So I finally got my hands on one of the new Lucasi Hybrids and took it for a test drive (eww… bad pun… very tacky). Honestly, I expected this to be nothing more than a new gimmick with a bunch of sizzle and no steak but I like Lucasi pool cues, so I figured I’d give their new cue the benefit of the doubt. Color me impressed.
The Lucasi Hybrid cue is pretty damn cool. While I’m not a robot like good old Iron Willie at Predator, I did notice increased control and reduced deflection when playing with this cue. Since all the performance is in the tip and ferrule, this is likely a result of their “zero flex point” ferrule, whatever that is. I’m sure if I asked the manufacturer, I’d get lots of marketing-speak about it, but all that really matters to me is that the cue reduces deflection.
I personally don’t buy into the whole multi-piece shaft construction. If more pieces equaled better performance, Meucci’s black dot shaft would be the best performing shaft with their 35 layers of lamentation. As most of you know, this does not appear to be the case for anyone except Bob’s robot who claims that the black dot is the best.
At any rate, the hybrid shaft has the 8 piece pie design, similar to Predator’s 10 piece pie design.Finally, there’s the wrap, although for this cue it should really be called a grip. If you’re used to playing with a linen wrap, this is going to feel a bit strange. The grip is more like a grip you’d find on a golf club than one you’d find on a pool cue. I’m guessing this is why they called it a hybrid, since I couldn’t find anywhere to plug it in and it doesn’t run on alternative fuel. According to the company, the grip provides more ball control. I personally doubt it, but it sure looks and feels cool.
Bottom line, if you don’t mind the non-traditional look, you can get yourself a nice performance cue for around 200 bucks. Pretty good deal considering the fact that Predator Shafts and OB Shafts are going to run you about the same amount. Clearly there’s more to the cue than just marketing hype.