THICK VS THIN SHAFTS

[FranCrimi]

After reading all the arguments it boils down to this;
Play with what you have confidence in. You can have the most expensive, technically advanced shaft in the world but if you have no confidence in it what good is it?

I think that usually confidence comes with familiarity. Discussions and debates about playing equipment may spark someone into trying something they wouldn't have thought of trying before. They may discover that something different suits their playing style better than what they were using, and confident with.

 

[tim913]

I think that usually confidence comes with familiarity. Discussions and debates about playing equipment may spark someone into trying something they wouldn't have thought of trying before. They may discover that something different suits their playing style better than what they were using, and confident with.

Didn’t say, don’t try something new, just said if you’re not confident in it don’t use it. It will not benefit your game in the least. If you give something new a chance and like it .. great! If not don’t stay with it because of what other players think of it

 

[fish2]

The general view held by most is that skinny shafts are more “accurate”, and fat shafts are more “forgiving”. Your buddy may be right, you’ll just have to experiment.

What if this is true? but not because of the diameter of the tip, but because of the diameter of the shaft that rest on your bridge hand? Could a larger diameter shaft provide more stability on the bridge hand? Larger diameter shaft would also be heavier providing more stability

 

[Patrick Johnson]

... The general view held by most is that skinny shafts are more “accurate”, and fat shafts are more “forgiving”.

Most are wrong about this.

Skinnier shafts make it easier to see where you’re hitting the CB, but don’t automatically make you hit it more accurately - that’s still up to you.

Flatter (not fatter) tips can be slightly more forgiving on center ball hits - but are probably less forgiving than rounder tips on side spin hits.

pj
chgo

 

[wilhelm]

After reading all the arguments it boils down to this;
Play with what you have confidence in. You can have the most expensive, technically advanced shaft in the world but if you have no confidence in it what good is it?

I feel exactly the same way. I started out playing 3 cushion in the 90's and still shoot with the same old carom cue I bought back then, even though I play pool pretty much exclusively these days. As to what I find different: I'm dead certain it deflects much less than even "low deflection shafts", carom balls being ~20% heavier than pool balls. I suppose that's at least partly why carom cues have a noticeably more obtuse taper, and I can definitely feel the shaft on any pool cue rattling after a medium to hard shot whenever I do grab one. More recently I have noticed there are certain shots where the slightly shorter cue affects my stroke, like when I have to use a longer bridge with lots of follow thru; frankly, it's small potatoes and probably has more to do with the fundamentals than the cue itself. In the end I find I play better with it and am pretty sure it's not because it's "superior" to any other, but because it's what I'm used to playing with.

 

[FranCrimi]

I feel exactly the same way. I started out playing 3 cushion in the 90's and still shoot with the same old carom cue I bought back then, even though I play pool pretty much exclusively these days. As to what I find different: I'm dead certain it deflects much less than even "low deflection shafts", carom balls being ~20% heavier than pool balls. I suppose that's at least partly why carom cues have a noticeably more obtuse taper, and I can definitely feel the shaft on any pool cue rattling after a medium to hard shot whenever I do grab one. More recently I have noticed there are certain shots where the slightly shorter cue affects my stroke, like when I have to use a longer bridge with lots of follow thru; frankly, it's small potatoes and probably has more to do with the fundamentals than the cue itself. In the end I find I play better with it and am pretty sure it's not because it's "superior" to any other, but because it's what I'm used to playing with.

Be careful about confusing 'confidence' with 'comfort zone.' Players who have the personality trait of 'confidence' are willing to venture out of their comfort zones to explore the unknown and the risks that go with it.