Updated Shaft Comparison - Carbon Fiber

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Silver Member
With so many Carbon Fiber shafts out there today, is there an updated list for squirt of the various CF shaft? I have at least four different brands, and it amazes me when people try to tell me that Carbon Fiber shafts are low deflection." Right. My Revo is incredibly low. The rest aren't. That include Cynergy, XLR8, Mendoza Schuler, Bull Carbon., all of which I would say are MD.

Anyway, I love the concept of CF shaft, but definitely would rather have one that has an effective pivot point that I like. So hoping someone has done some kind of study on a wider range than what I have and made a list like this or a graph like PJ did here .

IIRC, the Jacoby Black was close, but I'd have to try it again under non-SBE conditions to compare. I currently shoot with a Tiger Ultra X, which isn't LD at all. My bar beater is Cynergy on an Adam Balabushka, and it's close but not close enough for me to stop looking.
 
When I demo deflection in the McDermott booth and use the Defy Carbon Shaft, I put the cue ball on the long center line, hit with 2 tips of right and the cue ball still goes over the spot. Might want to check that out if you haven't before.
 
When I demo deflection in the McDermott booth and use the Defy Carbon Shaft, I put the cue ball on the long center line, hit with 2 tips of right and the cue ball still goes over the spot. Might want to check that out if you haven't before.
Thanks. I'm looking for a list of CF cues and their respective pivot points, since that's a way to compare with metrics. I'm not looking for the lowest squirt cue.

When I tested the Defy, it has very low squirt, but players reported how sticky they would get. A friend of mine has one, and it didn't feel so sticky, so hoping McDermott address this.
 
REVO is definitely the lowest. Most others that I have tried are about the same as a 314. I also have a Pechaur Rogue, which I like the best (once I got used to the lack of sound when striking the cue ball) I loved the hit of the Jacoby, but got rid of it because the deflection was too high. FWIW
IIRC, the Jacoby Black was close, but I'd have to try it again under non-SBE conditions to compare. I currently shoot with a Tiger Ultra X, which isn't LD at all. My bar beater is Cynergy on an Adam Balabushka, and it's close but not close enough for me to stop looking.
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Did you ever try the REVO using parallel English instead of pivot/backhand english?
Yes, but that’s not how I play, so it looks backwards to me. I tried shooting with a Predator for a year and a half. Won a lot of tournaments througjout New England. But went back to higher deflection because it fit how I use english. I own two Revo shooting shafts, the second was with Predator trying to match the deflection I like. But unfortunately it also has much less deflection for my method of shooting.

I don’t want to rehash why i shoot the way I shoot.
 
As much as I love the idea. It's not going to be feesable. The cash someone would need and time for all these shafts.
 
Thanks. I'm looking for a list of CF cues and their respective pivot points, since that's a way to compare with metrics. I'm not looking for the lowest squirt cue.

When I tested the Defy, it has very low squirt, but players reported how sticky they would get. A friend of mine has one, and it didn't feel so sticky, so hoping McDermott address this.
This has been addressed on the new shafts. Everyone who tried the new ones that were available for demo at APA Worlds loved them.
 
This has been addressed on the new shafts. Everyone who tried the new ones that were available for demo at APA Worlds loved them.
Good to know.. In the end, the Defy’s squirt is too low for my liking. But certainly I encourage players to try it out.
 
i am not a cue maker
and maybe i dont understand completely the science
hitting one tip off line from the shot line(assuming the shot line is going thru the vertical axis of the cue ball)
isnt the degrees off straight to get that distance the same regadless of your bridge length?
i get you may need to move the butt different distances to get the same tip offset distance
or is it
since the butt moves a different distance the angle to hit that spot is different is that why the pivot point is important?
 
since the butt moves a different distance the angle to hit that spot is different is that why the pivot point is important?
Yes. The pivot point is where to pivot your cue to correctly compensate for squirt (with no swerve) for any amount of side spin. That's how backhand English works - by placing your bridge at your shaft's pivot point.

pj
chgo
 
I tried a new Jacoby black 4.0 of a friends at league the other night. I have a 3.4 and was interested in the difference. Only shot about 5 shots and after the first shot, it was a really quiet, somewhat soft hit, almost as if you didn't remember hitting the ball. Tip was almost new though.
Wasn't sure I liked that as my Jacoby ultra shaft is quite crisp in its hit. In all fairness though I have an Ultraskin medium on my Ultra shaft that has been on for over a year, and has gotten quite hard.
Anyway I shot a few more shots and am looking forward to trying it again, but with more of an emphasis on its deflection.
As to Jocobys black shaft smoothness in the hand, it would be hard to imagine any carbon shaft being smoother.
 
I'm sorry, but I have to ask several questions totally unrelated to pivot.

You were winning tournaments with a Predator cf cue; when you stopped using it did you stop winning or stop playing tournaments?

When you picked up a cf shafts, did you start beating players you hadn't before?

If you improved your game to the point you were winning tournaments and beating players who had beaten you previously, I suggest pivot point is a bete noire.

Two cents

Good luck
 
I'm sorry, but I have to ask several questions totally unrelated to pivot.

You were winning tournaments with a Predator cf cue; when you stopped using it did you stop winning or stop playing tournaments?

When you picked up a cf shafts, did you start beating players you hadn't before?

If you improved your game to the point you were winning tournaments and beating players who had beaten you previously, I suggest pivot point is a bete noire.

Two cents

Good luck
I think you misread a lot. I did NOT improve my game when I played with the Predator back in the early 2000’s, long before the current CF shafts. I was winning tournaments before, during and after. But I never felt as comfortable with the Predator as I did with higher deflection. I always felt and played better with a higher deflection shaft. With a low deflection shaft, I am always fighting against my natural way of looking at shots with spin.

I love the entire concept of a CF shaft, but I want to find one that matches closely my desired pivot point. The Cynergy is close. I wouldn’t call it low deflection. The Mendoza Schuler is right on, but it only fits my Schuler.
 
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Cynergy having the longer taper iirc might have something to do with that. The Meucci carbon pro is one I recall as having a long taper.

I've never thought about a pivot point when I shoot, but guessing you will need cue length, shaft length and taper measurements, as well.

I was hoping you won more as I am committed to carbon fiber.

Good luck
 
Cynergy having the longer taper iirc might have something to do with that. The Meucci carbon pro is one I recall as having a long taper.

I've never thought about a pivot point when I shoot, but guessing you will need cue length, shaft length and taper measurements, as well.

I was hoping you won more as I am committed to carbon fiber.

Good luck
Sorry, bud. No magic bullet! But consistency is key. One thing I like about CF is no random dings and scratches.
 
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