changed cue playing better?

[deanoc]

Pete Tonkin sent me a new cue with a 13.1mm shaft
it playsc stiff and hits where i aim and i find i make more shots
and keep the cue ball under control

at the same time if i stroke hard with english,i find that i miss
shots more

i also can not follow through an object ball with lots of english

therefore i am playing more center ball and winning or beating people
who have been beating me when my cue ball was running freely

one pocket only

is this common

 

[Sealegs50]

My experience, too

Anything that forces me to work harder to focus my attention generally helps my game. I have 4 cues that play a bit differently from each other. Each took a while before they felt completely natural. When I switch cues, I adjust the way I play.

I also play with thick, stiff shafts. There is nothing about that set up that keeps me from hitting off center or using lots of spin. Sometimes a change of tips will help you regain that feel.

If you are winning more while playing conservatively, I wouldn't change a thing.

Congratulations!
Greg

 

[Drawback]

New Muecci Cue

I just switched to a new Muecci stick with the Black Dot Shaft and I am very, very pleased. It took me one whole afternoon (about 5 hours) to reshape my thinking and sight, but now I'm sold.

 

[rburgoyne]

I use to shoot with a nice Predator some time back, but after time my stroke became very lazy. No need to stroke, the shaft did all the work just by poking it. Needless to say my accuracy suffered, and I eventually went to custom cues with thick 13mm shafts. It took some time but I can get plenty of english with the thicker shafts and do pretty much anything I could have done with a Predator shaft. I had to concentrate more, but my accuracy went back up, and I have never looked back.

As far as extreme english I hardly ever use it. Most of the time there isn't any need. I was practicing the spin the cue off the rail shot into the frozen OB one night with my new Olney and was using tons of left on it. My accuracy was all over the place and an old timer at the pool hall was watching me and finally asked what the hell I was doing.

I proceeded to explain that I had just gotten the cue and was still adjusting to it. He asked if he could try with my new cue, and made the shot on the first try. How was that possible! I can guarantee you he never shot with an Olney cue before, and probably doesn't even know too much about LD shafts. What I did learn was you only need a tip or so of english with a smooth stroke and follow through to make that shot. This gives plenty of english and limits the deflection, as opposed to what I was doing before hand. I was trying with my tip out on the left edge of the cueball and that was excessive to say the least.