I went from a vintage Meucci with an original Predator 314 shaft to the McDermott with the G-core shaft and haven't looked back.
They retail starting at $245, but are worth it. I've been curious about the HXTs, but I haven't shot with one. I'm not a big fan of their designs. I like a stained wood without a bunch of flashiness and inlays. This is what I currently shoot with. http://www.mcdermottcue.com/g210.php
My predator was warped ever so slightly, so I developed a bad habit of getting distracted by my cue. There's a definite improvement in consistency when you can focus fully on the shot, without worrying about deflection or warpage.
Just buy a predator and put a sniper tip on it and call it a day. Its pricey, but no need to upgrade again. Lucasi with a predator shaft is my second choice.
These are a low deflection shaft with a good quality ferrule and Kamui Black layered tip.
Most wood shafts are one solid piece and have the natural characteristics of any solid piece of wood. This means that the grains of the wood will allow for more deflection in one direction than others. This is why old timers would put a dot on their shaft to remind them to keep the stick in a certain orientation before making their shot.
With a low deflection shaft the tip will not move around as much on the cue ball when making your shot. It will also deflect exactly the same in every direction.
McDermott has the G-core shaft which is very similar in design. Jenn's game became A LOT more consistent when she started shooting with her G-core.
So, i've been playing pool a little more than usual and I ended up playing with a buddies cue. I don't know if it was a complete mental thing, but I definitely played better, his is a Lucasi.
This would be my first pool cue and i'm not playing competitively. I'm just looking for a nice cue that'll be consistent in the 100-200 range.
There's so many options out there... where do I begin?
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