Pro Shaft Review:
Specs:
12.5mm
Kamui Black (Supersoft)
Solid Hard-Rock Maple (Non-laminated version)
14" Pro-Taper
About 6 months ago, I purchased a Meucci sneaky-pete to try the new Pro Shaft as cheaply as possible. I instantly took to the change, so I made it my everyday player over my Meucci FR-4, with a black dot.
I have owned several shafts, but this is my favorite. Unlike the black dot which feels a little flexible, the Pro Shaft has a very solid hit. I attribute this in part to the non-laminated design, and short ferrule.
The deflection is lower than any shaft I have played with. Just to give a little background, I am rated a 6 in the APA (B+), and I have owned most of the major low-deflection shafts on the market (predator, OB, etc). When I setup the cue ball a few inches from the bottom rail, and shoot at the top rail with heavy english, it damn near hits the exact point I'm aiming for. There is very little compensation I need to do when executing a shot. I also find myself using the "pivot" method much more, even when the object ball is far away. With other shafts, I would only get consistent results when the shot was close. I got pretty good at changing my bridge length to compensate, but that hasn't been necessary with the Pro-Shaft. I just aim, pivot, and the ball goes in.
Pro Series 4 Review
Specs:
Weight: 18.5 oz
Tip Diameter: 12.5mm
Joint: 3/8-10 Pin
Forearm: Antique stained maple, with cocobolo points surrounded by multiple color veneers. Faux-Ivory inlays at the base of the points.
Buttsleeve: Cocobolo with faux-ivory diamond inlays, and a faux-ivory buttplate.
Wrap: Moca Irish linen wrap with tan specs.
For those wondering if making a jump to the pro-series is worth it, if you can afford it, then go for it. The biggest perk is that Bob Meucci builds and signs the cue, but the customer service was also second to none. As soon as I put the order in, I got a call from a very friendly southern belle named, Barbara.
Barbara wanted to make sure that everything on the order was correct, and she also pointed out that everything could be customized or altered if I wanted. The only thing I wanted changed was the color of the wrap. Instead of white with brown specs, I opted for brown with white specs. Bob Meucci got on the phone and informed me they do not stock that color, but he would order it just for me at no charge.
The stick took about a month to build, and they encouraged me to call in every week to get updates. Bob and Barbara both would answer any questions that I had, and Barbara even texted me pictures of the progress from start to finish.
After receiving and inspecting the cue, everything was flawless. Bob did not disappoint as it looked better than in the pictures.
In my opinion, the shaft is the most important component of how a cue plays. I already knew I liked the shaft, so there were no surprises there, but I was still impressed with how well-balanced the cue was.
With the sneaky-pete, I felt as though all the weight was in the butt. With the Pro-4, everything felt much more evenly dispersed. This helped my stroke feel even better than before.
In closing, if you were on the fence about this shaft, I highly suggest giving it a shot. Buying a pro-series cue was more about aesthetics than it was about performance. In reality, I could have just kept playing with the sneaky-pete and saved the money, but I wanted a cue built by the man himself.
They can match any joint for your existing cue, so you can try it for relatively cheap.
Feel free to ask any questions.
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