frequently asked questions
What is it?
What is it for?
Will it fit my cue?
Who is it for?
Does it damage the cloth or playing tip?
Does it need chalk?
Is it legal?
Are the shots shown on the DVD for real?
The Twister TM is a
brand new invention, one of the relatively few genuine inventions for many years
to be seen in the world of cue sports. Essentially, it is a simple attachment –
an alternative tip - that fits over the normal tip of a playing cue. The Twister
enables the player to impart an extraordinary amount of extra “spin”, “side”, or
“English”, as some American pool players call it, onto the cue ball, causing it
to swerve to a previously unbelievable degree.
The Twister is especially useful when a player is “snookered” behind other intervening
balls and, therefore, has no “straight line” shot available to him between the cue
ball and the object ball. This is where the Twister really comes into its own with
amazing effect. Properly used, it causes the cue ball to spin and swerve around
obstructing balls in order to make successful contact with the object ball, so that
no penalty is incurred by the shot maker and, with practice, it is even possible
to go on to pot the object ball. Shots like the Swerve and the Massé, are traditionally
some of the most spectacular but difficult shots to execute successfully using a
normal cue tip.
Usually, they take even top players years and years of practice to perfect. Now,
using the Twister these fabulous shots, with a little practice, can quickly become
a highly impressive part of any player’s repertoire. Also, the Twister can be used
to impart strong top spin or back spin on the cue ball during normal play.
The Twister can be used with all sizes of balls used in all the various cue sports’
disciplines – American Pool, Carom, Snooker, English 8-Ball (or Black Ball) Pool,
etc. It comes in 3 colour-coded size ranges – BLUE for American Pool or Carom, GREEN
for Snooker and RED for English 8-Ball (or Black Ball) Pool. NB: these sizes are
meant as a rough guide only, as different cues have different shaft tapers. For
example, for a slim shafted American Pool cue, the green Twister might be a better
fit; similarly, for a slim shafted Snooker cue, the red version might fit better
and for some thicker shafted Black Ball (English 8-Ball) cues, the green version
might be the best. Please ensure that you choose the correct size when ordering.
Whilst even the raw beginner can quickly learn how to use it, just a little bit
of practice with the Twister will enable all players, men women and children, to
play shots, like the Massé and the Swerve mentioned above, they never before thought
possible. Furthermore, the Twister is an ideal training aid for beginners of all
ages in all cue sports. It is particularly useful for teaching young children the
rudiments of any of the cue sport games, as the broad tip reduces the risk of miscuing.
Furthermore, it can be used to teach beginners that, by striking the cue ball at
different points on its circumference, different types of spin can be achieved.
Many table owners and operators discourage or even ban players from playing Massé
shots. These shots can now be played safely using the Twister, as the danger of
damaging or even tearing the cloth as with a normal tip, is at last removed. The
Twister also protects the playing cue tip from damage when executing these shots.
Due to its special tip, the Twister never needs to be chalked. You can play shot
after shot with your Twister and it will impart fantastic grip on the cue ball time
after time, so that you just concentrate on playing the shot and you don't have
to worry that you didn't chalk your cue.
The Twister has been approved as legal for use in competitive play by the World
Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (World Snooker™), the English Pool
Referees’ Association (EPRA), the English Pool Association (EPA) and the British
Association of Pool Table Operators (BAPTO), so it can be used in even the top tournaments
in these disciplines. Its legality for use in American Pool is currently under review
with the Billiards Congress of America (BCA) and the World Pool Association (WPA).
Tournament play aside, in the home and leisure environment, players will quickly
see how easily the Twister can extend their skill and enjoyment levels in playing
cue sports.
Please be assured that no trick photography whatsoever has been used in making the
Twister Instructional DVD. It was filmed in real time, so all the shots shown in
making it were and can be played with the help of a Twister. We will concede, however,
that some of the most difficult shots took more than one attempt to successfully
execute, as might be expected.
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