McDermott Defy

terpdad said:

While researching CF shafts, I've noticed very little feedback on the McDermott Defy. Even smaller companies like GO Customs have more reviews out there than the Defy & when reviewers do mass comparisons it usually isn't included. Given McDermott's size & presence, it D/N make sense to me.

If it were a terrible product I would still expect to see a lot of bad reviews out there, but there's next to nothing. It seems like people are rabid for CF & "the next big thing." Why don't people care about the Defy?

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I don't know if McDermott has its pro-team sponsored...if not that could be one of the reasons.

S.Vaskovskyi said:

I don't know if McDermott has its pro-team sponsored...if not that could be one of the reasons.

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For the exact same reason you mentioned. Not enough reviews. From the few I've read about or asked others about, seems McDermott fans absolutely love it. People who don't regularly use McDermott products have most given negative feedbacks. I've tested 7 different CF shafts and still have an 8th in hand I haven't shot with yet. Problem is I'm trying to test these CF shafts now with matching butts from the same company, so the Defy is unlikely for me to try.

McDermott had a huge supply problem that prevented many who wanted to try the Defy shaft from being able to purchase them. I am a dealer and sold 1 last September that will be here next week
That is a serious issue

There aren't a whole lot of reviews out there. I've not hit one but most reviews have not been all that positive. Most have reported a somewhat dead/soft/muted hit. Some of this could very well be tip related. CF shafts seem to be quite sensitive when it comes to tips and how they feel/play.

One of my buddies is sponsored by McD. They had been promising him a Defy for close to a year (even while they had been advertised for sale online as "in stock") before he finally got it.

Within an hour,he put it in his case and called me and said "man this thing SUCKS."

Before you dismiss his review,this is from a 690+ Fargo player. Tommy D.

I was gonna pull the trigger on a Defy until I read it's cleaning instructions:

"Defy carbon fiber shafts have a special finish that contains a slip agent. This helps keep the shaft slick and resists chalk, dirt, and hand oils from soiling the shaft. For peak performance, you may periodically clean the shaft by wiping it down using only water on a lightly damp soft cloth. After the shaft is dry, apply Ultra-Glide Shaft Conditioner with a dry soft cloth to restore the smooth and slick condition. Our Silky Smooth Hand Spray also works great with the Defy shaft. Apply spray to your bridge hand and rub briskly until dry for a friction-free stroke."

I don't want a carbon fiber shaft that needs Cue-Silk!

Carbon Fibre Shafts is the next gimmick hyped that will make you a Pool Super Star, if you believe that. I feel sorry for you.

The Poool industry live on selling new Cues, Break Cues, Jump Cues, New Formulia Chalk, Untimite Top fixer gizmo, most of it is just hype, and designed to sell you some new fangled product.

Wonder how Willie Mosconi was able to even run 50 ball without latest, and greates gizmo. HINT...........Skill, or ability to actually play Pool.

Tommy-D said:

One of my buddies is sponsored by McD. They had been promising him a Defy for close to a year (even while they had been advertised for sale online as "in stock") before he finally got it.

Within an hour,he put it in his case and called me and said "man this thing SUCKS."

Before you dismiss his review,this is from a 690+ Fargo player. Tommy D.

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I’m not going to dismiss his review...but I wouldn’t care about it if I wanted to try the shaft. Pool cues are such an individual thing someone’s review no matter what their Fargo rating is means just about nothing to me lol

Everbody I talked to were league players where I play. They all said hell yeah, I shoot better with it, some even claimed a ball or two better.
I asked them what SL they were when starting and what they were now.
Lot of sad and wowed faces. None, zero, zilch went up a level and several dropped.

My son is a McDermott Ambassador and he loves his Defy shaft. The Defy is a NO deflection shaft which is very different than most (if not all) carbon fiber shafts. My son wears a glove when he shoots so the humidity or the smoothness of the shaft does not bother him. The Defy definitely has a different hit than I have ever tried. There is no noise when you strike the cueball, like with a Jacoby Black you get a tink noise. With the Defy you can hardly tell when the cueball is struck. My son is 13 so he can be a little rough with his equipment, but it is nice to have a shaft without any nicks or warp to it. If you would like a review or would like my son to do a demonstration with the Defy for you here is his pool player page on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/poolplayer06

McDermott Defy 12.5 3/8-10 Navigator Automatic SuperSoft

I've been playing the Defy now for about 6 months, so for what it's worth I'll provide some feedback because I too was having a hard time finding reviews before I purchased it.

As for availability, I trialed all the McDermott shafts by connecting with the nearest McDermott ambassador. My shaft was ordered in March and I received it in June (their shop was closed due to the COVID situation for several months). Not sure what the delays have been due to for the stories already detailed in this thread, I for one didn't have an issue getting my hands on one though.

I played with an original 314 shaft &/or the McDermott I2 going back about 14 years. Therefore, there was some learning curve going to a low/no deflection CF. With a few weeks practice to learn how to "straighten up" my aim point, and re-learning where to sight high-english throw shots, I overcame my initial struggles.

As for the shaft itself, it is indeed a nearly deflection-less shaft. So as far as that goes, it was the lowest deflection (I'd say the Jacoby Black was a tie) as any CF I tested (which included the Cynergy, Revo, Rogue, & Jacoby Black). What completely sold me on the shaft though is a matter of personal preference, and that is the sound & hit. To me the Revo feels like hitting with an aluminum bat. The "tink" sound and feel of it is something that I could never come to accept. The Cynergy and Jacoby are less "tinky", with a lower pitch more solid feeling "tonk" sound. Again, completely personal preference, but was still too foreign a sound and feel for my liking.

The Defy on the other hand is by far the quietest, softest feeling CF that I found. As described by many others, it's almost like you can't feel the impact at all. If you're a golfer, it's like the difference between going from an old Ping slotted (aka "beached") putter, with that high-pitched vibrato "ping" sound, to the first time you putted with an Odyssey with a rubber insert that provided a drastically softer hit. Paired with the standard Navigator Automatic SuperSoft tip, this shaft has the softest hit I've ever played, which is what I was looking for. Furthermore, there's nearly no vibration felt in the hand and absolutely no tink or tonk sounds. No, it does not feel or sound like a wood shaft. But if that's your desire out of a CF... you should probably stick to wood anyhow.

As for the maintenance, I've only ever used a micofiber cloth to wipe the shaft down. I play Predator chalk which is known to be one of the dirtiest chalks, and I've still never had the need to use a wet cloth, or cue silk or anything but a simple microfiber cloth to keep it smooth and clean.

My three negative feedback points for the shaft are; 1) the NavAuto SS tip has mushroomed on me within 4 months, practicing average of 14 hours a week with 2-3 league/tournament nights. This is somewhat natural of a supersoft tip, but I think it mushroomed faster than other tips I've played in the past. 2) McDermott doesn't specify the taper details in their advertisements, nor could I get the actual specs from the manufacturer directly. Measuring with a micrometer myself I estimate the straight taper section to be approximately 14" before it begins to grow in diameter. So if a long Pro Taper is your desire, the Jacoby Black may be up your alley with its 19" pro taper. and 3) the first line of Defy shafts had no visible color contrast where traditional shafts ferrules are located. If you're one to use the ferrule for some kind of aiming system, or simply need some color contrast to have a hint of a traditional look, then you'll need to order the 2021 line of Defy where they've added a contrasting grey color to differentiate shaft from tip.

It'll be my playing shaft for the foreseeable future. Great action, very low deflection.

That's my 2 cents...

camaro69926 said:

The Defy is a NO deflection shaft which is very different than most (if not all) carbon fiber shafts.

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I can't comment on just how low deflection the Defy is, or how it compares to other shafts, but I can tell you that it is not a "no" deflection shaft and it would be impossible for such a thing to ever exist. If you are not experiencing deflection, it is only because you are adjusting for it subconsciously and therefore are unaware of the deflection and compensation that is actually happening, or you play only with center ball and never use left or right english.

You don't even have to have the basic high school physics knowledge that it would take to be able to know that a no deflection shaft would be impossible. You can also prove that your Defy shaft has deflection (and not just a tiny amount either) with empirical testing that proves it. This page offers a couple of great methods for measuring the amount of deflection in a shaft or in comparing the amounts of deflection between different shafts. The method from the first video will work better if all you are trying to do is prove whether or not deflection exists in any particular shaft, and if so (it does), how much it has.
https://billiards.colostate.edu/faq/squirt/published-data/

It is always fun to watch those who competes in saying that this is the lowest, the best ....blah..blah...all that matters at the end simply results in the real game... competition...
To have your own opinion and share with others is another story though.

Johnny Rosato said:

Everbody I talked to were league players where I play. They all said hell yeah, I shoot better with it, some even claimed a ball or two better.
I asked them what SL they were when starting and what they were now.
Lot of sad and wowed faces. None, zero, zilch went up a level and several dropped.

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I've been saying this since the carbon shafts started to arrive. Around here, lots of folks got carbon shafts early. They went on and on about how good those shafts are. Meanwhile , they're playing at the same level. However much people go on about equipment advantage, apart from jump shots, there isn't much of one in pocket billiards.

When I buy a new, expensive fishing rod, I do want tangible results. Longer casts, more precision etc.. Which is why I havent' bougth a new one in a long time. There simply isn't a whole lot more to gain from the ones I have. .From a new cue there are no such advantages other than maybe lower deflection. I allready own shafts that deflect as little as the best carbon shafts, so what is there to gain? I don't even use that shaft much anymore, I actually prefer more deflection.

Better feel? Nah. Better durability? Possibly, I've owned my Predator Z2 shaft for a decade, at least, still have it. Maybe these will last longer, but hey, buying shafts once a decade is something I'm prepared to live with. Better "glide" is the only really tangible benefit I can see. I can live without that, especially at 500 dollars cost.

Straightpool_99 said:

I've been saying this since the carbon shafts started to arrive. Around here, lots of folks got carbon shafts early. They went on and on about how good those shafts are. Meanwhile , they're playing at the same level. However much people go on about equipment advantage, apart from jump shots, there isn't much of one in pocket billiards.

When I buy a new, expensive fishing rod, I do want tangible results. Longer casts, more precision etc.. Which is why I havent' bougth a new one in a long time. There simply isn't a whole lot more to gain from the ones I have. .From a new cue there are no such advantages other than maybe lower deflection. I allready own shafts that deflect as little as the best carbon shafts, so what is there to gain? I don't even use that shaft much anymore, I actually prefer more deflection.

Better feel? Nah. Better durability? Possibly, I've owned my Predator Z2 shaft for a decade, at least, still have it. Maybe these will last longer, but hey, buying shafts once a decade is something I'm prepared to live with. Better "glide" is the only really tangible benefit I can see. I can live without that, especially at 500 dollars cost.

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I took a few months off from playing pool and decided I would try out the new stuff when I returned. I was a solid maple guy prior. Since I was going to try LD. I decided to go all-in and try the CF and chose the Cynergy. After changing the tip I feel it plays similarly to my maple but the smoothness and lack of any warpage is a nice change. When I hit a few with my old cues I can't stand how less smooth they are. I still miss shots due to forgetting to aim for the lesser deflection.
I picked up the cue for $400 so it's a steal compared to all of my custom cues I've played with over the years. I also like the idea that it is replaceable with a couple clicks and I have an identical cue. That is something I couldn't do prior to the CF -even if my cue maker was still with us.
The Defy is next to try simply because it comes in 13mm. Once all this virus BS is over I will be trying one out and will report back. I'm low 600s Fargo and never expected that to change from a cue change.

camaro69926 said:

My son is a McDermott Ambassador and he loves his Defy shaft. The Defy is a NO deflection shaft which is very different than most (if not all) carbon fiber shafts. My son wears a glove when he shoots so the humidity or the smoothness of the shaft does not bother him. The Defy definitely has a different hit than I have ever tried. There is no noise when you strike the cueball, like with a Jacoby Black you get a tink noise. With the Defy you can hardly tell when the cueball is struck. My son is 13 so he can be a little rough with his equipment, but it is nice to have a shaft without any nicks or warp to it. If you would like a review or would like my son to do a demonstration with the Defy for you here is his pool player page on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/poolplayer06

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Just so you know, there is no such thing as a "zero deflection" shaft...not even with CF. McDermott's Defy shaft is the same thing...not much, if any different than any of the other CF shafts. As with all things, whether or not someone 'thinks' some shaft or cue or tip makes them play better, is extremely subjective to the individual. I'm glad your son likes his.

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour

Here are my impressions of Defy Shaft. I am 60 years old and have played on a wide variety of equipment. I wanted a Defy shaft when the carbon fiber shafts started hitting the market. Defy was out of stock everywhere. I wound up buying a Cuetec Cynergy shaft. Played with it for a couple of months and got rid of it. I changed the tip but, just could not get used to the sound. It was distracting for me. I stayed with my maple shafts until the Defy was in stock. Which was about 3 months after I got rid of my Cuetec. I tried other CF shafts and when my Defy came in, it was the most unique CF shaft I had used. The hit and sound were nothing like any of the other shafts. The bounce test still has me scratching my head. And the look I get from other players when I demonstrate it is priceless. For me, it has the right sound and feel that I like. Am I a better player? I doubt it. I am a mid 500 Fargo player. An APA 6/7 8 ball 9 ball. What I have noticed, I can pull off some shots that were hit or miss with it heavily towards the miss with my maple shafts. I was using an 11.8 maple and my Defy is 12mm. Granted the type of shot I am talking about only comes up once or twice during a match. But the Defy gives me the extra confidence to take the shot. These are extreme english follow and draw shots. And I know if my stroke was pro perfect I could pull them off with a broomstick. But I am talking about us normal pool players.

Keeping it clean is no different than my maple shafts. I wipe it down after I play and then clean it when it is needed. The Cuetec did require alcohol cloths to clean it. It would get some chalk or skin oils so it was no different than the Defy on how often I had to wipe it down. I can say that the amount of chalk dust I would get off my Cuetec was surprising compared to the Defy. Much less on the Defy. I like the Defy and suggest it to anyone who is looking for a CF shaft. I let anyone who wants to try it hit a few and they all say the same thing. "It has a much softer feel than any other CF shaft they have hit." And the sound is better than other CF shafts they have tried.

If you like a softer feel and no TINK on your shots. Then buy the Defy. And the cost is much better than most CF shafts out there. $350 vs $400-$600.

Johnny Rosato said:

Everbody I talked to were league players where I play. They all said hell yeah, I shoot better with it, some even claimed a ball or two better.
I asked them what SL they were when starting and what they were now.
Lot of sad and wowed faces. None, zero, zilch went up a level and several dropped.

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What does "going up a ball or 2" even mean????

CocoboloCowboy said:

Carbon Fibre Shafts is the next gimmick hyped that will make you a Pool Super Star, if you believe that. I feel sorry for you.

The Poool industry live on selling new Cues, Break Cues, Jump Cues, New Formulia Chalk, Untimite Top fixer gizmo, most of it is just hype, and designed to sell you some new fangled product.

Wonder how Willie Mosconi was able to even run 50 ball without latest, and greates gizmo. HINT...........Skill, or ability to actually play Pool.

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I agree, find a cue maker you like, stick with his product, your
brain adjusts and you will be better for not having tried the latest sales pitch.
I have stuck with Joss and even at 75, still occasinally run 25 in straight pool