314, a review

Billiard Architect

Billiard Architect

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well after reading several of the posts here about the 314 I finally got one. I am using it on a Joss butt.

I must say this shaft is one of the wildest things I have ever played with. I had more fun setting up straight in shots, lining up and slamming them in the hole and watching the cueball just stop dead and spin like a top.

Follow shots take off like a rocket and I would say that I have added a diamond to my draw shots.

I agree that it can take some getting use to. Most of the time I would use the backhand english method of applying spin to the cueball. The first couple of times I did that I was pushing the cueball in the direction I was spinning it. Then I figured out how to play it.

I really love this shaft. I can't wait until I have put about a hundred hours of practice into it to really get good at it.

Johnny "V"
 
Hey...BigJon...tell me if I missed anything here or I'm pretty much on the mark

The Stages Of A Predator

#1. I think I'm gonna git me one o' those them thar Predators everybody
been talkin' so much about...man, they be kinda expensive tho...I hopes
I like it and can whup some ass for a change tha's been whuppin' on
mine. All dem other dudes say those things shoot pretty good....

#2. Dang....got my Predator in just a few days ago and whooooeeeee....I
ain't a shittin' when I says I can knock d'em balls in from all over da
place....I sets my cue ball up in da middle of da table and put a ball 4"
from da corner pocket straight in and I almost ripped da back of da
pocket out right from da frame. D'at cue ball was just spinnin' like a
movafuk...I tried a draw shot on this one ball and d'at cue ball came
spinnin' back so quick, hard, and straight d'at before I could get my
stick out of the way d'at cue ball come rollin' right back up my stick, up
my hand and arm and rolled over my damn shoulder and got position on
my next ball at the other end....d'is sumbitch is unreal!! SPIN...man, you
wanna talk 'bout spin...d'is mova hits those cushions like you be workin' a
pinball machine rackin' up a thousand points a second....dingdingding
dingdingding dingdingdingding dingdingdingding

#3. I got's to tell the WORLD to buy one of d'ese movafuka's...let's see, I'll
go on AZ, RSB, CCB, BD, P&B, InsidePool, and start threads and turn
EVERYBODY on to buyin' one....hot damn, I'm gonna whup some ass
today, in just three weeks I be gone from a 2 to a 5 in my league. I do
shit wit da cue ball now d'at I ain't NEVER done befo!

#4. (4months down the road) Man....I don't know wha's been happenin' but
I be gittin' my ass whupped agin and missin' easy cuts...seems like da
cue ball be throwin' the shit out of da object ball. Some how my cue
doesn't feel right...seems like all the weight is in da back part of da butt
or sumpin'. Kinda feels like da hit is dead...I wonder if my case fell over
and my shaft got damaged.....

#5. Man...my damn game has gone downhill...I don't know what da fuk is
goin' on. I think I'll try one of my other old shafts agin or my buddy's
new Schon tonight when we go out...he's da one d'ats been whuppin'
up on my ass big time....

#6. Dang...my ol' shaft feels GREAT! And d'at new Schon d'at my buddy has
feels so good I done ordered one for myself...it's funny how I can really
feel the cue ball agin commin' off of da tip...it feels like I have so much
sensitivity in my fingers agin d'at I'm goin to enroll in Med School and
become a gynocologist...I been tellin' all da women at da bar d'at I was
one for years anyway, now I can really BE one. But, back to pool...I can
git shape now like I haven't been able to since...I don't know when. Hey
come to think of it...it was right before I got that muvafukin' Predator.
Well....I ain't sayin' shit on the forums...all of dem assholes that I got
into flame wars wit are jus gonna say "HAHA....I told you so", and I don't
wanna hear any of d'at crap no mo!!! FUK!!!!!!!!!!! Why'd I spend all
d'at good money on d'at sumbitch to begin wit??!! FUK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Good luck with the Predator. I have been a user for over 5 years and I occasionally try friend's conventional cues. I can eventually get the same action with them, but I have to aim to almost miss the entire ball at times. It just seems like way too much trouble for me.

Everyone who keeps bashing Predators must not like change. In my view, there is Predator shafts (Meucci Black Dot also plays very similar to them) and "everything else". All the doubters must realize what an impact these two shafts have made on the market. People are either for or against them. You never hear such heated arguments about any other cue, be it super high end Black Boars, Southwest, etc. The fact that these cues have caused so much controversy must tell you SOMETHING. Anytime there is a paradigm shift it is usually met with great resistance. I bet when the Predator patent expires, we will be seeing a bunch of copycats with soft ferrules and hollow shafts. We might even see some of the high end custom makers copy the shaft. I know I would because I think it is legitimately better than any other shaft on the market.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Good luck with the Predator. I have been a user for over 5 years and I occasionally try friend's conventional cues. I can eventually get the same action with them, but I have to aim to almost miss the entire ball at times. It just seems like way too much trouble for me.

Everyone who keeps bashing Predators must not like change. In my view, there is Predator shafts (Meucci Black Dot also plays very similar to them) and "everything else". All the doubters must realize what an impact these two shafts have made on the market. People are either for or against them. You never hear such heated arguments about any other cue, be it super high end Black Boars, Southwest, etc. The fact that these cues have caused so much controversy must tell you SOMETHING. Anytime there is a paradigm shift it is usually met with great resistance. I bet when the Predator patent expires, we will be seeing a bunch of copycats with soft ferrules and hollow shafts. We might even see some of the high end custom makers copy the shaft. I know I would because I think it is legitimately better than any other shaft on the market.
Click to expand...
I do not know of any good player using Black Dot shaft.
In the pool hall I go to, there is only one decent player playing with a 314 shaft.
Nothing wrong with 314's of course. Some people just prefer the hit of non-hollowed shafts. Some think they judge speed and hit better with a non-hollowed shaft.
I think if a player can play with a semi-stiff shaft, flex point about 10 inches or less from the tip, he should be able to play top notch with a good conventional shaft.
 
dont 50 percent of pros use predator cues without compensation or something? they must be pretty good for something if 1/2 the best players in the world are using the things. theres a HUGE variety of cues out there so it's quite impressive that predator has 1/2 the pros using their cue. all the pros that i know that dont use it say they are too used to compensating for deflection so NOT compensating causes too many problems and they dont want to relearn how to shoot.
 
Kiad said:
dont 50 percent of pros use predator cues without compensation or something? they must be pretty good for something if 1/2 the best players in the world are using the things.
Click to expand...


NO 50% of the pro's DON'T use Predator cues!!! You've fallen hook, line, and sinker for their written hyped up propaganda. Many use the break cue and there's no reason why they shouldn't since they've been given away to them, and it's a pretty decent break cue. But, THAT doesn't count toward total usage of playing cues.
If you really believe it and wish to prove otherwise, go down the list of all the biggest names in pool on all the tours and provide your OWN list and it's not even close. Let me say it again...it's not even close to 50%. I can go to their published list right now and pick out many that are on there NOT using a Predator cue or shaft for playing.

As you stated, they are pretty good for something. I'll give you 3 guesses.
HINT: (not pool related)
 
drivermaker said:
NO 50% of the pro's DON'T use Predator cues!!! You've fallen hook, line, and sinker for their written hyped up propaganda. Many use the break cue and there's no reason why they shouldn't since they've been given away to them, and it's a pretty decent break cue. But, THAT doesn't count toward total usage of playing cues.
If you really believe it and wish to prove otherwise, go down the list of all the biggest names in pool on all the tours and provide your OWN list and it's not even close. Let me say it again...it's not even close to 50%. I can go to their published list right now and pick out many that are on there NOT using a Predator cue or shaft for playing.

As you stated, they are pretty good for something. I'll give you 3 guesses.
HINT: (not pool related)
Click to expand...

You are right drivermaker it isn't 50 percent it is only 40 percent. And no they were not given to them. No compensation means just that... no compensation. I say leave it up to the people that buy them. If a broom handle feels good then let the person use it. I was just relaying my experience. Like I stated before I used backhand english for most of my spin prior to this shaft. Now I don't need to worry about it. Oh btw in reference to your earlier post. How does a hollow shaft impart more throw on an object ball than a solid shaft? Is that even possible??? I could see it applying less deflection on a cueball... But more throw on the object ball?

Johnny "V"
 
Johnny "V" said:
You are right drivermaker it isn't 50 percent it is only 40 percent. And no they were not given to them. No compensation means just that... no compensation. I say leave it up to the people that buy them. If a broom handle feels good then let the person use it. I was just relaying my experience. Like I stated before I used backhand english for most of my spin prior to this shaft. Now I don't need to worry about it. Oh btw in reference to your earlier post. How does a hollow shaft impart more throw on an object ball than a solid shaft? Is that even possible??? I could see it applying less deflection on a cueball... But more throw on the object ball?

Johnny "V"
Click to expand...


Johnny...first of all you and I actually have something very much in common.
We both have been taught to aim and shoot by the same individual. I don't know how much you rely on the systems or to what extent you use them, but I do for almost 100% of all my shots. And as you know, all of them use backhand english. However, I was also using backhand way, way before Hal. To be exact, 41 years before him. If you're using the Predator 6 months to a year from now I would be absolutely amazed because during that time you will be shooting and aiming completely differently than you have been and are now used to doing it. You really can't use backhand english with a Predator. It overcorrects the offset and trying to get used to that was next to impossible from the number of years that I've been playing. A new person learning the game from scratch would probably do very well with a Predator.

I had a Predator for one year and went through the stages that I listed, all hyped up and excited about draw, spin, and the rest of it. After the newness wore off and I woke up and started seeing reality instead of what I wanted to see, I realized that my game had actually fallen off a good bit in the long haul. Going back to a normally made shaft gave me better balance on my cue, better overall weight, more forward weighting which is a must for me, much better feel, and more accuracy with better CB control once I went back to BHE and aiming the way I was used to.


Again, write another post 6 months to a year from now with your LONG TERM
results and we'll compare notes. Oh, almost forgot...a hollowed out shaft doesn't produce more throw. But I'll bet if you think hard enough you'll come up with the answer. What DOES produce throw? And secondly what does the Predator produce more of?
 
Kiad said:
dont 50 percent of pros use predator cues without compensation or something? they must be pretty good for something if 1/2 the best players in the world are using the things. theres a HUGE variety of cues out there so it's quite impressive that predator has 1/2 the pros using their cue. all the pros that i know that dont use it say they are too used to compensating for deflection so NOT compensating causes too many problems and they dont want to relearn how to shoot.
Click to expand...

PROS USE BACKHAND ENGLISH WHICH NEGATES CUE BALL DEFLECTION. THEY DO NOT HAVE TO COMPENSATE FOR CUE BALL DEFLECTION.

HAL
 
drivermaker said:
Johnny...first of all you and I actually have something very much in common.
We both have been taught to aim and shoot by the same individual. I don't know how much you rely on the systems or to what extent you use them, but I do for almost 100% of all my shots. And as you know, all of them use backhand english. However, I was also using backhand way, way before Hal. To be exact, 41 years before him. If you're using the Predator 6 months to a year from now I would be absolutely amazed because during that time you will be shooting and aiming completely differently than you have been and are now used to doing it. You really can't use backhand english with a Predator. It overcorrects the offset and trying to get used to that was next to impossible from the number of years that I've been playing. A new person learning the game from scratch would probably do very well with a Predator.

I had a Predator for one year and went through the stages that I listed, all hyped up and excited about draw, spin, and the rest of it. After the newness wore off and I woke up and started seeing reality instead of what I wanted to see, I realized that my game had actually fallen off a good bit in the long haul. Going back to a normally made shaft gave me better balance on my cue, better overall weight, more forward weighting which is a must for me, much better feel, and more accuracy with better CB control once I went back to BHE and aiming the way I was used to.


Again, write another post 6 months to a year from now with your LONG TERM
results and we'll compare notes. Oh, almost forgot...a hollowed out shaft doesn't produce more throw. But I'll bet if you think hard enough you'll come up with the answer. What DOES produce throw? And secondly what does the Predator produce more of?
Click to expand...

YOU WERE USING BACKHAND ENGLISH 41YEARS BEFORE ME? I AM 80 YEARS OLD RIGHT NOW. AND BEGAN USING BACKHAND ENGLISH IN 1934. JUST HOW OLD DOES THAT MAKE YOU RIGHT NOW? AND WHEN DID YOU START USING BACKHAND ENGLISH?

HAL
 
Johnny "V" said:
You are right drivermaker it isn't 50 percent it is only 40 percent. And no they were not given to them. No compensation means just that... no compensation. I say leave it up to the people that buy them. If a broom handle feels good then let the person use it. I was just relaying my experience. Like I stated before I used backhand english for most of my spin prior to this shaft. Now I don't need to worry about it. Oh btw in reference to your earlier post. How does a hollow shaft impart more throw on an object ball than a solid shaft? Is that even possible??? I could see it applying less deflection on a cueball... But more throw on the object ball?

Johnny "V"
Click to expand...

That is a load of Crap. Charlie Williams gave Johl Younger of Austrlia a Predator for being the top player in Australia, not sold, GAVE. He was giving out Predator cues to everyone he thought was worthy and good enough to get one and make the cues look good at the same time. 40% my ass, as has been said alot of people use the break cue and it is no surprise because the Predator BK is an awesome break cue. As far as shooting cues go the number is not even close to 50% or 40% or 20% ect.

Try not making ignorant staements how about? It is a fact that huge numbers of Predator cues were given out to all the top players the reps could find and your ignorant statements showing your lack of knowledge and blind trust in the Predator marketing department does not change that fact.

"Hey Charlie, did ya see him shoot with the cue you gave him?" "Yeah man, he shot around with it abit" "Awesome! Put him on the list!"
 
Metzger said:
WOW you're 121 years old?!?! Someone call the Guiness Book!



I think he probably meant that he was using backhand english for 41 years before he showed him backhand english, not before he used it.
Click to expand...
 
Rackin_Zack said:
Metzger said:
WOW you're 121 years old?!?! Someone call the Guiness Book!



I think he probably meant that he was using backhand english for 41 years before he showed him backhand english, not before he used it.
Click to expand...


Thank you Zack....I'll try to be grammatically correct for all of the grammarians in the future.
Click to expand...
 
halhoule said:
YOU WERE USING BACKHAND ENGLISH 41YEARS BEFORE ME? I AM 80 YEARS OLD RIGHT NOW. AND BEGAN USING BACKHAND ENGLISH IN 1934. JUST HOW OLD DOES THAT MAKE YOU RIGHT NOW? AND WHEN DID YOU START USING BACKHAND ENGLISH?

HAL
Click to expand...


You trouble making old geezer...you know damn well that nobody was using backhand english before you...not even Methuselah. :D
 
314 vs backhand english

Celtic said:
That is a load of Crap. Charlie Williams gave Johl Younger of Austrlia a Predator for being the top player in Australia, not sold, GAVE. He was giving out Predator cues to everyone he thought was worthy and good enough to get one and make the cues look good at the same time. 40% my ass, as has been said alot of people use the break cue and it is no surprise because the Predator BK is an awesome break cue. As far as shooting cues go the number is not even close to 50% or 40% or 20% ect.
Click to expand...

I have heard that many use the 314 on a different brand butt, so IMO, the important question is not how many use 'predator cues' but what percentage of pros use predator shafts.

Also, would like to see a video of this backhand english. Anybody who makes one, I would buy it.:D

I cannot learn by reading and then going to the table, I have to SEE it, which means either learning it one on one from an instructor adept at it or second best, watching the video and trying it.

I do wonder though if it would mess up once's stroke, since one of the biggest stroke problems I have seen, appears to be putting unwarranted back hand english or something along those lines. Wondering...

Laura
 
halhoule said:
YOU WERE USING BACKHAND ENGLISH 41YEARS BEFORE ME? I AM 80 YEARS OLD RIGHT NOW. AND BEGAN USING BACKHAND ENGLISH IN 1934. JUST HOW OLD DOES THAT MAKE YOU RIGHT NOW? AND WHEN DID YOU START USING BACKHAND ENGLISH?

HAL
Click to expand...

Hal,

I interpreted Drivermaker's comment quite differently. I took this to mean that he was using back-hand english 41 years before he ran into you, talked to you, or heard about what you were doing. In spite of his wording, I did not think that he was implying that he was 120+ years old.:p

Are you still out west or have you moved into my stomping grounds in the east yet?:D

Laura
 
Bluewolf said:
I have heard that many use the 314 on a different brand butt, so IMO, the important question is not how many use 'predator cues' but what percentage of pros use predator shafts.

Also, would like to see a video of this backhand english. Anybody who makes one, I would buy it.:D

I cannot learn by reading and then going to the table, I have to SEE it, which means either learning it one on one from an instructor adept at it or second best, watching the video and trying it.

I do wonder though if it would mess up once's stroke, since one of the biggest stroke problems I have seen, appears to be putting unwarranted back hand english or something along those lines. Wondering...

Laura
Click to expand...


Predator shaft usage with pro's comes and goes through experimentation just like anyone else. It seems like when a pro even so much as plays with one or plays with it in a couple of tournaments, their name goes on the permanent playing list of current and ongoing users. It's bullshit. I'd say Celtic is correct in saying that it might not even be 20%.

As far as a backhand english tape, the only one I know of is by Bert Kinister called the deflection tape. But you won't get much out of it. He doesn't give a good enough explanation of how to do it. He just keeps ripping balls into pockets from all angles touting it. The touting it part is true, but the "how to" isn't good enough.

Fear not, my little lovely about messing up your stroke. You'll become a MUCH BETTER player and accurate shooter once you know how to do it. My suggestion is, call Hal directly and he'll help you right over the phone as if he were there. You will have to be on a table though while on the phone. Go straight to the main man, no one can teach it better. HAL...is it O.K. if Laura calls you???
 
drivermaker said:
Fear not, my little lovely about messing up your stroke. You'll become a MUCH BETTER player and accurate shooter once you know how to do it. My suggestion is, call Hal directly and he'll help you right over the phone as if he were there. You will have to be on a table though while on the phone. Go straight to the main man, no one can teach it better. HAL...is it O.K. if Laura calls you???
Click to expand...

This august, I will have been playing pool for two years.Just a little history, I had been playing pool for a few months. I had taken a lesson from Scott Lee and had been to randy gs pool school.So for the first three months, I was practicing everyday for about two hours. I was posting on ccb and was well, at that time, was too honest in a way about being a beginner and posted too much. Later in looking at my earlier posts could see why people were irritated. But about that time, hal emailed me and I called him on my cell phone and I was at the table. he told me an aiming system.

As the pool gods had it,before I had much of a chance to practice wht he told me, I became gravely ill, physically not crazy sick LOL, for 3 months, and it took a full year after that before I was recoved so did not get to put into practice the things hal told me about. I always thought that it was nothing short of a miracle that i kept getting better during that time, even slow progress was greatly appreciated.

But now that i am doing better poolwize and healthwise, would love to talk to hal again.

We just got our new table in, I am shooting better (maybe laser vision helped a bit, you know the balls are not fuzzy anymore) and am hoping to start competing in some open tournaments in a couple of months, if 'the good lord is willing and the creeks dont rise' haha singing...apa is 'kind of a drag'

So any help I can get that will help me to be better at pool, I would love to get. :D

Laura
 
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