Wow...I am always amazed how skewed the stories get on this forum...one person makes an assumption and then everyone runs with it...so to set the record straight let me tell you a little background about what led to this decision for Shane.
Cuetec has pursued him for a long time now, well over a year. They have offered him deal after deal (other companies were interested as well but not with such formal offers) and he was never interested in entertaining ANY cue deals (not just with Cuetec) because he was happy with his cue. He would say that he didn't need to get a cue sponsor because he didn't want to change cues. He would say that it's not worth the extra money because he thinks it could cost him money in the end if he didn't play as well with it.
Then, several months ago, Cuetec told him they are now offering the R360 shaft and sent him a sample to try. Still reluctant to try ANY other cues, he started to consider trying the cue because it had a wood shaft but he still didn't shoot with it much.
Then one day Shane and I stopped by a local billiards and game room supply store that sponsors me. I was meeting with the staff there that helps me out a lot and Shane was left to play on the display tables by himself so he decided to grab one of the Cuetec cues and try it. He grabbed a VERY basic model JUST like this one:
When I returned from talking with the staff there, Shane was still shooting and told me he was surprised at how well it shot. He said, "maybe I should talk to them more about their offer." I tried to grab a few of the cues from the other companies that were talking to him to and have him try them but, Shane is stubborn, when he gets it in his head that he likes something he has tunnel vision and isn't going to try anything else. So he said, "No, I like this one, it shoots straight." The staff at the billiard store offered to change out the tip for him and let him take that cue to play with more but Shane told him he already had models at home but just hadn't really tried them.
So that's when he began discussing this more seriously with Cuetec. His decision was actually based on trying the REGULAR basic model of their cues, not some mocked up model that they made specail for him. He also spoke with Allison a lot about her experience with the company and how she has liked their relationship and he heard nothing but positive feedback. She talked about how much exposure they give her, how flexible and accomidating they are and about what type of commitments he would have.
Since then, he has played around with their cues more, and again, the basic models not even the R360, and came to his decision based on how THOSE play.
As for what he will play with from here on out...they have sent him 3 different butts to try and 10 different shafts (they have many different STOCK models of shafts) that he will try out and decide from there. I believe the only thing he plans to change on it is the tip, he likes the trianlge tips. I have only had communication with him through online chats so from what he has told me, they don't have plans to create a "Special" cue that is different from what they will sell off the shelf, but I do know they plan to put his signature on some of the cues models that they will sell (I believe he got to pick which ones).
For those that know Shane, they should know he won't endorse anything he doesn't believe in. And the notion that he's doing this for financial security is completely false. Let's remember that Shane is cashing $130-$150/year the past couple of years (and that's not counting his gambling winnings) and he's one of VERY few players that is REALLY smart with his money. He's not just responsible with it but he's SMART with it. He doesn't just save his money and spend responsibly, he also has very good people managing his finances and investments and has made his money work for him. Shane is not in any way hurting financially so he could do with or without ANY sponsorship deals. Sure it doesn't hurt that he gets paid for it, but he would NEVER sign on to something for THREE years if he didn't 100% believe it was a good choice all around.
