Wood vs carbon fiber shafts for top pros - I went through the Fargo top 100 to see who uses what

[billiards_watch]

Money talks and bull shit walks pros get paid well for using the CB shafts .

Yep. Imagine having a beautiful Gzam, Gina, Balahbushka or a Manzino and playing with a Cuetec.

I doubt these guys will bypass their favorite cues to play with a Cuetec.

You can brag about how your favorite Tascarella won you 5 US Opens if you had the choice. They play with who gives them the most money or cues.

 

[Cue Alchemist]

Yep. Imagine having a beautiful Gzam, Gina, Balahbushka or a Manzino and playing with a Cuetec.

I doubt these guys will bypass their favorite cues to play with a Cuetec.

You can brag about how your favorite Tascarella won you 5 US Opens if you had the choice. They play with who gives them the most money or cues.

Remember in the late 90s early 2000s, customs where used, fong pang chao used a gina to win the worlds in 2000, and hohman used a volmer to win his in 2003. and probably the most famous, reyes used,old Philippine cue that won the 1999 worlds. i could go on,there were loads. nearly all those where with standard shafts. Watching pool was way more fun,back then. These days its about predator and cuetec, J flowers.
these days, Pros will use,what ever they are paid to use. The fact that people still, fall for the advertising.
It don't mean anything.

 

[lfigueroa]

I think, at lower levels of play (which would be just about everyone not playing in big events), carbon v wood just doesn't matter.

At the level of play of the huge honking majority of amateur players shaft material matters not. They have so many mechanical problems that the fancy case, carbon shaft, $40 tip, colorful glove, expensive chalk, (and cue holder) is not going to help, even a little bit.

Lou Figueroa

 

[billiards_watch]

Well I knew a guy that played with a Palmer and made the switch to a fancy carbon cue and he shot way better. He is making all his long and straight shots. He's an older retired gentleman.

I still think there is a demographics for carbon shafts and they are for lower level players who never mastered or never understood "deflection aiming". The lower level player can get good with a carbon shaft. It's already hard enough to aim and shoot. Now imagine telling them to aim with deflection in mind.

It's just useless for a high level player. It's not worth the upgrade.

 

[lfigueroa]

Well I knew a guy that played with a Palmer and made the switch to a fancy carbon cue and he shot way better. He is making all his long and straight shots. He's an older retired gentleman.

I still think there is a demographics for carbon shafts and they are for lower level players who never mastered or never understood "deflection aiming". The lower level player can get good with a carbon shaft. It's already hard enough to aim and shoot. Now imagine telling them to aim with deflection in mind.

It's just useless for a high level player. It's not worth the upgrade.

Putting aside the fact that antedotal “evidence” is not worth much, his improvement might have had nothing to do with the shaft material.

Lou Figueroa
just sayin’

 

[hang-the-9]

CF is definitely taking over, even for older players. Seems at least half of players I see use a CF shaft. And many more are using aftermarket shafts in general. It's very hard to run into anyone playing with a stock shaft, even from a high-end maker. I was just at Raxx in NY, and the place is 100% CF shafts from Rhino for house cues, with even your average league shooter coming in with a CF shaft.

 

[billiards_watch]

CF is definitely taking over, even for older players. Seems at least half of players I see use a CF shaft. And many more are using aftermarket shafts in general. It's very hard to run into anyone playing with a stock shaft, even from a high-end maker. I was just at Raxx in NY, and the place is 100% CF shafts from Rhino for house cues, with even your average league shooter coming in with a CF shaft.

I still use wood because I like the cue to listen and behave. LOL

I've shot with carbon and it does things for you that wood can't. I can runout with both wood and carbon and there are still shots I'm baffled by because it wasn't me but the carbon shaft. Not saying its a bad thing but I like to be in control.

With carbon I have to hit softer than I normally would because the shaft seems to have more power. I don't like taking my stroke down a notch. I prefer having to actually hit the ball. I don't like to tap or finesse a shot.

Sort of like a manual 5 speed car vs. a self driving car. Both are impressive in their own right.

I'm speaking locally here and not about the professional players. A professional can play with anything.

 

[hang-the-9]

I still use wood because I like the cue to listen and behave. LOL

I've shot with carbon and it does things for you that wood can't. I can runout with both wood and carbon and there are still shots I'm baffled by because it wasn't me but the carbon shaft. Not saying its a bad thing but I like to be in control.

With carbon I have to hit softer than I normally would because the shaft seems to have more power. I don't like taking my stroke down a notch. I prefer having to actually hit the ball. I don't like to tap or finesse a shot.

Sort of like a manual 5 speed car vs. a self driving car. Both are impressive in their own right.

I'm speaking locally here and not about the professional players. A professional can play with anything.

That is one of the benefits of the better CF shaft, more action on the cueball. I let pretty much anyone try out my equipment, and everyone that went from a house cue and many other wood shafts, or low end CF shafts, has commented how much easier it was to get spin with the Revo. From the first shot for many of them, they hit a draw shot and their face lights up. I probably sold as many of the shafts for Predator as their sales reps at shows LOL

I also tend not to use my Revo on 7 foot tables, for the same reason you have.

 

[straightline]

That is one of the benefits of the better CF shaft, more action on the cueball. I let pretty much anyone try out my equipment, and everyone that went from a house cue and many other wood shafts, or low end CF shafts, has commented how much easier it was to get spin with the Revo. From the first shot for many of them, they hit a draw shot and their face lights up. I probably sold as many of the shafts for Predator as their sales reps at shows LOL

I also tend not to use my Revo on 7 foot tables, for the same reason you have.

Easier meaning less problematic?

 

[hang-the-9]

Easier meaning less problematic?

Less effort to do the same thing or being able to do extra that the other shaft would max out on based on their skill. It won't help to make the ball, unless the issue is aiming with spin and deflection, but it allowed for easier/more spin generation. Most of them noticed drawing the cueball was easier with the Revo.

 

[billiards_watch]

Those wooden shafts you see the pros use are laced with carbon in the insides. Lucasi already has something like that.

I have a Mezz wooden shaft and I believe it to be laced with some sort of a tubing inside. It feels very heavy for a shaft and feels denser than a normal WX7/9 shaft.

 

[Cue Alchemist]

Those wooden shafts you see the pros use are laced with carbon in the insides. Lucasi already has something like that.

I have a Mezz wooden shaft and I believe it to be laced with some sort of a tubing inside. It feels very heavy for a shaft and feels denser than a normal WX7/9 shaft.

What about Mickey Krause cue? Its just a standard 1 inch ferrule. Why would you put all that inside,with a ferrule that size? Same with the ko brothers zen cues, that looks the same.

 

[Zerksies]

you need to include if they are sponsored by a shaft company, If you don't this data is useless

 

[Kim Bye]

As long as players are sponsored and need to use what the sponsor specify, the stats doesn't really matter that much.

 

[overlord]

Putting aside the fact that antedotal “evidence” is not worth much, his improvement might have had nothing to do with the shaft material.

Lou Figueroa
just sayin’

Have you played a lot with CF?

 

[lfigueroa]

Have you played a lot with CF?

I don’t know about “a lot.”

But I have played with them and wasn’t impressed. Going back some, I’m always happy to at least try new tech and owned a couple of the first generation 314s.

Like I said, I think for most guys wood is fine.

Lou Figueroa

 

[billiards_watch]

I don’t know about “a lot.”

But I have played with them and wasn’t impressed. Going back some, I’m always happy to at least try new tech and owned a couple of the first generation 314s.

Like I said, I think for most guys wood is fine.

Lou Figueroa

You probably play a lot and an experience advanced player. A carbon shaft does nothing for you.

For a beginner or low level to mid level player it can help them drastically.

Carbons are so consistent they don't really need to learn how a certain cue feels or adapt to it. Just point and shoot.

 

[lfigueroa]

You probably play a lot and an experience advanced player. A carbon shaft does nothing for you.

For a beginner or low level to mid level player it can help them drastically.

Carbons are so consistent they don't really need to learn how a certain cue feels or adapt to it. Just point and shoot.

We’ll have to disagree.

For the tyros you are describing they’re ordering white or red wine. The nuances of a fine vintage are lost on them. It’s just wine.

Lou Figueroa