Does stiffness affect reaction

[Matt-10ant]

As the title says.

Can you have a shaft that is to stiff that the cue plays dead??

Which gives more throw a whippy or a stiff shaft??

What are people's preference on cue stiffness??

I just don't have a clue as a lot of people seem to prefer to have a stiffer cue.

[perpetualboredom]

I play with a fairly whippy old cue and everyone who hits a shot with it mentions they get more reaction than they expect.
That said its not all about a cue being reactive, better players would want a cue that's consistent rather than one which might be too lively - probably why they go for very stiff cues. Used to own one of Doms replicas (I think most people have!), and that was one of the stiffest cues I've ever used... apparently it wasn't stiff enough for him!
I'm sure lots of things effect throw, but for me one of the biggest things is the tip... stick a talisman on anything and it throws a mile!

[golferson123]

too stiff=no spin and throw. too whippy=no spin and throw. make the cball spin, less throw.nice flex and a nice tip that's what you need

[Byrom]

too stiff=no spin and throw. too whippy=no spin and throw. make the cball spin, less throw.nice flex and a nice tip that's what you need

Yep that sums it up

[The Doctor]

I wouldn't say it's as simple as that. I've used very stiff cues that are very responsive and have very little throw. I've also had the opposite effect. The same can be said of a whippy cue.
It's sometimes just down to the wood. It's also down to taper tip size and type.
A lot go into the making of a good playing cue.
Too many people in ky opinion are obsessed with fancy butt designs and perfect grain. They would do well to ask the cue maker about flex and playability (if the cue maker know this).
I try my cues out after I make them and do my best to rate them in terms of stiffness and playability(meaning throw etc).

[golferson123]

no its certainly not as simple as that,but it was a simple question so got a simple answer,but spin is the answer to less throw

[The Doctor]

Yes it was a good simple answer.

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

Does stiffness affect reaction

what are you talking about 'throw'? you mean 'deflection', and deflection is only determined by the mass at the tip end.

[golferson123]

I certainly don't need to be told what I mean,i call it throw and I know what causes it, you stick to what you call it that's fine and you stick to what you think causes it and that's fine also, please don't lecture me about what I think or what I think causes it

[Master Blaster]

Taper is important. I have a Phoenix at 9.3mm with a linear taper and it plays stiff, clunk, clunk. But my 10mm Purist made from Air Angel plays medium-stiff. The taper on the Purist has been done the old way, not like these linear cues whose design is very popular now. I have a 10.5mm maple which has more give than the Phoenix and that shouldn't be possible (if diameter was the only factor), so it's not all wood or diameter, taper is important as well.

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

I certainly don't need to be told what I mean,i call it throw and I know what causes it, you stick to what you call it that's fine and you stick to what you think causes it and that's fine also, please don't lecture me about what I think or what I think causes it

Terminology is important.

[j6uk]

id like to see give throw deflection out the window

[Master Blaster]

Throw is a term for cricket, deflection is for ballistics.

The cue ball moving offline in an arc when hit with side spin is called squirt! A proper snooker term!

[jim evans]

Think you need an happy medium I tend to put a hard tip on a flexi shaft and a softer tip on a stiffish shaft

[timcunnell]

Think you need an happy medium I tend to put a hard tip on a flexi shaft and a softer tip on a stiffish shaft

But soft tip = less spin, no?