*Why* did you buy an LD shaft?

Ghosst

Ghosst

Broom Handle Mafia
Silver Member
For those that have bought them, not the ones who think they are the bane of all existence. Was there a reason? Did you think it would help your game? These are not loaded questions.

I know my reason: my cuemaker stopped making cues & shafts. Because I live in a very dry environment and the cue was made in a very wet one one of the two original shafts warped. I wasn't mad about it, it was a pretty big shift to go from a swampy locale to a desert. But not being able to get a new one I was kind of stuck. I had one shaft left. What happens if my tip pops off or gets wet during a tournament?

So I bought a replacement, a 314-2. And it took a while to get used to it because it didn't play anything like my original shaft. I hadn't really heard much about OB at that point, so I didn't buy theirs. Now that I've had the chance to try all 4 of their shafts I will be switching.

I DO NOT expect it to make balls automatically, I just need a replacement shaft. Actually, I want to hang my original shaft so it stays straight, and have 2 spares to carry around. I don't have a lot of choice with aftermarket shafts, so they will be LD. I want 2 OBs so they are the same no matter which shaft I screw on.

That's my reason, why did you buy yours?
 
Butts

I bought mine for similar reasons. I like
to keep original shafts pristine. I want easy
and quick replacement plus the ability
to have very similar shafts for different cues
and joints. It has worked out well.

In fact most of my cues have SS joints so
one set of 314s get moved around quite a bit.

Another benefit is being able to differentiate the
feel of different butts since the same shafts are
used from cue to cue. Butts don't make a huge
difference in play but they do in how the cue feels
in your hand as you play.

Just one more small thing that adds to the pleasure
of playing.
 
(Why* did you buy an LD shaft? )

To help my pocketing ability when i venture outside center cb.
It has!:smile: My guessing has become a whole lot better.
 
I needed a new shaft; my original one had all kinds of chips around the joint end. I know a local dealer and he brought out an “I-2” and I had no idea what it was or that it was an LD shaft, he said this one is $130 and this one is $75. Man was I ever accurate with the $130 one it was the I-2.

If he had told me it was an LD shaft I probably would never have even tried it as I really hated the 314 when it came out; I mean really hated it, I made the crazy and stupid assumption that all LD shafts that were or would be developed would feel exactly the same as the 314. So I bought it in a blind tryout and liked it, then bought it and then found out it was an LD shaft, funny.
 
First one ever was a stock shaft with a cue I purchased.

I actually didnt really like it much but it wasn't horrible so I stayed with it a while.

Eventually it became 'normal' and subsquent cues were fitted as such.

Some years later I had a custom cue built which included very high end woods shafts. By then the difference in feel was so dramitically more to my liking that I played that biulders shafts for years again.

Currently I happen to be playing with an LD shaft again, I'm not even sure why really. Just pulled one out with a bunch of stuff I wanted to play with on a certain day and its stayed in the case for a while. This one happens to be an exceptionally pretty shaft IMO but other than that, I could take it or leave it.

I don't find a dramatic difference in 'performance' in an LD shaft over my preferred wood shafts although the feedback I find wood to offer is dramatically better. But again thats not necessarily a performance aspect so I could go either way.

But thats why I have the ones I do. Think I have 5 all different models/versions/etc.
 
I first bought one in 99 I think it was. I had just bought a brand new beautiful Scruggs with ivory ferrule shafts. I couldn't play well at all with it. (My prior cue was a Meucci and than a McDermot). I had seen some of the advertisements how the Predator shaft had much lower deflection in the pool magazines. I knew about deflection, but I was not a good player (still am not, lol). Anyway, I went and bought one from a local retailer, and loved it from the first shot. I immediately saw how different it was in its squirt. I adapted to it right away, and haven't looked back since.

Once in a while I try someone else's cue with a regular squirt shaft. I just can't believe how different they are (to me).
 
Ghosst said:
For those that have bought them, not the ones who think they are the bane of all existence. Was there a reason?
Click to expand...

I wanted to challenge the statements that it would make my game better. Because I already had good understanding of squirt and how to compensate for it, I couldn't see how. So, testing for a year and half seemed fair.


Did you think it would help your game?
Click to expand...
Per my earlier reports, LD shafts made my game worse.

That all being said, I certainly see a benefit, especially if switching from one cue to another (making sure you're sticking with the same shaft type).

Freddie <~~~ likes the LD shafts (all of them!), but plays a better game with normal squirt
 
I got my pred 314 when LD shafts were just comming on the scene.I was told by a friend that it would improve my game.

It was very hard to get used to since my first cue was a meucci that had been turned down to 11mm.I stuck with the same 314 shaft and still play with it.I like that I can use inside or outside english on any angle of cut shot at any speed and not have to aim for the center of the OB or aim to miss the OB.I can save the masse for when I am hooked.

Of course at first I was pissed at my buddy for stearing me to the Predator because I didn't know how to aim true yet and would dog every cut shot with sidespin.
 
laminated shafts

I dont care for laminated shafts.
I said the same thing you guys say when i played a laminated shaft .
I was always frustrated because I had to really keep my tip shaped perfect
once i swithed back to a solid shaft I only get the tip shaper out once every month not ever day
MMike
 
I bought a 60" Josswest cue that came with two original shafts and a Predator. With English I almost couldn't make a ball with the original shafts, but I was making all kinds of spin shots, outside and inside, with the Predator - better than ever. So that was that and I've used LD of one kind or another since then.
 
Last edited:
I bought them to see if reduced squirt would help my side spin.
The jury is still out on that. It does have less squirt. I guess I'm kind of used to squirt.
I switch between shafts depending on the alignment of the stars and whether or not I'm playing good with the original shaft. If I'm off my game I will put on the LD.
I just don't seem to like like the feel of LD shafts. They are kind of "twangy".
 
mortuarymike-nv said:
I dont care for laminated shafts.
I said the same thing you guys say when i played a laminated shaft .
I was always frustrated because I had to really keep my tip shaped perfect
once i swithed back to a solid shaft I only get the tip shaper out once every month not ever day
MMike
Click to expand...
The question wasn't about laminated shafts.

Freddie <~~~ not surprised
 
Buddy told me predators were the bomb, I tried one and I liked the hit. So I researched a little on azb and decided to get just the shaft and tack it onto my existing cue, since that wouldn't cost too much. Liked the results. Eventually smacked it on the table and it came apart. Got an OB2. Liked it even more and have stuck with it since.

I honestly think my friend originally just got it cuz it was "the cue to buy" and not out of some deep understanding of deflection. But after reading az I realized there was more to it than just a brand name so that's why I opted to gamble 200 bucks on it.
 
It lessens having to master cue deflection one of the hardest parts of your technique...i dont own one but if I was just starting I would buy one
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top