Does a Low Deflection Cue REALLY Make Sense?
I’ve been looking to upgrade my cue and doing a little research on the best cue to buy. When I start googling, immediately the low deflection cue information pops up and there is discussion about why low deflection cues are best.
As a little background, I’m an engineer (practicing for 20 years) and a not great, but solid pool player (I’m a 7 in the APA, but don’t play as often as I’d like any more and not as consistent as I used to be). So I understand the mechanics and physics behind the game, understand the laws of conservation of energy and momentum and how they apply to these essentially elastic collisions, and why and how things interact the way they do when the line of action passes between their centers of mass… or not.
My question is why exactly is a low deflection cue supposed to help overall? I see a lot of talk of how it reduces deflection from say… an inch to… a half inch (this was mentioned specifically on Predator’s site). Once squirt and deflection are happening to a shot you’re playing, why does the magnitude matter? Whether it’s an inch, a half inch, or a quarter inch, you have to aim somewhere other than where you want to hit… and if you don’t properly account for it then you will miss the shot. I can see getting closer when you miss with low deflection cues, but why would it mean (from a mechanics perspective and probability perspective) that you will pocket balls more reliably using a low deflection cue? Is there something inherently easier or more reliable about adjusting your aim by 3/8” vs 3/4”?
Comments
Many factors determine the amount of deflection that is transferred from the shaft, onto the cue ball. All solid wood shafts "deflect", or "give", in some way, off the cue ball. The technology of the Predator 10-piece laminated wood shafts have taken much of the guesswork out of cue ball travel. You can aim true, rather than adjusting for how much your solid wood shaft is going to give, or cause the cue ball to "squirt", one way or the other, when it makes contact with the cue ball. The REVO carbon fiber shafts offer even less deflection, more durability, and are stiffer than their wood shaft counterparts. The REVO shafts offer pool players the opportunity to make contact, with a more natural aim, which increases cue ball pocketing and shape-playing accuracy.
From one engineer to another - i think you might be hung up on the fact that the math problem is stated wrong.
It’s not a low deflection shaft - it’s a low deflection ball. And (math obvious) in order to get a low deflection ball - you need a high deflection shaft.
So, now that we fixed the math statement. I ask why you might desire a a high deflection shafts?
But first the wave argument of ball deflection.
Deflection is a wave.
The far-rail measurement for deflection (an inch or or half inch) used to define how much deflection a cueball travels…is actually a partial segment of a sine wave path. Or in other words, side-spin is actually creating an elongated sine wave. If the table was 100 feet long you would see that squirt (cue ball path) would criss-cross back and forth over the center line (axis).
Though you are correct that - side spin - creates a sine - and any sine will require aiming adjustments - and yes you can simply calibrate your aim. Launching a cue ball with a tighter wave is more forgiving.
However, your question itself points out - the change is arch amplitude is not that great.
So, back to why bother with a high deflection shaft?”
If you watch Dr.s YouTube (he shows that your bridge length changes deflection) and when watching Efren’s exaggerated bridge length (it’s fair to assume that he is subconsciously adding deflection) - or like me - due to Black Friday Stock availability- you end up with 2 different shaft lengths/diameters (revise) and are forced to notice the playing consequences of “wonk” (shaft side of deflection).
To me deflection is performance factor that changes every shot.
To me (old dinosaur) it seems like extra deflection on your shaft - translates as another playability measurement (like tip diameter).
I see what you’re saying in your well though-out challenge to “ball deflection” I agree - but I think you might like the wonk “extra shaft deflection” that comes with low deflection shafts. Lol
Low deflect shafts seem more sporty to me.
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