First impressions after 2.5 hours of play. Remember these are 30" shafts so they will inherently feel different than the usual 29" shaft.
First these are well packed with 5 layers of protection including bubble wrap, a plastic sleeve over a plastic tube and double boxed. Impressive though not as fancy as my Cuetec or Whyte Carbon. No matter it's packaging and arrived with no damage and no carbon dust, which is what it's all about.
I ordered 2 shafts, a 12.6mm with a 5/16x14 joint and a 12.2 with a 3/8x8 Chinese radial joint which I'm told is slightly different than an American radial because of patents apparently.
Now for the good stuff, how do they play? Crisply and accurately are the terms that come to mind. Like the Cuetec they are low deflection but not zero deflection. Maybe slightly less than the Cuetec. The important thing is the deflection is consistent and reacts as expected the harder you hit your shot. This isn't true for cheap carbon shafts which I find deflect way too much on harder hits.
The medium tip helps. It's firmer than the How medium on my Cuetec and doesn't feel quite so spongy. I have a soft Kamui black clear which I consider bouncy. Yet the tip grips well. I prefer a crisp hit so I'm pleased.
The Cuetec plays fine and is easy to control, but the Rhinos give a bit more feedback with slightly more vibration, but not too much, with the Whyte Carbon having the most vibration. This is likely because the Rhino is an inch longer but the same weight.
It feels alive like my '80s Meucci but with lower deflection and is much easier to control. I like a live shaft. Again I'm pleased.
My first impressions are very positive and I feel no need to try a Predator which was in the back of my mind. These are quality shafts in my opinion and are a steal for $200.
I was able to break and run with no problem and delicate shots were a breeze. Oddly the 12.6mm felt more precise than the Cuetec. Let me get out the micrometer and check the sizes. Be right back.
Ok, the 12.2mm is dead on at 12.2 and the 12.6 measures 12.69. Odd because the Cuetec is 12.55mm.
Also the 30 inch Rhino12.2 weighs in at 3.8 ounces as does the 29 inch Cuetec. The 30 inch 12.6 Rhino is 4.1 ounces which makes sense as it has a metal pilot.
All very interesting. Only one problem remains. I can no longer blame my equipment when I screw up. 8-( LOL!
