Like many of us, I am on a quest to find the "ultimate hit". I have a pre-date South West that hits pretty darn nice. My current playing cue is an ivory jointed Bender that has a buttery soft feel. I have a few other cues, each of which has its own unique hit profile.
At the risk of public ridicule from the "old school", I decided to give an OB-1 a try. I had not hit one prior to ordering... I just had to try it for myself without prejudice. After playing with it for a day, my feedback is as follows:
1. There is definitely something to the low deflection technology. With this shaft there is no need to compensate for deflection / squirt. Just point and shoot... the cue ball goes where you aim it. And with plenty of spin.
2. The hit is not as crisp as my SW but not as "soft" as the Bender shaft. You get feedback at contact but it is definitely muted as compared to the firmer hitting cues I have tried.
3. The shaft is silky smooth. The taper is unobtrusive. The laminated wood ferrule will not likely be for everyone but it is not as bad as I thought it would be... you really don't notice it while shooting.
I am cognizant of tradition but I also tend to embrace new technology. This shaft won't likely ever be accepted by purists. However, if you are open to trying something new - something that truly has the potential to help your game - you may want to give an OB-1 a shot.
At the risk of public ridicule from the "old school", I decided to give an OB-1 a try. I had not hit one prior to ordering... I just had to try it for myself without prejudice. After playing with it for a day, my feedback is as follows:
1. There is definitely something to the low deflection technology. With this shaft there is no need to compensate for deflection / squirt. Just point and shoot... the cue ball goes where you aim it. And with plenty of spin.
2. The hit is not as crisp as my SW but not as "soft" as the Bender shaft. You get feedback at contact but it is definitely muted as compared to the firmer hitting cues I have tried.
3. The shaft is silky smooth. The taper is unobtrusive. The laminated wood ferrule will not likely be for everyone but it is not as bad as I thought it would be... you really don't notice it while shooting.
I am cognizant of tradition but I also tend to embrace new technology. This shaft won't likely ever be accepted by purists. However, if you are open to trying something new - something that truly has the potential to help your game - you may want to give an OB-1 a shot.