Best normal deflection shafts
- Thread starter TheRanger
- Start date
That is quite a "quest" due to having no clue what diameter, taper, and other important characteristics you look for and I guess mission is impossible if you don't really know what you want from your shaft because there is not such a thing as the best shaft that fits all...
Are you serious?
I wouldn't doubt that this thread goes multiple pages before the same cue gets mentioned twice.
May as well asked which flavor icecream is best.
You've been a member since 2014 but only have 64 post. I get it, some people don't have much spare time to be online but that's pretty low.
I'll bite though, just in case your not trolling:
I hit with a Kieth Josey (spelling??) cue and it felt, sounded extremely good to me.
The entire cue (butt and shaft) was made by Keith and the shaft was his "timeless timber" but, I'm sure the shaft alone on pretty much any "quality" cue butt would be fine.
Just for the record, I play with a very low deflection CF cue.
I would suggest having a look at Tiger non LD shafts I have found their shafts to be very high quality and I have played with one of their non LD models and enjoyed it
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Why would I be trolling?
Thanks for your input. Just looking at options for new shaft. Don't want anything low deflection and looking around on the big name manufacturers sites it looks like finding anything normal deflection isn't easy.
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Great, thanks. I'll take a look at them now. Much appreciated.
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You know what I guess if you ask such a question without mentioning any important properties you still don't know exactly what you like in a shaft when it comes to the stiffness, the hit.. harder or softer and so on. If that is the case it is much more helpful to focus on your game till you know what you want and really like in your cue. When I started to learn the game and ordered my first custom Prather plain jane cue back in 1999 I knew one thing for sure I need it extra long at least 60". So I got it exactly in length and weight I ordered with solid maple shaft. BTW I've ordered Prather cue not because it was the best and so on. It just happened so my teacher and coach Jorgen Sandman was a good friend of Dan Prather and being from Ukraine I had possibility to get a good cue for a good price from him. That's it I was passionate much more with the game itself and that's why after certain amount of time knew what I like more about the cue. Played with it thousands of hours, had a lot of fun, experience and some success at the tournaments. Than in five years I've ordered my second Prather ...more fancy one and I've already had some participation in designing that one asking Jeff Prather about this and that and so on. Got it with two shafts and was very happy about it. Those two shafts did not play exactly the same especially after me playing so many years with one, cleaning, getting rid of dings and so on so the taper went so far from the original so the performance changed too. So of course the second new shaft played differently but you will get used to any after so many hours and you and only is able to know if it feels good and works for you. Only practice time and experience make you to know exactly what feels really good in your hands so it is better to spend more time at the table. There are so many cue builders and production companies offering solid maple shafts. If you're not sure about diameter and taper just get one at least 13 mm with a stiffer taper because it is not that difficult to modify the taper later once you know exactly your preferences. Good luck.
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I appreciate what you're saying, but my game is ok... Just looking for advice on manufacturers that I can start looking in to as it's a minefield out there as you know
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If your looking more into production cues, pechauer cues are as close as you can get in quality to a true high-end-custom without actually buying a custom.
If I was gonna buy a production cue it would be a pechauer at this point.
Their pins are proprietary but their cues play phenomenal compared to any other production cue regardless of when it was made or what it cost.
BTW, if you call them, they are willing to do things that 99% of the other production cue companies aren't willing or able to do and for a reasonable price to boot.
Good luck.
Meucci. Though I don't know enough about shafts fitting other cue makers' pins to offer more than just the brand, so I've no idea whether a Meucci with work for you. I'll only say their shafts hit balls top-notch as far as I'm concerned.
My Tiger Ultra XD is a not-really low deflection, and they’re consistent from one shaft to another .. Its effective pivot point in application is about 9-10” on clean conditions. That’s a good 9-ball/10-ball bridge for me, so all pivot systems work during play.
I have three of them for different joints, so switching from the Schuler to the Tascarella isnt a big adjustment. Tiger builds a whole range of shafts with different squirt amounts.
Freddie <~~~ Tiger shafts, They’re Great!!!
Any good cuemaker can build you a quality maple shaft.
I like shafts below 13mm. More like 12.80 and maybe a little lower than that if
the shaft is still stiff enough to not vibrate a lot. I hear lake wood shafts or similar shafts
can be turned down and put to a pro taper without getting whippy. Friend of mine made
some and they hit really nice and were lower than normal deflection. I think he called them Keel wood.
the shaft is still stiff enough to not vibrate a lot. I hear lake wood shafts or similar shafts
can be turned down and put to a pro taper without getting whippy. Friend of mine made
some and they hit really nice and were lower than normal deflection. I think he called them Keel wood.
Shafts from nearly all cuemakers are commonly available in the W/FS section and on FaceBook. Many/most cue dealers and a substantial number of cue collectors put out offers on custom cuemaker built shafts that in many cases represent excellent bargains. With a little patience, it is pretty easy to match your desired weight, ferrule materials and diameter, taper, and screw type. Collars probably won’t match your cue butt, however, that doesn’t matter for someone like me when putting together a playing cue. I have purchased 4 shafts on the secondary market and they have all been great.
The OP requested favorites. Mine are Schick, Szamboti, and Showman. I agree with several of the other posters that the request for a “best” option is unanswerable since we cannot speak to your personal preferences.
The OP requested favorites. Mine are Schick, Szamboti, and Showman. I agree with several of the other posters that the request for a “best” option is unanswerable since we cannot speak to your personal preferences.
0erhapsnot trolling, but asking an unanswerable question.
I have a searing shaft that is top-shelf.
I have a Dayton shaft that is top-shelf.
I have multiple diveney shafts that are nearly as good as the above.
I have a schon that is perfectly useable.
I have one from China that is surprisingly great.
Translation: unless you wanna spend 250+, it is a bit of a crapshoot. Perhaps even given the same maker,, as they source shafts from different suppliers.
Meucci doesn't get as much buzz as some of the other builders, but they produce some sweet hitting cues. It's a feel thing. However, they seem to tout low effective dispersion for all of their production shafts.
12.75 is a great starting point, when looking for a new shaft; imho.
Schmelke.
I experimented with some different inexpensive cues from him and one that was more expensive, but not a ton of money compared to many custom cues, with one PTO and one regular maple shaft (different diameters, again, trying to see what I like).
His regular maple shafts on all the cues are straight, well made and seem fine to me, but I'm no cue expert. I don't know how "LD" the PTO maple shaft is, but I like it a lot.
I experimented with some different inexpensive cues from him and one that was more expensive, but not a ton of money compared to many custom cues, with one PTO and one regular maple shaft (different diameters, again, trying to see what I like).
His regular maple shafts on all the cues are straight, well made and seem fine to me, but I'm no cue expert. I don't know how "LD" the PTO maple shaft is, but I like it a lot.