Lowest deflection kielwood

[SeniorTom]

I have only used a friend's KW for a few shots, and it really didn't give me much time to make an assessment . I have several carbon fiber shafts, but I always seem to go back to Maple as my favorite. I'd love to get a kW to try out. If nothing else, I think they look good to the eye.

 

[Ģüśţāṿ]

I repair shafts for players all the time and am aghast at the mistreatment their cues get. I very seldom have to treat any nicks, dents,, scrapes or scuffs of my cues’ shafts. I did in early 2025 when someone tried a cue of mine and tapped object balls & CB using the shaft to move the balls. It was one of my original maple shafts and was easily repaired but that person will never touch my cues again. Now KW shafts are more resistant to doing that but still it’s hardly reason to ever do that with your pool cues. Treat your pool cues and equipment with respect like in every other sports endeavor.

At this moment I have 4 KW shafts that were built the way I wanted them made. I had to search long and hard to find cue makers to build what I wanted but it was definitely worth the effort. I was told by many cue makers it can’t be done and I learned a lot of cue builders aren’t as talented as I originally thought. Kielwood is the salvation of wood cue shafts
because CF was dominating the cue market. Wood shafts feel, sound & play better when it’s Kielwood vs. orig. maple.

Fixing dings is definitely on the list of things I don't like to do, and it's pretty sad that people don't treat others equipment with respect!

I'm glad you found the shafts of your dream, that's no easy feat. Finding heavy weight kielwood can be a challenge!

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Jumping with only a shaft is easier because your acceleration is greater due to less mass.

A little greater mass = a little less acceleration. OK, that's a small possible advantage (if your stroke is sensitive to it).

So how does more deflection help?

pj
chgo

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Why do trick shot artists use heavy cues with stiff thick shafts and large diameter tips to do masse shots?

For the weight, as Gustav said. Large diameter tips are just what comes with that.

pj
chgo

 

[Patrick Johnson]

If what you say is the case, then why get a low deflection shaft in the first place if it's only going to make a tiny bit of deflection difference?

Deflection is important for aiming - not for swerve/masse.

Masse is another way of looking at deflection I believe

You're entitled to your beliefs, but I don't think the two have anything to do with each other. Deflection only affects the immediate initial direction of the CB, which is more accurately controlled by simply aiming.

pj
chgo

 

[skor]

Between squirt and deflection, it's much easier to swerve around balls with a non-LD shaft. Same goes for masse shots. Of course you can do both with LD, but less effort is required for high deflection, the cue does all the work natually.

I completely disagree!
It’s just a matter of getting used to a shaft.
I can easily swerve and masse shots with LD shafts with high accuracy.
I can’t for the life of me hit a ball when trying to swerve the cb with a standard shaft. It’s just because I’m used aiming with ld shafts

 

[HawaiianEye]

For the weight, as Gustav said. Large diameter tips are just what comes with that.

pj
chgo

The cues are held vertically and the cues are usually shorter, so balance isn't much of an issue.

I have heavy cues with much smaller tips than masses cues.

If low deflection is better for a masse, why don't they use butt heavy cues with thinner shafts and smaller tips?

I think it is because they want the weight, the stiffness of the shaft and the diameter of the tip.

They don't want low deflection.

 

[SeniorTom]

Deflection is important for aiming - not for swerve/masse.


You're entitled to your beliefs, but I don't think the two have anything to do with each other. Deflection only affects the immediate initial direction of the CB, which is more accurately controlled by simply aiming.

pj
chgo

Then you are saying a carbon fiber shaft and a maple shaft deflect equally? Low deflection shafts don't end their characteristics with just deflection. I may not have it right, but I would think that a low deflection shaft does not have the torque upon impact that a maple shaft does. That torque would probably allow you to get more action on the cue ball for masse shots. Again, a rigid no deflection carbon fiber shaft doesn't stop just at deflection, those characteristics are applied to every type of shot.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

The cues are held vertically and the cues are usually shorter, so balance isn't much of an issue.

I have heavy cues with much smaller tips than masses cues.

If low deflection is better for a masse, why don't they use butt heavy cues with thinner shafts and smaller tips?

I think it is because they want the weight, the stiffness of the shaft and the diameter of the tip.

They don't want low deflection.

Right. Deflection isn't a factor.

pj
chgo

 

[Patrick Johnson]

I would think that a low deflection shaft does not have the torque upon impact that a maple shaft does. That torque would probably allow you to get more action on the cue ball for masse shots.

I'm guessing by "torque" you mean the force of the cue's impact? Sure, different cues deliver slightly different amounts of force for the same stroke, due to weight (not deflection). The difference is compensated with slightly different stroke force.

pj
chgo

 

[SeniorTom]

I'm guessing by "torque" you mean the force of the cue's impact? Sure, different cues deliver slightly different amounts of force for the same stroke, due to weight (not deflection). The difference is compensated with slightly different stroke force.

pj
chgo

Again, I am no expert, but in order for the cue ball to deflect or squirt, the tip end of the shaft has to flex a bit. It can never be picked up by the human eye, but somewhere minutely the tip rotates slightly to one side. That's why carbon fiber shafts don't deflect as much is because the tip end does not rotate as much as a maple shaft. This is also why people like the feel of a maple shaft because that slight tip rotation sends signals back to the shooter's hands and of course to his brain. In order to feel a difference between the two shafts, they have to react different when contacting the cue ball. I define torque as, and I may be wrong, as the tip end of the shaft flexing and flexing back to neutral. That Flex throws the cue ball, at least in my opinion, ever so slightly, and I call that "back and forth', torque.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Again, I am no expert, but in order for the cue ball to deflect or squirt, the tip end of the shaft has to flex a bit. It can never be picked up by the human eye, but somewhere minutely the tip rotates slightly to one side. That's why carbon fiber shafts don't deflect as much is because the tip end does not rotate as much as a maple shaft. This is also why people like the feel of a maple shaft because that slight tip rotation sends signals back to the shooter's hands and of course to his brain. In order to feel a difference between the two shafts, they have to react different when contacting the cue ball. I define torque as, and I may be wrong, as the tip end of the shaft flexing and flexing back to neutral. That Flex throws the cue ball, at least in my opinion, ever so slightly, and I call that "back and forth', torque.

Oh, I see what you mean now - shoulda known. Thanks.

pj
chgo