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Shaft diameter?

Shaft diameter?

Hi I've been looking for a new cue and generally they are 13mm, how big of a difference does it make to go to something that is 12 mm?

Shaft diameter?

Replies & Comments

  1. ChigerMitch Alsup on 4/28/2009 2:58:29 PM

    First, there is the diameter of the tip {from 11mm through 15mm} Then there is the taper {Conical through Straight} Then there is the wood (architecture).

    Old style was that the wood is a continuous cross section throughout. Some modern shafts have the center drilled out for lower tip-mass and lower deflection. And then ther are different kinds of wood {Rock maple, birds-eye maple, and purpleheart} with different stiffnesses, densities, balance points, and the ability to stay straight for decades.

    A conical taper is stiffer than a professional taper which is stiffer than a european taper which is stiffer than a straight taper. So taper, rather than tip size, is where most of the tradeoff between tip size and stiffness takes place.

    Now, once the taper is set, stiffness is a cubic function of shaft diameter. So a 13mm tip with the same taper as a 12mm tip will be about 27% more stiff. Thereby, it does not take a lot of reduction in the tip size to significantly alter the stiffness of a shaft. However, going from a conical taper to a professional taper will yeild about 20%-ish loss in stiffness when the tip size remains the same.

    Overall, this is not a mathematical/physical kind of problem, it is a feel kind of problem. And you need to feel a few hits with a stick in your hand to figureout if your hand is going to enjoy the experience or not.

  2. Chigerguest on 5/1/2009 10:10:41 AM

    That's some great information, and with it please feel free to browse our cues ADVERT REMOVED. We are an authorized dealer and offer the best price you'll find anywhere on McDermott cues. Check us out and if you have any further questions or simply want to order over the phone call us at 1-866-000-0000 or email us at customerservice.

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Shaft diameter?

  • Title: Shaft diameter?
  • Author:
  • Published: 4/28/2009 1:14:01 PM