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ER240 Shaft by Edwin Reyes

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I have waited to provide a review of the ER240 shaft until I have used it for a while then went back to the Meucci Red dot to feel the difference. I felt this would provide a more accurate assessment of the shaft and did not want to provide an assessment on feelings and exuberance after 1 hour of use.



Construction:

At first appearance it is a beautiful shaft, very white and the ring work is a perfect match with my Meucci 9721-B butt and very well done. I could not find any flaws in the workmanship. The MOP is real and the ferrule is ivory. The spliced sections gives the appearance of grain, very straight grain which is what I suppose provides the consistent feel I get in its use. I used a magnifying glass to examine the splices and they are amazingly straight and smooth. To the naked eye it looks like grain. The fit is perfect, it actually threads more solid then my original red dot that came with the butt. It is 4 3/4 oz which is heavier then the 3 5/8 oz of my Red Dot. This moves my balance point about one inch further forward which is fine with me. My total weight is now 20.5 oz and suits my stroke since I stroked a 21 oz cue for many years before I switched to the 19 1/4 oz Meucci.



Feel:

What I immediately felt was consistency and predictability. I never thought about or actually felt that in a shaft before but that is what came to mind as I played. After about 80 hrs of play I am now sure this is due to the shaft and not a good cycle I was in. I find CB travel easier to control. I also noticed long shots being more predictable as well, my percentage has gone up in this area as well as in position play. I have been making cross table slice shots that used to be really hit or miss (more miss) but now there is a very good chance of sinking. I suspect the improvement is due to the rigid characteristics as compared to the flexibless of the Red Dots.



At first I had a significant amount of deflection and said so on a first impression post. I will not hide any negatives and give only positives, I will just provide an accurate review of the shaft with my current abilities. After about 10 hours of play the deflection went away and I now aim as if shooting a center hit except for long or top of rail shots. My stroke must have changed to adapt to the different characteristics of the ER240 and the Meucci Red Dot. I do not know what I changed, it was not a conscious change to compensate, it just happened over time. The same is true with Draw. I was having difficulty getting the draw I was used to and at times it became frustrating. I had been seeing steady improvement but not as much as I had with deflection. I spent about ˝ hour last night practicing nothing but draw and I am happy to say it is back. I do not know if the shaft is harder to apply draw or the fact that it is so different then the flexible Meucci Red dot and I just needed to alter my stroke to accommodate the difference. I may have had the same problem if I was used to ER240 then switched to Meucci. I do not know. Sorry I cannot be more accurate but I do not want to make up imaginary details just to sound good. One reviewer said that it was easy to apply draw across the length of the table so I suspect it was me.



It is a powerful shaft, the object balls sink with more determination. I did not notice that at first, but realized it after awhile and it is a nice feel. I have been getting comments recently about how I am playing better. One person does not know I have a new shaft, it was an unsolicited observation, the best kind.



I went back to the Red Dot to see how it felt after getting accustomed to the ER240 and to my surprise it felt good, like an old friend. I had liked the feel and started to wonder which I liked better but as I played for about an hour with the red dot I started to loose ability on the long shots. It was not an immediate degradation, it happened over time. Then I went back to the ER240 and I also got that same feeling of consistency and predictability like the first time I shot with it. I like both shafts but prefer the ER240 because of its consistency, which is one goal I have been working towards.



Some ask why spend money on a new shaft when I already have two very capable Red Dots. Their reasoning is why not spend the money on a new custom cue butt loaded with ivory etc. Realistically most of the playability comes from the shaft. The butt is primarily a pretty handle and I would never feel the difference between real MOP / Ivory and man made composites in the butt. I would prefer to put the money in the business end of the cue.



The ER240 shaft is a quality product that plays very well and has improved my game. My two Red Dots are now designated as very capable backup shafts.

(10/10)