emulate, briefly at least. You are saying that if his cue's joint diameter was, say .840, then his shaft would maintain that same diameter, from the joint all the way down to approximately three inches from the tip. From that three inch location, the shaft would taper down to the ferrule diameter, which might be 13mm, for example.
Da Bank said:
Let me get this straight now, cause Earl is someone I'm not reluctant to emulate, briefly at least. You are saying that if his cue's joint diameter was, say .840, then his shaft would maintain that same diameter, from the joint all the way down to approximately three inches from the tip. From that three inch location, the shaft would taper down to the ferrule diameter, which might be 13mm, for example.
Stricklands taper
Exactly. His shaft, I would guess, is around 12.75mm at the tip. That same diameter goes down nearly to the joint as DaBank stated... then it goes up to the joint diameter. Let's say that is .840. This allows him to follow through with his stroke almost the entire length of the shaft. He has a very long bridge and follow through so it works for him nicely. I've seen him do some amazing stuff with his new cue. They are made by Babyface Gulyassy.
Exactly. His shaft, I would guess, is around 12.75mm at the tip. That same diameter goes down nearly to the joint as DaBank stated... then it goes up to the joint diameter. Let's say that is .840. This allows him to follow through with his stroke almost the entire length of the shaft. He has a very long bridge and follow through so it works for him nicely. I've seen him do some amazing stuff with his new cue. They are made by Babyface Gulyassy.
right, these guys told you correctly. What you described would be totally useless... sorry if i described it incorrectly.
I felt like his tip was a bit smaller than 12.75, more like a 12... i may be wrong on that, but I don't remember it being that much bigger than my Z2 which is 11.75.
I felt like his tip was a bit smaller than 12.75, more like a 12... i may be wrong on that, but I don't remember it being that much bigger than my Z2 which is 11.75.
Earl's shaft has NO taper.
It's just a cylinder with joint collar.
Same goes for Efren and SVB.
Prolly why they can't shoot straight.
Poor fellas.
It's just a cylinder with joint collar.
Same goes for Efren and SVB.
Prolly why they can't shoot straight.
Poor fellas.
regarding pro tapers, i was wondering if shafts with pro tapers that go back 10-12 inches would tend to have daylight under it when rolled on a table. i was always under the impression that since the taper is not gradual, the difference in thickness between the tip and where the shaft starts getting thick would mean that the distance between it would not be touching the table when rolled. i've notice that all of the pred shafts i've looked at tend to show small amounts of daylight under it when rolled. obviously rolling it isnt the proper way to check for straightness but since i dont carry a lathe with me to a poolhall it's a simple way to check if it is badly warped or not. so when i rolled those pred shafts and saw the space between the shaft and the table, i was under the impression that it was because of the taper, but everyone else just tells me its because the shaft isnt perfectly straight. i still dont buy that argument so perhaps a cuemaker or someone can clear it up for me thanks.
Danktrees said:
All shafts, other than ones having a European (conical) taper, will show light under the barrel of the shaft. What you don't want is for this light to get larger and smaller by very much. Other things can effect this movement also but the usual reason is the shaft is not perfectly straight.
Dick
Danktrees said:
RHN is correct, I would just add - don't roll shafts at all, or cues
for that matter. There are quite a few things that can cause a
perfectly straight shaft/cue to look to be un-straight when rolled
on a table.
Instead, sight down the shaft as you would the barrel of a rifle - it
may help to rotate it slowly while sighting - if you can't detect
any 'bend' by doing this, the shaft isn't crooked.
Dale<who whishes he knew as good a method for finding a crooked stroke>