Looking for review Mezz Ex Pro shaft ?

marek · Nov 24, 2017

MeeLosh said:
Guys, the tip on the Ex Pro I'm getting is Kamui Black Clear (Medium) (installed by the good people of Seybert's upon purchase).
My question is - in your experience, which hardness of the tip works best with Ex Pro? Seeing as how it has a carbon core, with lots of inherent energy, it has to be either a Soft or a Medium, right? But which one do you prefer?

Interestingly enough - the world Mezz/Exceed website, it says that Ex Pro comes with a Medium tip. On the USA Mezz website and Seybert's it says Soft.

I am going to speak from my experience. My ex pro came with Zan medium tip. The feedback was absolutely awesome and moving the cueball needed very little effort especially with stunshots. The only problem I had was the draw shot which I needed to put more effort into than I was used to with wx900. After some experimenting with different Kamui tips I ended up with trying G2 soft tip. It is true that with soft tip you lose a small part of the feedback but with ex pro the feedback is so strong that losing small part of it is still no problem. Now drawing the cueball is abolutely effortless with G2 and the tip holds its properties very well in time (2 months since installation it is still soft and doesnt glaze). Hope this helps

P.s.: I would advice you to learn the retipping yourself, we have the same problem here in Czech Republic (lack of cue maintanance staff) so I have learnt to do my tips myself. It took me about 20-30 tip changes to perfect the process (back then I didnt have anyone teaching me so it was attempt/failure method) but now I am quite confident changing the tips even on expensive shafts of other players. Trust me, it is the skill worth learning, you will play pool for a LONG time

:thumbup: And today it is quite easy to learn it with youtube, I recommend this vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RAi5zDnVGM

MeeLosh · Nov 24, 2017

rhatten said:
Re: Cork-like Pad..

Having personally replacing the Ultraskins on my Prime cue's I can tell you there's nothing Cork-like in that pad. It more like very dense hard wood. It cuts hard on my lathe, even rigid enough to not nap well with 220 sand paper. Blade crosscuts for glue retention on the surface of the pad require moderate pressure to ditch. Not Cork like imo... Very hard in fact... Made even more so with AC (Loctite 454 Instant Adhesive) during luting.

If you done want the pad you can remove it as well... just an fyi.

Respectfully,
Randy

It's actually bakelite. I just meant cork-like in terms of visual appearance, so that people who have had a limited exposure to the cue knew what I was talking about. Sorry for the confusion.

MeeLosh · Nov 24, 2017

marek said:
I am going to speak from my experience. My ex pro came with Zan medium tip. The feedback was absolutely awesome and moving the cueball needed very little effort especially with stunshots. The only problem I had was the draw shot which I needed to put more effort into than I was used to with wx900. After some experimenting with different Kamui tips I ended up with trying G2 soft tip. It is true that with soft tip you lose a small part of the feedback but with ex pro the feedback is so strong that losing small part of it is still no problem. Now drawing the cueball is abolutely effortless with G2 and the tip holds its properties very well in time (2 months since installation it is still soft and doesnt glaze). Hope this helps

Great feedback, Marek, and food for thought. I'll keep that in mind once the cue arrives. G2 are really not my personal favorites (only tried the medium, though), but I'm sure I'd be able to find something Soft to my liking (ok, that just sounded weird) when the time comes to replace the tip.
But the exact point you were making sounds eerily similar to the issue I was having with BeCue... when you say stun-shots are effortless, but problems with the draw... sounds like you're describing what I mentioned in my previous BeCue comment (a few posts above), where the ball would fly off the tip of the cue rather than accepting the top or bottom spin quickly... as if the cue was "too energetic". At least that's how I felt with the BeCue (with the hard tip), I really hope it won't be the issue with the Ex Pro. :sorry:
(and again, I realize it's just a matter of softening your shot compared to what a person's used to, so I might try that if I experience the same issue I described with the Ex Pro as well)

marek said:
P.s.: I would advice you to learn the retipping yourself, we have the same problem here in Czech Republic (lack of cue maintanance staff) so I have learnt to do my tips myself. It took me about 20-30 tip changes to perfect the process (back then I didnt have anyone teaching me so it was attempt/failure method) but now I am quite confident changing the tips even on expensive shafts of other players. Trust me, it is the skill worth learning, you will play pool for a LONG time :thumbup: And today it is quite easy to learn it with youtube, I recommend this vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RAi5zDnVGM

Great advice. I already toyed with that idea. The thing is I'm not a handy person, the apex of my mechanical knowledge is changing the light-bulb (ok, probably not even mechanical).

However, I've never been as motivated to learn these things as I am when it comes to pool, so... I might just try to acquire that skill in a year or two. Especially since, like you said, I plan on playing pool for a loooong time. :thumbup:

marek · Nov 24, 2017

MeeLosh said:
Great advice. I already toyed with that idea. The thing is I'm not a handy person, the apex of my mechanical knowledge is changing the light-bulb (ok, probably not even mechanical). However, I've never been as motivated to learn these things as I am when it comes to pool, so... I might just try to acquire that skill in a year or two. Especially since, like you said, I plan on playing pool for a loooong time. :thumbup:

If I can learn to do my tip installation ANYBODY can

Few tips for the start:
1) be sure you have really SHARP knife/sharpie ready, it is vital part of the preparation and really eases the whole process
2) have the right glue ready - if the glue is too "thin" it can (and will) affect the layers of the tip which can cause delaminating of the tip; dense gels are much better, Loctite 401 is perfect (it is expensive but it is the best glue for this purpose) - if you store the glue in the refrigerator you can use it even 3 years after opening it for the first time, the cold keeps the glue from aging
3) be really careful around the ferrule with that knife - the ferrule of LD shafts are really soft and lightweight and can be damaged by the cut really easily - that is the reason why having really sharp blade is big advantage as you dont have to use much power and your movements will be controlled
4) dont use the glue in excess, less is actually better - the thinner the layer of glue is the better adhesion of the tip you will get and less chance of the tip popping off; watch out for the air bubbles in the glue - they can cause dry spot between the tip and ferrule resulting in not perfect contact
5) be sure you have surfaces of both tip and ferrule perfectly level and clean prior to glueing
Good luck

MeeLosh · Nov 24, 2017

Ha ha, I'm reading your instructions and I can notice at least 7528 places where I could mess something up.

And the least each error will cost is the price of the tip. But it can also be the price of replacing the entire ferrule as well.

Tell you what, in case I don't master it in the foreseeable future, I'll contact you the next time I'm in Czech Republic and you can teach me over a Pilsner or two, how does that sound?

No, but seriously, I'll copy these guidelines for future reference, just in case I do decide to go that route. Thanks, Marek!

MeeLosh · Jan 24, 2018

Guys, I've had the chance to spend some time with the Ex Pro shaft, and here's my review of the cue/shaft.

My Ex Pro is paired with a beautiful Mezz MSP-P purple heart sneaky butt. It's a united joint version. It has a Kamui Clear Medium tip on it, which was changed by the good people at Seyberts upon purchase.

As for my background with various equipment, I really tried a lot of stuff, various Predators (Vantage is my favorite Predator performer), Viking, Poison, Fury, BeCue, Mezz (WX700), a custom cue from Europe... oh, and a Revo.
Disclaimer: didn't really like the Revo and so I sold it soon after I bought it, so one could argue I didn't really give it a fair shot - I'll concede that.

But let me tell you - Ex Pro has them ALL beat hands down - in my opinion.

If I were to describe it in 3 words, it would be: stiffness, precision, consistency.
It's very stiff hitting (not unlike Revo), probably due to the carbon core that runs through the shaft. The hit is nothing like solid maple shaft, so don't let anybody tell you different. Having said that, it doesn't take more that 5-6 hours of play to get used to it... It has the most precise and consistent hit I've ever experienced in a shaft bar none. You know exactly what to expect with every shot, both feel and deflection wise.

Speaking of deflection, it's the lowest I've seen. Some might like that, some may not, but it is what it is. Personally, I've played well with shafts with higher deflection as well, so I can play either way as long as the deflection is consistent. And with this shaft it's the most consistent hit I've ever experienced.

Power is quite big, though a tad beneath Revo. I find this to be a plus, as Revo was way too powerful for me, at times felt like playing with a breaking cue that has no deflection. Ex Pro also felt too strong at first, but once I settled in with it I learned to control it.

Only been using it for a week, so I might come back for another round of reviewing once the novelty wears off. But considering I hated it at first hit (go figure), and only grew to like and appreciate it after about a couple of days of play, I feel I'm not biased at the moment.

To conclude, I recommend this shaft for everyone to try, it's just that good.

Dilbert · Apr 20, 2018

MeeLosh said:
Guys, I've had the chance to spend some time with the Ex Pro shaft, and here's my review of the cue/shaft.

My Ex Pro is paired with a beautiful Mezz MSP-P purple heart sneaky butt. It's a united joint version. It has a Kamui Clear Medium tip on it, which was changed by the good people at Seyberts upon purchase.

As for my background with various equipment, I really tried a lot of stuff, various Predators (Vantage is my favorite Predator performer), Viking, Poison, Fury, BeCue, Mezz (WX700), a custom cue from Europe... oh, and a Revo.
Disclaimer: didn't really like the Revo and so I sold it soon after I bought it, so one could argue I didn't really give it a fair shot - I'll concede that.

But let me tell you - Ex Pro has them ALL beat hands down - in my opinion.

If I were to describe it in 3 words, it would be: stiffness, precision, consistency.
It's very stiff hitting (not unlike Revo), probably due to the carbon core that runs through the shaft. The hit is nothing like solid maple shaft, so don't let anybody tell you different. Having said that, it doesn't take more that 5-6 hours of play to get used to it... It has the most precise and consistent hit I've ever experienced in a shaft bar none. You know exactly what to expect with every shot, both feel and deflection wise.

Speaking of deflection, it's the lowest I've seen. Some might like that, some may not, but it is what it is. Personally, I've played well with shafts with higher deflection as well, so I can play either way as long as the deflection is consistent. And with this shaft it's the most consistent hit I've ever experienced.

Power is quite big, though a tad beneath Revo. I find this to be a plus, as Revo was way too powerful for me, at times felt like playing with a breaking cue that has no deflection. Ex Pro also felt too strong at first, but once I settled in with it I learned to control it.

Only been using it for a week, so I might come back for another round of reviewing once the novelty wears off. But considering I hated it at first hit (go figure), and only grew to like and appreciate it after about a couple of days of play, I feel I'm not biased at the moment.

To conclude, I recommend this shaft for everyone to try, it's just that good.

Thanks. Just got myself a mezz ec7-k and expro which im picking up this coming tuesday. How's yours holding up?

ChrisinNC · Apr 20, 2018

Dilbert said:
Thanks. Just got myself a mezz ec7-k and expro which im picking up this coming tuesday. How's yours holding up?

I've been playing with an EXPro 30" Mezz shaft for almost 2 weeks now and love it. I'm really starting to get dialed in on the amount of deflection to compensate for when loading up with spin. It may deflect just ever so slightly more than a Revo, but it clearly deflects less than a Predator Vantage shaft as well as way less than a Mezz WX700 shaft - both of which I've played with recently as well. There is absolutely no comparison in the feel between this shaft and the Revo shaft - the Mezz easily has the Revo beat on that account, in my opinion.

MeeLosh · Apr 21, 2018

Dilbert said:
Thanks. Just got myself a mezz ec7-k and expro which im picking up this coming tuesday. How's yours holding up?

Still going strong.

The positives I mentioned mostly remain the same - it's very precise, it's powerful and for the most part it's consistent in the amount of deflection you come to expect on shots.
The negatives, in my opinion, would revolve around 2 and only 2 things - its lack of feel as compared to standard maple shaft (you just can't beat pure wood for that sort of purpose) and the fact that it imparts more spin on the ball than I would've liked. Oftentimes I have trouble controlling the spin as I'm used to straying away from center ball on most shots and straying away from center considerably, but ExPro wants you to shot closer to center ball (while still shooting off-center for spin) to impart the same amount of spin. I'm having some trouble getting used to that and find myself imparting more spin than what I would have liked, which in terms creates occasional problems with potting and/or position. I know, I know, just stay on center ball or adjust for it with shooting closer to center of the whitey. I aim to (pardon the pun), but it's still going to take some time to eliminate old habits.
Anyway, when trying to stay on center ball it's really the straightest shooting shaft I've tried.

Having said all that, I gotta echo the sentiment of many a maple-shaft user - I don't feel there's anything you can do with ExPro (or any other shaft) that you can't do with a good ol' maple shaft. You're just sacrificing some feel for lowered deflection and bigger energy transfer. On some days, it feels like a fair trade-off, on some days a little less so, but my earlier assessment still stands - I doubt anybody will walk off from ExPro disappointed, it's a magnificent shaft in terms of performance.

I Got Lucky · Apr 21, 2018

MeeLosh said:
Still going strong.
The positives I mentioned mostly remain the same - it's very precise, it's powerful and for the most part it's consistent in the amount of deflection you come to expect on shots.
The negatives, in my opinion, would revolve around 2 and only 2 things - its lack of feel as compared to standard maple shaft (you just can't beat pure wood for that sort of purpose) and the fact that it imparts more spin on the ball than I would've liked. Oftentimes I have trouble controlling the spin as I'm used to straying away from center ball on most shots and straying away from center considerably, but ExPro wants you to shot closer to center ball (while still shooting off-center for spin) to impart the same amount of spin. I'm having some trouble getting used to that and find myself imparting more spin than what I would have liked, which in terms creates occasional problems with potting and/or position. I know, I know, just stay on center ball or adjust for it with shooting closer to center of the whitey. I aim to (pardon the pun), but it's still going to take some time to eliminate old habits.
Anyway, when trying to stay on center ball it's really the straightest shooting shaft I've tried.

Having said all that, I gotta echo the sentiment of many a maple-shaft user - I don't feel there's anything you can do with ExPro (or any other shaft) that you can't do with a good ol' maple shaft. You're just sacrificing some feel for lowered deflection and bigger energy transfer. On some days, it feels like a fair trade-off, on some days a little less so, but my earlier assessment still stands - I doubt anybody will walk off from ExPro disappointed, it's a magnificent shaft in terms of performance.

How would you compare the hit/feel between the Expro and the WX700?

ChrisinNC · Apr 21, 2018

I Got Lucky said:
How would you compare the hit/feel between the Expro and the WX700?

Very similar hit/feel, but a huge difference in deflection. If you are a player that likes to load up with english at least some of the time, you will find the EXPro shaft to be far more accurate than the WX700 shaft.

MeeLosh · Apr 22, 2018

I Got Lucky said:
How would you compare the hit/feel between the Expro and the WX700?

It's been over a year since I last held a WX700 in my hands, and even then I only had it for like a week, so I can't really make that comparison right now.

ChrisinNC · Apr 24, 2018

rene said:
Has anyone tried Mezz Ex Pro shaft ?

FYI, this original thread I'm responding to was started nearly 3 year ago, but there have been some recent posters looking for more recent reviews of this shaft from those that have used it.

With the Mezz EX Pro shaft along with my Mezz Sneaky Pete model butt, I finally feel like I have found a cue and shaft that I'm 100% committed to and satisfied with. I've only had it for 3 weeks now, but I feel like my game and my confidence is as good as it's been in a very long time, and I'm 61 years old.

For the last 20+ years I've been playing with low deflection Predator shafts paired with Pechauer butts - first the 314 series, then the Z series, then the Predator Vantage shaft, then giving the Revo a chance for 6+ months last year before going back to the Vantage. I just figured after all these years with nothing but Predator shafts, I'd try out something else just for kicks. For me, there is absolutely no comparison between the Mezz Ex Pro shaft and the Predator Revo shaft.

It is so good that I have mixed feelings about touting this shaft to all our regulars, particularly the top players, as I kind of wish to save this secret weapon for myself, since I'm already at a disadvantage to the top younger shooters here, simply due to my age. They'll probably just think I'm trying just to sell more cues and shafts, so I really don't care either way if I sell them one or not.

I'm just anxious to see if this improvement continues and/or lasts, or if this is just a honeymoon period I'm going through - in an attempt to psychologically convince myself that I made the right decision. We'll see - I'll provide a follow up review in a few months!

Techstepper · Aug 16, 2018

So Chris, has your view on this shaft changed in the last couple of months?

ChrisinNC · Aug 16, 2018

Techstepper said:
So Chris, has your view on this shaft changed in the last couple of months?

No, the more I play with it, the more I like it. Blows away any of the Predator shafts I've played with exclusively over the last 20 years - 314s, Zs, Vs, and Revo's. The deflection may be just ever so slightly more than a Revo, but the feedback / feel is far preferred over the Revo, at least for myself. I realize others may feel completely differently.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming the EXPro is a game changer for me. At 61+ and only playing 6-8 hours a week, realistically I accept that I am past the point of thinking I have any chance at improving my game after nearly 50 years of playing. I am just trying to improve my consistency of execution, and trying to hang on to my game at it's current level for as long as I can. I feel like this shaft is giving me my best chance at doing that.

Coop1701 · Aug 16, 2018

ChrisinNC said:
No, the more I play with it, the more I like it. Blows away any of the Predator shafts I've played with exclusively over the last 20 years - 314s, Zs, Vs, and Revo's. The deflection may be just ever so slightly more than a Revo, but the feedback / feel is far preferred over the Revo, at least for myself. I realize others may feel completely differently.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming the EXPro is a game changer for me. At 61+ and only playing 6-8 hours a week, realistically I accept that I am past the point of thinking I have any chance at improving my game after nearly 50 years of playing. I am just trying to improve my consistency of execution, and trying to hang on to my game at it's current level for as long as I can. I feel like this shaft is giving me my best chance at doing that.

I have to agree.. I have tried a lot of different shafts. Ex Pro is my Favorite. Took me a little while to adapt when I changed tips on it. But I can't see anything swaying me from Playing with the Ex Pro. I do want to invest in a Exceed butt though. Just worried about the joint change since the Exceed uses the Wavy Joint.

ChrisinNC · Aug 16, 2018

Coop1701 said:
I have to agree.. I have tried a lot of different shafts. Ex Pro is my Favorite. Took me a little while to adapt when I changed tips on it. But I can't see anything swaying me from Playing with the Ex Pro. I do want to invest in a Exceed butt though. Just worried about the joint change since the Exceed uses the Wavy Joint.

Yes, if you purchase an in-stock Exceed from J&J America, they only come with the wavy joint/shaft. However, if you don't mind waiting the 18-24 months, you can order your Exceed through mezzusa.com (Caroline) or jjcue.com (Judy) and request it with a united joint and any other custom requests you may have. I ordered mine with an extra 1 inch long butt and 1 inch long shaft. Apparently, many people do order custom Exceed cues with the united joint/shaft.

Coop1701 · Aug 16, 2018

ChrisinNC said:
Yes, if you purchase an in-stock Exceed from J&J America, they only come with the wavy joint/shaft. However, if you don't mind waiting the 18-24 months, you can order your Exceed through mezzusa and request it with a united joint and any other custom requests you may have. I ordered mine with an extra 1 inch long butt and 1 inch long shaft. Apparently, many people do order custom Exceed cues with the united joint/shaft.

I did not know that. Thanks Pal.

BigBoof · Aug 16, 2018

Coop1701 said:
I have to agree.. I have tried a lot of different shafts. Ex Pro is my Favorite. Took me a little while to adapt when I changed tips on it. But I can't see anything swaying me from Playing with the Ex Pro. I do want to invest in a Exceed butt though. Just worried about the joint change since the Exceed uses the Wavy Joint.

What tip did you change to? The original Zan soft on mine is getting low. I wasn't sure if I should put on a soft or go harder.

Sent from my KFDOWI using Tapatalk

Coop1701 · Aug 17, 2018

BigBoof said:
What tip did you change to? The original Zan soft on mine is getting low. I wasn't sure if I should put on a soft or go harder.

Sent from my KFDOWI using Tapatalk

I tried a few different tips. But went back to what I had on my OB's before I retired them. I use a Cyborg Quick/Medium. It's different than the other tips and give me the ability to easily move the cue ball around.

Give it a try if you can find one. The only down size to them. If after install. It will mushroom ONE TIME. But once you burnish that. It never happens again and you have to do very little maintenance.

Looking for review Mezz Ex Pro shaft ?

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