Then the tip has no effect either; it's all in the head. After all, I get more spin from a hard tip compared to a soft tip, which is the opposite of what the general consensus is... the CB doesn't know what tip hit it, nor does it know the tip shape; it's just reacting to a vector force applied to it.
And again, cue sports are games of feel; different cues perform differently, and they give different feedback to the player who adjusts the stroke accordingly. So different cues/shafts/tips feel different to us, and it makes us stroke differently.
I get more action with a front-heavy cue with a softer stroke; the CB has no idea about the cue balance point, and yet it's happening, so we need to explore it (or overthink it) in order to understand why. And as I said, it's subjective, as how my brain interprets the feedback is different than the other guy's. My stroke is different, and so many other factors are different. If different environments (cue/shaft/tip, etc.) give me different feedback and a particular environment makes it easier for me to get more spin or control or speed, then why wouldn't a player rather pick that environment?
I haven't played the game since 1979, just from 1995. In that time I got to play with various types of cues, shafts and tips, and I'm not the only one who will tell you that it makes a difference. A psychological difference is still a difference.
I've tried almost every LD shaft that came out on the market between 1998 and 2010 and always went back to the Predator 314 shaft. The Z is "better", but not for me. It's not about being a fanboy; it's picking up what works best for you.
I can't tell you right now which CF is the best for me, as I haven't tried any of them for enough time to tell you.
I would have just stayed with Rhyno if I didn't have fitting issues; it's not just being flush with the butt; the shaft simply doesn't screw all the way... and Rhyno's response made me want nothing to do with them anymore after I got 2 shafts and a jump cue from them. When you get burnt once, you will be more cautious the next time, so instead of trying 5 $100 shafts that might work, I can get a $500 shaft that I know works.