Mezz cue butt - predator 314 shaft combo review

C

Cezar Morales

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello , as the title says ,
is anyone currently playing with a mezz cue butt
( united or wavvy joint )
but with a predator 3-14 shaft ( 314-2 or 314-3 ) .

Im currently playing with mezz ec7 butt with hybrid pro2 shaft ( wd700 as back up ) but thinking of ordering a 314-3 united joint to fit my mezz butt.

Would u please share ur opinion how different it plays as compared to when you were using ur mezz shaft
( be it wd/wx 700 , hybrid pro2 , expro or wx900 ).

Here's the dilemma im facing , mezz shaft are really well-made high quality shaft which hits extremely solid n powerful with low deflection but i find it a little hard to control the cue-ball due to its power.

On the other hand, predator 314-2 shaft i tried seems to feel softer , may be due to its lamination and wood seems to be inferior to mezz .
However i seems to enjoy playing more with the pred shaft as i able to get the necessary cue-ball action i want altho it hits softernn not as firm as mezz.

I would desire the 314 to have the solid-ness of mezz but again it will prob change the playability n characteristics that a pred 314 shaft's suppose to play.

Also i could use inside and outside english comfortably with the 314-2 shaft but i experience a little difficulty using inside english with the mezz hybrid pro 2 shaft.

Hope to hear some insights from mezz users who retain the mezz butt but uses a pred 314( gen 2 or 3 ) shaft and why ?

Thanks
 
PoolChump

PoolChump

Banned
Great Mezz Butt with thick shaft

Cezar Morales said:
Hello , as the title says ,
is anyone currently playing with a mezz cue butt
( united or wavvy joint )
but with a predator 3-14 shaft ( 314-2 or 314-3 ) .

Im currently playing with mezz ec7 butt with hybrid pro2 shaft ( wd700 as back up ) but thinking of ordering a 314-3 united joint to fit my mezz butt.

Would u please share ur opinion how different it plays as compared to when you were using ur mezz shaft
( be it wd/wx 700 , hybrid pro2 , expro or wx900 ).

Here's the dilemma im facing , mezz shaft are really well-made high quality shaft which hits extremely solid n powerful with low deflection but i find it a little hard to control the cue-ball due to its power.

On the other hand, predator 314-2 shaft i tried seems to feel softer , may be due to its lamination and wood seems to be inferior to mezz .
However i seems to enjoy playing more with the pred shaft as i able to get the necessary cue-ball action i want altho it hits softernn not as firm as mezz.

I would desire the 314 to have the solid-ness of mezz but again it will prob change the playability n characteristics that a pred 314 shaft's suppose to play.

Also i could use inside and outside english comfortably with the 314-2 shaft but i experience a little difficulty using inside english with the mezz hybrid pro 2 shaft.

Hope to hear some insights from mezz users who retain the mezz butt but uses a pred 314( gen 2 or 3 ) shaft and why ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I think Mezz butts are firm and play well with thicker shafts
 
C

Cezar Morales

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
PoolChump said:
I think Mezz butts are firm and play well with thicker shafts
Click to expand...


Mezz butt are excellent,extremely well constructed n really high quality with good woods as compared to predator butt made with composite wood,
So theres no way i will change my cue butt but im looking to use a pred 314 -3 shaft.

My current mezz shaft that im playing with is hybrid pro2 shaft@ 12.5mm along with my back up mezz shaft wd700 @12.5mm .

Predator 314-2 shaft that i tried is 12.75mm , thicker n fuller than my mezz shaft but it does not hit as solid n firm as my mezz shaft , partly could be due to Pred shaft being lamimated and mezz being 1 piece unlamimated shaft.

May i ask if u had experience with what i was saying since u mentioned mezz plays better with fuller shaft ?

Thanks
 
B

BigBoof

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cezar Morales said:
Mezz butt are excellent,extremely well constructed n really high quality with good woods as compared to predator butt made with composite wood,
So theres no way i will change my cue butt but im looking to use a pred 314 -3 shaft.

My current mezz shaft that im playing with is hybrid pro2 shaft@ 12.5mm along with my back up mezz shaft wd700 @12.5mm .

Predator 314-2 shaft that i tried is 12.75mm , thicker n fuller than my mezz shaft but it does not hit as solid n firm as my mezz shaft , partly could be due to Pred shaft being lamimated and mezz being 1 piece unlamimated shaft.

May i ask if u had experience with what i was saying since u mentioned mezz plays better with fuller shaft ?

Thanks
Click to expand...
I tried a 314-2 radial shaft. I now use an ex pro on an ec7 butt or a Schon. I never liked the hallow feeling with every hit with the predator and felt unbalanced on my Nitti butt.

There was a ss360/2 shaft for sale that will fit your joint that you might like better. I'm not the seller and might no longer be available.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 
M.G.

M.G.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cezar Morales said:
H
Here's the dilemma im facing , mezz shaft are really well-made high quality shaft which hits extremely solid n powerful with low deflection but i find it a little hard to control the cue-ball due to its power.
Click to expand...

Would you care to elaborate what's difficult, so we can give better advice?
Is is power control as in distance (too much cue ball speed) or as in spin? Too much spin, too less spin?

Cheers!
 
C

Cezar Morales

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
M.G. said:
Would you care to elaborate what's difficult, so we can give better advice?
Is is power control as in distance (too much cue ball speed) or as in spin? Too much spin, too less spin?

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Sure.
I feel the hybrid pro 2 shaft produces way too much spin n speed which is a good thing , i mean really good when ya're using outside english to throw a ball in meaning u can hit it really thick n use the spin to throw it in as it really low deflection

However i find it difficult when u have to use inside english for thin cuts to "hold position " like ya're trying to use inside english to reverse the natural cue ball path as firstly its too low deflection meaning u hit it thick u miss the shot,
But when u play it soft aiming it thin , its hard to hold position and u risk it swerving when u hit it soft.

However when i use the 314-2 , i perform inside n outside english at ease .

May i know if ya played regularly or for a considerable amount of time with both shaft ??
Beco otherwise u will find it hard to comprehend what i mean.

Thanks
 
C

CT06010

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ive played with both shafts. I actually had the ec7 and hybrid pro 2 combo. It was actually an awesome cue. I got rid of it tho. The hybrid pro 2 shaft is very stiff with a harder hit. The 314/2 has a little more flex to it and a softer hit just like you said. Both shafts do play different than one another. Tips will change how the hit is obviously too. Maybe you just need to fine tune the hybrid. I really think its just a personal thing. It really takes time to get used to a different shaft. We all have different strokes and different styles of play but everyone can get used to their equipment whether it be a 40 dollar cue or 1000 dollar cue. Take time and do some speed and "deflection drills". If you dont feel comfortable and its in your head that you play better with the 314/2 then i say swap. No reason to have that little head game when you trying to sink the money ball for the match. Go with what gives your more confidence.
 
Kim Bye

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have played with all Mezz and Predator shafts and what butt you are using does not really matter all that much. Nor if it`s Uni-Loc, Wavy or United joint...
Mezz shafts are made of solid maple and some of them have a carbon fibre core.
Predator shafts are laminated from low grade maple and hollowed out to the max, that combined with the poor solution for attaching the ferrule makes for a seriously dead hit.
That it takes time to adjust to a new shafts is something most players really don`t take into account.
If you have problem with draw, follow, english etc. that is your technique, not the shaft.
When you get a new shaft. Do drills, prefreably ones that tests your speed and spin controll.
 
C

Cross

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
before you purchase a new shaft, try to change the tip shape or the tip first. I used to play with predator shafts but when I switched to mezz (hp2 and expro) i never wanted to go bck to predator. I think the amount of deflection between them is very similar but the quality , feel and consistency on the mezz is superior IMHO
 
PocketSpeed11

PocketSpeed11

AzB Long Member
Silver Member
I read on here a long while back that Bergman has or had a Mezz butt with a Predator shaft. I've got a Mezz, but with the WX700 shaft. I went from playing with a Schon with a standard shaft to a 314-2. It just never felt right to me.
 
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