I fell for the Carbon Fiber Hype

J

Jason Robichaud

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just picked up a Jacoby Black... I was expecting changes experienced years ago when I switched from regular wood shaft to a 314. Oh boy was my expectations incorrect! I honestly don't think a regular wood shaft deflects more than this JB. On a full length table playing inside english, half ball hit.. I'm lucky to hit a piece of the object ball. You can see it instantly squirt away form the line of aim. Really, I'm shocked just how bad this is. I searched the site and don't see LD listed.. So are they just making a CF that feels like wood and not LD? Cause, it feel is great, but definitely no LD. I hit 5-10 shots and wasn't close to potting a ball. CF being so great, I was looking for hits too full when playing inside because the CB wasn't deflecting. Kinda sick that I dumped over 500$.
 
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I'm firmly in the wood camp, (Z2). CF just doesn't do it for me. My local Jacoby dealer (and buddy) brought in the 11.8 black for me to try. The squirt that thing put on the CB was nearly in orders of magnitude larger than the Z2. I'm exaggerating of course, but it did really push that CB a bunch...lol

That said, I haven't hit a CF shaft that compares to the Z2 in deflection characteristics
 
Jason Robichaud said:
I just picked up a Jacoby Black... I was expecting changes experienced years ago when I switched from regular wood shaft to a 314. Oh boy was my expectations incorrect! I honestly don't think a regular wood shaft defects more than this JB. On a full length table playing inside english, half ball hit.. I'm lucky to hit a piece of the object ball. You can see it instantly squirt away form the line of aim. Really, I'm shocked just how bad this is. I searched the site and don't see LD listed.. So are they just making a CF that feels like wood and not LD? Cause, it feel is great, but definitely no LD. I hit 5-10 shots and wasn't close to potting a ball. CF being so great, I was looking for hits too full when playing inside because the CB wasn't deflecting. Kinda sick that I dumped over 500$.
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No worries, a lot of folks have ;) I'm gonna stick to the OB wood shaft. Now, I get it if someone that plays with maple and wants something that will not dent, crack or warp, sure, it makes sense if you wanna spend 5 hundo. But, I hit with a few and I was less than impressed. I'll try a few more before I give up, I'm sure I'll fine one that hits a "ton" ;)
 
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Jason Robichaud said:
I just picked up a Jacoby Black... I was expecting changes experienced years ago when I switched from regular wood shaft to a 314. Oh boy was my expectations incorrect! I honestly don't think a regular wood shaft defects more than this JB. On a full length table playing inside english, half ball hit.. I'm lucky to hit a piece of the object ball. You can see it instantly squirt away form the line of aim. Really, I'm shocked just how bad this is. I searched the site and don't see LD listed.. So are they just making a CF that feels like wood and not LD? Cause, it feel is great, but definitely no LD. I hit 5-10 shots and wasn't close to potting a ball. CF being so great, I was looking for hits too full when playing inside because the CB wasn't deflecting. Kinda sick that I dumped over 500$.
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You should have just bought a Z-3 they deflect less than that 314, are cheaper than a revo, and deflect about the same as a revo. I saw my game go up a little bit after going from a 314 to a Z3.

From what I remember people posted that jacoby black is just carbon fiber over a wood core. So its basically the carbon fiber version of a cuetec fiberglass...So obviously thats going to suck lol
 
I went from 30 year old maple shafts, to Jacoby Hybrids and now to a Cuetec Cynergy and I never plan to go back. I love it. But the make all those options because some don’t like them and I get it. No worries, play with what you like.
 
I personally love my carbon shaft and it’s a jacoby black. My only issue is the struggle curving that comes with it vs solid maple.
 
Serious question, if you're already used to whatever shaft and cue you own, why buy another unless it's just to try it out? I can hit balls and use deflection to hit my target. It doesn't really change the game at all for me. LD takes a few weeks to get used to, but I can pick up a regular deflection shaft and play with it with no real problem. If you want to pimp your wooden shaft, get some microsanding films and finish with the 5 micrometer sanding film and burnish or wax your cue. It's going to play and feel better than even a lot of custom cues, plus you have the benefit of already being wired to the shaft from experience.

Very minor upkeep and a wooden shaft plays like new forever. You might only need to bust out the microfilm once every 5-10 years and it's not taking much of anything off the cue, just mainly surface grime.
 
pw98 said:
You should have just bought a Z-3 they deflect less than that 314, are cheaper than a revo, and deflect about the same as a revo. I saw my game go up a little bit after going from a 314 to a Z3.

From what I remember people posted that jacoby black is just carbon fiber over a wood core. So its basically the carbon fiber version of a cuetec fiberglass...So obviously thats going to suck lol
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Which 314? I have two revo's, Z something, 314-3, and a bunch of others. The 314-3 plays way better than my Z, and plays almost the same as my Revo's. I've switched to the -3 several time but end up with the Revo as my go to shaft. I also have a Jacoby Black that I cant get anyone to buy.
 
pw98 said:
From what I remember people posted that jacoby black is just carbon fiber over a wood core. So its basically the carbon fiber version of a cuetec fiberglass...So obviously thats going to suck lol
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That's not correct. You may be referring to the front end of a Meucci CF shaft which has a short wooden core. The Jacoby Black has no wood at all within the shaft.
 
jtompilot said:
Which 314? I have two revo's, Z something, 314-3, and a bunch of others. The 314-3 plays way better than my Z, and plays almost the same as my Revo's. I've switched to the -3 several time but end up with the Revo as my go to shaft. I also have a Jacoby Black that I cant get anyone to buy.
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314-2 to Z-3
 
boogieman said:
Serious question, if you're already used to whatever shaft and cue you own, why buy another unless it's just to try it out? I can hit balls and use deflection to hit my target. It doesn't really change the game at all for me. LD takes a few weeks to get used to, but I can pick up a regular deflection shaft and play with it with no real problem. If you want to pimp your wooden shaft, get some microsanding films and finish with the 5 micrometer sanding film and burnish or wax your cue. It's going to play and feel better than even a lot of custom cues, plus you have the benefit of already being wired to the shaft from experience.

Very minor upkeep and a wooden shaft plays like new forever. You might only need to bust out the microfilm once every 5-10 years and it's not taking much of anything off the cue, just mainly surface grime.
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I was listening to people talk about effortless spin, less deflection, more power etc... If these CF shafts gives additional CB control, I figured be worth the switch. For an adjustment I was expecting to chase the CB for a while, like different speeds of a table or weight of balls. Something minor really. I wasn't expecting a 3/4 ball cut to the left with inside required aiming about 3/4 ball cut to the right to make it.

I currently use a 314 original with no issue on feel or playing english. Dings or keeping the wood shaft clean didn't factor at all.
 
You had a legitimate reason to want to try CF & a legitimate reason for not liking the Jacoby. You may have better luck w/ another CF or decide wood works for you. You shouldn't have any trouble reselling it for a minimal loss if you can't return it for a full refund.
 
Am I the only member of AZB that asks people to try their equipment before investing several 100's into something...?

I have hit maybe a half dozen of CF shafts, and have zero invested in the product type. If you can't determine how a shaft hits after a handful of swings then investing >$400 in a shaft isn't going to help your game to begin with.
 
The_JV said:
Am I the only member of AZB that asks people to try their equipment before investing several 100's into something...?

I have hit maybe a half dozen of CF shafts, and have zero invested in the product type. If you can't determine how a shaft hits after a handful of swings then investing >$400 in a shaft isn't going to help your game to begin with.
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Many, maybe even the majority, of folks can't try 1st b/c there isn't a good supplier nearby. For example, when I was younger the only place that sold cues was the local pool hall & all they sold was Viking.
 
Tin Man said:
People use carbon fibers because they don’t ding. It isn’t about deflection. It’s about durability.
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I don’t entirely agree, although the durability and maintenance free aspects of carbon fiber shafts is a factor. For me, I think it’s more of a mental thing - my mind tells me that there must be more consistency particularly regarding deflection with carbon fiber versus wood, when applying various amounts of spin on the cue ball.. Even if it might not be proven, it gives me more confidence when I’m shooting, and we all know how important that is.
 
I only use plain maple shafts that were made with my cues from the mid 70s to now. I am not knocking anything else folks prefer. I have no reason or desire to play with anything but a quality straight grain maple wood shaft . Everything that is lacking in my game can almost always be directed at something in my stroke or timing or rhythm that is not where it should be on a given day.

The day I ever use a quality cue made by a quality cue maker from bumper to tip as an excuse for a bad day of pool is the day I should put my cues down forever. Once you get to the level of a B player in terms of being able to make a shot- any given shot at at least a B level- the game begins to become all about developing CONSISTENCY in a stroke that is straight and that can produce desired cue ball action in any direction, TOGETHER WITH the PSR, timing and rhythm that is also optimal on a very very consistent basis under ANY and ALL game situations. Knowledge of game strategy comes with experience.

Use of self video, self video review, and some form of proper instruction if there is inconsistency somewhere in your game is - IMO- the very best way to improve- start with the basics and leave the equipment experiments for the end of your list of improvement techniques. The minute one, who is lacking in certain parts of the game, starts to look outside of their own physical and mental approach for the answer to all the critical parts of shooting and playing well, or, starts jumping from techno cue to techno cue for the answer- you are missing out on a much more effective way to improve your game IMO.
 
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The REVO 12.9 is the lowest deflecting shaft that i have personally used. ONLY thing i didn't like was the sound.
 
terpdad said:
Many, maybe even the majority, of folks can't try 1st b/c there isn't a good supplier nearby. For example, when I was younger the only place that sold cues was the local pool hall & all they sold was Viking.
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Fair enough, but I'm talking about other players. If I'm in a pool room and I see someone playing with something I'd like to try out. I generally just strike up a conversation about said equipment, and that nearly always ends up in an offer to try it out. I guess it's easy to say when you're generally not an early adopter like myself and the equipment has been in circulation for a bit. This also works waaay better in your local hall...lol. Stranger danger..!!!

You comment is exactly why I didn't go with a pure bred custom cue recently. I'm not investing thousands of the off chance I may like something.
 
When I used maple shafts I was always getting dings in the shaft, which was distracting when I stroked. I could feel every little ding. I got the Cuetec CF last year and have no complaints. It doesn't ding, stays clean and its one less thing to have to deal with.
 
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