Final update and thoughts on the Revo.
At last I got the Taom tips in to try on the Revo to see how it fares purely as a break shaft. I installed an orange Taom on it and here is a poor quality photo fresh of the lathe:
I had high hopes for the combo as Taoms have always worked pretty well with my breaking style and to have one on a powerful shaft like a Revo seemed like a dream come true. Turns out that it wasn't. On the very first break shot with the new tip I was disappointed the second the tip contacted the CB. The sound that the combo makes with a powerful break is ear-shattering. A high pitch, obnoxiously loud *tink* came out and the vibrations on the butt end were uncomfortable to say the least. It did however result in a powerful break with decent control but the sound made it unbearable for long time use. I tried to get used to it and practiced breaking for some time but I was constantly hitting it softer to avoid the noise, resulting in varying spread and inconsistent break.
Part reason for the sound being as big of a distraction as it was is the fact that my home room is relatively small and enclosed with pale walls resulting in poor acoustics in the room. That however does not change the fact that the feel of hit was just as hard as the sound was loud. I ended up cutting the tip off to save my nerves and put on a leather playing tip that clearly belongs there. The playability & feel came right back but it is evidently clear that the standard version of Revo is not perfect for a break shaft. Can't really blame Predator for that, it is meant to be played with and they have a disclaimer on their website that states that many players like a grade softer tip on a Revo shaft.
This did however result in a bit of a dilemma for myself. As a working man I can't afford to have too much toys around and the Revo ended up being just that for me in the end, a toy. I like it but I don't gain much from it as I play better with a maple shaft being a feel player and I didn't get the expected results with it as a break shaft. I had to list it for sale and quickly got it sold when the price was right.
Final conclusion.
The revo is a breeze of fresh air in the pool world and a welcome addition to the current scene. It has it advantages and some players will without a doubt find it as their shaft of choice. It performs well, with very little cue ball deflection and the power transfer is just amazing. It can be a smart choice to start playing with if you are new to the game or for an experienced player that can adjust easily to equipment.
It is not perfect though. The transition from a long time use of maple shaft can be gruesome if you are used to playing by feel and have developed an understanding of what happens when you cut a ball with certain spin. I found certain types of shots where I was totally lost with the Revo shaft and the cue ball came off in a different angle than I was expecting and what I am used to seeing. If I had to guess the reason behind the unexpected behaviour to what I am accustomed to I would go with the lack of flexibility in the shaft. The rigidness is a factor that I initially liked a lot in the shaft as it gives me confidence hitting shots from difficult positions, for example from the rail or over a ball. The downside with the rigid and extremely low squirt is that I was not able to get totally dialed in and used to the shafts playability. Hard to explain what was off but clearly there is a difference in playability between a carbon shaft and a maple shaft. Opinions may vary and the above is very likely related to every individuals personal stroke.
Another dowside to a carbon shaft is the fact that their taper can't be altered in any way. I would have liked a slightly longer pro taper on the shaft. As with everything there is another side to this; The shafts taper will never change in use so the shaft will feel the same after years of use if it is not damaged externally in other ways. I dont personally believe the shaft is quite as tough as it has been led out to be. I had mine for only a couple of weeks and I somehow managed to make a mark on the shaft, a small ding of sort. Not structually meaningful but still. I take pretty good care of my stuff and still I ended up with a mark like this:
I am not disappointed though, I have very likely caused that mark myself by accidentally hitting it on a table corner or something similiar
Wouldn't feel comfortable hitting it against anything as many have demonstrated though.
And what did I get from this experiment with the Revo? Yes, obviously I suffered a financial loss trying it out by buying one new but in my opinion it was well worth the price. The shaft is revolutionary in its own, not quite for me but I thoroughly enjoyed my time experimenting with it. I did not end up owning one for long but I totally understand those who like their revos better than anything. I just prefer the feel and acoustics of maple better along with my tendency to tinker with my shafts. I can't tinker with a Revo as it is what it is and it stays that way
This is the last of my review posts on the shaft, feel free to ask me anything here in this thread or by private message if you so prefer
- Kimmo
