First 50 Racks with Starkey's Carbon Fiber Shaft
I received my carbon fiber shaft from Chuck Starkey over the weekend and played a few lazy racks at home, just banging around balls, partly to get a fell for bridging, but also break in the new Ultraskin Ivory tip for a test spin. It's a piloted 5/16x14, around 12.2 mm at the tip, and paired on my Schon SP-49A.
Overall, it took me about 30-45 minutes to feel comfortable and adjust to not using SO much side-spin and reducing stroke speed in order to get proper action on ole whitey for position play. After about 20 racks, the tip was feeling pretty sporty, but was a bit too much meat for my liking, so i went to work to get the shape and size I desired. I played another 5 racks and felt good with it.
Packed up my Starkey Carbon Fiber (SCF) shaft, took it up to the local pool hall, as I was running a local APA Singles Qualifying Splashboard for March Regionals. Even though it's not the arrow, I felt like I was shooting very well, and the first two racks in the competition, I racked&ran the first win, and then broke&ran the second rack. I ended up qualifying in 8-ball, and made it into the Finals for a 9-ball spot, but lost to one of my teammates (she's a 2), that wasn't missing, and I just couldn't get a good run going.
The action with the SCF shaft is less effort, more reward. I let a few folks that are Revo-fans shoot with it, and they liked the woven pattern, the action they got being comparable to the Revo, and they loved that the size was smaller than 12.4, and the taper felt well. The biggest difference they mentioned was the sound upon contact, and how it didn't ting/ping, but offered a solid contact and feel.
Now that I've shot 50 or so racks with my SCF, I like it overall, but thinking that maybe the Ultraskin is not for me. I am used to shooting with either a Tiger Sniper or Zan Hybrid Max, so the next step is to either get to like the Ultraskin Ivory, or switch up the tip.
I was able to play without a glove with this, but was using a microfiber cloth and the Cue Doctor Rx Magic Cloth in between matches to wipe it down, which seemed to keep it from dragging in the bridge hand. I will have a backup glove in the off-chances of more humid conditions.
Chuck was VERY easy to work with, about 36 hours of conversing before I bought the shaft, and within 24 hours, he had it in the mail, 2 days later I had the shaft in my possession. Top notch service. Stand up guy. You can tell he enjoys what he's doing, and isn't just doing it for the money.
If you have any questions about the SCF shaft that I may be able to help you answer, lemme know!
