Kurt,
If you would agree I will pay for another shaft if you will video record the stroke you are describing that breaks only Predator 314-2 shafts and post it here.
Please advise,
Nut
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Shafts breaking, suggestion?
- Thread starter Kurt
- Start date
Kurt,
If you would agree I will pay for another shaft if you will video record the stroke you are describing that breaks only Predator 314-2 shafts and post it here.
Please advise,
Nut
Sometimes in my follow-through, I throw my cue across the room like a spear...only on draw shots though.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Sigel used a Meucci, which is about the most flexible cue in the Universe.
You may also try choking up on your grip to shorten your follow through so the tip makes less contact with the table. As someone said previously, make sure you stay down.
You may also try choking up on your grip to shorten your follow through so the tip makes less contact with the table. As someone said previously, make sure you stay down.
Black-Balled gave you some of the best advice. It isn't the cue. It's you.
If you drop your elbow on your draw shot, you may save your shaft but you'll probably ruin your draw.
Sometimes draw is the only option. A 9 foot draw shot should be in every serious players repertoire. It doesn't take a super soft Kamui to perform one. I used to practice it with a Chandivert Rocky. Now THAT is one hard chunk of leather.
If you drop your elbow on your draw shot, you may save your shaft but you'll probably ruin your draw.
Sometimes draw is the only option. A 9 foot draw shot should be in every serious players repertoire. It doesn't take a super soft Kamui to perform one. I used to practice it with a Chandivert Rocky. Now THAT is one hard chunk of leather.
I had a 314 ferrule snap off on a draw shot miscue.. but never heard of the middle of the shaft snapping...
#1 sounds like you have poor technique.. you should work on that.. however
#2 the reason only the 314's snap could be the glue lines.. each time you flex the shaft at an extreme like that probably weakens the glue between each section... over time you have 6 or 8 thin strips of wood instead of one piece of maple like a real shaft... effectively de-laminating your shaft and making it easier to break.
thats my best guess
#1 sounds like you have poor technique.. you should work on that.. however
#2 the reason only the 314's snap could be the glue lines.. each time you flex the shaft at an extreme like that probably weakens the glue between each section... over time you have 6 or 8 thin strips of wood instead of one piece of maple like a real shaft... effectively de-laminating your shaft and making it easier to break.
thats my best guess
That is a great tip. An open bridge doesn't let you get away with some of the stuff a closed bridge would. Take that as good or bad; in this case it is definitely good.
Rep to you sir.
Also, work on your stroke. I've never not once seen anybody with a good stroke break a shaft, let alone two in a row.
TheThaiger
Banned
Predator fat shaft's another option...
I suggest staying down in the shooting position until the cue ball makes contact with the object ball. Something else that helped me with draw shots,is to grip you cue with a loose grip. It seems that it would be almost impossible to put the downward pressure on the shaft with a loose grip.
Finally!!!
After 15 months on AZ and someone agrees with me.
Thanks Mr. Hungarian Nut
I've always been concerned about Predator shafts because of the adhesives they use to glue the pieces together. The wood glue that they use is fine for furniture construction and most projects but people tend to burnish their shafts which results in much higher temperatures than this type of glue is designed withstand. For this reason whenever I get a Predator shaft in for tip work I explain to the customer that I can't do the same job of cleaning, burnishing, sealing and polishing that I do on a standard solid maple shaft. I've always been afraid that if I did they would end up look like one of those exploding blunderbusses on a Porky Pig cartoon! If I were you I'd make a point of not letting a Predator shaft get heated up too much for this reason. When the Predator shafts first came out I had a discussion with Allen McCarthy who I believe was instrumental in the shafts development and asked it would be possible to build them with an epoxy with a heat rating that would be sufficient to prevent this type of situation. He told me "It would be cost prohibitive"! Considering the amount of advertising they were doing, this seemed a little short sighted to me. I'm actually quite surprised that you don't hear of more of these types of problems. maybe the glue works better than it was designed to do!
You are very welcome Roadking. This guy is a clown...
I have had several cue-makers and repair specialists tell me exactly the same thing. I started making sure that I specify "no shaft cleaning or burnishing" when I take a predator in to be re-tipped. I actually have had 1 come back from the shop with a warp from being heated up on the lathe. Well at least I think it was from that but I am not a total expert for sure.
Sherm, Do you know if the OB and Straight laminates use the same glues as predator? I haven't seen but 1 straight lam warp from what we assume was overheating on a lathe.
I was, unfortunately, very sober on both occasions.
I have witnesses on both occasions. First time was in Kendall/Miami, at Sharpshooters at Christmas time, playing some 9 ball sets..had at least 5 people watching when it happened..and it didn't snap completely in two parts..but it was substantial and was only held on by a small piece of wood.
In the second case, it happened at Zingale's (formerly Snookers) in Tallahassee, Tuesday night, during my APA match..and had about 4 witnesses there.
I've also never hit my cue on anything out of anger (it's a TS), so it's purely in my crappy power draws...and it makes sense..because I've been playing pool at least a decade and never had any formal training.
In addition, I heard very light cracking previously in both shafts on some of my strokes, so it was a process of degradation over time, and not straight from brand new to broken instantly.
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If it's the shaft of my choice from either Mezz or OB, you have yourself a deal.
Predator offices in Jacksonville saw the first shaft I broke..just ask the guy who does customer service there- George was his name? I know it's not proof I did it on a draw stroke, but that's where the witnesses from Sharpshooters come in..one was Jose if I remember correctly (I know it's a generic name, but he's a house player and everybody knows him.) Another guy that saw it is Native American, plays really good one pocket, and drives a really nice expensive car...I forgot his nick name though.
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I do use Q-Wiz to clean the shaft...and I think one side has a burnisher. Maybe it's weakening the shafts?