@Tiny Home Living Magazine apparently the Viking Siege is one of the best shafts out there. But most people don't even know what viking is. The reason being, pros aren't using them. Really only predator and cuetec. And that's what people are buying.
I got the same McDermott September cue of the month. It came in months earlier than it was supposed to. I also went from g core to the defy and I am very impressed with it so far.
Thanks for your insight on these two. As an aside, I really wish I could help you realize your potential as a pool player. If I could make shots like you do while talking and whistling, I'd be a monster when I focused. But I get this feeling that what holds you back to your skill level is not devoting your mental capacity to the shot and the plan or course of action to get out. I'm a smart guy, but I don't have a whole lot of mental capacity, so I literally have to devote every ounce of my mental capacity to my game in order to play at a skill level 7/8 or 7/9. I know a lot of people don't want to take it that seriously, or just want to have more fun or be more relaxed and lackadaisical and just have fun, but you really do have the potential to play better. The one game you showed, you had the opportunity to get out on both turns, but you just lacked that little bit of extra effort in planning execution and cue ball placement. Anyway, this may be unwanted advice, I just hate to see good potential go to waste.
I was going to say this exact same thing. He looks to be a good shot maker and very capable player but with better shot planning and speed control, he definitely had the ability to be out on his first attempt at either set of balls.
I really wanted to like the Defy but just couldn't get past the tacky finish on it because I thought it played great outside of that. Ended up going with the Jacoby Black and couldn't be happier with my decision. I may give the new Defy a good look tho because I've heard that the finish on it is much smoother.
For my Defy I use a small square 3"x3" of thin suede leather to wipe my shaft down. It seems to work really well to remove any "tacky" feel an seems to combat the static which I believe is the cause of the tacky feel. I also use a glove when I play.
These McDermott Defy carbon fiber shafts are the best deal in town. For $300, you can't beat it. They play very well and are very low deflection. The "new" Defy will have some type of exterior coating to make them a little bit slicker. The cost will be over $400 I'm sure. I'm going to order one for $300.....what a great deal.
The bouncing of the Revo shaft means it will be more powerful. The bounce, of course, is not going to move the pool table but will transfer that action to the cue ball. This is not a subjective, “feel,” observation but simple laws of physics. If you like the, feel, of the Defy that’s great, but stick with it or you will reach a plateau playing by going back and forth. The two cues seem significantly different in the way they react I’m not sure I’d switch between the two. I’m having enough trouble going back and forth between a 12.9 and 12.4 Revo.
Thanks for the comments: 'bouncing means the shaft is more powerful' .. Possibly, however "powerful" is a tricky verb. With any play Cue I'm actually more interested in the "low deflection" and overall "control" and "feel" of the cue. If I want power I'll get a break cue. Don't get me wrong I've developed a lot of respect for my Revo cue. I'm not getting rid of it any time soon but I'm truly impressed with the performance of the Defy and have noticed a marked improvement in my game in using it. The dampening that was demonstrated, I find makes the whole play experience quieter and less distracting. I don't find myself longing for more power. While the feedback with the Revo is not necessarily distracting and I think some people might actually like the feedback, it does provide a slight ring when connecting with the cue ball. After playing with the Defy Cue now almost exclusively for 2 months I'm sold on the feel and control. However, I do still play with my Revo on occasion. Honestly I'm not trying to sell anyone on one cue or the other.
The bounce means that some of the energy isn’t being transferred to the cue ball and is coming back to the shaft causing it to have feedback, which is energy you put in and got an equal and opposite reaction to. The lack of bounce from the Defy means it is stopping the feedback and not giving it a place to go, so the energy transfer goes through to the cue ball. If you throw a steel ball at a wall, it may dent the wall, but it won’t come back at you because it transferred most of its energy to the wall, and throwing a rubber ball will bounce back because it keeps most of its energy when hitting the wall.
What? No that's not what it means. That means the opposite actually. The bounces means that you are losing energy. It's energy being transferred back into the shaft. The McDermott doesn't bounce, meaning it is able to absorb the energy being transfered back. The revo is not able to absorb the energy which is why it bounces. In reality it doesn't actually mean anything except that when you go through the stroke, the revo is going to have it's weird transfer after contact, the defy is going straight through the cue ball. That's the only difference. The defy has a better transfer of energy. Does that make it a better shaft? No but with the price difference, it definitely makes it competitive. Both shaft are fine. One cost $500 the other costs $300. The only way to know which shaft is right for you is to play them.
The technical specs does always win out in the real world. Josh Filler uses a Revo, but he doesn't always win. Filler has gotten beaten badly by players using low deflection wood shafts. JFlowers produces the lowest deflection shaft...the SMO. Nope, I am not getting one. Just buy a good stick that feels good to YOU and play with it for 5 years or longer before you switch. You'll save money and focus on your game, rather than spending time on useless stick trivia. I've seen some crappy players using a Revo shaft. Earl Strickland ran 9 consecutive 9 ball racks using a cheap Cuetec costing about $100.
15:05 You're wearing one sock....lol anyway....I would much rather have a 2" longer shaft that I play with all the time than to add an extension when I need it. Thank you McDermott for thinkin of this.
I've got a McDermott H551. 18 ounce and balanced at 19 and 3/8's inches measuring from the butt end with the Defy 12.5mm shaft with a HOWE medium cue tip. I have been shooting pool since I was 6 years old... around 1950. 78 Years Old now. Best, most accurate setup I've ever experienced. I've owned them all over the years and prefer balance over any other cue feature. It can look like crap but give me balance. I don't need a Liberace designed cue. Makes you look like a wanna be pool shark! I've played guys using broom and mop handles but they were balanced. 🤣
Because I got more money then God and little time to spend it. Plus the carbon fiber shaft requires less concentration to pocket balls and get shape. It's easy to miss cue with a mop or broom handle. I used them in those days because I was rats ass poor and loved to hustle wannabe's.
I appreciate the effort, but I really don't know what useful information I was meant to get from that... Your cuing is acceptable so both shafts allowed you to play straight down the table and back. So? And any sticks you're gonna be around the same wins with each over that many games. Even a house stick.
It is a circa 1980 Brunswick Century 9' table. I bought it about 10 years ago from the original owner. It has a really cool ball return, wide rails and typical Brunswick pockets. It has that genuine pool hall feel. brunswick.pastperfectonline.com/library/D89F64AC-263A-4394-8130-968910254703
I'm am not equipped to measure deflection precisely as I'm far from an expert pool player. However I have tested it as close as I can and with my skill set and the 2 shafts seem to be very close. I've tested my standard house cues, a couple of G-Cores, an old excaliber (what is now cue tech), and an old Minisota Fats cue I have in my collection and it is clear that the G-Core is the next with good low deflection properties. with the rest falling into line not much better than the house cues. My measurement for both the Defy and revo on my 9' table shooting from the rack spot to the center diamond of the far rail measures anything from 1/2" to 1-1/2 inch left or right with 1/2 tip to 2 tips measured by cue tip contact at at equator line and at the top miscue line starting from 0-X. House cues with my measurement were 1 to 2-1/2" of deflection with the same test. Dr Dave claims there is no difference in deflection with respect to tip hardness. the Revo has a slightly harder tip than the Defy and the g-core and other cues are pretty much soft tips.
Is this a defy cue you've had for a while? I have not experienced that at all with mine. I do where a glove. I do keep my shafts clean. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. Have you tried different gloves. It would be interesting if anyone else has experienced that. Thanks for the comment.
@@hughsmith4336 it was brand new out the box and it was strange no matter if i used predator glove or kamui glove i dont know if it was the clear over it or finish or what. I know with the revo using it for a long time it started to get a sheen compared to another carbon shaft from Go Customs i had previously.
Exactly... I hate the way it feels & sounds like sand paper!! Viking seige feels like glass & sounds great. I will be making the switch soon. I'll use the defy for a break cue!
@@hughsmith4336 With a glove my latest edition of Defy it is like silk. Best "feel" of any of my shafts Lets face it.. the big advertisers can afford lots of expensive slick adds and also that attracts the pros for name recognition. Frankly a very good player will always play very well with what ever they get comfortable with. Will a carbon fiber shaft always beat.... or is better than a good maple shaft. I don't think so..... a good player doesn't need excuses or special cues to win. I also like the sound of the Defy.... nice solid sound like a good maple shaft.... no ringing or loud pings. Finally Effren played with a $20 cue for years. I can guarantee if I had my Defy shaft he would still make me look like a rank beginner even if he played that old cue.
That was the Defy V1, the revised it on the V2 to not have that effect and also to eliminate the "sticky" feeling some complained about. I have the V2 Defy now and frankly I wouldn't consider any other it is so good. I play mostly with a glove but also some times without and it plays great both ways.
So Predator has like 35 patents regarding low deflection shafts...and as of today the Revo is only $90 more than a Defy shaft. I went with the guys that created L/D n love my P3 Revo.
The best player in the world doesn't play with a Revo. Josh Filler (Revo) just lost to Fedor Gorst who is now #1 and uses a Viking. One of the Ko Brothers, just beat Filler as well and they use a Zen cue. Filler used to be #1, but it's clear he is losing a lot lately. Maybe it was because his Revo is garbage? No. Revo is a good shaft. Viking is a good shaft. And Fedor was winning using a Cuetec Cynergy as well. But yeah, it might be a good investment to to buy the top of the line ICON with Revo shaft. It's only about $3000 and I'm sure Predator says you'll shoot better. If you decide to try it, make a video so we can see how well that works out for you.
@@jax9074 Yep. $600. I'll stick with my Jflowers and Cynergy. Cynergy is a good shaft but not worth $400 that I paid for it. But that's just my opinion. I'm sure SVB would disagree.
Hey. So I’d like to get one of these Defy cues but can anyone give me some more info about this? I own McDemott G203 and is it possible to only get a carbon shaft to my bottom part from g203? Or do I have to buy like both parts of the cue. Thanks
@@hughsmith4336 what do you personally think about the Defy? Because I read couple of experiences and opinions on it and it seems like people rather dislike it.. I’d really like to have my own carbon shaft but I can’t really spend 1500€ on predator one.. so thats why I was thinking about this one.. Or do you have some recommendations on carbon shafts around 400-500$?
The "low deflection" cues I've played with and own are the G-Core, Revo, and now the Defy. However I'm only 4 or 5 month into playing with the Defy. This video only gives my initial assessment and comparison I made shortly after I got my Defy. After playing with the Defy for a while I'm still very impressed with it and love the feel it has. I'm presently using it as my main playing cue. I haven't however given upon on or have any intention of selling my Revo. I'm sure there are people that are better experts than I am on giving advice on which shaft is better suited for you. One thing I would say without hesitation is that moving from the G-Core to a Revo or Defy shaft is not going to magically change your game by itself. Expect a change in your game of maybe 5%. The G-Core is an excellent cue and shaft. A carbon fiber or low deflection shaft by itself is not going to make you play better. With any tool it take some time to learn what it is giving you. I really would try and find a Billiards store that will let you try out the Defy and Revo. I'm not really sure why people say they dislike the Defy. It is obviously a preference. I think it is because they like the feedback from the Revo. Personally I like the fact that the Defy has a quiet feedback. The defy shaft really isn't that much cheaper than the Revo when you consider cost over time. The expense comes in if you are changing out your Cue Butt too and buying the complete Cue. I can't make a recommendation on the Revo on a McDermott butt since when I bought my Revo I purchased it with the Predator Roadline butt. The Defy Shaft will fit very nicely on your existing G203 butt.
@@khanivre5769 Predator has really"bombed" the pool industry with ads, endorsements and money. China has lost of cash. I would rather buy Made in America...that's the only way to go. The new McDermott Defy shaft coming out around July will be a game changer...I can't wait. I also shoot with the G203 and the G-core shaft...but I know the new Defy will shoot better.
@@ronmucci3331 - I have a cuetec cynergy, Konllen (jflowers), and Rhino Carbon fiber. I've played with a Revo before. I'm not sure if any of them are better than each other. I think it depends on what you like the best. I haven't tried the Defy, but I have a wood McDermott. All the cues I mentioned shoot fine. It's the player, not the stick.
McDermott offers different shaft lengths. The standard Defy is 29" which is pretty common for most manufacturers shafts. I chose to get the longer 31" shaft. I'm tall and have very long arms so the longer shaft was a much better option for me. Revo offers an extension you can add to the butt of the cue. The shortest one Predator offers unfortunately add a couple of ounces to the cue weight and puts the weight to the back. The option of the 31" shaft for me seemed to make more sense because it keeps the cue weight and balance more optimal. I wouldn't recommend a long shaft necessarily for the average height or arm length. Where the longer shaft really makes a difference is not necessarily about reach as some people might expect; It is for long table shots or other shots desiring a longer stroke. If you're wanting just more reach on given shots I'm a firm believer that a properly used bridge is a better option than reaching or using extensions. .
