Will a low deflection shaft help me?

hmmm

QUOTE: "sirdofus" - mosconi would not even be the best player in my pool hall.

I'm sure you have plenty of people in your hall that regularly run 200+ runs in straight pool yeah???

wHat a joke...

Jaden

Good answer to maybe the most ridiculous post of all time on AZB.....
 
After 40 years of playing with a hard rock maple shaft I decided to go LD. I like the LD shaft because of the less cue ball squirt. That means I can aim closer to my target on spin shots.

randyg
 
I have played with a predator for about 7 years. I currently have 2 cracked shafts and I just feel there quality just isnt there. Not to mention I had a tip fly off my bk2 right before the last seminole tourney. I like there products but what's the point if they constantly fail. I am going to send my shafts in and hopefully get a replacement in a month.
When I told the person at predator that I had some problems with my equipment right before a big pro tournament, they offered me a list of retailers where I can buy a new product at full retail. I would buy a ob or the capone ld since I play with a capone butt
 
O and im tired of hearing about mosconi. Sure he was a good player but there are a ton of people that would hijack him. Starting with ralphy greenleaf
 
Until recently I would have said no, it won't help. I tried a 314 years ago almost every day for three months. I sold the cue with the 314 and swore I'd never use another one. In March of this year I tried a friend's 314-2 and it wasn't bad but I still wouldn't want to play with one. I also tried the Tiger demo that went around and didn't like it at all. No feel whatsoever. I recently got a new cue with the cue maker's ld shafts of his own design. Shorter ferrules, very gradual taper, 13mm. I love them! They react the way I always thought a ld shaft should and never did. It's up to you, if you switch you may have quite a period of adjustment. I'm still getting used to mine. I've never played with other after-market ld shafts other than those I listed and I didn't like them enough to buy.

Just proving that this is very subjective, I thought the tiger x pro had very good feel. I didn't find it to be that much different than my regular maple shafts. Then again, I really like smaller tips and hate 13 mm tips.
 
The reason that most LD shafts feel hollow...

Just proving that this is very subjective, I thought the tiger x pro had very good feel. I didn't find it to be that much different than my regular maple shafts. Then again, I really like smaller tips and hate 13 mm tips.

The reason that they tend to have a hollow feel is the way that they are made to be LD....

The only reason shafts are LD is that they have massively reduced end mass.

That's why the predator Z has such a small diameter and is hollow with foam insert... the less end mass, the less squirt.

I am not going to say what I did to overcome this with my shafts because it is proprietary, but let's say, that in order to overcome it, you have to sacrifice SOME of the LD of the shaft.

My latest actually had a side effect that I am further developing and that is that it allows a much wider margin of pivot point using BHE.

One of the biggest detractors from using BHE is that you have to find the pivot point of the cue for it to work right.

On my latest LD shaft, the pivot point will work for BHE any where from 4 inches back to 12-13 inches back. I have to admit that I was surprised when I realized this. Most shafts only allow 1-2" of margin for using BHE....

Jaden
 
Just proving that this is very subjective, I thought the tiger x pro had very good feel. I didn't find it to be that much different than my regular maple shafts. Then again, I really like smaller tips and hate 13 mm tips.

I've been playing with 12 1/2 mm for several years. I've really had no trouble adjusting back to 13. The Tiger had a very short taper and I didn't care for it. Then again, the tip may have had something to do with it. I have Triangles on my current cue and have been using them for years also.
 
Don't mean to hijack the thread. But with a similar question, I figure I could just add in. If you're like me, somewhat new to the game and very new to higher end cues, would a LD shaft be a good purchase? I've been using a $40 halex titanium cue for a couple years now, and I'll be getting a Mcdermott Genesis cue in 3 weeks. I used to have a KC cue, and loved it. Although, with it being the only nice cue I'd ever used, it's not like I knew what other options were out there.

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Tapatalk
 
Don't mean to hijack the thread. But with a similar question, I figure I could just add in. If you're like me, somewhat new to the game and very new to higher end cues, would a LD shaft be a good purchase? I've been using a $40 halex titanium cue for a couple years now, and I'll be getting a Mcdermott Genesis cue in 3 weeks. I used to have a KC cue, and loved it. Although, with it being the only nice cue I'd ever used, it's not like I knew what other options were out there.

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Tapatalk

If I were you I would consider stepping up to the g-core series. You get an LD shaft at a price that is not that much more expensive. Of course youhave to hit the cue and know that you like the shaft first.
 
If I were you I would consider stepping up to the g-core series. You get an LD shaft at a price that is not that much more expensive. Of course youhave to hit the cue and know that you like the shaft first.

I'd been looking at those and the katana LD shafts at pooldawg. Just something on the affordable side to try out if I decide to. The sucky thing is my cue is being delivered to my house in Arkansas on the 2nd, and I'm stuck in Georgia for work training until the 19th. The hotel I'm at has two 9' tables and I'm stuck using house cues. Pool cues are on TSA's prohibited list. Lucky me.

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Tapatalk
 
@maxeypad2007

maxey- i would rate myself also an a more advanced player- i took a long break from pool- and when i came back........suddenly i saw all over the poolworld LD and Laminated shafts.
So this made me very curious. Furthermore i was very interested, how the influence of new technical innovations on shafts would make a difference in pool.
I year ago i was able to make an experienced test over weeks with 7 different LD and Laminated shafts. There is a huge difference for sure, this is fact! But i have to say that i for myself am more unimmunized if its about shafts. i can play with oldschool shafts or with ld/laminated shafts witout too much problems.
This is always subjective, but what you can say is. With some of those LD Shafts and laminated shafts you can execute shots with a bit less power/acceleration and the cueball will move farther. This can be rated in both ways. Some say that it is not helpful if a *beginner* can play some draw-shots easiliy, but with a regular shaft he s almost not able to.

I m playing now a shaft from a friend, who builds cues , too. He s using extemly good quality wood ( AAA+), non laminated, but still a Low-Deflection Shaft. I feel great with it. It presents me a good hit from a regular shaft (but that is 100% subjective), and a lower deflection than from a regular.

But you can have also regular shafts, where the Deflection is much lower than with other shafts- it really depends on the craftmanship of the cuemaker. Deflection results can be influenced by many ways. (not just using a 10 mm diameter, lol).

Many professionals playing with Predator shafts, many with other brands. and for sure some of them just play it, because they re sponsored. I know for sure from some professinals, that it took a long time, until the predator-shaft changed into *their arm-extension*-and some needed a longer time. I would say that every single player needs 2-3 months to get his game with a predator shaft on the same level like before. Does the shaft make is his game better? i would say no. You re just able to make some balls "a bit more careless" sometimes. Andhow already said, you can put much action more easily on some shots.
But you still need to execute a perfect and repeatable stroke!

Test some ld/laminated shafts-- you have to feel right with it! But it will not bring your game to another level-sure not!
And if you decide to change to a new ld-shaft: it will take it s time. There will be situations where you were thinkin things like *that was easier.* or maybe "should i go back to regular"......

short summary: It can help you to make some shots easier- but you still have to execute your stroke with attention :p -- it s just about your feeling!
If you think, it s the right shaft for you, and you feel comfortable with it-take it- then you already have an advantage. The mental advantage that you would say, that you can do every shot with it, can alrady be a big advantage :)

if you want some informations about a special model, just pm me.

lg from overseas,

ingo
 
Anyone can adjust to anything... Will it make your game better, it depends...

Here's some scenarios. You are a total feel player you adjust to conditions automatically after practicing on those conditions for a little while.

In this scenario, it probably won't help or hurt your game in the long run.

Scenario two. You are used to using a regular shaft of Hard rock maple and you use BHE to adjust for spin.

A LD shaft will hurt your game. You would have to bring your bridge back really far to use BHE and it won't be comfortable or easy to adjust. You'll have to learn to manually compensate (it is easier to manually compensate with a LD shaft because you don't have to compensate any where NEAR as much).

If you rely on feedback to control speed a ld shaft will also hurt your game, they tend to have a hollow feel. I have been working on a LD shaft that gives better feedback and has more of a normal feel. I am also currently working on a semi ld shaft that allows for BHE with a much broader pivot point, like 6-9 inches instead of the typical 1-2 inches.

The last scenario, you have no idea how you do what you do on the table, you just do it, you've used a regular shaft and just wanted to check the hype out for yourself on the LD shaft tech.

Don't go by what pros use, they are often sponsored by the company who makes the shaft that they are using. You will likely have to try out various shafts to see what you are most comfortable with.

The lowest deflection, predator Z. The best feel in combination with LD, OB.

Well, mine as well. Then everything in between with all of the competitors out there. Mcdermott I-shafts etc...

It comes down to personal preference.

LD shaft tech allows for less adjustment necessary and it can be argued that the less the adjustment necessary, the less margin of error you will have, but it's still going to come down to what you feel most comfortable with.

Jaden

just curious what ld shaft has a pivot point of 1 to 2 inches it sure isnt a predator and normally ld shafts have a longer pivot point not shorter
 
Ooops, forgot.

Someone wrote something about an *affordable* choice to test LD. I wouldn t try to test it this way. I won t name here brands where i would say they re garbage. But to just a buy a shaft because it is *cheap* is the wrong way.

What is definitley an affordable good choice, is to test the McDermott series of low-deflection shafts. Here you can have 2 quality shafts for the amount of money you would buy usualy 1 shaft. And they really playin good. here you can see a great difference if it s about low-deflection.
 
The poster obviously wants an LD shaft, so I say go for it. Put down $200 for a predator Z-2 or 314 2. They hit nothing like an original 314. Use it for a month, it's an easy sell at 125 if you dont like it. I know it's all preference, but to me this is a simple choice. My 2 biggest enemies at the table, hardest to deal with: deflection and throw. Would I like less of either one? Sure I would. Once you get used to it, it's almost like cheating.
 
FWIW, I tried one (314-2), and while I was initially high on it, I ended up selling it and going back to a "conventional" shaft.
 
Even after playing this freakin game for 40 years, switching to a LD shaft has helped my game.

Like many others, I don't like the hollow feeling of the hit, but winning eases the pain.

I also don't like the look of laminated shafts when down on a shot. The alternating grain gives a striped look that I still find distracting.

Cuemakers that don't offer a solid maple LD shaft are missing sales.

I wish I had the cash to try a Black Boar ferrule-less shaft.
 
you misunderstood....

just curious what ld shaft has a pivot point of 1 to 2 inches it sure isnt a predator and normally ld shafts have a longer pivot point not shorter

Not a pivot point AT 1-2".... A variance of 1-2"....

Most shafts pivot points are between 1-2", a standard shaft will usualy have a pivot point between 10-12" anything either side of that and BHE won't work.

A predator and other LD shafts will typically be between 15-20" but will also only work 1/2 -1" on either side of whatever the pivot point is.

My shafts pivot point is anywhere between about 5" inches back to about 13-14" inches back. IOW, it has a variance of 7-9 inches, which I have never seen before with any other shaft...

Jaden
 
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