Wood or carbon?

[Woodshaft]

I can see why pros use carbon. They hit more balls in a couple days than I do all month long.
But For the average player, Carbon is pretty worthless. 75$ wood shafts feel better imo. Stop dropping your cue or slapping the table when u miss and wood won't get nicked up

I actually feel the opposite.
Carbon fiber shafts are made for bar leagues players BECAUSE they are so indestructible/low maintenence.
Pros take better care of their equipment--- wood is fine for them.
In fact, most of the bar bangers that I know that use carbon admit they don't improve their game, but they like the easy maintenence/no dings/slickness, etc aspect.

 

[Cue Alchemist]

I paid $500 for a used wood shaft, wouldn’t sell it for 2k. Don’t think I’d sell it period, plays better for me than any other shaft I tried. Just got lucky, I had a new one built by the same builder custom fit to my cue and it was no contest. The used shaft won out, I’m guessing it is higher quality wood from some time ago.

Having custom ringwork, plus old growth maple, or lakewood,What ever it is. Yeah I can see that costing more. I'm glad you got it made, to play the way you like! Like you said, it can. Just be getting it right once, is all you need. Don't ever sell it!!! I wish, I was as lucky as you!!

 

[SpiderWebComm]

A number of years ago I was playing with someone that was a golf pro and was also a very good pool player. He
played in golf tournaments that were pressure filled as well as high stakes money games, both of which require a good set of nerves. The conversation drifted to the similarities between how the nerves affect putting in golf and the stroke in pool. He said
in golf a lot of players get what's called the "yips" which is a tightening of the hand and wrist muscles that cause an involuntary
flinch during the transition from backswing to the forward stroke causing the putter face to open or close as well as affect speed and distance of the ball. I thought about it and said to him that I've gotten it while playing pool for higher stakes but not while
playing for fun or socially. Was there a cure?

He said alcohol and certain drugs help but only in the right amounts. Too much and it affects coordination and focus. The best thing is to experiment with is the weight of the putter or cue. A lightweight putter can go off in the hands easier during the transition to affect speed and direction. A heavier putter and how it's balanced is less apt to do it.

I started using a heavier cue (butt and shaft of wood) and never looked back and it's not something I would get with a carbon fiber shaft. It's like I have very little feel with these shafts and the transition from backstroke to forward stroke is all over the place and jerky.

Do heavy putters help the yips?

I googled this about putters and golf and came up with the following:
Yes, a heavy putter can help eliminate the yips because their heavy weight reduces the hand rotation. The extra weight can act as a stabilizing force, helping to keep the hands and wrists from moving unexpectedly.

Everybody should come to their own conclusions on what to use for pool and for what reasons. "What the pros use" shouldn't
be one of them if it affects the game negatively. The stroke is all about "FEEL" and accuracy.

 

[garczar]

A number of years ago I was playing with someone that was a golf pro and was also a very good pool player. He
played in golf tournaments that were pressure filled as well as high stakes money games, both of which require a good set of nerves. The conversation drifted to the similarities between how the nerves affect putting in golf and the stroke in pool. He said
in golf a lot of players get what's called the "yips" which is a tightening of the hand and wrist muscles that cause an involuntary
flinch during the transition from backswing to the forward stroke causing the putter face to open or close as well as affect speed and distance of the ball. I thought about it and said to him that I've gotten it while playing pool for higher stakes but not while
playing for fun or socially. Was there a cure?

He said alcohol and certain drugs help but only in the right amounts. Too much and it affects coordination and focus. The best thing is to experiment with is the weight of the putter or cue. A lightweight putter can go off in the hands easier during the transition to affect speed and direction. A heavier putter and how it's balanced is less apt to do it.

I started using a heavier cue (butt and shaft of wood) and never looked back and it's not something I would get with a carbon fiber shaft. It's like I have very little feel with these shafts and the transition from backstroke to forward stroke is all over the place and jerky.

Do heavy putters help the yips?

I googled this about putters and golf and came up with the following:
Yes, a heavy putter can help eliminate the yips because their heavy weight reduces the hand rotation. The extra weight can act as a stabilizing force, helping to keep the hands and wrists from moving unexpectedly.

Everybody should come to their own conclusions on what to use for pool and for what reasons. "What the pros use" shouldn't
be one of them if it affects the game negatively. The stroke is all about "FEEL" and accuracy.

A buddy bought a Revo and it weighs the same as most wood shafts, just under 4oz's. All those i've tested have been 3.6+. Some are lighter i guess but not those i've seen. Agree on the heavier 'tool' whether its a putter or cue.

 

[dendweller]

A buddy bought a Revo and it weighs the same as most wood shafts, just under 4oz's. All those i've tested have been 3.6+. Some are lighter i guess but not those i've seen. Agree on the heavier 'tool' whether its a putter or cue.

Whan I bought one from Seyberts he weighed a few up for me while I was on the phone. Think he had 3.7 to 4 out of the 3 or 4 he tried.

 

[garczar]

Whan I bought one from Seyberts he weighed a few up for me while I was on the phone. Think he had 3.7 to 4 out of the 3 or 4 he tried.

A friend bough a cf shaft from a smaller maker and it was only about 3.3-3.4 Played ok but messed up the BP. I think most of the major guy's shafts are 3.6+ so its not a big deal when switching.

 

[Brookeland Bill]

Since most of the top snooker players are still using one-piece ash cues, it could be a while.

On a lark I purchased a one piece and as one piece cue case from Woods Cues. I whipped the butt with brown paracord the same as if the cue came wrapped. I’ve been playing with it off and on for the past month. It’s a novelty but you have to remember in small town Texas in the early 60’s that’s all we had were house cues with cheap tips and the bumpers missing.

The cue plays exceptionally well. I get a lot of stares walking into a room with a 60” cue case. One player told me he didn’t know if I was going fishing or should he duck behind a table.

 

[Thecoats]

I think the Carbon Fiber is certainly more emperical (accurate) with the hit. But certain shots especially in One Pocket you desire a scoot or swerve out of the cue ball. Touchy high spin low speed ball take outs from your opponents pocket, IMO, are better served with a maple shaft. You can't get that cueball action with carbon.

This is why I switched back from 314-2 to traditional maple shafts. I could never figure out how to throw a ball backwards and sort of up hill with the Predator and the ability to do that is huge in one pocket. It wasn't from lack of effort, I felt I missed less with the 314-2 and used them for several years but then I bought a cue that I didn't have a matching 314-2 for and played a couple of sessions with it and found I was shooting just as accurately and I could execute the touchy/swervy/tickies way better.

I am sure these shots can be executed by the lower deflection equipment, I just couldn't develop it within my game.

Great Thread
-don

 

[cookie man]

I'm always considering a cf shaft, had a couple didn't keep em.

Now I'm considering it again, looked for youtube vids of reviews on revo and defy.
One of the revo reviews was by the CTE guy. It became clear pretty quickly that it wasn't a review, more of a sales pitch for CTE. I could tell when he set up some shots with a sheet hanging over the table so he couldn't see the pocket. Pretty perceptive of me I think.

To be fair I didn't watch the whole thing, once I saw 2 minutes of the benefits of CTE I split.

Your loss

 

[cookie man]

My guess is in 10 years wood shafts at the semi-pro and pro level will be like dinosaurs. Here in Florida, there is a wide age range of players and I see lots of carbon shafts with the 20 and 30 aged group. Younger players who are new to the game will gravitate toward them like players did to LD shafts in the late 90s and early 2000s.

I’m in florida also and see the same thing. Really surprised at the amount of league players at very low average skill levels that have bought into cf. I don’t like them but to each there own. You ever play at Strokers?

 

[cookie man]

I'd like to try carbon, but I need a male pin on the shaft.
I don't see a solution for that.
There is one but nobody offers it.

It’s very easy to modify pins in cf. any decent cue guy should be able to do it from a blank

 

[SpiderWebComm]

A buddy bought a Revo and it weighs the same as most wood shafts, just under 4oz's. All those i've tested have been 3.6+. Some are lighter i guess but not those i've seen. Agree on the heavier 'tool' whether its a putter or cue.

I have shafts that range from 3.35 oz. (Cuetec) up to 4.8 oz. and everything in between. A bunch of 4.3 ounce shafts. Schon wood shaft is 4.3 oz; Joss is 4.00 and 4.25; Helmstetter 4.3;
In my case, with a 3.35 oz. Cuetec shaft, I need the total weight at 20.85 oz. I think I remember reading somewhere that SVB's
cue is 20.7 oz. or even higher.

I want to have the feeling that the cue is moving back and forth like a battering ram on its own without thinking about a pure stroke back and through when it's too light. I tend to speed up the tempo at the end of the backstroke and snatch it forward
with added grip pressure when too light, if that makes sense. It also depends on whether I'm playing for fun, practicing, or under pressure for cash. Those "FEELS" definitely change.

 

[LonelyBones]

Not sure if a newbie should comment here, but...

have both wood and carbon shafts (both LD), and play with both of them. Pool is a hobby, so I'm always curious on what's new. Wasn't too interested in CF, but then tried my friend's CF shaft and it feels... nice & true, I think? So, when I saved enough, purchased the CF shaft, and was happy with my purchase.
But each shaft do have its own characteristics - when I feel I'm playing good then I'll use the CF (that feeling of being more true), but when my stroke's not too good, I'll use my wood shaft, since I feel it's more forgiving (not too sure how to explain, it might be just my feeling).
Some of my 8-ball league friends play with CF, some with wood shaft (two guys even use their snooker cues, because that's what they're comfy with), and it's all cool. The more the merrier I think - and if something new comes up, we can borrow the cue / shaft to try - everybody's happy!

 

[axejunkie]

I’m in florida also and see the same thing. Really surprised at the amount of league players at very low average skill levels that have bought into cf. I don’t like them but to each there own. You ever play at Strokers?

Not often, I'm normally at Corner Pocket or Crooked Cue. I see the same with the league players there; lots of them have carbon shafts. I knew the shafts were here to stay when I saw the league crowd and older players buying them.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

Not sure if a newbie should comment here, but...

have both wood and carbon shafts (both LD), and play with both of them. Pool is a hobby, so I'm always curious on what's new. Wasn't too interested in CF, but then tried my friend's CF shaft and it feels... nice & true, I think? So, when I saved enough, purchased the CF shaft, and was happy with my purchase.
But each shaft do have its own characteristics - when I feel I'm playing good then I'll use the CF (that feeling of being more true), but when my stroke's not too good, I'll use my wood shaft, since I feel it's more forgiving (not too sure how to explain, it might be just my feeling).
Some of my 8-ball league friends play with CF, some with wood shaft (two guys even use their snooker cues, because that's what they're comfy with), and it's all cool. The more the merrier I think - and if something new comes up, we can borrow the cue / shaft to try - everybody's happy!

You have enthusiasm which is the main thing. All newbies turn into grizzled old pool addicts. Shop around on the internet to see who has a good price on a gram/ounce scale so you can see firsthand what your butts and shafts weigh exactly. If you buy a cue that has weight bolts, get a whole bunch of applicable weight bolts that fit the cue and cut them down to different sizes and weights to see what total weight and butt/shaft combination weight works best for your stroke and feels. You will be surprised and learn a lot for better or worse.

 

[Cue Alchemist]

Not often, I'm normally at Corner Pocket or Crooked Cue. I see the same with the league players there; lots of them have carbon shafts. I knew the shafts were here to stay when I saw the league crowd and older players buying them.

I think, this is the market, these companies are really after. If your mate's, got one that means, you need one. I see it in the pool room I play in, when there's a tournament on. Most got them. Thay don't seem to play any better.

 

[Woodshaft]

I think, this is the market, these companies are really after. If your mate's, got one that means, you need one. I see it in the pool room I play in, when there's a tournament on. Most got them. Thay don't seem to play any better.

EXACTLY.
People (sheeple) don't want to have less expensive things than their friends. It's all about their insecurities.
Carbon fiber is an example of this. They do not play better with cf shaft, but they think they look cooler with them.
Kind of like a guy with a "look at me" Rolex watch. It doesn't tell time any better than a $20 Casio watch.
Or a Louis Vuitton bag vs a generic Walmart bag. Both carry things equally.
A $2,000 Schon cue plays the same as as an $800 Schon.
It's all about keeping up with the Jones'.
People love their bling!
Carbon fiber shafts are bling! $600 jump cues are bling. $800 break cues-- bling.
Predator and the other manufacturers prey on player's insecurities with these "miracle products" lol
Fine by me, these sheeple are helping the industry and game grow!

 

[FunChamp]

A number of years ago I was playing with someone that was a golf pro and was also a very good pool player. He
played in golf tournaments that were pressure filled as well as high stakes money games, both of which require a good set of nerves. The conversation drifted to the similarities between how the nerves affect putting in golf and the stroke in pool. He said
in golf a lot of players get what's called the "yips" which is a tightening of the hand and wrist muscles that cause an involuntary
flinch during the transition from backswing to the forward stroke causing the putter face to open or close as well as affect speed and distance of the ball. I thought about it and said to him that I've gotten it while playing pool for higher stakes but not while
playing for fun or socially. Was there a cure?

He said alcohol and certain drugs help but only in the right amounts. Too much and it affects coordination and focus. The best thing is to experiment with is the weight of the putter or cue. A lightweight putter can go off in the hands easier during the transition to affect speed and direction. A heavier putter and how it's balanced is less apt to do it.

I started using a heavier cue (butt and shaft of wood) and never looked back and it's not something I would get with a carbon fiber shaft. It's like I have very little feel with these shafts and the transition from backstroke to forward stroke is all over the place and jerky.

Do heavy putters help the yips?

I googled this about putters and golf and came up with the following:
Yes, a heavy putter can help eliminate the yips because their heavy weight reduces the hand rotation. The extra weight can act as a stabilizing force, helping to keep the hands and wrists from moving unexpectedly.

Everybody should come to their own conclusions on what to use for pool and for what reasons. "What the pros use" shouldn't
be one of them if it affects the game negatively. The stroke is all about "FEEL" and accuracy.

I have drawn the same conclusion years ago. I have a couple nerve conditions. As a result my hands shake/tremble a little bit. I still play a shade below God, but that's just due to my raw natural ability. With a lighter cue it is harder for me to keep the cue on line when stroking. Heavier cue I can keep it on line through my stroke and do not have to use as much effort.

 

[nicksaint26]

EXACTLY.
People (sheeple) don't want to have less expensive things than their friends. It's all about their insecurities.
Carbon fiber is an example of this. They do not play better with cf shaft, but they think they look cooler with them.
Kind of like a guy with a "look at me" Rolex watch. It doesn't tell time any better than a $20 Casio watch.
Or a Louis Vuitton bag vs a generic Walmart bag. Both carry things equally.
A $2,000 Schon cue plays the same as as an $800 Schon.
It's all about keeping up with the Jones'.
People love their bling!
Carbon fiber shafts are bling! $600 jump cues are bling. $800 break cues-- bling.
Predator and the other manufacturers prey on player's insecurities with these "miracle products" lol
Fine by me, these sheeple are helping the industry and game grow!

Just another hater who can't afford nice things. I am sorry you are poor.

 

[Shooter08]

Having custom ringwork, plus old growth maple, or lakewood,What ever it is. Yeah I can see that costing more. I'm glad you got it made, to play the way you like! Like you said, it can. Just be getting it right once, is all you need. Don't ever sell it!!! I wish, I was as lucky as you!!

The one I had made for my cue I sold. The used one I originally purchased to try, plays far superior to the one made custom with my cue butt in the builders hands.