I have a question regarding shaft taper from the perspective of a very average player.The shaft taper i am familiar with is 10 inch straight which is standard(according to the Blue Book) on the various Scruggs cues i own and play with.In browsing the Blue Book the 10 in straight also seems to be the taper used on Joss,Richard Black,Balabushkas,and i am sure many others.Having hit with other cues(Southwest,Bluegrass,Jensen,Josey,Carmelli) the 10 in straight seems to be a fairly flexible,"forgiving" taper compared to some.My question to the better players on the forum; do you use the same taper in all games you play or do you use more flex/stiffer shafts depending on the game at hand?Also is there any one taper that is a good "all around" choice?Thanks,Mike Sellers
Shaft taper question
- Thread starter whiteoak
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Scottster
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whiteoak said:
What an excellent question!
The dryer the playing conditions the greater deflection becomes.
Since the cloth is dryer there is less friction between the cloth and the balls, therefore the ball retains it's spin longer and doesnt return to the line of sight.
My best analogy for this is an oily lane in bowling. The oilier the lane (dryer the table), the less the ball is going to hook.
Under these playing conditions a shaft of low deflection, which can be obtained with taper experimentation, or a shaft such as the predators, becomes an advantage IMHO.
You really can't pin a taper down solely on how long it is straight. It can be 10", 12" or 16" and still not play like others that have it straight the same amount. You also have to consider what it does after that point. I have a little more meat in the back part of my shaft than many do. Plays a little stiffer. I also sort through dozens of shafts to find one with tight enough grain to make it on my custom cues. You just have to feel each shaft and see how it flows through your fingers and how it hits the ball. There unfortunately is no magic formula.whiteoak said:
Chris
www.hightowercues.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
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In general, I find most of the East Coast "pro" or straight tube tapers too wild or flexible for me. I like a taper that could be described as between the East Coast and the standard South West (which at 13mm is too stiff, IMO). I prefer this type taper for all pool games, on bar or big table. As Chris mentioned, the wood characteristics make a difference. I have 2 shafts with my playing cue almost identical in weight and taper profile. One shaft plays okay the other is the best playing shaft I can recall owning.
Martin
Martin
whiteoak said:
I use a stiffer taper on my SW for 14.1 and 8-ball. This stiffer tapered shaft gives me very tight control of the cueball, at the expense of some action. I use SW's version of a pro taper for slower tables or 9-ball, where I want more action.