Has anyone played with the Predator Vantage Shaft, and if so what do you think about it? Does it have more or less deflection than the 314/3 and how is the feel of the shaft? Meaning is it a firm or soft hit. If you have played with it and a 314 which would you recommend and why.
Predator Vantage Shaft
- Thread starter 9ball mike
- Start date
Predator answers some of these questions on their website.
Scroll to the bottom and click between the tabs
http://www.predatorcues.com/technology/predator-low-deflection-shaft/
Scroll to the bottom and click between the tabs
http://www.predatorcues.com/technology/predator-low-deflection-shaft/
Just last Thursday I hit balls with one for a while. First of all, I doubt many will like the tips the new Predators come with. I wasn't a big fan of the old Everests, but they are far better than the Predator tips they use now. I never liked *any* of the 3 series shafts until I tried them with a different tip. As luck would have it, I've tried all with Kamuis, so I can offer a good comparison.
I've played with a 314-2 pretty much since they came out. So I will use that as a basis for comparison. I spoke with a guy who worked in the R&D shop for Predator. He said that of the 3 new shafts (Z3, 314-3, and Vantage), they are all essentially the same construction. The differences are in the tapers. The Z3 is a conical taper, and 11.85 mm. The Vantage is very similar to the Z3, only in 12.9 mm. The 314-3 is the same old pro-taper it has always been.
For me, the Vantage feels a bit too fat, and I'm personally not a fan of conical tapers. I like the 314 taper much better. That being said, the Vantage hits extremely solid. It has pretty good feedback, and a firm, stiff feel to it. You can spin the ball like crazy. The place where this shaft really shines is when you want to pound a ball in with english and go long distance around the table. The deflection (cue ball squirt) is remarkably low when you hit it hard with lots of english (pretty much like Predator says). Overall it is a very nice shaft with the right tip. If you don't mind a somewhat larger diameter and the conical taper, you will probably like this shaft.
For me, I prefer the hit and feel of the 314-3. I personally felt it gave me better feedback, like I could just feel the cue ball better. Also, I strongly prefer the taper of the 314. I really doubt you could go too wrong with any of them, so just select the one that feels the best to you based on the taper and size. They all have ridiculously low deflection, and a good solid hit, with a pretty stiff feel.
Hope this helps!
KMRUNOUT<--------bought the 314-3
I've played with a 314-2 pretty much since they came out. So I will use that as a basis for comparison. I spoke with a guy who worked in the R&D shop for Predator. He said that of the 3 new shafts (Z3, 314-3, and Vantage), they are all essentially the same construction. The differences are in the tapers. The Z3 is a conical taper, and 11.85 mm. The Vantage is very similar to the Z3, only in 12.9 mm. The 314-3 is the same old pro-taper it has always been.
For me, the Vantage feels a bit too fat, and I'm personally not a fan of conical tapers. I like the 314 taper much better. That being said, the Vantage hits extremely solid. It has pretty good feedback, and a firm, stiff feel to it. You can spin the ball like crazy. The place where this shaft really shines is when you want to pound a ball in with english and go long distance around the table. The deflection (cue ball squirt) is remarkably low when you hit it hard with lots of english (pretty much like Predator says). Overall it is a very nice shaft with the right tip. If you don't mind a somewhat larger diameter and the conical taper, you will probably like this shaft.
For me, I prefer the hit and feel of the 314-3. I personally felt it gave me better feedback, like I could just feel the cue ball better. Also, I strongly prefer the taper of the 314. I really doubt you could go too wrong with any of them, so just select the one that feels the best to you based on the taper and size. They all have ridiculously low deflection, and a good solid hit, with a pretty stiff feel.
Hope this helps!
KMRUNOUT<--------bought the 314-3
Thanks for the insight. I am going to try to find 1 that I can test hit before I decide which I am going to purchase.
