Switching back to normal shafts

victorl

victorl

Where'd my stroke go?
Silver Member
I've been playing with a LD (predator) shaft for over ten years now, but I recently had a chance to play with my friend's SW. I had forgotten what a firm, crisp-hitting cue feels like. I loved it so much that I decided to get one myself.
The only problem is that after two weeks of playing everyday with it, I can'tseem to get used to the deflection. I guess it's just a matter of time and dedicated practice, but it's so frustrating to miss routine shots. :angry: The urge to go back to the predator is almost irresistible.
I'd like to know if any of you have had a similar experience and how long it took before you fully adjusted back to playing with a normal shaft.

Vic
 
victorl said:
I've been playing with a LD (predator) shaft for over ten years now, but I recently had a chance to play with my friend's SW. I had forgotten what a firm, crisp-hitting cue feels like. I loved it so much that I decided to get one myself.
The only problem is that after two weeks of playing everyday with it, I can'tseem to get used to the deflection. I guess it's just a matter of time and dedicated practice, but it's so frustrating to miss routine shots. :angry: The urge to go back to the predator is almost irresistible.
I'd like to know if any of you have had a similar experience and how long it took before you fully adjusted back to playing with a normal shaft.

Vic
Click to expand...


Exactly how much side english are you using on "routine" shots? Ever think about using more follow or draw instead? How about BHE?
 
Traditional shaft

I do have anything against LD shafts. If you find them to your liking, you probably should stick with them. You will always be able to find something to your liking.

If you want to give your traditional shaft an additional chance, I would suggest trying at least one new tip. I prefer traditional shafts, but I have worked with tips that leave me clueless where the cue ball is going. With the right tip, you might find what you were wanting. If not, there is still your old favorite.

Greg
 
Are you switching from an LD shaft for the feel of the hit on the cue ball or to possibly improve your game? I could see trying out a new method of aiming or alignment, or even a grip change, but after ten years I wouldn't expect a positive change to your game with a regular shaft.

I made the opposite change you did. I switched to an LD shaft after using a regular maple shaft. It took no time at all to get used to it. Minutes, actually. After a few months, I didn't play any better. I just lost some spin off of the cue ball. If I would've kept playing with it I probably wouldn't have gained much more. So I switched back to the regular shaft without beating myself up about what could've been. Go with your gut on this one. You'll know and don't feel bad about your decision. It's what's right for you.

Best,
Mike
 
I got a Predator shaft for my Pechauer and used it for about 2 years. I switched back to the Pechauer shaft and never looked back. I would rather improve my stroke than use a crutch. JMHO.
 
victorl said:
I've been playing with a LD (predator) shaft for over ten years now, but I recently had a chance to play with my friend's SW. I had forgotten what a firm, crisp-hitting cue feels like. I loved it so much that I decided to get one myself.
The only problem is that after two weeks of playing everyday with it, I can'tseem to get used to the deflection. I guess it's just a matter of time and dedicated practice, but it's so frustrating to miss routine shots. :angry: The urge to go back to the predator is almost irresistible.
I'd like to know if any of you have had a similar experience and how long it took before you fully adjusted back to playing with a normal shaft.

Vic
Click to expand...

Can I ask you a question first, which shaft did it take longer to adjust to? Or was it the same, or do you not know yet? I may stick with the predator if it was really taking me what seemed to be too long.

Assuming you want to change back no matter what, i'd say shoot a bunch of inside english shot instead of just knocking the balls around. I think this gets you used to the deflection in your particular cue. If it is not getting a lot better in a week (couple hours a day) i'd be nervous -- but i suspect it will.
 
plain old shaft!!

Tiger med - tip on a good old every day shaft will get you there.., not knocking the new laminated shafts there great too if you like what you get from them, but dont fight it. If there is a benifit to your game with the new types of shafts great, but if you dont know where the cue ball is going, you might want to work with the nlaminated shafts a bit in practice to see if you are really gaining anything?
 
Find the pivot point and pay attention to Back Hand English... The LD shaft you had will have had a pivot point likely 10-12 inches... Your new shaft will be more along 7-9.... IF the pivot point is in front of 7 you are going to have a very hard time and it may take forever to adjust.....

The LD shafts let you almost parallel aim using sidespin... Standard deflection... Not so much.....

Last piece of advice is to rotate you cue while establishing pivot point and make sure there is no significant radial inconsistency.... Shafts are selected by grain and appearance... This has no bearing on radially consistency.....
 
victorl said:
I've been playing with a LD (predator) shaft for over ten years now, but I recently had a chance to play with my friend's SW. I had forgotten what a firm, crisp-hitting cue feels like. I loved it so much that I decided to get one myself.
The only problem is that after two weeks of playing everyday with it, I can'tseem to get used to the deflection. I guess it's just a matter of time and dedicated practice, but it's so frustrating to miss routine shots. :angry: The urge to go back to the predator is almost irresistible.
I'd like to know if any of you have had a similar experience and how long it took before you fully adjusted back to playing with a normal shaft.

Vic
Click to expand...

Hi,
piece of advice here. :) I was in the same position as you, I liked LD characteristics of the 314 shaft (played with it for 6-7 years) but I also discovered how much sweeter is the hit of standard shaft. Try Mezz cue with WD700 shaft, it is LD shaft but the hit is like standard shaft, you will love it. ;)
 
marek said:
Hi,
piece of advice here. :) I was in the same position as you, I liked LD characteristics of the 314 shaft (played with it for 6-7 years) but I also discovered how much sweeter is the hit of standard shaft. Try Mezz cue with WD700 shaft, it is LD shaft but the hit is like standard shaft, you will love it. ;)
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Same experience here, For a long time i used predator shaft and have a chance to hit with traditional shaft, non LD. I love the hit but my game have suffered then i was able to get a mezz cue. It have the same feel of traditional shaft with LD characteristic. I am very happy with my mezz cue, i have WD700 and HP2. They both play fantastic but sometimes i like the WD700 but i preferred the HP2 because it has more power than the WD700.
 
victorl said:
I've been playing with a LD (predator) shaft for over ten years now, but I recently had a chance to play with my friend's SW. I had forgotten what a firm, crisp-hitting cue feels like. I loved it so much that I decided to get one myself.
The only problem is that after two weeks of playing everyday with it, I can'tseem to get used to the deflection.
Vic
Click to expand...


Ok I'm a little older, old school perhaps. Never had one of those LD shafts, don't even know how they are made. I assume when I see posts about them that they are some kind of laminate in one design of layering or another.

I get confused though when I read posts like your. If I'm right that these LD shafts are laminated, then if anything they should have a firmer feel than a regular shaft.

Anyway, I think the whole thing is nothing but hype. It would be a cold day in Hell before I paid 200+ dollars for a cue shaft. God bless those of you all who have that kind of money to send in on those things

I still play with an old Meucci I pulled off the rack of for sale cues I had back when I had a pool room. that shaft has since gotten so thin from sanding with 600 over the years that I've replaced it a few times with one of those 30 dollar specials on EBAY.

I put a Triangle tip on the thing, lengthen the taper on it with a makeshift lathe I have, and play pool. That old stick still runs some 50s and 60s now and then. Not bad for an old guy who plays maybe twice a week.

Find a supplier of a shaft that is realistic in price, use it, get used to it, and don't fall for all that marketing hype. That's my opinion.
 
I switched back to a standard shaft and it has taken three months of daily play to adjust. I also had to learn when to use back hand english. Some shots I am still not comfortable with. But I seem to have better speed control with the standard shaft and not really sure why. My position play has greatly improved and I did not expect that. It could be that I am much more aware of my mechanics due to the switch. And I love the hit of solid maple!

I am glad I made the change. My plan is to give it six months and then decide. So I may have some LD shafts for sale in three more months.
 
victorl said:
I've been playing with a LD (predator) shaft for over ten years now, but I recently had a chance to play with my friend's SW. I had forgotten what a firm, crisp-hitting cue feels like. I loved it so much that I decided to get one myself.
The only problem is that after two weeks of playing everyday with it, I can'tseem to get used to the deflection. I guess it's just a matter of time and dedicated practice, but it's so frustrating to miss routine shots. :angry: The urge to go back to the predator is almost irresistible.
I'd like to know if any of you have had a similar experience and how long it took before you fully adjusted back to playing with a normal shaft.

Vic
Click to expand...


I think it took me about six weeks of regular play to get used to my old maple shaft with an ivory ferrule again, after several years of playing with a 314.

Lou Figueroa
 
Neil said:
Just ask yourself one question- Do you play pool because you enjoy the feel of the hit, or do you play pool because you like putting balls in the hole?
Click to expand...

This response gets to the issue. First one that does. There IS a tradeoff. I play with Predator and have for 8+ years. There is no rationally denying the performance *difference* (though many seem to believe otherwise). However, I personally believe that the standard shaft has much better feel, and seems to give me the impression that I might get slightly better speed control due to this feel.

BUT...the low deflection shaft makes it easier for me to pocket balls well. Do all the pro golfers using super high tech metal drivers use a "crutch"? Do those clubs feel different than an old wooden driver? Hell yes they do. But which one works better overall?

I would try to avoid the foolish mentality that places nostalgia and resistance to anything new (usually due to a lack of understanding or an inability to learn) above measurable factual results. Unless, of course, clinging to the old has some particular value for you. (Not saying that it doesn't for some.)

That is *my* opinion on the subject, coming form one who feels the same as the OP and understands the situation he/she faces.

KMRUNOUT
 
I'm a firm believer in the LD thing being a bunch of hype. ALL cues deflect.... some more than others. It's up to the player to learn how much a certain cue deflects and adjust to it. One thing that will put a damper on your game is constantly switching cues. I know a few players in my area that are always playing with a different cue. At the end of the day adjusting to different deflection on these different cues has to screw with their game. I think consistency in your playing cue is as important as consistency in your stroke. That being said, one predator will play damn near the same as the next so if you like to change cues and don't mind staying with Predator then you pretty much can't go wrong. If your going to play with something else just stick with the same cue and let your brain learn how that cue deflects.
Hope this makes sense. They are Low Deflection shafts, not no deflection shafts. There is always going to be some need for you to adjust.
 
deadnutz said:
I'm a firm believer in the LD thing being a bunch of hype
Click to expand...

deadnutz said:
They are Low Deflection shafts
Click to expand...

Which is it? Surely you aren't claiming that they *are* low deflection shafts, but that your *belief* is that they are not...that would sound crazy!

I totally agree with the rest of your post however, and believe the consistency thing is a big benefit of playing with a Predator. (Meaning you can get any butt and add a Predaotr shaft and get about the same characteristics). Good point there.

KMRUNOUT
 
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KMRUNOUT said:
This response gets to the issue. First one that does. There IS a tradeoff. I play with Predator and have for 8+ years. There is no rationally denying the performance *difference* (though many seem to believe otherwise). However, I personally believe that the standard shaft has much better feel, and seems to give me the impression that I might get slightly better speed control due to this feel.

BUT...the low deflection shaft makes it easier for me to pocket balls well. Do all the pro golfers using super high tech metal drivers use a "crutch"? Do those clubs feel different than an old wooden driver? Hell yes they do. But which one works better overall?

I would try to avoid the foolish mentality that places nostalgia and resistance to anything new (usually due to a lack of understanding or an inability to learn) above measurable factual results. Unless, of course, clinging to the old has some particular value for you. (Not saying that it doesn't for some.)

That is *my* opinion on the subject, coming form one who feels the same as the OP and understands the situation he/she faces.

KMRUNOUT
Click to expand...

I play with a 314 too but I have my doubts about how much it actually helps me. The only part that is factual is that they deflect less than standard maple shafts. This doesn't mean that they will definitely make you play better. I think there are some benefits to having a higher deflecting shaft (but not too high). I'm thinking of a shaft that has a pivot-point that is close to your bridge length. The one benefit that jumps out at me would be the ability to have an off center hit be cancelled out by the squirt. I don't think this can happen when you are using a 314 since the pivot-point is so far back. Also, I have been using back-hand english a bit and seems like it would be easier to use with a slightly higher deflecting shaft.

Also, there is more to aiming than just how much your cue deflects. Sean (SFleinen) explains this very well in the inside-english thread. He mentions getting to the point were you have "internalized" all these shots. This is where we all need to end up. What I question is whether or not this process of internalizing is really that much easier with a low-deflection cue.
 
The ob classic is a perfect medium between a predator and maple shaft.
Less deflection than the maple and more feel then the predator.
 
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