Yes, I'm sure you're right, but that's only at the brief point of impact. Once the cb starts to move, it then becomes affected by other characteristics of the shaft that will also affect the spin cycle (and I don't mean washing machine! Nyuk nyuk.). That's my theory, anyway. Feel free to prove me wrong.
What other effect do you think the shaft can create during the ~1/1000 of a second contact time? I'm pretty sure it's limited to a single impulse in a single squirt-modified direction.
How much does that contact time change between a hard tip and a soft one...?
With a soft tip and the right amount of offset I think it can stretch to twice that.
Roughly 2-to-1 variations have been observed but that difference is essentially irrelevant to the action of the ball. A hard tip is generally more "efficient" and transfers more energy so a softer tip will generally require you to hit a little harder to get the same RPMs and forward speed. The hardness of the tip has very little effect on the ratio of spin (RPMs) to speed (MPH). That is determined by how far off center the hit is.
Well, I'm working backwards here. I already know that with an LD shaft, the cb is acting like it has less side spin on it than with a solid maple shaft. I see it in multi-rail position shots, for example. I've since adapted to the effect of less side spin. But I still don't know why that happens. I'm a sensitive player and I can feel all the nuances of all the shots I play, but this one --- I haven't been able to figure out.
Here’s a simple spin effect test that convinced me - shoot a bunch of these with different shafts and compare results:
Unfortunately, I don't have a table at home but I will bring some cues to the pool room when I get a chance and give it a try. I'm starting to suspect that I may have been playing farther out on the ball with the maple shaft. It may be a sighting issue. Using the edge of the stripe as a guide for comparisons will be helpful. Thanks!
I just gave it a go myself... I used four different set ups.
Yes, the actual spot will vary from table to table - the important thing is how close they all come to the same spot.
Aside from how the hit feels to you, the only physical things to get used to should be squirt and speed. Squirt is by far the bigger change.