Personal opinion on switching from low deflection shaft to a conventional one??

M

mincho

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
First time poster here. Some background: I'm looking to invest in an OB-2 shaft and am curious how much of an adjust it'll be from a conventional shaft.

An open question to anyone: What is your personal experience with switching to a LD shaft from a conventional one? Are you able to switch back from LD to conventional without much problem?

In a sense, I feel like it wouldn't be much of a problem for me, since I can play with my regular cue, or switch to a bar cue without trouble. This may be an unfair comparison, nonetheless, please share your experience or any other opinions/advice you may have. Thank you!
 
mincho said:
First time poster here. Some background: I'm looking to invest in an OB-2 shaft and am curious how much of an adjust it'll be from a conventional shaft.

An open question to anyone: What is your personal experience with switching to a LD shaft from a conventional one? Are you able to switch back from LD to conventional without much problem?

In a sense, I feel like it wouldn't be much of a problem for me, since I can play with my regular cue, or switch to a bar cue without trouble. This may be an unfair comparison, nonetheless, please share your experience or any other opinions/advice you may have. Thank you!
Click to expand...
I have recently gone from a Maple shaft to an OB1 shaft. At first, I could adjust to top with Left or Right English...after having a bad night, I put the OB1 away, put my Maple shaft on and was able to hit them with it. Very next night, I was playing a friend at 10Ball, I decided to put the OB1 on as he swears by them, and low and behold, I was able to do every shot with the OB1 as I could with my Maple shaft.

Now, I have put both my Maple shafts away in the bedroom, kinda forcing myself to fully get used to the OB1. Im still adjusting ever so slightly with stop shots with a little english etc (I seem to be putting WAY too much english on than I should).

If you have the patience to stick it out with using an LD shaft, go for it! I now know that I can rely on my OB shaft to get me to the next ball when I am having an 'off' day :)
 
It was fairly easy for me to adjust to the LD shafts I used, but once I got my Scruggs, I decided I liked the hit of the original shafts better, so I switched back. Man it was like my brain was kickin me in the nuts! I was missing shots all over the place. It was a couple months before I got all the way back in stroke and was able and confident enough to do the shots that had been routine before I switched back. If you switch, stay with it, or, just keep what ya got. Just my experience. Good luck man.

Joe
 
Hussa,

it s all about how YOU feel the *hit* with YOUR cue. Nothin else- no matter what other guys recommend to you my friend. Everyone s reaction is different if it s about cues! (and this is good :p)

From my side (personally :p): I used to play always with very hard, conventional shafts. Then i tried *just for fun* a cue from a friend bc it *looked funny*.....played some balls and it felt really great. So from time to time i asked him if i may test a bit more, and after a few weeks i ordered this shaft- it was an OB-1. I just want to show up, that you have to feel it for yourself to make a decision. Go to the table and shoot some balls. The adjustments to handle perhaps some little aiming-issues caused by deflection....will disappear soon, if you like the cue :p
And anyway: Even if you re goingt to buy a new *conventional* non-laminated shaft there is also a difference to each other-not only from conventinal to LD shafts. Each qualified cuemaker can build you a shaft how you want it. And also conventional shafts can have more or less deflection.

If you want somethin- test around and talk to a good cuemaker. For many ppl a qualified cuemaker can open their eyes to get a better understanding :)

lg
Ingo
 
Hussa
I believe it's all about personal preference and how you yourself feel about the shaft. Personally I have tried but they just don't feel right for me, I will probably go back and try again some time in the future. Unless I feel LD shafts will improve my game with something in particular I am not going to spend too much time on them.

You can learn a lot of things, from a lot of people, they can tell you what they think you might gain from doing something another way or using different equipment. What nobody can ever tell you is how something feels to you!
 
I am kind of just the opposite of the OP.. I shot with a standard shaft for most of my life.. Tried almost all of the low deflection shafts on the market over the past 2 years but never really go used to them..

Low and behold, I am back to shooting with my standard shaft and don't think I'll ever go back to low deflection.. My philosophy on the whole LD thing and this is just me.. It does not mattter whether the shaft causes high deflection, squirt, etc.. or just a little.. I have to learn to compensate anyways as I have never found a zero deflections shaft.. I shot with the standard for so long, I got used to it.. Tolerances etc..

Had I started out with a LD shaft, it would be a whole different story I think but I did not. Gotta shoot with what works for you.. You'll get lots of different opinions but it boils down to what works for you.. Good luck and shoot em straight!

JoeyK
 
Yep, just like mojoe and some of the other guys said, it's whatever works for you! I had a custom cue that I bought used from a buddy when I was a freshman in HS. Maple shaft and the first cue I ever had. I shoot pretty good with until college. After I graduated, I stopped playing for 6 years. I started back up with a 314-2 and after about 3 months playing on the weekends, I'm back to where I was at. I tried my maple cue again (I still have it, kinda my first love) and I was all over the place!!! I am sure if I started with this maple shaft again, I'll have the tolerances and adjustments for it and will be all over the place shooting with my 314-2. Whatever you pick, just stick with it and practice!
 
mincho said:
First time poster here. Some background: I'm looking to invest in an OB-2 shaft and am curious how much of an adjust it'll be from a conventional shaft.

An open question to anyone: What is your personal experience with switching to a LD shaft from a conventional one? Are you able to switch back from LD to conventional without much problem?
Click to expand...

Most here say it's all "personal preference" (i.e., different for everybody), but I think that's the lazy answer.

The benefit of lower deflection is not different for everybody. Even though you have to compensate for deflection either way, less compensation means more accuracy, a potential benefit that's available to everybody.

But the difficulty of adjusting to lower deflection can be different for different people, and for some people it can be more important than the benefit of lower deflection. This is what you have to find out, and you can't find out by trying a shaft out once or twice - you have to live with it for awhile.

I think the odds are that you'll adjust successfully in a reasonable amount of time and end up liking low-deflection.

I feel like it wouldn't be much of a problem for me, since I can play with my regular cue, or switch to a bar cue without trouble. This may be an unfair comparison
Click to expand...

It's not a good comparison. A low-deflection shaft is pretty different from either of those high-deflection cues. You'll probably have more of an adjustment period with a low-deflection shaft - but, like I said, it will probably be worth it.

pj
chgo
 
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Heck I am not expert, but let me answer your question with this statement! Mosconi, and Hoppi played real well with standard shafts. That is what I use a standard shaft!
 
FYI, low-deflection shafts have both advantages and disadvantages. For more info, see:

I can switch between LD and regular shafts, but I don't like doing this. I prefer my LD shaft.

Welcome to AZB,
Dave

mincho said:
First time poster here. Some background: I'm looking to invest in an OB-2 shaft and am curious how much of an adjust it'll be from a conventional shaft.

An open question to anyone: What is your personal experience with switching to a LD shaft from a conventional one? Are you able to switch back from LD to conventional without much problem?

In a sense, I feel like it wouldn't be much of a problem for me, since I can play with my regular cue, or switch to a bar cue without trouble. This may be an unfair comparison, nonetheless, please share your experience or any other opinions/advice you may have. Thank you!
Click to expand...
 
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