Aside from seeming to think I am hidebound in tradition we are saying pretty much the same things. Having worked in R&D on the cutting edge of new developments and competed in other things where fractions of a second mattered I am far from committed to old school. Just trying to balance the picture and help the thread starter understand that the feedback isn't ever going to be the same between wood and carbon fiber. He can accept the new or stay with the old, even use both. However, he isn't going to get the best of both worlds out of a single shaft, not with today's state of the art anyway.
The very best in the world misjudge squirt and deflection sometimes. Minimizing the effects of both makes sense if trying to play your best pool. The trade-off for those with many years playing with particularly one piece maple is that the feedback is going to be different. Those starting with today's shafts will no doubt grow used to them and think how they react is the right way for a shaft to behave. No right or wrong way, just what a player is used to. I do think just by the nature of the beasts you get more feedback from wood than a shaft that is designed to reduce feedback when you think about it. More seems better to the player used to more. Less may seem better to the player used to less.
I recommend that new players start with low deflection shafts today, it shortens the learning curve. Hitting balls for fun I usually spend at least some time hitting balls with a one piece maple shaft and using a slipstroke. Not the easiest and arguably not the best way to do things but I enjoy the art and that is enough reason to try to keep it alive.
Hu
Agreed. The most important thing is that you are comfortable with your equipment. That trumps any advantage a new shaft potentially has. When you change your equipment, even a little, it can ruin your game. Luckily for me, I haven't been so in tune with my equipment since I was in my early twenties. The Revo, to me,represents the one shaft I could get used to and keep forever.
The problem with wood shafts, is that the consistency of the wood is different from shaft to shaft, and playing conditions can change how it plays (humidity). It makes sense to get used to one shaft and never change, however, if you have a wood shaft, you are going to have to change shafts at some point, due to how the shaft changes over time (sanding reduces the diameter of the shaft, possible warpage, etc.)
When the time comes to change shafts, you won't be able to get an identical shaft. You may get close, but won't be able to exactly duplicate it.
The revo represents more consistency between shafts, and a shaft that hopefully won't change over time. It will stay consistent, so you may be able to just use one shaft forever.