Pool stick shafts. whats the best? graphite, maple, ash ?

Anything that's not made of wood is complete garbage. And I don't know where you're from, but Ash cues are almost non-existent in the US. Unless you're looking for a snooker cue, I wouldn't really worry about it. High quality cuemakers tend to have high quality shafts. The quality of wood used, the way it's prepared, and the manufacturing method determine it's quality in most instances. The exception to that is high performance shafts such as Predator, OB Cues, Tiger, etc that use technology to enhance the performance of the shaft. But don't confuse these manufacturers with the junky-graphite-aluminum-titanium-whateve… shafts they sell at sporting goods stores. Good companies use real, research and tested technology, not niche-y marketing ploys. I'm sure you're annoying that your old cue warped on you, but don't get caught up in any "our cues don't warp" marketing hoopla that non-wood cues use (like Cuetec) to hook in beginner players. Well made cues don't warp very often. Your cue likely warped simply because it's a cheap cue that was not made properly, or because of improper care.

(www. ozone billiards. com) a popular stick seems to be "McDermott" expect to spend $300 for a GOOD stick