Rank the low deflection shafts

5ballcharlie

GHOSTBUSTER
Silver Member
There are alot of low deflection shafts out there today. What are your favorite ones. I used to only play with the 314 but have become a fan of the zshafts. I would like to know what ppls opinions are on the McDermott ld shafts up to the ob shafts to tiger and predator And any other low deflection shafts I may have missed
 
Im a pretty loyal fan of the OB cue shaft products. I have been using these shafts for several years now. I think Royce makes shafts to satisfy all types of players. If you like the really really low deflection and a little softer hit you will like the OB1. You like a more crisper hit with almost as low deflection then you have the OB2. For those like me who want that kinda ping sound with a stiffer hit and low deflection then the classic and classic pro is your shaft. Thats what im currently using on a franklin satin southwest, and trust me that cue plays like a monster. Also service after the sale is a big thing for me and you wont find anyone better on the market than Royce at taking care of you. Thats just my humble opinion.

Frank Cherry
 
Out of all the ones I've tried, I like the KeithAndy Hitech shaft the best. Of course, I prefer a solid normal shaft over low deflection shafts.
 
There are alot of low deflection shafts out there today. What are your favorite ones. I used to only play with the 314 but have become a fan of the zshafts. I would like to know what ppls opinions are on the McDermott ld shafts up to the ob shafts to tiger and predator And any other low deflection shafts I may have missed


In my opinion hands down the OB Series shafts are the best made for the following reasons.

1) They are very consistent in play and construction. Shafts made by other manufactures very in materials (wood) and quality of construction. This was not always the case but, over the last 5 years I have seen many many problems with other brands that I am not seeing with the OB Shafts.

2) Most importantly Ob stands behind their product and their warranty. The owner of OB is a forum member and his reputation and customer service are second to none. None of the other companies will give you better customer service or warranty service. Some of the companies currently making these products that have been in the business for many many years no longer back up their products through a outstanding warranty service. They will find any reason they can to void their warranty especially for ferrules which in my opinion are design flawed and made of substandard material, which makes them break during normal use with no abuse.

Another nice thing about the OB Shafts is that the best product along with the best service will not cost you the most money.

Oh and by the way, I do sell OB shafts through my business but I have not been paid or given anything for my comments in this thread. The information I have provided I have accumulated as a retailer and as a cue repairman over the many years.

JIMO
 
There are alot of low deflection shafts out there today. What are your favorite ones. I used to only play with the 314 but have become a fan of the zshafts. I would like to know what ppls opinions are on the McDermott ld shafts up to the ob shafts to tiger and predator And any other low deflection shafts I may have missed


If you like the Z, the new OB Classic Pro and Tiger Pro X both have similar playing characteristics and tapers. In my opinion, both of these shafts feel a lot better. They are both solid shafts, so there is no compromise on weight or feel.

I have a Demo program going on the new Tiger Pro X right now. You can test one out if you want. I've got 9 demo shafts circulating so it may take a month from here to finish out my list. So far, the evaluations have been very good.

Here's the thread:

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=203716

Chris
 
Like the Lucasi "Hybrid", the original Predator, hate the Black dot. Funky results sometimes, even on a normal shot, with the Black dot. Prefer the original no dot! At least I know what to expect! OB1 also unpredictable!
 
Im a pretty loyal fan of the OB cue shaft products. I have been using these shafts for several years now. I think Royce makes shafts to satisfy all types of players. If you like the really really low deflection and a little softer hit you will like the OB1. You like a more crisper hit with almost as low deflection then you have the OB2. For those like me who want that kinda ping sound with a stiffer hit and low deflection then the classic and classic pro is your shaft. Thats what im currently using on a franklin satin southwest, and trust me that cue plays like a monster. Also service after the sale is a big thing for me and you wont find anyone better on the market than Royce at taking care of you. Thats just my humble opinion.

Frank Cherry

Is there a place you're seeing reviews, or even a description of the new OB shafts? I checked out their website:

http://www.obcues.com/shafts.html

and only saw the OB1 and OB2. I'm thinking of trying one of their shafts, but didn't know they even made more than two types.

Thanks!
 
Is there a place you're seeing reviews, or even a description of the new OB shafts? I checked out their website:

http://www.obcues.com/shafts.html

and only saw the OB1 and OB2. I'm thinking of trying one of their shafts, but didn't know they even made more than two types.

Thanks!

I don't think the website's been updated.

The OB Classics are LD but have a solid wood core, 1/4 inch synthetic ferrules and play stiffer and firmer than the OB 1 and OB2 - The OB Classic is a 12.75 MM with a modified 16" pro taper. The OB Classic Pro is 11.75 mm with a Euro style taper.

These are excellent playing shafts - you can contact OB for prices.

Chris
 
I don't think the website's been updated.

The OB Classics are LD but have a solid wood core, 1/4 inch synthetic ferrules and play stiffer and firmer than the OB 1 and OB2 - The OB Classic is a 12.75 MM with a modified 16" pro taper. The OB Classic Pro is 11.75 mm with a Euro style taper.

These are excellent playing shafts - you can contact OB for prices.

Chris

Thanks Chris,

I did do some searching and found some reviews, as well as prices and descriptions of the new OB shafts. Looks like they are all about the same price (around $200) regardless of where you get them.

I like a thicker shaft, so I'd probably go with the Classic over the Classic Pro.
 
I'd have to agree with those who stated that the OB is best.....consistent and good construction.....no hollowed out ferrule and such...i've seen too many issues with most others most notably the predators, never heard nothing or seen nothing bad about the original pred 314's but lots of issues with the new ones.

tho I'm not a huge fan of any of them compared to a great solid maple shaft, IF i did buy one it would be an OB
 
I played with, and loved, the pre-cat predator for many years. I've tried the g-core, ob-1 and 2 on several production cues. Performance-wise I was only dissappointed with the "soft feel". I have not tried the OB classic, Tiger, I-Core, or any of the others.

I now use a Mezz HPII on a custom with a wood to wood joint and it works well for me. While the hit isn't quite as stiff as my regular solid wood shafts, it provides me plenty of feedback without feeling like i'm using a marshmallow as a tip.

My silly banger ass carries situational cues and shafts, much like golfers carry situational clubs, to be used based upon course conditions. I still carry my predator for that lightning fast, "is this beer stained, what-used-to-be-felt, painted on slate" crap-box you occasionally run into in the bar league circuit.
 
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I played with, and loved, the pre-cat predator for many years. I've tried the g-core, ob-1 and 2 on several production cues. Performance-wise I was only dissappointed with the "soft feel". I have not tried the OB classic, Tiger, I-Core, or any of the others.

I now use a Mezz HPII on a custom with a wood to wood joint and it works well for me. While the hit isn't quite as stiff as my regular solid wood shafts, it provides me plenty of feedback without feeling like i'm using a marshmallow as a tip.

My silly banger ass carries situational cues and shafts, much like golfers carry situational clubs, to be used based upon course conditions. I still carry my predator for that lightning fast, "is this beer stained, what-used-to-be-felt, painted on slate" crap-box you occasionally run into in the bar league circuit.

how much extra did you pay to get the HP2 shaft at 12.75mm instead of 12.5? did you buy a blank or have them just dowel and tap an out of the box shaft in the new thread for your custom cue?
 
Yup . . .

The Tiger LD shafts are the nutz . . . I've tried the McD G-core, iShafts, Predator and OB . . . hated the Predator - pitiful hit & Sh!tty quality. The Tiger has a great feel - like a high quality old wood shaft but with the benefit of lower deflection. Plus its got a Sniper tip stock, which is one hell of a tip.
 
My Experience

I've tried quite a few LD shafts and here's my opinions:

I started with the original 314 without the cat at the joint - I liked it OK and once I got used to it I liked it better than my solid maple shaft. It did take some getting used to.

When the OB1 shafts came out I really wanted to try one and I found a used one in the FS section of AZ with matching rings for my Mottey cue. The seller sold it for a good price and I grabbed it. I like the OB1 shaft with the matching rings a lot and I liked it so much that I bought a second one that I found in the FS section to use as a back up shaft to the one with the matching ring work. The second OB1 shaft that I bought didn't play like the first one I bought. Honestly I didn't like it and I sold it for the same price I paid for it. I don't know what the difference was in the 2 OB1 shafts, but I didn't care for the second one.

When the 314-2 shafts came out I bought one to see how I liked it. I liked it better than the original 314 shafts right away and now they're my main playing shafts on my cues. I have at least one for each of my cues.

When OB1 introduced the OB1 Classic shafts I had to try one, so I bought one. I played with the OB1 Classic shaft for 1 day and I decided to stick with my 314-2 shafts and I sold the OB1 Classic. I liked the original OB1 hit better than the Classic hit, but remember that's just my opinion.

The bottom like for me is I like Predator 314-2 shafts the best, but the next person may like the OB1 or OB1 Classic better. This is personal preference and my pick is a 314-2 with a Sniper tip.

James
 
Not that my opinion counts for much, but I have used the McDermott i-2, Predator 314-2 and an OB-2. My order of preference is OB-2, i-2 then Predator. The OB has such a nice feel (very solid) and feed back, plus as previously stated Royce has the best customer service out there. I have nothing bad to say about the i-2 from McDermott...it is a great playing shaft (I have a Morri tip on it). The Predator is just there...never noticed any real benefit when I used it...and I used it for over a year before switching instantly to the OB once purchased

J
 
I shoot with a McDermott I-3. I like the balance and the feel of the cue with the I-3 on it. The European taper is perfect for me. The 11.75mm tip gives me a sense of geometric precision where I strike the cue ball. The Moori soft tip is great for cue ball action and I have experienced little to no mushrooming. The tip holds chalk well and I never miscue. I'm very particular about the shaft and clean it with a piece of Magic Eraser after every use.
McDermott really stands behind this product line. Their warranty offers free cleaning, resealing, and a new Soft Moori tip up to twice a year (you do have to pay a mailing and handling charge of $21.). There's also a lifelong warranty on any warping.
This is a tough shaft to beat. I've played with an OB-2 for a couple of months but found that the ferrule was distracting to me. I really saw very little difference between the I-3 and the OB-2 as far as deflection and performance, but I do think the Moori tip plays a little better. I also prefer the short white ferrule on the I-3. Although the OB's and the Predators seem to be the prevalent LD's, I still prefer the I-3. I also have an I-2 (with a 12.75mm tip), which I bought originally because I was concerned about playing with a 11.75mm. When an I-3 was posted on the forum, I couldn't resist buying it. So glad I did. I can ship both shafts to McDermott for new tips and only pay just one shipping and handling charge of $21. That works out to only $10 for a new Moori tip. Now that's a deal.
There were quite a few threads on the McDermott G shafts, which were very favorable, but no comparisions between the G shafts and the I series.
 
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I couldnt decide either, so I bought the z-2 and the ob2 a couple of years ago. I planned on selling the one I didnt use, but the ob2 just sits around. I look forward to trying the new tiger shaft soon.
 
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