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- Thread starter GolfProTj
- Start date
What do you mean when you say "Tips are the same"? I'm assuming the same material, but do you mean the same shape or the same curvature?GolfProTj said:
Let's assume the curvature of the tips are the same for both cases (meaning, both have a nickel's curvature or dime's curvature). A smaller diameter shaft implies a lower tip "end mass". It's been understood a lower "end mass" would result in less squirt, and this reduced squirt would translate into more spin, given the same stroke in both cases.
However, if the tips have the same shape, and by "shape" I mean they are both rounded off similarly in proportion to the diameter of the tip, then the smaller shaft would induce even more spin because the tip curvature would be greater than the tip curvature of the bigger shaft. The increased tip curvature of the smaller shaft would increase the contact surface area between the tip and the CB of an off-center hit. This increased surface area would provide greater grab (friction) for the english to take place. Also, the actual contact point between the cue tip and CB for the smaller diameter shaft would contact slightly more off-center than the contact point of the higher diameter shaft. Because of this greater offset (to full hit), the smaller shaft would produce even more spin.
I'm assuming that in both cases you're aiming the center of the cue tip at same point on the CB, you're stroking with equal force, the shafts are made of the same material, and the tips are made of the same material.
GolfProTj said:
A smaller diameter shaft should allow you to contact the cue ball slightly farther from the vertical center axis. With all other things being equal (speed, weight, curvature, etc), hitting farther from the center would result in more angular rotation.
-td
Skeezicks said:
I disagree, I think most players who have played a long time and with a variety of cues would say there are definitely more variables involved than tip placement. If you're using the same shaft (and this is all assuming the same stroke), then I agree that the only variable is tip placement, but I've seen papers using very in-depth physical models to describe the effects of end mass (which totally depends on tip diameter) on spin. Tip curvature also plays a role, and in my opinion (although I don't have any actual physics to back this up with) tip hardness does as well, since the tip does deform during contact and thus effectively change shape to a differing degree depending on hardness.
-Andrew
Skeezicks said:
At least one other variable affects CB spin. That is tip end mass.
As the CB rotates, it pushes on the tip sideways. If the tip offers less resistance (being lighter or effectively lighter due to a whippy shaft) more spin remains on the CB.
Another variable could be the the amount of grip, hence chalk and surface properties are factors.
As a smaller tip is likely to have a lower end mass, it should allow slightly greater spin for the same contact point offset.
Note also, that the contact point offset for a narrow tip will be greater, for the same line through the center of the cue sticks.