What weight pool cue should I choose?

Most players find 19-20 oz ideal for all-around play. Heavier cues (20-21 oz) provide more power for breaking, while lighter cues (18-19 oz) offer more finesse and control. Beginners should start with 19-20 oz as it provides good balance between power and accuracy.

What is low deflection in pool cues and is it worth it?

Low deflection (LD) refers to how much the cue ball squirts sideways when you apply english (sidespin). LD shafts have reduced tip-end mass, causing less cue ball deflection and making aiming more intuitive. They are worth it for players who use a lot of english or are struggling with accuracy on spin shots.

How much should I spend on my first quality pool cue?

For your first quality cue, $150-300 provides excellent options that will last years and support your development. Cues in this range feature straight maple shafts, quality tips, and reliable construction from brands like Action, Athena, and entry-level McDermott.

What tip size is best - 11mm, 12mm, or 13mm?

Standard tips are 12.75-13mm, which are forgiving and great for beginners. Smaller tips (11-12mm) allow more precise cue ball contact and spin generation but require more accuracy. For general play and learning fundamentals, stick with 12.75-13mm until you develop preferences through experience.

Carbon fiber shaft vs wood - which is better?

Carbon fiber shafts never warp, provide consistent hit regardless of humidity, and offer maximum low-deflection. Wood shafts provide traditional feel and feedback many players prefer. Carbon fiber typically costs $500-1500 for the shaft alone. For most recreational players, quality wood shafts perform excellently.

What brands make the best pool cues?

Premium American brands include Predator (low-deflection technology leader), McDermott (Wisconsin craftsmanship, lifetime warranty), and Jacoby (handcrafted customs). Mid-range value leaders include Cuetec, Viking, and Lucasi. Budget-friendly options from Action and Players serve recreational players well.

How do I know if a pool cue shaft is warped?

Roll the cue on a pool table or flat surface - a straight shaft rolls smoothly while a warped one wobbles. Also sight down the shaft like a rifle, rotating it to check for curves. To prevent warping: store cues vertically in a case, avoid car trunks and temperature extremes, and never lean cues against walls.

Do I need separate break and playing cues?

For serious players, yes. Break shots stress equipment significantly - the repeated hard impacts can damage playing cue tips, joints, and even warp shafts over time. Dedicated break cues feature reinforced construction, phenolic tips, and heavier weight optimized for powerful breaks.

What is the difference between 1-piece and 2-piece cues?

Two-piece cues disconnect at the joint (mid-cue) for easy transport and storage in cases. One-piece cues do not come apart. Two-piece is standard for serious players - the joint does not affect playability when properly manufactured. One-piece cues are typically inexpensive house cues.

How often should I replace my cue tip?

Replace tips when they are worn down to 1/8 inch height, become mushroomed (wider than ferrule), harden significantly, or will not hold chalk properly. Typical replacement frequency is every 6-12 months for regular players. Proper tip maintenance (shaping, scuffing, chalking correctly) extends tip life significantly.

Carbon Fiber, Shafts

Jacoby Black Carbon Fiber Shaft 11.8mm JCBCF2

Rated 4.95 out of 5 based on 21 customer ratings

(21 customer reviews)

$475.00

Jacoby Black JCBCF2 Carbon Fiber Shaft – 11.8mm with Kamui Black Clear Soft tip. 29″ black carbon fiber construction. Multiple joint pins. Made in USA.

Clear

SKU: JCBCF2 Categories: Carbon Fiber, Shafts Brand: Jacoby, Jacoby

Jacoby Black JCBCF2 Carbon Fiber Shaft – 11.8mm

Jacoby’s Black carbon fiber replacement shaft delivering consistent performance with low deflection.

Specifications

Tip: 11.8mm Kamui Black Clear Soft
Ferrule: 2mm
Shaft: 29″ Black carbon fiber
Collar: Black
Warranty: Lifetime
Made in: USA

Available joint pin options: 3/8×10, 5/16-14, 5/16-14 Jacoby Piloted, 5/16-18, Radial, Uni-Loc.

Weight	0.5 lbs
Dimensions	3 × 3 × 34 in
Tip	11.8mm Kamui Brown Clear Soft
Ferrule	2mm
Shaft	29" Black carbon fiber
Pin	3/8 x 10, 5/16 x 14, 5/16 x 18, 5/16×14 Piloted, Radial, Uniloc
Collar	Black
Warranty	Lifetime

21 reviews for Jacoby Black Carbon Fiber Shaft 11.8mm JCBCF2

Rated 5 out of 5

Bob P. – March 25, 2022

Fantastic Shaft!!

I must admit, it hits like a dream and doesn’t feel significantly different than the Jacoby Pro I’ve been working with. This is a fantastic shaft and I cannot recommend it enough… I went 5-0 in my first match of using it!
Rated 5 out of 5

Casey K. – December 13, 2022

Best carbon fiber shaft I’ve tried

From my perspective, this Jacoby Black 11.8 carbon fiber shaft is by far the best carbon shaft I’ve played with until this date. It performs a lot different that the Revo 12.4 in terms of hit, feel and sound. All 3 of these aspects are much more to my liking with this Black 11.8 shaft compared to the Revo 12.4. Yes, it’s hard to believe but they differ a lot from each other but look almost the same on the outside.The second best shaft I’ve played with is the Mezz Ignite 12.2. It shipped in 3 weeks including customs clearance to The Netherlands, Europe which is acceptable. Too bad we don’t have Pooldawg over here in Europe, otherwise I would order stuff much more often here!
Rated 5 out of 5

Mary E. – January 8, 2023

Excellent Shaft

This is by far the best carbon fiber shaft I have used. It’s better than meucci and predator. The longer taper makes for a smoother stroke through the ball.
Rated 5 out of 5

Dave K. – February 25, 2023

Carbon fiber shaft

Great shaft!
Rated 5 out of 5

Alex B. – March 25, 2023

Best carbon fiber shaft

To be frank, i owned the revo carbon fiber shaft, played with it for 1-2 months. Never liked the sound, feel or the way it played. Decided to try the jacoby carbon fiber. Hands down the finest shaft I have ever played with!!
Rated 4 out of 5

Chris C. – April 9, 2023

It’s really fine but I

Honestly, it’s really satisfactory but I think the 12.4 will be better.
Rated 5 out of 5

Dave H. – October 11, 2023

Love it

To be frank, love it
Rated 5 out of 5

Taylor S. – December 2, 2023

The 11.8 Jacoby Black shaft

The 11.8 Jacoby Black shaft is the 1st cf shaft I’ve had & definitely valued at the money. I added the kamui black soft tip & what a difference. Definitely a game changer & couldn’t be happier. I had a 11.8 Pure x shaft before which is now a back up shaft. It took almost no time to adjust to the Jacoby shaft & I can say it’s improved my game.
Rated 5 out of 5

Pat M. – December 13, 2023

11.8 Black v4 WOW

Ok what ever Jacoby has changed has made for a very delightful shaft to play with. The original Jacoby shaft I had tried seemed to have much more deflection and unpredicted spin compared to my 11.8 revo I was using at the the time, needless to say I thought it was terrible. The new V4 shaft has a stiff but reactive contact, It gives instant feedback and does what you ask of it, I instantly felt comfortable using it as soon as I put it on my stick. This is coming from using a 11.8 becue cynergy shaft, the cynergy is an amazing shaft but the Jacoby beats it on ease of power and balance I think along with it’s long taper. Remember these this are all subjective to ones feel and tase. The shaft is dead nuts straight and super silky, along with the 19in pro taper its really pleasing to stoke the cue as far through as you’d like with out getting caught up on a thick taper end on your open or closed bridge. The taper is long and a pro but I wouldn’t consider it a super thin shaft with a super slim taper, this is a satisfied medium I’d say. Onto sound, the sound is much more like wood but wood can even be slightly more “pingy” depending on the shaft, I will say that it is a pleasant of a happy medium, Unlike the ” aluminum baseball bat” sound some carbon shaft can make. Still the quietest softest hit came from the Pechaure shaft I had tried and disliked quite much as I felt like I was playing withs tail dough and had the most deflection out of all the carbon fiber shafts I have tried. The Jacoby’s stock soft kamui tip pairs nicely but I will probably end up going with a medium or hard tip to “liven” the shafts sound and tone up, But keep in mind I am also a medium to medium hard tip guy! Don’t be mistaken with the Kamui soft the shaft does NOT hit dead nor do you need to muscle the cue stick around to get any solid cue ball action, this will come down to user preference on what tip harness they enjoy playing with but I doubt will sacrifice anything with the performance and power, unlike some other carbon shaft. All around I am very pleased with the shaft. Pooldawg of course knocked it out of the park with communication and customer service, super quick shipment I may add 😉
Rated 5 out of 5

Sam D. – January 4, 2024

Read the review

Best shaft ever Very pleased.
Rated 5 out of 5

Jen E. – January 18, 2024

Jacoby black 11.8mm carbon fiber shaft

I consider myself a decent sturdy player somewhere around an advanced level. The shaft is beautifully made and has a excellent feel. It is the same size as the ultra super pro I have been using for several years. The stiffness is significantly different than the wood and seems to magnify all of my bad stroke habits. For the long term it is forcing me to address issues that I have ignored for quite some time. There is a learning curve but this will bring an improvement in my game.
Rated 5 out of 5

Chris F. – February 6, 2024

Game changer

Very impressed with the Jacoby Black 11.8mm V4. It’s a superb low deflection shaft and allows me to move the stick ball essentially anywhere with ease. Confidence is at an all time high to say the least.
Rated 5 out of 5

Jordan P. – April 1, 2024

Jacoby shaft

Excellent service. Fast shipment
Rated 5 out of 5

Alex D. – July 18, 2024

better control and reliability

this shaft fits my Eight Ball Mafia cue perfectly. I was using a wooden shaft and can tell the difference in ball control and movement. I also enjoy not worrying about it the cue stick is straight as bowing isn’t a concern. Overall, I recommend this pool cue!
Rated 5 out of 5

Rick F. – August 8, 2024

Jacoby shaft

I have to say, tried the new kamui athlete tip with it and I love it
Rated 5 out of 5

Chris L. – October 2, 2024

switch from revo 12.4 to jacoby black 11.8

Played with revo 12.4 for a few years I always felt I needed too much shot velocity to get the stick ball action I needed. On speedy 9 foot tables I would frequently overrun position and struggled with consistency in shot weight. I made a switch to jacoby black 11.8 shaft and my game instantly improved. It feels a lot more like my old snooker pool cue back in the day. which let me move the cue ball precisely around the table with a soft stroke. The long taper, feedback, and sound, feel just right. It feels like a refined purchase that has improved my game.
Rated 5 out of 5

Bob L. – November 2, 2024

I love this V4 shaft

In my experience, i read a lot of reviews about the shaft and I decided to pick up it untested unproven for me and I am glad that I did. I chalked it up and I played for a couple of hours with it and then I’ve been playing probably another 10 or 12 hours and I absolutely appreciate this. If you pick up it, you need to put some table time in with it and make sure that you are adjusting to the extreme low deflection because I was playing shots like I did with my previous shaft and I kept missing so I just needed a slight adjustment and now I am absolutely loving the shaft. I tried a revo and I didn’t like it really much and I took a chance on this and I’m glad I did. You can’t go wrong with this.
Rated 5 out of 5

Dan P. – January 1, 2025

The soft tip in my

The soft tip in my opinion is to soft feeling on this shaft. I will try a medium next Highly recommend!
Rated 5 out of 5

Alex L. – February 8, 2025

Am thrilled with it

I have to say, love it
Rated 5 out of 5

Steve J. – April 3, 2025

Really helpful

Without a doubt, i am quite new to pool and the agent was extremely helpful and patient answering all my questions and recommending the perfect shaft for me. Thank you and will certainly come back for any further needs.
Rated 5 out of 5

Alex W. – May 8, 2025

Adore my new shaft. Very

Adore my new shaft. Very accurate and worth the money 💰.