Thank you OB-1 shaft dudes!

[Gerry]

OK, so, I got my new OB-1 to the pool room today to give it a test drive. I was a little timid because I have tried Predators in the past and didn't like them too much? (it was my fault) At first it was a little wierd because I have been playing for a bajillion years with ALL that deflection, and this shaft was very patient with me til I GOT IT!

After 2 hours I fell into deepstroke firing balls in from all over the place. My main man Micky who owns the pool room (and an avid Predator fan) gave me a few pointers on whats up with aiming the low deflection shafts.

I have gone through a stroke progression in my game this last year that now enables me to "GET" why these shafts play so well. I now can aim, and hit center ball which in the past I was "adjusting" for with english. With this new ability the real strength of these shafts is obvious to me.

All I can say is WOW, and thanx to the OB-1 guys.

Gerry

 

[RBLilly]

Another Satisfied Customer!

 

[jingle]

My main man Micky who owns the pool room (and an avid Predator fan) gave me a few pointers on whats up with aiming the low deflection shafts.
Gerry

Can you elaborate on the aiming pointers you received?

 

[Gerry]

Can you elaborate on the aiming pointers you received?

yup. basically, with my standard Schon shaft I have to aim to "undercut" shots using inside spin to account for the deflection. With this shaft the deflection is almost to a point where there is no adjustment. I just set up and aim as though I'm playing the shot with center ball, then put whatever spin on it that I want, and I was splitting the pocket.

hope that makes sense?

Gerry

 

[8-ball Rat]

yup. basically, with my standard Schon shaft I have to aim to "undercut" shots using inside spin to account for the deflection. With this shaft the deflection is almost to a point where there is no adjustment. I just set up and aim as though I'm playing the shot with center ball, then put whatever spin on it that I want, and I was splitting the pocket.

hope that makes sense?

Gerry

Makes perfect sense. I found the same thing, once I bought my first OB-1. I didn't have to worry about the "squirt" anymore, and I could put as little...or as much....spin on the ball as I felt like....and without making adjustments to my aim to compensate.

I just bought my 2nd OB-1 shaft from KOINKID, and will use 'em both on my playing cues from now on.

The only problem I had with the OB-1 is this:

It was so friggin cool to put a ton of spin on the cueball, I overloaded it for a few days straight...just to see what would happen!! I've never seen a cueball go 44 rails before!

 

[MacGyver]

The way I have told people to 'automatically' do the undercut is as follows:

Aim through the center of the cueball to your aiming point in order to make the object ball.

For outside english:
Keep your back hand steady and just move your front hand to apply english with a 6-8in bridge.

For inside english:
Keep front hand still and pivot back hand to apply english.

Now obviously this doesn't work on all shafts, but for the run of the mill APA player this is a lot better than just guessing at it.

Basically a straight backhand english with the appropriate pivot point(about 6-8in) should drive the cueball down correct path, but for outside the throw will cause a miss. by moving the front hand it throws the aim off just enough to counteract the throw on 90% of cut shots.

Plus its much easier for most people to remember "inside:back hand, outside:front hand" than the actual mechanics of throw, squirt and deflection.

 

[PKM]

For you guys who are not compensating for squirt at all with your OB-1, are you pivoting to apply English?

 

[8-ball Rat]

For you guys who are not compensating for squirt at all with your OB-1, are you pivoting to apply English?

Nope. I keep the front and back on an even plane...and just line up the tip on the cueball with however much spin I want. Seems to be working out, so far.