As a longtime Viking fan ( all of about 12 years ) with a standard or maple shaft, I recently purchased a custom Pechauer JP17L cue.
At first glance I was in awe of the beautiful inlay work and colors used. Hesitantly, I bought a Pechauer Pro cue with a low deflection shaft.
Once I started to use the cue with the low deflection shaft I knew that, just like adjusting to a reduced shaft, it would take a minute or so to adjust to the feel. It was a bit odd—stiff hitting at first—but I noticed pretty quickly how much less effort was needed for an English to take and my draw had become a lot more intence getting two to three times the distance.
In turn, I noticed pretty quickly how my game had greatly increased giving more focus to my shots.
While following a Sneaky Pete Mafia thread about low deflection shafts, the original question was whether or not people preferred O.B. (American made) or Predator (made in China).
This is when Joe Pechauer himself popped up and asked:
“What about my low deflection shafts?” I said ” I have one; I like it!”
The conversation continued, ending with Joe Pechauer choosing several Sneaky Pete Mafia members and telling them, “If these following people email me, I’ll send them one of my low deflection shafts to try for free!”
I was skeptical, but I did just that.
Who would think even though that Joe Pechauer—the guy who makes some insanely beautiful custom cues—would mail out several low deflection shafts for free to try?
I emailed him told him exactly what I would like…the next best thing:
Pechauer + Pro Lite with the low deflection shaft to compare to the Predator Z2. I sent all information and pictures of my custom Pechauer cue, including the ringwork and the pin, to try to ensure I would get an exact match.
Low and behold, a week later it arrived.
I couldn’t wait to go try out this new shaft, not being able to imagine it could get any better then what I already have…
The fit: absolutly flawless—matches up perfectly.
The ringwork: I’m sure it was no effort to match, seeing as it’s going onto a Pechauer custom, but nonetheless—perfect match.
I went on to try out this magnificent work of art.
The feel was unbelievably smooth.Effortlessly simple, to make shots getting spin on the cueball.
I have played with a 314/2 by Predator at an average cost of $250 brand new. In comparison to the Pechauer + Pro at an average of $210 or the Pro + Lite at an average of $210.
Pechauer. There really is no question which is the better investment.
Editors: Dana Gornall & Marcee Murray King Photos: Provided by Author