Hi! Dakotah Schmidtknecht here to do a review of the Viking exact shot shaft. First off, I’m no pro-shooter—I’m a VNEA B-level shooter from Wisconsin with too much time on my hands. I’ve been taught how to test for deflection by Brandon Jacoby of Jacoby Custom Cues. I tested this shaft much like I tested the last one: on seven, eight, and nine-foot tables.
The Viking eXact Shot shaft is available to purchase in several pins including 5/16” x 18 quick release, 5/16 x 18 full thread, 5/16 x 14 full thread, 3/8 x 10 full thread, radial and uni-loc quick release pins.
The standard tip that comes with this shaft is a Kamui black soft, with a Viking soft performance ferrule. The shaft came from the factory with a variety of Kamui and Everest tips. The standard length is 29 inches and can go up to 32 inches if requested. It has a 12-14 inch taper.
When I started testing the eXact Shot, thought to myself, “How the hell am I going to do this?”
I used the process I was shown by Jacoby to easily test a shaft for deflection with: Take 3 balls on the short rail by the side you would break towards and line the balls frozen to the rail and each other with the middle ball in front of the middle diamond; take the two side balls move, them and inch out from the center ball, then remove the center ball; take the cue ball at the head string directly in line of the center diamond; now line up the shot as if you were going to hit in between the two balls now shift over and add left or right English. This is the basic set up. I added three tips of English and medium to hard stroke. I consider my medium stroke to be perfect for table speed, so I’m added more force to really test the shaft.
I first tried on the seven-foot table with a regular shaft on my old playing cue and it did fine—and so did the Viking and the Jacoby that Brandon lets me use.
With the eight-foot table, my regular shaft nipped the ball on the left coming out and the Viking didn’t. I then went on to win 10 consecutive games with the Viking.
Lastly, when I was alone on the 9-foot table, I set up the test. My normal cue didn’t even make it in between the balls. The Viking eXact Shot was in and out—no problem. I’ve now ordered and received a custom version of this shaft and am in love with it!
Dakotah Schmidtknecht was born in Wisconsin on in 1994. His pool life began with his father. Six months after Dakotah was born, he bought a bar/resort/restaurant, and started shooting league. All Dakotah ever wanted to do was be just like him, so naturally as soon as he could hold a pool stick he did, and he’s been playing since he was four years old. A serious pool career didn’t start until his grandfather bought him his first cue. It was a Minnesota Fatts red light-up cue. He spent days practicing on his Grandfather’s eight foot Olhausen. In his late teens, he started to sub on his dad’s pool team, and went from losing to beating the top players in the league. These days he’s working with the Wisconsin Artistic Pool Players Association as an administrator, and being sponsored by them for artistic pool. “I think my biggest moment in billiards to date is when I met Florian Kohler, and as my artistic pool grows I am able to ask his advice. It’s amazing to me that a master like him will take time to help an amateur like me.”
Photo: Garret Troop Editor: Marcee Murray King