Getting to my head--cues

[spliced]

Ive let all the deflection, squirt, stiffness, throw, and accuracy junk get to my head. I cant figure out which is best and I feel like I am losing confidence.

After playing with a Z2 shaft for about 5 months and playing the best of my life, I went through a horrible slump. I decided to sell the predator. Now I cant find a cue that I trust, or am truly confident with. I feel like evey shot reacts differently. I felt like the predator shaft was too thin, thats why I sold it...but now I can't ind a cue that I can play with comfortably. I have let all this deflection, throw, and squirt BS get in my head and now I get frustrated playing the game because I cant sort it all out. I think I may quit. Anyone have this problem?

 

[larrynj1]

i would quit.

 

[spliced]

I was hoping for a more positive solution involving a way to re-focus my feelings for the game...but thanks

 

[ironhead_79]

i had the same trouble awhile back, i usually shoot with an old 70's Meucci in the local bar tournaments, got so used to it i took one of my Dale Perry's one night and couldn't shoot anything. i think if you try and stay with close to the same specs it'll just be a matter of time before whichever cue you go with starts feeling right. i have a Scruggs that never leaves the house, it's a beautiful cue but i just can't get the feel for it, probably because i don't give it time, it's just to easy to pick up that old 100 dollar Meucci and know how it shoots. okay i'm ready for all the flack i'm gonna get over saying i shoot better with a Meucci than a DP or Scruggs, anybody from the peanut gallery, lol.

 

[Rod]

Ive let all the deflection, squirt, stiffness, throw, and accuracy junk get to my head. I cant figure out which is best and I feel like I am losing confidence.

After playing with a Z2 shaft for about 5 months and playing the best of my life, I went through a horrible slump. I decided to sell the predator. Now I cant find a cue that I trust, or am truly confident with. I feel like evey shot reacts differently. I felt like the predator shaft was too thin, thats why I sold it...but now I can't ind a cue that I can play with comfortably. I have let all this deflection, throw, and squirt BS get in my head and now I get frustrated playing the game because I cant sort it all out. I think I may quit. Anyone have this problem?

To answer your question - no never. You have already lost confidence, no doubt about that. If you played your best then went into a slump still using the same equipment something changed with you not your equipment.

It always goes back to the same thing, good solid basics. Somewhere along the line you probably started going beyond your limits then a problem crept in. Don't get me wrong it probably was always there you just exceeded your capabilities and amplified the problem. Now it's ingrained and will take some time to correct.

There is no problem with deflection and such with center ball draw and follow. Can you do those shots and not have a problem. Exactly what is your problem?

Rod

 

[lights_out]

Check this out:

http://www.platinumbilliards.com/rating_deflect.php

It lists the new 314-2 as just being a hair off of the original Z shaft in deflection. Plus it's thicker than the Z & Z2 at 12.75mm. Personally I love my Z shafts and wouldn't trade them. Maybe the 314-2 is the thing to get you back on track. Good luck.

 

[tedkaufman]

Ive let all the deflection, squirt, stiffness, throw, and accuracy junk get to my head. I cant figure out which is best and I feel like I am losing confidence.

After playing with a Z2 shaft for about 5 months and playing the best of my life, I went through a horrible slump. I decided to sell the predator. Now I cant find a cue that I trust, or am truly confident with. I feel like evey shot reacts differently. I felt like the predator shaft was too thin, thats why I sold it...but now I can't ind a cue that I can play with comfortably. I have let all this deflection, throw, and squirt BS get in my head and now I get frustrated playing the game because I cant sort it all out. I think I may quit. Anyone have this problem?

You need to get a cue, any cue, and learn to trust it. That means committing the time and effort to practice the english shots that cause you doubt. Shoot the shots over and over, at all speeds, till you get a feel for that cue. Gradually your confidence will return.

During your practice sessions, I recommend you don't judge your efforts. Instead, consider yourself an observer. Shoot the shots, assess the results, then do it again. Observe the results; don't judge if you did good or bad. Your subconscious will soon figure out how to play the shots if you don't interfer with judgements.

Lastly, there is no best shaft or best cue. If there were, everyone would use them. Any cue and shaft you learn to use will work just fine.

 

[twilight]

No piece of equipment you get will fix any problems you have if you're not confident in yourself. My suggestion is to just play for fun for the next month or so and don't give it too much thought. If you're having a bad night stop and try the next night, don't play frustrated, it'll tense you up.

Learning is a process learning something new, forgeting it, then relearning it again. So maybe you played great for a while, now you don't remember how to shoot that way again. I promise that if you quit you'll never get beter, but if you stick to it, you might.

Remember the good shots and forget the bad, with this mentality you'll build some confidence. A few days ago I broke and ran a diffucult rack of 9ball. I forgot about the ball in hand 8 ball that I missed to an easy out on the 9. Oh yeah a few months ago I attempted 4 jump shots in a tourney and sunk every one of them. I'm going to chose to forget that I haven't made a jump shot in about 2 months. My game isn't too great right now, but man there are periods of time in a night that I'm in the zone for about 4-5 balls in a row and that is what I'll chose to remember.

 

[Charlie Edwards]

Ive let all the deflection, squirt, stiffness, throw, and accuracy junk get to my head. I cant figure out which is best and I feel like I am losing confidence.

After playing with a Z2 shaft for about 5 months and playing the best of my life, I went through a horrible slump. I decided to sell the predator. Now I cant find a cue that I trust, or am truly confident with. I feel like evey shot reacts differently. I felt like the predator shaft was too thin, thats why I sold it...but now I can't ind a cue that I can play with comfortably. I have let all this deflection, throw, and squirt BS get in my head and now I get frustrated playing the game because I cant sort it all out. I think I may quit. Anyone have this problem?

Go back to basics. Pick a cue and play with it exclusively. Remember, no cue feels good when you are having problems. Practice a lot using no english. Re-learn how to aim, allowing for 'cling'. Shoot short to medium length shots. Then work up to spin shots...and long shots. One thing at a time. Good luck.