Low Deflection shafts, Are they worth it?

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MVito

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Been playing with an hxt shaft for the pasted 7 months. Don't really care for it. Have a new cue on the way , with a solid maple shaft. Are these expensive LD shafts really worth it ? (Ob/predator)Do pros mostly still use solid maple shafts or is it a 50/50 thing? I don't see how they can be that much of an advantage as long as your solid with a reg shaft. Yes/No?


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MVito said:
Been playing with an hxt shaft for the pasted 7 months. Don't really care for it. Have a new cue on the way , with a solid maple shaft. Are these expensive LD shafts really worth it ? (Ob/predator)Do pros mostly still use solid maple shafts or is it a 50/50 thing? I don't see how they can be that much of an advantage as long as your solid with a reg shaft. Yes/No?


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Well informed people say yes.

Well informed people say no.
 
It really just depends. I know several pros and short stops that like LD shafts. Some like as close to zero as possible, others like a little bit. Preference is key. On shots with extreme inside english, LD shafts have always been a little easier for me. If I were to go back to an LD shaft today it would be either Samsara or Mezz in all likelihood because I prefer the solid feel.
 
MVito said:
Been playing with an hxt shaft for the pasted 7 months. Don't really care for it. Have a new cue on the way , with a solid maple shaft. Are these expensive LD shafts really worth it ? (Ob/predator)Do pros mostly still use solid maple shafts or is it a 50/50 thing? I don't see how they can be that much of an advantage as long as your solid with a reg shaft. Yes/No?


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The only LD shaft I like is a Jaboby Edge Hybrid. I have tried virtually all LD shafts out there and it feels best to me.

If you want to stick with LD, then try a pile of them out and see what you think. If you decide to stick with a solid maple shaft, then there shouldn't be much of a surprise.
 
Try the forum search. There should be enough reading to keep you entertained for months! When it all gets boiled down, what I take away from the discussions I've read is to try a bunch of different shafts to find the one that "feels" the best to YOU. Then play with it a lot to adjust to its particular deflection characteristics. Either LD or Non-LD, any adjustment needed will eventually become second nature and will not require much thought.
 
Buy a cue that you know you like how it plays. ie, try every cue you can. If it comes with a LD shaft, so be it. Personally I think it is insane to buy a custom cue and slap a production LD shaft on it. If the builder uses his own standard or custom LD shaft that's how they intend their cue to play and be balanced. I'm not gonna buy a Ferrari and replace the engine with a Kia engine.
 
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Low Deflection Shafts

All shafts deflect to some degree. I think a low deflection shaft has one advantage. Shooting long straight in shots where your on the line of aim but you hit the cue ball cockeyed a little. With a regular shaft you will jaw the ball and with a limited deflected shaft it will still go in. The down side of a low deflected shaft is that they play a little soft (by design) and you have to hit the call ball a tiny bit harder.

I read an article that said a lot of players from Taiwan don't like limited deflection shafts because they do hit a little soft and they prefer the more harder solid hit of a regular shaft. These comments were from some of the top players there.

Bottom line is play what feels good to you. You will always have to adjust for some deflection.
 
I have Preds and Ob's. I play the same regardless of LD or regular maple. Maybe a pro can tell the difference. I can't.
 
TWOFORPOOL said:
All shafts deflect to some degree. I think a low deflection shaft has one advantage. Shooting long straight in shots where your on the line of aim but you hit the cue ball cockeyed a little. With a regular shaft you will jaw the ball and with a limited deflected shaft it will still go in. The down side of a low deflected shaft is that they play a little soft (by design) and you have to hit the call ball a tiny bit harder.

I read an article that said a lot of players from Taiwan don't like limited deflection shafts because they do hit a little soft and they prefer the more harder solid hit of a regular shaft. These comments were from some of the top players there.

Bottom line is play what feels good to you. You will always have to adjust for some deflection.
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Tap tap! I agree.

Low deflection shafts work, they deflect the cue all less of,one when using side spin. Now, they still deflect it some so you still need to compensate on most shots so I don't think their advantage lies necessarily in the decrease in deflection compensation required.

I think the main advantage of a LD shaft is it gives you a mor forgiving shaft where your cue tip placement can be off more and still make the shot than with a standard shaft. Th above example of a straight in shot hit with no intentional spin but misfit slightly is a good example.

Lots of pros use them....most pros use them these days I think. I don't think it's the sponsorship money....it isn't that much unless you're SVB or the like.

That being said, I no longer use one as my playing shaft. I've found my happy medium with a 12mm solid maple shaft. It deflects just the right amount for my eye and feels great. I do think I'm giving up a little forgiveness but gaining some feel and finesse. It's what I'm happy with now, but won't say I'll never play a LD shaft again.
 
TWOFORPOOL said:
All shafts deflect to some degree. I think a low deflection shaft has one advantage. Shooting long straight in shots where your on the line of aim but you hit the cue ball cockeyed a little. With a regular shaft you will jaw the ball and with a limited deflected shaft it will still go in. The down side of a low deflected shaft is that they play a little soft (by design) and you have to hit the call ball a tiny bit harder.

I read an article that said a lot of players from Taiwan don't like limited deflection shafts because they do hit a little soft and they prefer the more harder solid hit of a regular shaft. These comments were from some of the top players there.

Bottom line is play what feels good to you. You will always have to adjust for some deflection.
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Good post.

I like the LD shafts, because, simply put, I like to know the ball is going closer to where I'm aiming. I don't understand "I want it to feel right/good/hard/soft." If I want something to feel good, I'll get a new pillow or bunny slippers. I just want a pool cue that hits as accurately possible, and I'm not so sensitive that I need it to feel good.
 
BRussell said:
Good post.

I like the LD shafts, because, simply put, I like to know the ball is going closer to where I'm aiming.
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Really?


That's only true if you don't aim properly IMHO.


I would say it would be more correct to say that one simply has to compensate less with an LD shaft.

Regardless of the type of shaft the ball should go where you are aiming, not "closer".


IMHO regardless of what one's aiming technique or "system" might be if the ball goes anywhere other than where you are aiming then the aim is the problem, not the shaft.
Therefore, if the ball is going "closer" to where you are aiming, rather than where you are aiming, then your aim is off, not the shaft.





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Chopdoc said:
Really?


That's only true if you don't aim properly IMHO.


I would say it would be more correct to say that one simply has to compensate less with an LD shaft.

Regardless of the type of shaft the ball should go where you are aiming, not "closer".


IMHO regardless of what one's aiming technique or "system" might be if the ball goes anywhere other than where you are aiming then the aim is the problem, not the shaft.
Therefore, if the ball is going "closer" to where you are aiming, rather than where you are aiming, then your aim is off, not the shaft.





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It's not the aim being off he's talking about...it's the stroke being off a little causing you to not hit the cue ball exactly where intended. In that case a LD shaft will keep the cue ball closer to the intended line of aim.
 
Chopdoc said:
Really?


That's only true if you don't aim properly IMHO.


I would say it would be more correct to say that one simply has to compensate less with an LD shaft.

Regardless of the type of shaft the ball should go where you are aiming, not "closer".


IMHO regardless of what one's aiming technique or "system" might be if the ball goes anywhere other than where you are aiming then the aim is the problem, not the shaft.
Therefore, if the ball is going "closer" to where you are aiming, rather than where you are aiming, then your aim is off, not the shaft.
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I'm not quite sure that is completely accurate.

One can be aimed correctly, but one's stroke does not deliver the tip & the angle of the cue as intended when aimed. Hence an off center hit with an angled cue. Hence Cue Ball Squirt. For the same hit the high tech shaft should send the CB 'closer' to the intended target than a full maple shaft.

Depending on the margin for error given the pocket & distance the OB is from the pocket the difference could decide between a miss or a lucky make.

Everyone plays at different levels with different amounts of accuracy of stroke.

I would suggest a high tech shaft to everyone regardless of how accurate one's stroke is.

I relate it to cavity back irons & metal perimeter weighted 'woods' for golf.

Eventually every pro golfer went to them to help save them from that ONE bad swing.

Best 2 Ya,
Rick

PS Please correct me if I've misstated something.
 
MVito said:
I just started playing again, about a year ago, after a 9 year break because of LIFE


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Thanks, but I was not directing the 'like' to you. I was interested in how long another has been playing.

Welcome Back!

Best Wishes for You & Yours,
Rick
 
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slide13 said:
It's not the aim being off he's talking about...it's the stroke being off a little causing you to not hit the cue ball exactly where intended. In that case a LD shaft will keep the cue ball closer to the intended line of aim.
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I still can't agree. An LD shaft corrects a stroke that's off?

I don't believe it.


As far as being closer to the "intended line of aim", IMHO the intended line of aim should be adjusted, and hence it should not be closer, it should be dead on. For some, that might be easier with LD because it requires less compensation. For others, compensating is easier for some reason, possibly some innate talent or perhaps training, those people likely will experience less benefit from LD I would think. Maybe that's what you mean by the stroke being off? If so, then I get it and perhaps agree.



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