Rotate shafts or keep one as a spare?

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AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you have two shafts for the same cue, do you rotate their use or keep one as a spare, assuming you're not saving one for resale or collectability? I always keep one in my case as a spare but I got to thinking recently, should I be rotating them to distribute wear and tear on the shaft and tip? What do you all do?
 
lights_out said:
If you have two shafts for the same cue, do you rotate their use or keep one as a spare, assuming you're not saving one for resale or collectability? I always keep one in my case as a spare but I got to thinking recently, should I be rotating them to distribute wear and tear on the shaft and tip? What do you all do?
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If it is for your playing cue, I would play with it some and get the tip shaped and chalked and ready to roll. Never know when you'll be in the middle of a big one and blow a tip.....accidently get the cue knocked over(by some clown of course) and get a dinger right the stroke area of the shaft or some other unseen event. I would want to feel as comfortable with the second as with the first.
 
I've always played both shafts on any cues I've had. That keeps the tips worn the same, and the shafts more or less the same condition. When it's time to change the tips, I do both; thus no great change when using either shaft. No surprises when putting an unused shaft on the cue.
 
I too would play with both shafts so that Iwould be comfortable with both of them. I hate it when shafts are different weights from the same cuemaker. It makes the cue feel entirely different.
 
I think no two shafts in the world would play the same, so I recommend trying out both shafts, find the one that works better, and stay with it. Try to practise with the unused shaft just to make sure you are comfortable with it, and use the same shaft in tournaments.
 
I have 2 from the same maker/ same specs, and I play w/ both. What I do tho is have 2 different tips on them, so if I can't get the 'feels' with one, I pull the other out. Currently, I have a Tiger Sniper on one amd a Moori S on the other. I think I'll continue with that combo.
 
daylate$short said:
I've always played both shafts on any cues I've had. That keeps the tips worn the same, and the shafts more or less the same condition. When it's time to change the tips, I do both; thus no great change when using either shaft. No surprises when putting an unused shaft on the cue.
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This is what I've done for about 30 years.
 
I've got two shafts for my Pechauer. They are different tho' so I stick to just the one shaft. One shaft is actually .4 oz heavier and is a little stiffer. I didnt get both shafts together, I waited a couple years, then ordered the other one. I like the lighter one so thats the one I play with.
 
A lot of good information here. It really depends on if you're wanting to get higher resale value for the cue or will keep it forever. In the latter case; play with both.
 
Thanks for the replies all. I was looking for a consensus but wouldn't you know it, as it stands, 4 vote to keep 1 as a spare and 4 vote to rotate shafts. :-)

BTW, my playing cue is a Schon LTD that I have fitted with two Z shafts with Talisman hard WB tips. The shaft I usually play with has a super crisp feel to it that I love. The backup has the same exact setup but doesn't hit quite as crisp, which is why it's a backup. I do take it out every once in a while and play it, just to keep it from feeling left out.
 
I rotate my shafts. My reasoning is that if I paid the same for each shaft I should use them evenly or close to even. If I wanted a backup shaft for emergencies and wouldn't use often, I'd have bought it used at a cheaper price. This would be especially true if I bought the shafts separately. I think inevitably though you'd gravitate towards one that you like more. In that case I'd still bring out the second shaft to get used to it.

Here's what I have: 2 shafts 13mm, and 2 shafts 12.75mm. With all 4 shafts I still rotate them out, however there is one 13 that feels better than the other and one 12.75 that feels better than the other. I am gravitating towards those a little more but I don't neglect the second shaft. I would have never found out that I like one shaft more than the other if I hadn't rotated them out.

Once I had 2 314 shafts and I rotated them. I found out something strange, the one that had a tiny warp and a huge dent near the shaft collar that broke through the finish. Although that shaft was in bad shape I played better with that one than the other 314 that was dead straight. For me I would have never found the better shaft for me without trying each out for several months.

Do whatever makes you more comfortable. If you're not comfortable rotating them out then don't. If you don't like the idea that one shaft you paid near $200 is sitting around not being used then use it.
 
In my pool case i have a 4K1 butt with 3 different shafts. A 314 shaft, Lucasi shaft and a custom shaft. All fitted with unilock. I rotate them everyday. Wow....the feel is good.
 
I have 3 shafts for my primary cue. One is 12.5mm, with a stiff parabolic taper, Ivorine ferrule and Sniper tip. I use it for straight pool, 8-ball and one pocket. I love the feel of this shaft and it's great for precise cueball control. The Sniper is a week old, replacing a Moori 3 M. Sniper may become my new favorite tip ...

The second shaft pattern is SW's version of a pro taper. It's 12.75mm, and while it's still relatively stiff, it produces more action than the other shaft. I have two shafts of this type and they play very similarly. One has a micarta ferrule with a Triangle tip; the other has fiber ferrule and Moori 3 M. The micarta ferrule produces a slightly crisper hit. I use these shafts interchangeably for 9-ball.
 
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