Less straight pool, more nine and ten ball, and younger players get down further to shoot. You don't do a slip stroke when your chin is touching your shaft. So much different from the days of Cowboy Jimmy Moore, when they stood much more upright, and didn't take such longer power draw shots. Different game now. Different stance, different stroke, different games.

dendweller said:

Some cue makers weight them because some buyers don't like 3.3 ounce shafts. I don't think that a shaft that gets baked, ends up heavier. You're removing moisture and sugar, not gaining anything.

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I think that it's a mix of tapper (more wood per inch), that fact that mine is a hybrid and has CF insert at the front end, should on paper reduce weight but maybe it doesn't, the weight of the wood at the start before it get's torrefied, maybe it was more dense than most maple and the joint type, mine is a metal insert for a 5/16x14 joint.
I doubt that there is a weight bolt in it.
I know that other people with the same shaft for different joint have a lighter shaft a bit.
And still my KW shaft is 4.3oz

14.1'er said:

Efren Reyes uses a slip stroke. That’s why he only plays with wrapless cues.

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Example?

Flakeandrun said:

I have used a variety of KW shafts, and some of them are better than others. Some are coated or waxed with a finish. Some are not. I would say it was equal to or perhaps smoother than untreated maple shafts. It's certainly less prone to collecting dirt and smears than CF. I'd say it is likely the shaft you are using, as opposed to a general statement about KW shafts

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I've looked into my shaft again, it looks that the main cause is the taper. I will give it another go without a glove and pay more attention to it.
But it will still create more cue ball deflection than my 314-2 or my CF shafts.

Jerry R said:

So, you believe that the equipment choice of the top 50 or so players in the world, 70 or 80% of which are sponsored by a cue company that currently does not make a KW shaft, carries more weight than the choices of former champions who choose to play with a KW shaft?

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I don't know why certain ex-top players choose KW, maybe they've tried CF and now they try the next thing, maybe the old saying that you can't teach new tricks to old dogs is true here and they just prefer wood or just can't get used to the CF color.

Here is another observation, all these players are Americans. I believe that KW is an American thing. Just like custom made cues. Yes there is a big market for custom cues in Asia but they are more into the big cues with a lot of bling for collecting and less for playing while a lot of Americans will get a custom cue, even a simple one for craftsmanship, for supporting local builders and some believe that they play better, this is the same snake oil for KW shafts that the rest of the world probably don't fall for... most production cue makers don't offer KW, it is mostly a custom cue maker thing.

Still no press release on the US and/or FL Opens?