Harder tip, thicker shaft. Need to aim more full now to make balls.

[Icon of Sin]

So recently I had shaft issues that were corrected by my cuemaker. Here is a comparison of my old equipment and my new equipment.

OLD: 12mm Shaft, Ferrule-less, Pad, Kamui Super Soft Tip
CURRENT: 13mm Shaft, Ferrule-less, Pad, Kamui Soft Tip.

Ive been shooting with the new shaft for about two weeks now. IMO the Kamui Soft is considerable harder then the Super Soft, but still feels and plays well. The ball does come off faster.

My question is related to the adjustments I needed to make to start making balls again. I was curious as to what might be causing adjustment to having to aim more full on the object ball to make it. This is using all types of english, centerball, draw or follow. It is not isolated to just shots with squirt. Is it the thicker shaft? Is it the harder tip? Is it just a mystery?

I have since adjusted and my brain is now starting to see these shots as correct and my ball making has seemed to improved even then with my old shaft, just wondering what could have caused it.

 

[Bob Jewett]

So recently I had shaft issues that were corrected by my cuemaker. Here is a comparison of my old equipment and my new equipment.

OLD: 12mm Shaft, Ferrule-less, Pad, Kamui Super Soft Tip
CURRENT: 13mm Shaft, Ferrule-less, Pad, Kamui Soft Tip.

Ive been shooting with the new shaft for about two weeks now. IMO the Kamui Soft is considerable harder then the Super Soft, but still feels and plays well. The ball does come off faster.

My question is related to the adjustments I needed to make to start making balls again. I was curious as to what might be causing adjustment to having to aim more full on the object ball to make it. This is using all types of english, centerball, draw or follow. It is not isolated to just shots with squirt. Is it the thicker shaft? Is it the harder tip? Is it just a mystery?

I have since adjusted and my brain is now starting to see these shots as correct and my ball making has seemed to improved even then with my old shaft, just wondering what could have caused it.

If you find a difference with centerball shots (that is, no sidespin), then it is very difficult to explain. Unless the cue is warped, a shot using no sidespin must send the cue ball straight ahead along the line the stick is pointed.

Of course if you have a swerve in your stroke, and the cue is balanced differently from your old cue to the extent that it changes the timing of your swoop, all bets are off.

One other possibility is that you aim with the side of your shaft and the different diameter puts that in a different place relative to the center of the cue stick.

But without seeing the problem close up, this is just guesswork.

 

[FranCrimi]

I think it could be a matter of perception. You're now looking down a shaft at address that's significantly wider. You would have to adjust your perception of the point at which the tip touches the cue ball. You knew where it was when you used a 12mm shaft but you have to re-find it with a 13mm shaft. Your perception with the wider shaft may be that you have to aim fuller on the shot to achieve the correct point of contact.

 

[Icon of Sin]

If you find a difference with centerball shots (that is, no sidespin), then it is very difficult to explain. Unless the cue is warped, a shot using no sidespin must send the cue ball straight ahead along the line the stick is pointed.

Of course if you have a swerve in your stroke, and the cue is balanced differently from your old cue to the extent that it changes the timing of your swoop, all bets are off.

One other possibility is that you aim with the side of your shaft and the different diameter puts that in a different place relative to the center of the cue stick.

But without seeing the problem close up, this is just guesswork.

The cue isnt warped... plus that would only be the case if I shot with the same point of the shaft up all the time, otherwise other shots I would be aiming too thin.

I look down the top center of the shaft when aiming.

 

[Icon of Sin]

I think it could be a matter of perception. You're now looking down a shaft at address that's significantly wider. You would have to adjust your perception of the point at which the tip touches the cue ball. You knew where it was when you used a 12mm shaft but you have to re-find it with a 13mm shaft. Your perception with the wider shaft may be that you have to aim fuller on the shot to achieve the correct point of contact.

I was thinking about this and basically wanted to hear it from someone else. It has to be a perception thing like you are saying.

 

[Pidge]

You may be one of those that subconsciously aligns with the inner part of the shaft, a little like SVB for example. Fran explains it very well, but basically with a thicker tip and shaft diameter the inner part will appear to be aimed thicker on the object ball, however centre of the tip and shaft will still be aiming at the same point on the object ball.

It could also be that you are having trouble adjusting to finding centre cue ball with a new set up. A mm at the tip can make a whole world of difference in naturally landing at centre cue ball.... Now, the new shaft might make you find centre cue ball or might make you align slightly off of it, only you would be able to tell that at the moment... But that could also explain why you think you're aiming thicker than normal.

 

[Icon of Sin]

You may be one of those that subconsciously aligns with the inner part of the shaft, a little like SVB for example. Fran explains it very well, but basically with a thicker tip and shaft diameter the inner part will appear to be aimed thicker on the object ball, however centre of the tip and shaft will still be aiming at the same point on the object ball.

It could also be that you are having trouble adjusting to finding centre cue ball with a new set up. A mm at the tip can make a whole world of difference in naturally landing at centre cue ball.... Now, the new shaft might make you find centre cue ball or might make you align slightly off of it, only you would be able to tell that at the moment... But that could also explain why you think you're aiming thicker than normal.

The aiming with the inside of the shaft and having trouble finding center ball would all have to be subconcious. I am not aware of myself doing any of that.

I am pretty much fully adjusted to the the new "look" of ball making and my brain is almost complete caught up as well. Ball making feels like it is considerably better then what it was. I was beating the ghost semi-regularly with my old equipment and I snapped him off 5-2 last night with the new shaft, so confidence is back.

Thanks everyone for chiming and offering your thoughts. Was more curious then anything as I was pretty much already adjusted when I started the thread. Just wanted to see what others thought on the subject.

If anyone still has any thoughts on this, I'm still very interested in reading and discussing.

 

[Pidge]

The aiming with the inside of the shaft and having trouble finding center ball would all have to be subconcious. I am not aware of myself doing any of that.

I am pretty much fully adjusted to the the new "look" of ball making and my brain is almost complete caught up as well. Ball making feels like it is considerably better then what it was. I was beating the ghost semi-regularly with my old equipment and I snapped him off 5-2 last night with the new shaft, so confidence is back.

Thanks everyone for chiming and offering your thoughts. Was more curious then anything as I was pretty much already adjusted when I started the thread. Just wanted to see what others thought on the subject.

If anyone still has any thoughts on this, I'm still very interested in reading and discussing.

It could also be that you cue with a little bit of unintentional inside spin. The reason the shots look thicker with a thicker shaft is that a thicker shaft generally produces more cue ball squirt so you have to aim thicker.... Or the tip is aimed through the cue ball thicker to compensate for a little more cue ball squirt. With a thinner shaft with less cue ball deflection you can aim closer to the correct line of aim with inside hence why shots might look thicker now.

 

[Gorramjayne]

The aiming with the inside of the shaft and having trouble finding center ball would all have to be subconcious. I am not aware of myself doing any of that.

I am pretty much fully adjusted to the the new "look" of ball making and my brain is almost complete caught up as well. Ball making feels like it is considerably better then what it was. I was beating the ghost semi-regularly with my old equipment and I snapped him off 5-2 last night with the new shaft, so confidence is back.

Thanks everyone for chiming and offering your thoughts. Was more curious then anything as I was pretty much already adjusted when I started the thread. Just wanted to see what others thought on the subject.

If anyone still has any thoughts on this, I'm still very interested in reading and discussing.

Unless you're like Niels Feijen and blind in one eye (or start playing with one eye shut) you're always going to have trouble perceiving a perfect line between your shaft, cue ball, and object ball because that's just how binocular vision works. And, fun fact, your ability to perceive depth and these spacial relations actually changes based on how your blood sugar fluctuates throughout the day! Dead-center line in the morning is not the same as dead-center line in the afternoon.

Even when I'm shooting dead balls on, if I take a break and practice slow rolling the cue ball off the end rail and back, I'll usually find I end up just a hair left of perfect. I have a tendency to line up a hair left of center when I'm lined up "perfect", and I do mean a hair, as in a fraction of a millimeter. Nobody is perfect, and it takes an OCD nutjob to bother to find out that you're not perfect.

Your brain can't perfectly referee your dominant eye and non-dominant eye down to microns,and you just have to live with that. It's good that you adjusted. If you have to switch again and need to fast-track the transition, temporarily lengthening your bridge, gripping farther back on the cue, or holding your head further back may help a little so long as it doesn't disturb your stroke fundamentals. If I have to play with a strange cue I tend to stand a little farther back from the cue ball, it helps reduce errors in perception.

 

[Gorramjayne]

It could also be that you cue with a little bit of unintentional inside spin. The reason the shots look thicker with a thicker shaft is that a thicker shaft generally produces more cue ball squirt so you have to aim thicker.... Or the tip is aimed through the cue ball thicker to compensate for a little more cue ball squirt. With a thinner shaft with less cue ball deflection you can aim closer to the correct line of aim with inside hence why shots might look thicker now.

I thought about this and if it were a problem with squirt and that he naturally lines up a bit to one side of the CB (as everybody does), he would have to hit thicker when cutting in one direction and thinner when cutting in the other. I doubt that's what's going on.

 

[Pidge]

I thought about this and if it were a problem with squirt and that he naturally lines up a bit to one side of the CB (as everybody does), he would have to hit thicker when cutting in one direction and thinner when cutting in the other. I doubt that's what's going on.

If he always favours one side then this wouldn't be the case. If he has always favoured the inside of the cue ball... Which I've seen quite a lot... Then this could most definitely be the reason. It's still doubtful but it's definitely a possibility. Chances are the culprit is a wayward vision centre above the thicker shaft.