Difference In Cues For This Shot?

D

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ok, i was practicing the draw stroke a couple of nights ago. was doing it the way its laid out in the diagram below, trying to draw straight back between the balls without touching them. forgive me if the diagram isnt perfect, but you get the picture. anyway, i wont mention the type of production cue i was using, but i kept drawing back into the balls more often than not.

so, thinking perhaps a cue change might be in order, i switched to one of my custom cues - and wala! the first shot came straight back out of the pack. i had alot more success with the custom cue than i did the production cue.

anyway, not sure what might account for this. the production cue i was using is generally considered a decent playing cue, and at times i have played well with it. any of you other posters ever practice the draw shot like this? or experience a difference in cues like i did?

DCP

p.s. the production cue was one you might expect Travis Trotter to use.

CueTable Help

 
DrCue'sProtege said:
any of you other posters ever practice the draw shot like this? or experience a difference in cues like i did?
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Drills of this sort are necessary fundamental building drills for all players. One way or another, everyone does this - either by drills or by school of hard knocks. Some people just don't like drills. Nevertheless, everyone has to learn how to draw straight back.

If you divide novice/intermediate "learning" areas into little sections, three of the most important areas are:

(1) shotmaking
(2) cueball control
(3) pattern play

And in that order. You are practicing a very elementary #1 (straight in) and an intermediate #2 (draw). (It is clear that you are way past beginner - where you would learn [among other things] stance, sighting, and cueing)

I think you have the right idea and your game should progress quickly between "levels" if you keep up your dedication and inquisitive attitude.

Good luck and keep it up!

-td
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
ok, i was practicing the draw stroke a couple of nights ago. was doing it the way its laid out in the diagram below, trying to draw straight back between the balls without touching them. forgive me if the diagram isnt perfect, but you get the picture. anyway, i wont mention the type of production cue i was using, but i kept drawing back into the balls more often than not.

so, thinking perhaps a cue change might be in order, i switched to one of my custom cues - and wala! the first shot came straight back out of the pack. i had alot more success with the custom cue than i did the production cue.

anyway, not sure what might account for this. the production cue i was using is generally considered a decent playing cue, and at times i have played well with it. any of you other posters ever practice the draw shot like this? or experience a difference in cues like i did?

DCP

p.s. the production cue was one you might expect Travis Trotter to use.
Click to expand...
Did both cues have the same type of tip? I think that would make more difference than the type of cue, IMO.
 
Is the custom cue heavier? A heavier cue tends to stay "on course" easier than a lighter one.
 
This shot has absolutely nothing to do with which cue you use. Actually there might be a difference, in your head...........

Eric.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
ok, i was practicing the draw stroke a couple of nights ago. was doing it the way its laid out in the diagram below, trying to draw straight back between the balls without touching them. forgive me if the diagram isnt perfect, but you get the picture. anyway, i wont mention the type of production cue i was using, but i kept drawing back into the balls more often than not.

so, thinking perhaps a cue change might be in order, i switched to one of my custom cues - and wala! the first shot came straight back out of the pack. i had alot more success with the custom cue than i did the production cue.

anyway, not sure what might account for this. the production cue i was using is generally considered a decent playing cue, and at times i have played well with it. any of you other posters ever practice the draw shot like this? or experience a difference in cues like i did?

DCP

p.s. the production cue was one you might expect Travis Trotter to use.

CueTable Help

Click to expand...


DCP, I think over the years if I’ve learned anything, it is feeling comfortable with my cue. I’ve found my weight, balance and shaft size/taper and tip size/ firmness, butt diameter and type of grip. If a cue is reasonably close then I should play well and usually do.

If I have an off day, well then I do. Let’s face it our body changes every day. A cue may feel a bit light one day and a bit heavy the next. The point is zero in what you like about a cue. If you like a particular weight or tip use that tip on every cue, etc. Once you find what is close, equipment should not a problem. One day is not a reasonable test. In your case just use it as awareness and identify what you like.

In the case of your drill, if you extend the line draw it to that point on the far rail. You can use balls but playing you really need to look at where its possible whitey can go. There is a fair amount of margin but I’d suggest focus on where you want to go and less per-say about what you need to avoid. Line those balls up so a direct center draw will scratch in the corner. You can’t continue play from inside the pocket. Now, draw whitey to either side of the corner to avoid the scratch. The balls are not in the way. Start closer and work your way up.

I think anyone needs to visualize and see what is possible. You’ll soon see, depending on ball spacing how much lee way you really have and forget about those visual distractions. In a word look at the big picture because that is how you play pool. Everyone has limitations; it’s your job to determine yours based on your ability.

Rod
 
It seems you just want to draw straight back without touching any balls? The cue shouldn't make that big of a deal. If you have proper fundamentals (grip, stance, lining up, etc)....you should be able to draw straight back with any cue. Now....when you talk about the power draw and how far you can draw it...then tips/shaft tapers/etc come into play...but just fundamentally drawing straight back, well...the cue shouldn't really matter that much I don't think.
 
Matt_24 said:
It seems you just want to draw straight back without touching any balls? The cue shouldn't make that big of a deal. If you have proper fundamentals (grip, stance, lining up, etc)....you should be able to draw straight back with any cue. Now....when you talk about the power draw and how far you can draw it...then tips/shaft tapers/etc come into play...but just fundamentally drawing straight back, well...the cue shouldn't really matter that much I don't think.
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i would probably agree with that. to clarify, i wasnt all over the place with the production cue, but i seemed to do better with the custom. just seemed odd to me............

DCP
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
i would probably agree with that. to clarify, i wasnt all over the place with the production cue, but i seemed to do better with the custom. just seemed odd to me............

DCP
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The shape of the tip and the diameter of the shaft and the type of ferrule all will make a difference when attempting to shoot a straight in ball and then drawing straight back. Those factors contribute to cue ball deflection and that is what usually happens when a straight in shot is missed or the cue comes back at an angle.

Dick
 
I don't care what people say.
The butts make a huge difference. Crappy wood with weight bolts added just do not play as well as good woods, solid construction and natural weight.
Crappy woods and weight bolts kill the action of cueballs.
 
Cuetec

Well if it was that Cuetec you are always talking about then maybe it is time to pack it up and sell it!

You may like it, but you said yourself you picked up your custom cue and there it was.

Sounds like to me you shoot more consistent with your custom cue, so why would you want a cue that you can't shoot consistent with?

I know a buddy of mine that loves his Cuetec, and when you put a nice cue like McDermott, Viking, Joss, Schon, or a custom in his hand he can't make it do squat. It is because it doesn't feel comfortable to him.

I on the other hand wouldn't give you $5 for any Cuetec or scorpion on the market, but that is just my opinion.

Anyway, quit procrastinating and just get rid of that Cuetec. Travis has his up for sale already! LOL
 
DCP,
In the Accu-Stats player review tape (14.1, Archer vs. Lane); Dick Lane opines that a change in cue made a significant difference in his game. If I recall correctly, he thought that the "whippier" Meucci cue allowed him to draw the ball more easily; but he could not apply follow as well. His previous cue was stiffer and got the opposite results (easier follow, more difficult draw). He had to incorporate the difference into his straight pool strategy.

He is a fairly accomplished player; I believe that the stiffness of a cue can definitely make a difference (though not huge). My $.02.
 
I recently had a situation where I had the z2 shaft and I kept thinking in my head that it was too skiny. I bought the 314-2 and had it for maybe a week and went out and won the local 8ball tourney with it. It was definately in my head but now that my head is clear my confidence is back up and I am playing better. All because I do not have that thought in my head. Anyways if I were you I would stick with the custom cue.

BVal
 
What matters here is how straight you hit the OB; draw is draw, and it will come straight back towards you if you hit it straight, and it will move laterally along the tangent line if you don't, whatever cue you use, and however much action you get.

So you're hitting it straighter with one cue than the other. What matters there is hitting the CB in the center, assuming changing the cue doesn't change your aim (if it does, then it's all in your head). So assuming your aim is the same, you're hitting the CB off center, and one cue has more deflection than the other, and so with one cue it makes more of a difference than the other.

That's the only explanation there could be, besides the psychological explanation that you're just stroking better when you're using the nicer cue.

-Andrew
 
Andrew:

That's the point I was trying to make about a heavier cue. They have more inertia, so they are harder to throw offline as you stroke.
 
rhncue said:
The shape of the tip and the diameter of the shaft and the type of ferrule all will make a difference when attempting to shoot a straight in ball and then drawing straight back. Those factors contribute to cue ball deflection and that is what usually happens when a straight in shot is missed or the cue comes back at an angle.

Dick
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I totally agree with this. I have tried the same shot before, but with more distance. I used 1) a cue with a predator 314 shaft, 2) a low deflection cue and 3) a high deflection cue. All the shots was made with a hard stroke. With the predator I made the shot like 2 out of 5. With the low deflection cue like 6-7 out of 10. And with the high deflection cue 0 out of 10. I didn't knew the last cue has a high deflection, so I was really wondering why I missed all the shots. After a few days, an expert tested all my cues and told me the last one has a lot of deflection. So I think that would be a good reason why I missed that shot.
 
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