Putting down the LD shaft

Johnnyz86 said:
Great list, and a result of the unnatural pivot point, imperfect strokes will have worse results and send the cue ball further from the intended target, since the bridge is closer than the real pivot point, it will go to the direction that your tip pivoted towards. So, on real bad days, I pick up a house cue and do much better.
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Good point. This effect would be especially dramatic for somebody with a very short bridge length.

Regards,
Dave
 
so THAT's why LD shafts screw me up :D

My bridge is about 8 inches from the CB for almost all my shots. 12-14 if I'm putting on a ton of draw.
 
I really appreciate all the posts from everyone, I've been pretty quiet, but have been keeping up with the thread while I've been out. The LD shaft has stayed at the house while shooting for the past couple days. Sortta like kicking myself out of the nest I guess. I don't want to be going back and forth between shafts, as advised by many so far, it'll defeat my purpose. I've made my decision and plan to stick with it. So far I've got quite a bit of practice time in, 3 hours before shooting league last night (Thursday), and practiced 4 hours before shooting league Wednesday. I feel I'll be able to make the transition pretty well. I'll get comfortable with the cue and devote plenty of time practicing, and should be able to elevate my game if I stay on track.
 
007 said:
I dunno, I disagree with several of the things posted here, which I've seen posted several times. I don't think LD shafts are a "gimmick"; they're a natural progression of the technology of the game. Remember, tires used to be made of solid rubber, now they're radial. (Yes, I know that some tires are still solid rubber even today, but you get my point.) And forget the "I passed the plateau" remarks; as stated, just about every pro out there uses LD shafts. If there really were a "plateau" that LD shafts had (and consequently, non-LD shafts do not, for whatever reason you think), wouldn't those people also be switching back to solid maple shafts to play with? Maybe they would...or maybe, just maybe, LD shafts are better. Yes, if you have a straight stroke, you'll shoot well. If you have a straight stroke AND an LD shaft, you'll (probably) shoot better than with a non-LD shaft. Welcome to the 21st century. Older is not always better (think rails, felt, balls...do you really want to shoot with clay balls?)

Seems like common sense to me.

As has been said, no matter what, any new cue will take getting used to. Even Efren has said that when he was shooting with a new cue, he needed to get used to the feel of it. We all know how well he can shoot. If HE needs to "get used to" a new cue, what makes you think you wouldn't? We can't all be great, and certainly, we can't all be Buddy Hall. He's not call "the Rifleman" for nothing. But I bet Budy, Efren, or a dozen other pros could pick up a house cue and beat 99% of the people on this board, or in the world for that matter. The fact that Buddy could buy a new cue and win a tournament with it, no matter how many times in a row, isn't a good example of anything other than "it's the indian not the arrow" (which is true IMO.) For us mere mortals, we need to get used to our equipment. If you don't need to...you probably should be playing on the pro circuit.

FWIW, I don't think my LD shaft "masks" any problems I have. I still shoot like crap, make stupid mistakes, and get lucky sometimes. But you know what? That corner pocket bank I made last night? I called it, and I could do it with my non-LD-standard-maple shaft, and I can still do it with my LD shaft. I've left my cue at home and played with a house cue on more than one occassion. I still shoot the same, still make the same shots, and still miss the same ones I miss with my high-dollar cue equipped with an LD shaft. At least I'm consistent.

I think the bottom line is this: shoot with what you like. If your goal is to pick up any stick and shoot well, all you need to do is practice your stroke. For the next 10 years, probably. LD shafts are great, they do help a small bit, but in the end, all that matters is your stroke.
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Great post 007, well written, I really appreciate your opinion on the subject. I didn't realize the post earlier about the "plateau" was referring to the LD shaft, the plateau I was thinking of was about the transition back to maple, getting my game back to "normal" if that makes sense. My intention is to pick up any stick and shoot well. As you stated as well as others, it's all gonna be about my stroke. I've been practicing and there's not doubt a long ways to go, but I've started the journey! Thanks!
 
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