Finally made the jump to an LD shaft

[tomatoshooter]

I have a number of modern Viking cues and honestly the standard V-pro is nothing to write home about. The V-Spin is not bad if you want something thinner, the Vikore is as good as most LD shafts (I've owned Joss, Predator 314, and Jacoby), and the Viking Inviktus is an outstanding shaft that nobody has heard of but easily my favorite.

Then again, I describe my pool game as right up there with the best local league players...as long as it's a bowling league.


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I was looking at the Invictus but the store didn't have one with the proper joint. Strange that they had a Predator shaft to fit. With the V-Pro I was putting balls in the center of the pockets as well as I ever had. I'm struggling with my accuracy with the 314. I can spin the balls but long difficult shots are much less likely to fall. One thing I do really like is that I can put outside spin on my reverse banks and the friction of the rail doesn't pull the shot short. I'll see what my accuracy is doing in another month and reevaluate.

 

[garczar]

I was looking at the Invictus but the store didn't have one with the proper joint. Strange that they had a Predator shaft to fit. With the V-Pro I was putting balls in the center of the pockets as well as I ever had. I'm struggling with my accuracy with the 314. I can spin the balls but long difficult shots are much less likely to fall. One thing I do really like is that I can put outside spin on my reverse banks and the friction of the rail doesn't pull the shot short. I'll see what my accuracy is doing in another month and reevaluate.

Don't get the 'outside spin on reverse banks'..... statement. Just what are you talking about? I've had old and newer 314's and i was more accurate with spin than with any solid wood shaft.

 

[tomatoshooter]

Don't get the 'outside spin on reverse banks'..... statement. Just what are you talking about? I've had old and newer 314's and i was more accurate with spin than with any solid wood shaft.

Say I'm standing at the long rail with the corner pocket to my left, the cue ball is half a diamond up the long rail and a diamond away from the long rail. The object ball is on the opposite long rail about a diamond and a half up the rail. So I have to cut the ball to the left to bank it in the corner pocket next to me. The cue ball will normally put a little counter clockwise spin on the object ball, throwing it high and hitting the long rail above the pocket, necessitating a thinner cut for the object ball to make it in the pocket. By putting outside spin on the cue ball, it no longer imparts spin to the object ball, it just rolls across the surface, and the object ball follows a path closer to that suggested by the line of centers and the normal angle of a bank shot.

I'm definitely more accurate with spin with the 314 but If I need to cinch a shot and I'm not using spin, I'm not getting the accuracy I'd like. Things like a ball on the spot and the cue ball behind the head string. With a solid shaft, I was sinking a few shots that I didn't really expect to. With the 314, I'm missing a few shots that I expect to make. If it's an easier shot and I can use spin, I'm much better with the 314. Maybe as I get more used to it I'll become more accurate or maybe the other advantages outweigh the decreased accuracy but I miss seeing balls go into the pockets as well as they did.

 

[garczar]

Say I'm standing at the long rail with the corner pocket to my left, the cue ball is half a diamond up the long rail and a diamond away from the long rail. The object ball is on the opposite long rail about a diamond and a half up the rail. So I have to cut the ball to the left to bank it in the corner pocket next to me. The cue ball will normally put a little counter clockwise spin on the object ball, throwing it high and hitting the long rail above the pocket, necessitating a thinner cut for the object ball to make it in the pocket. By putting outside spin on the cue ball, it no longer imparts spin to the object ball, it just rolls across the surface, and the object ball follows a path closer to that suggested by the line of centers and the normal angle of a bank shot.

I'm definitely more accurate with spin with the 314 but If I need to cinch a shot and I'm not using spin, I'm not getting the accuracy I'd like. Things like a ball on the spot and the cue ball behind the head string. With a solid shaft, I was sinking a few shots that I didn't really expect to. With the 314, I'm missing a few shots that I expect to make. If it's an easier shot and I can use spin, I'm much better with the 314. Maybe as I get more used to it I'll become more accurate or maybe the other advantages outweigh the decreased accuracy but I miss seeing balls go into the pockets as well as they did.

you can do that bank with any shaft. also, no reason to be less accurate without spin. that doesn't compute to me. a lot of this is just being used to something else and it gets in your head. btw, you'll make more banks if you adjust with cut and speed. start spinning them unless you HAVE to can lead to misses. I've watched Matlock and other great bankers and they don't spin the cb muc. Cut angle and speed are more predictable. I wish i'd kept my Gen1 314. Liked it better than newer ones.

 

[tomatoshooter]

Niels Feijen explains it better.

You can make the shot with a standard shaft but you will either have to cut thinner or compensate for the deflection. For me the spin picked up by the object ball and the friction against the rail is hard to predict and the outside spin greatly improves my shot.