Any pros still playing with Ex Pro?

[MeeLosh]

I was wondering - why are there so few pros still playing with the Mezz Ex Pro?
If we look at Predator players - even with Revo being the trend nowadays, there are still pro players playing with the other Predator shafts, like 314-3, Z3, V...
However, when it comes to Mezz players, seems that very, very few are playing with Ex Pro, most of them switched to Ignite. I even know of some that stayed true to wood, but are utilizing the WD/WX700 series.
Does this speak to the quality of Ex Pro? Or quality of Ignite?

 

[Straightpool_99]

Sponsored pros will play with what they are paid to. I'd be extremely careful about drawing conclusions about quality based on what pros are using.

 

[MeeLosh]

Sponsored pros will play with what they are paid to. I'd be extremely careful about drawing conclusions about quality based on what pros are using.

Not sure that explains what I'm asking, though. I drew the parallel between 2 of the biggest names - Predator and Mezz. For Predator players you still see all of their wooden offerings among the pros as well. For Mezz players not so.
Unless you are implying that Mezz pros have been "ordered" to use Ignite exclusively over the Ex Pro (which I highly, highly doubt would be the case), my initial point still stands.

 

[hang-the-9]

I was wondering - why are there so few pros still playing with the Mezz Ex Pro?
If we look at Predator players - even with Revo being the trend nowadays, there are still pro players playing with the other Predator shafts, like 314-3, Z3, V...
However, when it comes to Mezz players, seems that very, very few are playing with Ex Pro, most of them switched to Ignite. I even know of some that stayed true to wood, but are utilizing the WD/WX700 series.
Does this speak to the quality of Ex Pro? Or quality of Ignite?

"quality" does not have much to do with what shaft a person plays with, all the good shafts are of good quality. What matters in non-pro players is how the hit feel is and how well they can aim with it, in some cases cost is an issue. For pros the hit feel and a bit of the aiming is secondary to what their sponsors give them to use that they want advertised. Deflection and feel are not really something you can lump into a general statement of one shaft being better or worse, it's personal preference.

 

[MeeLosh]

"quality" does not have much to do with what shaft a person plays with, all the good shafts are of good quality. What matters in non-pro players is how the hit feel is and how well they can aim with it, in some cases cost is an issue. For pros the hit feel and a bit of the aiming is secondary to what their sponsors give them to use that they want advertised. Deflection and feel are not really something you can lump into a general statement of one shaft being better or worse, it's personal preference.

So what do you feel is the answer to my question? Why are most of the Mezz pros playing with Ignite and so very few still use the Ex Pro?
I very much doubt that Mezz suggested they should ALL just switch to Ignite in an attempt to advertise it and leave Ex Pro completely behind.

 

[garczar]

So what do you feel is the answer to my question? Why are most of the Mezz pros playing with Ignite and so very few still use the Ex Pro?
I very much doubt that Mezz suggested they should ALL just switch to Ignite in an attempt to advertise it and leave Ex Pro completely behind.

Why does this matter? What are you trying glean from this info? Staff players are not forced into a specific product. You might try contacting Mezz players and get their take on their shaft choice. Here is a guess: because they travel a lot its POSSIBLE that the durability and complete resistance to climate/humidity effects that they choose cf over wood. That being said i still see a lot of wood shafts on Filipino streams and that place is HUMID.

 

[MeeLosh]

Why does this matter? What are you trying glean from this info? Staff players are not forced into a specific product. You might try contacting Mezz players and get their take on their shaft choice. Here is a guess: because they travel a lot its POSSIBLE that the durability and complete resistance to climate/humidity effects that they choose cf over wood. That being said i still see a lot of wood shafts on Filipino streams and that place is HUMID.

Again, I appreciate your input, garczar, but I feel I'm being repetitive in what I'm saying - your argument about resistance to the elements and damage could surely stand, however that is why I drew a parallel to Predator players. A great deal of them are still using wooden offerings from the Predator lineup of shafts. You don't see much (if any) of the Ex Pro among the Mezz pros. The elements and worry of damage would affect Predator pros as well, wouldn't it?

 

[MeeLosh]

Mind you, I'm not trying to push any agenda here. I'm just genuinely curious as to why there's so little love for the Ex Pro among the pros? (particularly Mezz pros)
Hard to justify investing in a shaft that even the pros that are getting it for free aren't using.

 

[NathanDetroit]

Ruslan is (when last seen) an ex pro user

 

[The_JV]

Mind you, I'm not trying to push any agenda here. I'm just genuinely curious as to why there's so little love for the Ex Pro among the pros? (particularly Mezz pros)
Hard to justify investing in a shaft that even the pros that are getting it for free aren't using.

Maybe you have it twisted... Maybe the Ignite is just so good the Mezz players can't be bothered with the Ex-pro. In comparison maybe the Revo just isn't as good as the predator fans make it out to be...? I've played with various sizes of Revo and rank it at the bottom of the CF shafts I've given a go.

I'm not a pro by any stretch but do use a wx900. I've played with both the ignite and Ex-pro and wouldn't give up my 900 for either.

 

[hang-the-9]

Mind you, I'm not trying to push any agenda here. I'm just genuinely curious as to why there's so little love for the Ex Pro among the pros? (particularly Mezz pros)
Hard to justify investing in a shaft that even the pros that are getting it for free aren't using.

Most pros are easy to reach to ask questions from, ask them. Or ask Mezz. Everyone else is just guessing. My guess is, that is what they want to use or Mezz sponsorship said they should use the CF shaft if they don't have a preference. I mean there are really only two possible answers here.

 

[MmmSharp]

Again, I appreciate your input, garczar, but I feel I'm being repetitive in what I'm saying - your argument about resistance to the elements and damage could surely stand, however that is why I drew a parallel to Predator players. A great deal of them are still using wooden offerings from the Predator lineup of shafts. You don't see much (if any) of the Ex Pro among the Mezz pros. The elements and worry of damage would affect Predator pros as well, wouldn't it?

Garczar is offering reasons why that might be. It is all speculation.

I would speculate that mezz wants to promote their cf shafts more that wood for business reasons. They could be planning on making less wood shafts, they could more profit from the cf shafts etc.

You could also speculate that each company may have more or less lenient contracts with the pros. The pros in one may be able to choose the shaft of their choice from the company while another may not have a choice in the sponsorship.

Your question has no answer that we could provide. You would have to ask both companies why they are promoting whatever shaft with whatever pro. I doubt any either would be forthcoming.

 

[Straightpool_99]

Mind you, I'm not trying to push any agenda here. I'm just genuinely curious as to why there's so little love for the Ex Pro among the pros? (particularly Mezz pros)
Hard to justify investing in a shaft that even the pros that are getting it for free aren't using.

I'd suggest that the EX-pro isn't all that good, but it may not have all that much to do with what the pros are using. I tried the EX-pro. It was much more expensive than my wd700 shaft I was using at the time. And I couldn't see why. The Wd 700 had a much more firm hit, with natural feedback close to a top quality maple shaft and nicer overall feel. The EX-pro seemed dead and very mediocre. It's a Mezz shaft, so it's not bad, but I'm talking about in comparison with other Mezz shafts and top shafts from other companies. The wood looked a bit "cleaner" and high end, but otherwise I think it was outclassed by the cheaper shaft. I honestly don't know what they were going for. JMO, and I'm not even close to a pro.

Garczar is offering reasons why that might be. It is all speculation.

I would speculate that mezz wants to promote their cf shafts more that wood for business reasons. They could be planning on making less wood shafts, they could more profit from the cf shafts etc.

You could also speculate that each company may have more or less lenient contracts with the pros. The pros in one may be able to choose the shaft of their choice from the company while another may not have a choice in the sponsorship.

Your question has no answer that we could provide. You would have to ask both companies why they are promoting whatever shaft with whatever pro. I doubt any either would be forthcoming.

Mezz seems to have a different group of players they sponsor. They don't always go for the peak of the top talent, but others that they want to represent the brand. They are perhaps judging them on a wider spectrum of qualities than just results? So they have top players, but not, you know, the current number one or whatever. That gives them more power over the players, IMO. It's a lot harder to suggest in detail what the number one player in the world is to use than someone a bit further down on the ranking list. The number one or two in the world has a bit more power in his negotiation, probably having multiple offers. I'm not suggesting that Mezz is forcing anyone to do anything, but I do think they might have a bit more power over their players for this reason.

 

[MeeLosh]

Maybe you have it twisted... Maybe the Ignite is just so good the Mezz players can't be bothered with the Ex-pro. In comparison maybe the Revo just isn't as good as the predator fans make it out to be...? I've played with various sizes of Revo and rank it at the bottom of the CF shafts I've given a go.

I'm not a pro by any stretch but do use a wx900. I've played with both the ignite and Ex-pro and wouldn't give up my 900 for either.

Please refer to my original post. I actually listed that as one of the potential options - that Ignite might just be *that* much better than Ex Pro and that is why everybody is using it. But that is the very thing I'm wondering - would that speak to the quality of Ignite or the quality of Ex Pro?

 

[MeeLosh]

Most pros are easy to reach to ask questions from, ask them. Or ask Mezz. Everyone else is just guessing. My guess is, that is what they want to use or Mezz sponsorship said they should use the CF shaft if they don't have a preference. I mean there are really only two possible answers here.

My question revolves more about *why* they would all choose to move to Ignite with so very few of them staying with the Ex Pro, which used to be advertised as the nuts when it first appeared.

 

[MeeLosh]

Your question has no answer that we could provide. You would have to ask both companies why they are promoting whatever shaft with whatever pro. I doubt any either would be forthcoming.

Sure. I thought maybe somebody here could have a more educated guess than either of us or at the very least bring up some interesting points. At least we've got the latter.

 

[MeeLosh]

I'd suggest that the EX-pro isn't all that good, but it may not have all that much to do with what the pros are using. I tried the EX-pro. It was much more expensive than my wd700 shaft I was using at the time. And I couldn't see why. The Wd 700 had a much more firm hit, with natural feedback close to a top quality maple shaft and nicer overall feel. The EX-pro seemed dead and very mediocre. It's a Mezz shaft, so it's not bad, but I'm talking about in comparison with other Mezz shafts and top shafts from other companies. The wood looked a bit "cleaner" and high end, but otherwise I think it was outclassed by the cheaper shaft. I honestly don't know what they were going for. JMO, and I'm not even close to a pro.

Honestly, I fear that might be the case as well but didn't want to influence others' responses by stating that in my very first post. I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the Ex Pro... but if I can't even hold on to the "hey, it must be me and not the shaft, since so many pros are using it", and it's getting increasingly obvious that the pros are moving away from it in a big way... that leads me to believe that your answer might be closer to the truth than most.

 

[ChrisinNC]

Mind you, I'm not trying to push any agenda here. I'm just genuinely curious as to why there's so little love for the Ex Pro among the pros? (particularly Mezz pros)
Hard to justify investing in a shaft that even the pros that are getting it for free aren't using.

Regardless of whether any pros are playing it, I love my EX pro shaft. I played with an ignite shaft for a year or so, and switched back to my EX pro and immediately started playing better.

Yes, it is a little strange because in my opinion the EX pro is the best combination of a low deflexion and feel/feedback shaft of the in the entire line of Mezz shafts, which I believe is why the Mezz Exceed line comes standard with an EX pro shaft.

 

[Donkeybutt]

same here. Love the feel of the ex pro. Tried ignite but it felt dead

 

[Donkeybutt]

also makes me happy that everyone puts down the ex pro. Don't like playing with the same shaft that everyone is using