Taiwanese Pros and Predator?

[14.1player]

Can anyone explain why there seems to be few of the top Taiwanese players using Predator shafts? They seem to prefer using high end customs, Gina, Southwest and Taiwanese customs.

314 on Joss butt seems to be the standard break cue for Yang and Wu, but I have only seen Chang JL use 314 shaft?

Maybe its the impeccable playing conditions

Can some of our Taiwanese friends elaborate?

 

[X Breaker]

Can anyone explain why there seems to be few of the top Taiwanese players using Predator shafts? They seem to prefer using high end customs, Gina, Southwest and Taiwanese customs.

314 on Joss butt seems to be the standard break cue for Yang and Wu, but I have only seen Chang JL use 314 shaft?

Maybe its the impeccable playing conditions

Can some of our Taiwanese friends elaborate?

Yang breaks with a Joss with a Joss shaft, not 314. Wu breaks with a Joss with a 314.

I have asked my Taiwanese friends such as Kuo, Chang, and several others this question...and they all told me they felt that the 314 hit was too soft and not powerful enough.

Last year in Vegas, I had my booth next to another cue maker's booth. They have their cues sold with 314 and regular shafts. The 314 shaft did not have any logo on.

I was interested in the cues, so I asked Kuo to try them out and tell me his feedback. He tried a few, and very interestingly, he felt that all the cues he tested with the 314 were too soft, without knowing they were 314.
I asked them how about "deflection," they told me it was okay, but they then showed me how they pot balls with english, with a regular shaft right off another cue maker's rack, and the balls all went in with cue ball going three rails and more. Kuo told me if I hit the ball smoothly, "deflection" is not a difficult thing to get used to. Chang even made balls with tones of English with the X Breaker with the X tip, and made the ball go four rails in his first try. He told me lots of people do not have a good stroke and do not really know how to apply english, that is why they have problems.

From their feedback, I am under the impression that the power, feel, and stiffness are more important to them. Deflection, which is the biggest advantage of the 314, is not really a big concern because they can get used to it fairly quickly.

I know a Taiwanese player, also a WPBA pro, Hsin Huang, plays with a Predator shaft. I believe she is using a Z2 shaft now. She did very well this time in the BCA, finishing 9th.

Taiwanese players, from what I understand, favor shafts that are very powerful, and stiff. When they order Southwest, they usually get the really stiff taper, rather than the pro taper, which I believe is preferred by most US pro players.

In my humble opinion, I think this is because of how they stroke the ball, and how they play the game with regard to shot selections.

Richard

 

[Sprite]

I agree with X-Breaker. It seem like only 1 out of 50 taiwanese(estimation) use predator as playing cue.

 

[Stan9]

I asked them how about "deflection," they told me it was okay, but they then showed me how they pot balls with english, with a regular shaft right off another cue maker's rack, and the balls all went in with cue ball going three rails and more. Kuo told me if I hit the ball smoothly, "deflection" is not a difficult thing to get used to.

Taiwanese players, from what I understand, favor shafts that are very powerful, and stiff. When they order Southwest, they usually get the really stiff taper, rather than the pro taper, which I believe is preferred by most US pro players.

In my humble opinion, I think this is because of how they stroke the ball, and how they play the game with regard to shot selections.

Richard

That's certainly very insightful. Good rep for you! In your view, how then do the Taiwanese players stroke and apply English that necessitates so different preferences/specs as, say, players in the States and the Philippines for example, many of whom prefer softer hitters with long pro-tapers?

From what I have seen, the Taiwan players have similiar playing styles - a more rigid and controlled stroke, a tighter grip and similiar mechanics. Nut beyond that, what are their views/preferences on shot selection and the "correct way" of applying spin?

 

[Big Bad Bern]

This thread has got me wondering, is a stiffer shaft more powerful or is a more flexible shaft more powerful and how is cue power measured by spin applied to the cue ball or force transfered to cue ball.

I find that with a stiffer shaft I have to hit the balls much harder and I can't draw the ball as far, but with a flexible shaft I can hit the ball much easier and get the same amount of draw or more.

I do find that my position play suffers with a more flexible shaft as the cue ball is a little harder to control and can get away from me easier (wanting to draw it 6inchs and drawing it a foot) when playing straight pool or eight ball but a stiffer shaft makes it harder to play nine ball where the cue ball needs to be moved alot more.

So if they don't use a pro taper what shaft taper do they prefer (something more specific than stiff please) and why do you think North Americans prefer a more flexible taper compared to the Asians mentioned in this thread.

Thanks

Bern

 

[JonoNZ]

From an ex 314 Man

From what I know from my Taiwanese friend:

Low deflection shafts let you get away with a poor stroke. If you use a high deflection shaft and stroke well then deflection is of no concern.
The better your stroke is the better your understanding of angles and lines will be leading to improved position play and bank/kick shots.

314s and Z shafts as an example create shorter angles on the cue ball coming off rails than a conventional shaft.

As to the power thing I still do not get it, but the easiest way is to pick up a Southwest and send the ball around the table and then use a Predator. I think the Southwest has more power all round where as the Predator just generates more spin.

If my friend could speak better English my explanation would make far more sense

 

[X Breaker]

I am no expert, so I am only responding to what I heard from a few extensive conversations with my friends from Taiwan. I have been thinking about this for a long time, ever since Kuo and Chang told me about this two years ago. I have also talked to some pinoy players such as Ronnie Alcano about this. I will try to explain here what I heard.

From what I observe, Taiwanese players all have a very good understanding of body machanics. The game is taught very scientifically, and systematically in Taiwan. Pros are also quite willing to share their "secret" with others for free. So, they have improved a lot in recent years. This also explains, in my opinion, why they might all believe in similiar theory and use a similiar system when it comes to shaft preference, adjument for english, and such. Therefore, we need to bear in mind that just because they all believe in a certain thing, does not mean they have all tried different things before they settle on the one thing.

What Kuo told me was that (this is what I understood, from what he tried to tell me, but I cannot be sure I have understood it completely) the ball will always swerve at slow and medium speed. He said that with a smooth cueing action, not too much adjustment is necessary with most cues. Good players never hit the ball too hard, and the cue ball usually will throw the object ball a bit and swerve a bit, so just because a shaft has little deflection does not make it go straight, if you hit it smoothly. When he said that, I looked at him, and I remember he was using a Tad in the WPC finals against Wu in 2005, and Tad has one of the most "deflection" of all the cues I have tried--so, I was having problem believing him.

He saw the look on my face, he asked me to stand behind him, and he showed me. He told me he usually tried to be very precise with the point which he aimed to hit on the cue ball, and he would follow through very precisely. Not too much english is needed to make the ball spin a lot. He also said he would use swerve to adjust for initial squirt. He told me he never really hit the ball real hard, especially when he really wanted to move the cue ball around the table--only lots of smooth follow through. I asked him how he got a smooth follow through, he told me he allowed the weight of his arm and his cue to creat the follow through.

When I stood behind him, I noticed that he only made very little adjustment when applying tones of english on the cue ball by hitting only a tip away from the center, and he hit the ball real soft yet smoothly. He made a 4 rail shot effortlessly. It was amazing.

He told me not all cues would allow him to move the ball around this way, and a "powerful" cue is one which allows the cue ball to move around effortlessly, whereas he can just let the cue do the work.

But he also told me since they play on very small pockets in Taiwan, they do not usually use too much english. It is very important to learn to control the cue ball, so they can have a good angle to move on to the next ball. He said when he was playing well, he could control most shots to land in the size of his fist. He also told me that they have many ways to stroke a ball, depending on the shots. They learn to strike the ball with many different strokes, for many different shots. Most people are taught to stroke the ball one way, and to use one stroke--but that is not what he believes, he actually believes in the opposite--the more stroke you know and are able to execute, the better you are.

He has a lot of respect for the US players. When we were in Q Master, he watched Scott Frost and he was really impressed by his stroke. He asked me why such a good player never comes to play in athe big international tournaments, such as the World Championship. He said Scott hit the ball real pure and has very nice follow through.

He also agrees that a pro taper is more forgiving, but he said it is not "stable", and is not as "consistent." I was not too sure what he meant, so I have talked to lots of people and tried many cues such as Southwest.

From what I understand, they are looking for a cue which can give them exactly what they expect to get everytime, so it is not just about moving the cue ball around the table going 5 rails, but more importantly, it is about the shots when they need to control the ball to draw back say only 3mm. In other words, they want a shaft which allows them to control the cue ball accurately and consistently, whereas most people are looking for a shaft which allows them to aim accurately. I think this is the biggest difference.

About "power," I think the best way to explain it is to try out the break out shot in straight pool. A Southwest shaft, I have seen, in the hand of a good player from Taiwan, will pound the cue ball throught the balls, and left the balls scattered all over the place. With a less powerful shaft, the cue ball will get buried in the pack. You can also see this "power" in snooker, when the cue ball goes through the pack, and seems to have a turbo on its own, pounding through the pack, going left and right. It is not achieved by hitting the ball real hard.

I do not believe they believe the stiffer the shaft, the more powerful it is. I think it is a certain taper, and balance, that they prefer.

I know 314 is very popular among UK, USA, and Canadian players. It is also gaining a lot of popularity in China. I can see why snooker players would really appreciate the 314 technology, because it allows them to simplify the stroke and aiming.

I have seen and tried Ronnie Alcano's shaft. It is a very slim and long taper, one piece, regular shaft, with a soft tip, like a le pro or something like that. He also hits the ball very smoothly, with hardly any effort. Ronnie Alcano admires Efren Reyes. I suspect he models his stroke after Efren's.

Personally, I believe there are many ways to achieve excellence. And there are many shafts for many different folks with many different strokes.

I am sure the 314 is the perfect shaft for some folks. Corey Deuel can do magic with his 314, and look at the cue power of Jasmin Osuchan!

In response to the questions about Taiwanese, I could only speak from my own experience, and what I was told. I am not a good player, and my understanding is therefore limited by my knowledge.

I hope this helps.

Richard

 

[Nick B]

This is a silly post.

And 4 out of 5 Dentists recommend Colgate. I'm sure that if a couple of the premier players in Taiwan played with Preds the whole thing would change.

People are always looking for a edge. How else can you explain the explosion of clubs and ball options in golf. I have a friend who traded up a $600.00 driver for a newer model which proposed 3% more length.
Great now that doesn't even translate into one full club less with his second shot...so what has he achieved? Tiger plays with Nike...nobody believes that the produce good (golf) equipment.

Predators regardless of you personal feelings have changed the equipment around the game. Look at all the newcomers. OB1, I-Series, X-Shaft and others. Is it only about marketing...well the data on Platinum billiards suggests not.

So you say the Taiwanese don't use Predators...I can make a more curtain prediction. More Chicken is consumed per person in Kentucky than Greenland. So what.

Nick

 

[Wizardry]

Yang breaks with a Joss with a Joss shaft, not 314. Wu breaks with a Joss with a 314.

I have asked my Taiwanese friends such as Kuo, Chang, and several others this question...and they all told me they felt that the 314 hit was too soft and not powerful enough.

Last year in Vegas, I had my booth next to another cue maker's booth. They have their cues sold with 314 and regular shafts. The 314 shaft did not have any logo on.

I was interested in the cues, so I asked Kuo to try them out and tell me his feedback. He tried a few, and very interestingly, he felt that all the cues he tested with the 314 were too soft, without knowing they were 314.
I asked them how about "deflection," they told me it was okay, but they then showed me how they pot balls with english, with a regular shaft right off another cue maker's rack, and the balls all went in with cue ball going three rails and more. Kuo told me if I hit the ball smoothly, "deflection" is not a difficult thing to get used to. Chang even made balls with tones of English with the X Breaker with the X tip, and made the ball go four rails in his first try. He told me lots of people do not have a good stroke and do not really know how to apply english, that is why they have problems.

From their feedback, I am under the impression that the power, feel, and stiffness are more important to them. Deflection, which is the biggest advantage of the 314, is not really a big concern because they can get used to it fairly quickly.

I know a Taiwanese player, also a WPBA pro, Hsin Huang, plays with a Predator shaft. I believe she is using a Z2 shaft now. She did very well this time in the BCA, finishing 9th.

Taiwanese players, from what I understand, favor shafts that are very powerful, and stiff. When they order Southwest, they usually get the really stiff taper, rather than the pro taper, which I believe is preferred by most US pro players.

In my humble opinion, I think this is because of how they stroke the ball, and how they play the game with regard to shot selections.

Richard

Nice post... Do you know if Kuo used Back Hand English to achieve those spins?

 

[JoeyA]

I am no expert, so I am only responding to what I heard from a few extensive conversations with my friends from Taiwan. I have been thinking about this for a long time, ever since Kuo and Chang told me about this two years ago. I have also talked to some pinoy players such as Ronnie Alcano about this. I will try to explain here what I heard.

From what I observe, Taiwanese players all have a very good understanding of body machanics. The game is taught very scientifically, and systematically in Taiwan. Pros are also quite willing to share their "secret" with others for free. So, they have improved a lot in recent years. This also explains, in my opinion, why they might all believe in similiar theory and use a similiar system when it comes to shaft preference, adjument for english, and such. Therefore, we need to bear in mind that just because they all believe in a certain thing, does not mean they have all tried different things before they settle on the one thing.

What Kuo told me was that (this is what I understood, from what he tried to tell me, but I cannot be sure I have understood it completely) the ball will always swerve at slow and medium speed. He said that with a smooth cueing action, not too much adjustment is necessary with most cues. Good players never hit the ball too hard, and the cue ball usually will throw the object ball a bit and swerve a bit, so just because a shaft has little deflection does not make it go straight, if you hit it smoothly. When he said that, I looked at him, and I remember he was using a Tad in the WPC finals against Wu in 2005, and Tad has one of the most "deflection" of all the cues I have tried--so, I was having problem believing him.

He saw the look on my face, he asked me to stand behind him, and he showed me. He told me he usually tried to be very precise with the point which he aimed to hit on the cue ball, and he would follow through very precisely. Not too much english is needed to make the ball spin a lot. He also said he would use swerve to adjust for initial squirt. He told me he never really hit the ball real hard, especially when he really wanted to move the cue ball around the table--only lots of smooth follow through. I asked him how he got a smooth follow through, he told me he allowed the weight of his arm and his cue to creat the follow through.

When I stood behind him, I noticed that he only made very little adjustment when applying tones of english on the cue ball by hitting only a tip away from the center, and he hit the ball real soft yet smoothly. He made a 4 rail shot effortlessly. It was amazing.

He told me not all cues would allow him to move the ball around this way, and a "powerful" cue is one which allows the cue ball to move around effortlessly, whereas he can just let the cue do the work.

But he also told me since they play on very small pockets in Taiwan, they do not usually use too much english. It is very important to learn to control the cue ball, so they can have a good angle to move on to the next ball. He said when he was playing well, he could control most shots to land in the size of his fist. He also told me that they have many ways to stroke a ball, depending on the shots. They learn to strike the ball with many different strokes, for many different shots. Most people are taught to stroke the ball one way, and to use one stroke--but that is not what he believes, he actually believes in the opposite--the more stroke you know and are able to execute, the better you are.

He has a lot of respect for the US players. When we were in Q Master, he watched Scott Frost and he was really impressed by his stroke. He asked me why such a good player never comes to play in athe big international tournaments, such as the World Championship. He said Scott hit the ball real pure and has very nice follow through.

He also agrees that a pro taper is more forgiving, but he said it is not "stable", and is not as "consistent." I was not too sure what he meant, so I have talked to lots of people and tried many cues such as Southwest.

From what I understand, they are looking for a cue which can give them exactly what they expect to get everytime, so it is not just about moving the cue ball around the table going 5 rails, but more importantly, it is about the shots when they need to control the ball to draw back say only 3mm. In other words, they want a shaft which allows them to control the cue ball accurately and consistently, whereas most people are looking for a shaft which allows them to aim accurately. I think this is the biggest difference.

About "power," I think the best way to explain it is to try out the break out shot in straight pool. A Southwest shaft, I have seen, in the hand of a good player from Taiwan, will pound the cue ball throught the balls, and left the balls scattered all over the place. With a less powerful shaft, the cue ball will get buried in the pack. You can also see this "power" in snooker, when the cue ball goes through the pack, and seems to have a turbo on its own, pounding through the pack, going left and right. It is not achieved by hitting the ball real hard.

I do not believe they believe the stiffer the shaft, the more powerful it is. I think it is a certain taper, and balance, that they prefer.

I know 314 is very popular among UK, USA, and Canadian players. It is also gaining a lot of popularity in China. I can see why snooker players would really appreciate the 314 technology, because it allows them to simplify the stroke and aiming.

I have seen and tried Ronnie Alcano's shaft. It is a very slim and long taper, one piece, regular shaft, with a soft tip, like a le pro or something like that. He also hits the ball very smoothly, with hardly any effort. Ronnie Alcano admires Efren Reyes. I suspect he models his stroke after Efren's.

Personally, I believe there are many ways to achieve excellence. And there are many shafts for many different folks with many different strokes.

I am sure the 314 is the perfect shaft for some folks. Corey Deuel can do magic with his 314, and look at the cue power of Jasmin Osuchan!

In response to the questions about Taiwanese, I could only speak from my own experience, and what I was told. I am not a good player, and my understanding is therefore limited by my knowledge.

I hope this helps.

Richard

This is some very fine reporting, Richard. I really appreciate your questions that you asked of the professionals and like the answers as well. I wish that you would provide more answers like this in the future. Please continue your reporting.
JoeyA

 

[JoeyA]

I am no expert, so I am only responding to what I heard from a few extensive conversations with my friends from Taiwan. I have been thinking about this for a long time, ever since Kuo and Chang told me about this two years ago. I have also talked to some pinoy players such as Ronnie Alcano about this. I will try to explain here what I heard.

From what I observe, Taiwanese players all have a very good understanding of body machanics. The game is taught very scientifically, and systematically in Taiwan. Pros are also quite willing to share their "secret" with others for free. So, they have improved a lot in recent years. This also explains, in my opinion, why they might all believe in similiar theory and use a similiar system when it comes to shaft preference, adjument for english, and such. Therefore, we need to bear in mind that just because they all believe in a certain thing, does not mean they have all tried different things before they settle on the one thing.

What Kuo told me was that (this is what I understood, from what he tried to tell me, but I cannot be sure I have understood it completely) the ball will always swerve at slow and medium speed. He said that with a smooth cueing action, not too much adjustment is necessary with most cues. Good players never hit the ball too hard, and the cue ball usually will throw the object ball a bit and swerve a bit, so just because a shaft has little deflection does not make it go straight, if you hit it smoothly. When he said that, I looked at him, and I remember he was using a Tad in the WPC finals against Wu in 2005, and Tad has one of the most "deflection" of all the cues I have tried--so, I was having problem believing him.

He saw the look on my face, he asked me to stand behind him, and he showed me. He told me he usually tried to be very precise with the point which he aimed to hit on the cue ball, and he would follow through very precisely. Not too much english is needed to make the ball spin a lot. He also said he would use swerve to adjust for initial squirt. He told me he never really hit the ball real hard, especially when he really wanted to move the cue ball around the table--only lots of smooth follow through. I asked him how he got a smooth follow through, he told me he allowed the weight of his arm and his cue to creat the follow through.

When I stood behind him, I noticed that he only made very little adjustment when applying tones of english on the cue ball by hitting only a tip away from the center, and he hit the ball real soft yet smoothly. He made a 4 rail shot effortlessly. It was amazing.

He told me not all cues would allow him to move the ball around this way, and a "powerful" cue is one which allows the cue ball to move around effortlessly, whereas he can just let the cue do the work.

But he also told me since they play on very small pockets in Taiwan, they do not usually use too much english. It is very important to learn to control the cue ball, so they can have a good angle to move on to the next ball. He said when he was playing well, he could control most shots to land in the size of his fist. He also told me that they have many ways to stroke a ball, depending on the shots. They learn to strike the ball with many different strokes, for many different shots. Most people are taught to stroke the ball one way, and to use one stroke--but that is not what he believes, he actually believes in the opposite--the more stroke you know and are able to execute, the better you are.

He has a lot of respect for the US players. When we were in Q Master, he watched Scott Frost and he was really impressed by his stroke. He asked me why such a good player never comes to play in athe big international tournaments, such as the World Championship. He said Scott hit the ball real pure and has very nice follow through.

He also agrees that a pro taper is more forgiving, but he said it is not "stable", and is not as "consistent." I was not too sure what he meant, so I have talked to lots of people and tried many cues such as Southwest.

From what I understand, they are looking for a cue which can give them exactly what they expect to get everytime, so it is not just about moving the cue ball around the table going 5 rails, but more importantly, it is about the shots when they need to control the ball to draw back say only 3mm. In other words, they want a shaft which allows them to control the cue ball accurately and consistently, whereas most people are looking for a shaft which allows them to aim accurately. I think this is the biggest difference.

About "power," I think the best way to explain it is to try out the break out shot in straight pool. A Southwest shaft, I have seen, in the hand of a good player from Taiwan, will pound the cue ball throught the balls, and left the balls scattered all over the place. With a less powerful shaft, the cue ball will get buried in the pack. You can also see this "power" in snooker, when the cue ball goes through the pack, and seems to have a turbo on its own, pounding through the pack, going left and right. It is not achieved by hitting the ball real hard.

I do not believe they believe the stiffer the shaft, the more powerful it is. I think it is a certain taper, and balance, that they prefer.

I know 314 is very popular among UK, USA, and Canadian players. It is also gaining a lot of popularity in China. I can see why snooker players would really appreciate the 314 technology, because it allows them to simplify the stroke and aiming.

I have seen and tried Ronnie Alcano's shaft. It is a very slim and long taper, one piece, regular shaft, with a soft tip, like a le pro or something like that. He also hits the ball very smoothly, with hardly any effort. Ronnie Alcano admires Efren Reyes. I suspect he models his stroke after Efren's.

Personally, I believe there are many ways to achieve excellence. And there are many shafts for many different folks with many different strokes.

I am sure the 314 is the perfect shaft for some folks. Corey Deuel can do magic with his 314, and look at the cue power of Jasmin Osuchan!

In response to the questions about Taiwanese, I could only speak from my own experience, and what I was told. I am not a good player, and my understanding is therefore limited by my knowledge.

I hope this helps.

Richard

Richard, I would love to know the diameter of the ferrules as well as the exact tapers that most Taiwanese professional players use. If you get the chance to ask?
Thanks,
JoeyA

 

[vin]

whats the difference on shaft hardness?

 

[HawaiianEye]

Bringing an old thread alive again for the LD shaft worshippers.

 

[Danimal]

The following is a re-post that I had originally made in the 14.1 forum, and it is pertinent to this forum fossil:

I spoke with U.S. Open champ Kevin Cheng in the days following his victory as to why the Taiwanese favor high-deflection maple shafts. Kevin is one of the only ones fluent in english who could provide insight into their preferences. An informal transcript:

D: Why do you guys all like Southwest cues?
KC: Don't know, that's what Yang (Ching Shun) used.

D: What is so good about them?
KC: Can't explain, they are just "powerful" cues.

D: What size tip do you like? Why?
KC: Everyone uses 13mm, because that is what Yang used. Hsu Kai-Lun (2015 US Open participant) uses a "smaller" one, about 12.8mm. He's the only one that likes it so small.

D: What tips do you use?
KC: Everyone in Taiwan uses soft tips. Either Kamui soft or homemade soft tips. Hard shafts with soft tips.

D: What was your previous cue?
KC: When I was an amateur, I had a Falcon butt with a Predator shaft. I stopped playing with Predator when I got my SW.

D: How did you transition from a Predator to a stiff maple shaft? Wasn't it difficult?
KC: A little at first. But I played with the SW every day for two months. Then it was fine.

D: Is it true that coaches over there prohibit young players from using Predators? Why?
KC: I never had a coach, I just learned by myself. But, yeah, nobody really uses them. We like cues that have more "power."

D: if you didn't play with a SW what would you like to use?
KC: A Tad, they also have good power. Or maybe I would switch if I could get a sponsor.

D: I don't think you should switch. You play pretty good with your cue.
KC: I guess you're right (laughs). After winning the tournament, someone offered to buy it for $6,000, but I said no. I'll keep it for now.

Ed.-These guys don't seem too concerned re: squirt. They just play with what they like, and do pretty well with it. To each his own...

 

[Shooter08]

Anyone else know any Pro players that just don't care for LD shafts or flat out say they just won't make the cue ball do what they want to do?

 

[Bank it]

Anyone else know any Pro players that just don't care for LD shafts or flat out say they just won't make the cue ball do what they want to do?

Nope, but I believe free gear is the main motivation that they use them.

There's a post early in this thread that's almost 9 years old that sums this subject up nicely. In that thread it states that a Taiwanese pro seems to think LD shafts cover up a lot of short comings of having a bad stroke. That if you have a good stroke & actually stroke the ball instead of "hitting" it that deflection isn't much of an issue. I think that guys pretty smart.

 

[HawaiianEye]

Time to refresh this thread.

I saw some posts asking about shaft diameters and whatnot and figured it may answer some people's question and maybe invite more questions.

I plan on going to Taiwan for a couple weeks real soon and I hope to play some pool over there.

 

[Ekojasiloop]

It's all sort of moot if you ask me. No matter what these players play with or think they prefer, if you put them in a high pressure spot with any cue and they've had a chance to get used to it they're going to play world class pool. Good pool has very little to do with the cue in my opinion, and very little might even be an overstatement.

 

[HawaiianEye]

It's all sort of moot if you ask me. No matter what these players play with or think they prefer, if you put them in a high pressure spot with any cue and they've had a chance to get used to it they're going to play world class pool. Good pool has very little to do with the cue in my opinion, and very little might even be an overstatement.

They would play world class with any decent cue, but certain styles of play are enhanced by cues that favor that style.

Some players like to play "loosey goosey" and want the shaft to be more flexible...other players play a more "rigid" style and want the shaft to be less flexible.

I prefer the more rigid and larger diameter shafts.

 

[Ak Guy]

Go figure!

This is why I suck at pool, I can't get reliable information on cues and shafts as every good player has their own preference.

If they all would/could agree that a certain cue/shaft combo is the best then I could get one and be a world class player! I am doomed to always chasing the right equipment.