Whippy --> Stiff : A tough transition???

R

raemondo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey guys,

I've been playing with a JPechauer with a med moori-tipped Pred Z shaft for about 1.5 years now, and I've seen my game improve because of the easiness of stroke and the tremendous spin I can impart on the ball. I have also won and came in second in many tournaments with it. I did feel however, that with such a thin shaft, it was really hard to use a closed bridge (which I thought was more stable for certain shots), and also that my shots were really weak and I had to really pump up the arm for strength shots. I also felt that I was beginnning to hate the feel of the "Pred hit" -- a very hollow, and very unsatisfying hit.

Hence, I made a very huge decision IMO to switch to the orginal JP shaft that came with the cue, and I just did this just last week. Prior to using the Z, I had NEVER shot with the orginal JP shaft. I have now shot with the original JP combination for about 15 hours, and the feel of the cue is completely different. I can't put as much spin on the ball as I could before, I have to compensate SO much more, but I do get much more strength in the shot, and I prefer the full, comparitively stiffer hit a whole lot.

To me, it felt like a worthwhile transition, one that I really hope I will never regret, because I'm not going back to the Pred Technology. I want to use this time to develop more on center-ball hits to remove variables from my game, and also so that I will be more consistent on all types of tables. The hit I generate now also psychologically makes me feel better about my game, hence it gives me more rhythm and gets me in the "zone" quicker when I play. I also know that changing the shaft will enable me to play with more custom cues than limit myself to custom cues with Pred shafts.

That said, I am having SO MUCH trouble transiting!!!! My 9-ball game which used to be my strongest game, has taken a tremendous slump. Mentally, it just feels so hard because I can't execute a good stroke on the ball because I don't even know if I can make it into the pocket -- mostly because I am unsure of the compensation. See, it still seems that I have to use english on most shots, especially if they are close to the rail. Do you guys also do this? My 8-ball game though, has improved much because I am concentrating on keeping the runouts and patterns simple and natural. I just did drills for like 3 hours but I ended up really frustrated because I kept missing shots!!!!

Anyone out there who has been in a similar situation, or can offer advice? Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!!!
 
raemondo said:
Hey guys,

I've been playing with a JPechauer with a med moori-tipped Pred Z shaft for about 1.5 years now, and I've seen my game improve because of the easiness of stroke and the tremendous spin I can impart on the ball. I have also won and came in second in many tournaments with it. I did feel however, that with such a thin shaft, it was really hard to use a closed bridge (which I thought was more stable for certain shots), and also that my shots were really weak and I had to really pump up the arm for strength shots. I also felt that I was beginnning to hate the feel of the "Pred hit" -- a very hollow, and very unsatisfying hit.

Hence, I made a very huge decision IMO to switch to the orginal JP shaft that came with the cue, and I just did this just last week. Prior to using the Z, I had NEVER shot with the orginal JP shaft. I have now shot with the original JP combination for about 15 hours, and the feel of the cue is completely different. I can't put as much spin on the ball as I could before, I have to compensate SO much more, but I do get much more strength in the shot, and I prefer the full, comparitively stiffer hit a whole lot.

To me, it felt like a worthwhile transition, one that I really hope I will never regret, because I'm not going back to the Pred Technology. I want to use this time to develop more on center-ball hits to remove variables from my game, and also so that I will be more consistent on all types of tables. The hit I generate now also psychologically makes me feel better about my game, hence it gives me more rhythm and gets me in the "zone" quicker when I play. I also know that changing the shaft will enable me to play with more custom cues than limit myself to custom cues with Pred shafts.

That said, I am having SO MUCH trouble transiting!!!! My 9-ball game which used to be my strongest game, has taken a tremendous slump. Mentally, it just feels so hard because I can't execute a good stroke on the ball because I don't even know if I can make it into the pocket -- mostly because I am unsure of the compensation. See, it still seems that I have to use english on most shots, especially if they are close to the rail. Do you guys also do this? My 8-ball game though, has improved much because I am concentrating on keeping the runouts and patterns simple and natural. I just did drills for like 3 hours but I ended up really frustrated because I kept missing shots!!!!

Anyone out there who has been in a similar situation, or can offer advice? Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!!!
Click to expand...

You're making a big adjustment. Your new shaft is probably at least 1 mm bigger and likely deflects quite a bit more. That's a big adjustment to make in a short period. It takes time to get used to a new cue and to fine tune your skills.

Doing drills will probably frustrate you too much at this point...you expect to play at the same level as with your old shaft. I recommend throwing balls on the table and just shooting all types of shots for a half hour or so. Draw, follow, power shots, center ball, thin cuts, everything. You'll see pros do this when they're warming up sometimes. Shoot the same shot again if you miss.

The muscle memory will come, but it takes time to build.
 
i myself switched from a whippy cue to a much stiff and solid hitting cue. it took me about a month to get used to it. i saw that even when i tried to overcut a shot i still hit it thicker/fuller?! it took me another month to get used to that. now i miss my soft hitting cue as i was able to put more action on the cueball with that. it works better for me because i think since i have a short stroke, i cant put too much force into shots, i need a cue that will transfer all the energy into the CB. i say sell the Pred. sell the Pech. get a custom whippy. or get used to the stiff Pech, which should at least take 4-5 months with everyday practice since you say you play more than one discipline, and try to trust the cue. i still cant, thats why i am changing it. BTW, its been almost one year since i got the cue.
 
I like the 314 better on my Schon than the stock shaft but I think the diameter may be the reason. I'm going to have the Schon shaft shaved down a little and a different tip put on it and then give it another try. In the meantime I'm playing exclusively with the 314, the Schon shaft never comes out of the case.
 
the hollowness you're talking about is because the pred shaft IS hollow. you're noting the diff between a preditor shaft and a real shaft. but that doesn't mean the original shaft you're using is good,,,,only different. you can always order a new shaft.

there are other factors involved the pred shaft has a different ferrule and tip,,,two things that you can duplicate on your original shaft. maybe the original shaft has a stiffer taper. why not try a shaft with a whippier taper. it will still feel different from your pred, and not hollow.

what kind of ferrule/tip is on your original shaft now?
 
Guys,

thanks so much, appreciate the inputs so far!

Yea I'm not doing drills so much right now, in fact, I'm zoning in on my weakness, 9 ball, and I'm playing it a great deal. I've been managing to put together some racks so far, and I'm transitioning well --- so far I'm compensating alright, and making most shots. In fact, I'm making shots that I could never have made on the Z!

I'm not sure about getting a custom whippy....at this point in my pool career I've only shot with 3 different cues, so I can't say that I'm in a position to know what I really want.

The ferrule I believe is micarta, or some kind of plastic material, and the tip I think is a Lepro. It holds chalk extremely well, better than my old Moori, but feels harder. I'm not sure, could all be cos it's new. I really like the new, full hit compared to the hollow hit of the Z --- that was exactly what I was trying to say in my first post. The JP really gives me a bit of zing when I smack em balls!

That said, people have told me that the JP isn't really a stiff cue...I know that this is personal judgment, but how stiff do you guys think the JP is compared to a Schon, Bender or SW??
 
raemondo said:
Guys,

thanks so much, appreciate the inputs so far!

I really like the new, full hit compared to the hollow hit of the Z --- that was exactly what I was trying to say in my first post. The JP really gives me a bit of zing when I smack em balls!

That said, people have told me that the JP isn't really a stiff cue...I know that this is personal judgment, but how stiff do you guys think the JP is compared to a Schon, Bender or SW??
Click to expand...


never played with a jp. but stiff is stiff. first thing is the taper. pro taper is straight for 10-12 inces before tapering to the joint. SW has a slight taper from the start of the tip. i played with a bender a few years ago and i thought it was whippy. schon is stiff, as i recall.

after the taper, there's the number of straight grain lines in the shaft. also, darker older shaftwood is stiffer.

if you want to lessen the deflection, get a softer ferrule/tip. imo micarta is harder than you want. get "plastic" that's soft but not as soft as meucci ferrules. however, soft = scratch marks on the ferrule. and le pro might be too hard. ask around for tip options.
 
If you like a LePro tip, and want to try something a little different, try Triangle. I have never shot with anything but a LePro for any length of time, until I got a new cue with a Triangle tip. It plays nice, alot like the LePro, but maybe a little softer.....Gerry
 
I am making the same transition in my game as well. I felt I was losing too much power and feel by using a Predator shaft. I now have an older Schon shaft I shoot on my LTD and I really like it alot better. Now if I could just bring my game back around. I did run 7 balls the other night with it, and was a fairly difficult run, going from one end of the table and back a couple of times...so my confidence is definitely coming back with a normal shaft.

Shorty
 
Ray,
The transition will take time.. First of all you have to improve your stroke.. With that you can move the c/b around even with a stiff shaft but with more consistency.. As for the deflection of a stiff shaft, that is something that you have to practice as your aiming currently is all screwed up because of the lack of compensation... But all that work pays off in the end because nothing is worse that having a dead feel in a cue.. Dont get discouraged. It always gets worse before getting better...
-Erik
 
The drill I find most useful when getting used to a new cue is one from Bob Byrne, place an object ball one ball width off the end rail even with the center end rail diamond and place the cueball one diamond in from the rail and one diamond down from the end rail by the object ball. Start shooting the object ball into the corner with center ball moving the cueball a half diamond away from the end rail everytime you pocket a ball and moving a half diamond back towards the end rail evertime you miss a ball until you reach a position roughly even with the side pocket. Repeat with inside and outside english. After about a week of doing this for 1-2 hours a day your compensation issues will be long gone.

Good luck

Bern
 
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