Anti-predator

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drivermaker said:
Truer words could not have been spoken about getting used to a shaft. Let's face it, the reason any of us put additional money into the purchase of better equipment is to make more balls. If you take a nose dive in making balls instead of an immediate increase, you've wasted money. You always hear the stories from die hard Predator users about shooting worse in the beginning and then getting used to the shaft, but never do they say how long it took to regain their original level or how many balls better they became. I've never seen ANYONE get better over a period of time when they originally went downhill. They may have gotten back to where they started, but in the mean time, they lost a lot of matches. I guess nobody wants to look or feel like a numb nuts so they rationalize their purchase by seeing better play into it and being on the "exclusive Predator bandwagon". I know...I used to be a numb nuts.


Yes yes, when I put my first preditor on my falcon when they first came out I could not make a friggen ball for 3 days. It took me a month to figure out I had bought very little. As Ray Schuler told me then, Larry do you have a deflection problem, I said no, Ray said, then what then, are you trying to fix? If it ain't broke, don't fix it....:D
 
drivermaker said:
Here we go, the typical Predatorite profile. A physics/science geek that takes Jack Koehlers book to the bathroom each morning and believes that pool is played entirely by physics instead of feel, something most who dislike Predators find to be very lacking. At any level of golf, practice is a key for improvement as evidenced by Vijay Singh who wouldn't go to sleep if the sun stayed up all night, pool also. However, in custom fitting for golf clubs whether PGA pro or any level, the clubs are fit for the golfers swing, feel, tempo, and style and those clubs have to perform IMMEDIATELY for the better or one of two things has occured: either it was a poor fitting that was administered by the individual who's matching the equipment to the swing and a mistake was made in the evaluation process, or the equipment was ill suited for the golfer, which still goes back to the fitting process. If no fitting pro was doing it, then typically a golfer just starts buying on a hit or miss basis only to find that out on their own. There's some great golf equipment made that's very ill suited for many players and NO amount of practice will change that. A large number of guys find the same to be true with a Predator. A player should NEVER have to alter his/her swing or tempo around equipment whether it's golf or pool for any length of time. And Willie, how much would YOU like to bet MORE, that I don't have a table and practice? I'll place my bet and say more than you, unless you can beat 30 + hours a week.


Jack Koheler is a friend of mine, when his book first came out and I read it, I could not make a friggen ball for two weeks it put me so deep into total paralysis by analysis. I have read it through slowly now 3 or 4 times and totally understand it. Most of this stuff, you do not need to pot balls. You are better off with out it.
 
Joseph Cues said:
I once asked Efren how he compensated for deflection when he shot with inside english.
He asked what deflection was. :D He once tried a cue with supposedly low deflection. After one shot, he threw the cue and told his friend, he was aiming here and the cueball went there. I kid you not.


They asked Ted Williams once how he hit 400, he explained it for 2 hrs. They asked Joe Dimaggio how he did, Joe said, I do no, dey just toss da ball at me and I wack it out over the 2nd basemans head and run like hell. Some know, some don't have a friggen clue. Nicklaus knew, Sandy Lyle did not have a clue, same in pool. I know, Efren does not have a clue, but Efren does not have to know as long as the balls fall. He is better off not knowing. :cool:
 
Efren is a top player in one pocket, nine ball, rotation, has run hundreds in straight pool, and is known to be an excellent billiard player and yet he has no clue? Damn, I thought he knew a little...
 
bud green said:
Efren is a top player in one pocket, nine ball, rotation, has run hundreds in straight pool, and is known to be an excellent billiard player and yet he has no clue? Damn, I thought he knew a little...


You do not have to have a clue about anything to be Efren, He does not have to know even what deflection is, you missed my entire point, it went over your head.

Some of the best golfers and pool players have been really dumb, which is an asset, they do not have anything rolling around up there to confuse them. They have no chance to ever fall into paralysis by analysis. The most advanced thing I teach is achieving that, playing with a totally empty brain, which some of the duller knives in the door do naturally. This is no knock on any player but a sports fact of life. The best players are feel players, begin to think about every movement and all feel leaves. That was the point I tried to make about joltin Joe, he did not have a clue how he did it, and it did not matter, because he was a natural feel player. No I am sure somebody is going to twist this around and say I am bashing Efren, I did not, go back and reread what I said, there is nothing but my highest level of respect for this great champion ever expressed by me. :cool:
 
drivermaker said:
Here we go, the typical Predatorite profile. A physics/science geek that takes Jack Koehlers book to the bathroom each morning and believes that pool is played entirely by physics instead of feel, something most who dislike Predators find to be very lacking. At any level of golf, practice is a key for improvement as evidenced by Vijay Singh who wouldn't go to sleep if the sun stayed up all night, pool also. However, in custom fitting for golf clubs whether PGA pro or any level, the clubs are fit for the golfers swing, feel, tempo, and style and those clubs have to perform IMMEDIATELY for the better or one of two things has occured: either it was a poor fitting that was administered by the individual who's matching the equipment to the swing and a mistake was made in the evaluation process, or the equipment was ill suited for the golfer, which still goes back to the fitting process. If no fitting pro was doing it, then typically a golfer just starts buying on a hit or miss basis only to find that out on their own. There's some great golf equipment made that's very ill suited for many players and NO amount of practice will change that. A large number of guys find the same to be true with a Predator. A player should NEVER have to alter his/her swing or tempo around equipment whether it's golf or pool for any length of time. And Willie, how much would YOU like to bet MORE, that I don't have a table and practice? I'll place my bet and say more than you, unless you can beat 30 + hours a week.

Drivermaker,
Some very interesting points. I am definitely a science geek (I choose to define it as one who enjoys exploring all the advantages that science has to offer - electricity, indoor plumbling, computers, etc.); Einstein and Edison were science geeks, but I doubt they could run 3 friggin' balls (I would rather put my money on Efren). I am certainly no different than most in looking for game improvement wherever it can be found (golf and pool), but quick fixes are mostly myth (at least I never found any). My statements were more directed at players that have not gotten used to high deflection cues. I still have not heard any reasons why a new player would not want to start with a low deflection cue. I also believe anyone can learn to use either low or high deflection cues with great proficiency. A "Predatorlike profile" is preferable to a Luddite profile.

You definitely have me beat in the practice department, I try for 2 hours a day, with some long playing sessions on Sundays. What kind of drills do you do? Is it focused practice (Mark Wilson thinks 15-30 minutes of proper focused practice should tire you enough to make you take a break)? I guess I'm still a little skeptical that with that much practice you couldn't run a hundred (or master the difference in deflection) with any cue you used - high or low deflection (but I definitely do not know everything - maybe we should ask FL). Keep up the good smack, I enjoy your posts.
 
Williebetmore said:
Drivermaker,
Some very interesting points. I am definitely a science geek (I choose to define it as one who enjoys exploring all the advantages that science has to offer - electricity, indoor plumbling, computers, etc.); Einstein and Edison were science geeks, but I doubt they could run 3 friggin' balls (I would rather put my money on Efren). I am certainly no different than most in looking for game improvement wherever it can be found (golf and pool), but quick fixes are mostly myth (at least I never found any). My statements were more directed at players that have not gotten used to high deflection cues. I still have not heard any reasons why a new player would not want to start with a low deflection cue. I also believe anyone can learn to use either low or high deflection cues with great proficiency. A "Predatorlike profile" is preferable to a Luddite profile.

You definitely have me beat in the practice department, I try for 2 hours a day, with some long playing sessions on Sundays. What kind of drills do you do? Is it focused practice (Mark Wilson thinks 15-30 minutes of proper focused practice should tire you enough to make you take a break)? I guess I'm still a little skeptical that with that much practice you couldn't run a hundred (or master the difference in deflection) with any cue you used - high or low deflection (but I definitely do not know everything - maybe we should ask FL). Keep up the good smack, I enjoy your posts.


Practice until you cease to enjoy it, when it becomes work, stop and then play or go to the bar and hustle a hottie, but do not make practice a grind or a chore or you will soon cease to practice.

The center of my pool school is to teach the student how to practice correctly and it takes several sessions to teach that concept, it is quite involved. It is my 6 P's system, perfect practice produces a pure perfect performance.

The way I practice now is different from what I have my students doing. My game is all mental, all Zen. I used to be able to maintain total pure perfect concentration in the zone for 2 l/2 hrs. Now I am barely up to an hour, I am trying to regain that skill I have lost during my retirement. I practice and play until my mind flakes off, when I feel the concentration break, I have came out of the zone, I stop and sit down, rest, then go back and try again.

My table time is comped when I go out so I can play all day and money is not the object, I also have two gold crowns at home as well. I am putting in long sessions now trying to rebuild some of my pool playing muscles and endurance on my feet and at the table. I did a non stop 5, 7 and 14 hr session last week. It is killing me and my back, but I am slowly building my self back into being a player again. Physical endurance is important that you do not tire, mental endurance, being able to hold pure concentration is the most important thing of all. :cool:
 
Fast Larry,
How do you recommend your students develop their concentration? In a 2 hour straight pool match I will almost always miss at least one fairly easy shot - how do you recommend a player get rid of this annoying habit?
 
Williebetmore said:
Drivermaker,
Some very interesting points. My statements were more directed at players that have not gotten used to high deflection cues. I still have not heard any reasons why a new player would not want to start with a low deflection cue.

You definitely have me beat in the practice department, I try for 2 hours a day, with some long playing sessions on Sundays. What kind of drills do you do? Is it focused practice (Mark Wilson thinks 15-30 minutes of proper focused practice should tire you enough to make you take a break)? I guess I'm still a little skeptical that with that much practice you couldn't run a hundred (or master the difference in deflection) with any cue you used - high or low deflection (but I definitely do not know everything - maybe we should ask FL). Keep up the good smack, I enjoy your posts.


I see no reason why a new player couldn't or shouldn't start out with a Predator or anything else either. From the beginning they'll learn to play well with it as their skills and knowledge increase.

I play for 2-2 1/2 hours most mornings starting aroung 6:30 or 7, sometimes an hour or so in the afternoon but not always, and 2 hours in the evening. I go through a lot of notebook reinforcements when drilling, placing the object ball and cue ball all over the table from straight in to difficult cuts with outside, inside, follow or draw and work on speed to be able to find the center of the table or end rails. I also play EO, Fargo, or just run 9-ball racks. The day that it becomes work or is tiring, then I'll cut back, but the game never runs out of fascinating scenarios. And for as much as I practice and play, I just could not get used to that SOB, POS, Predator!!
 
Drivermaker,
Thanks for the input. I wish I had that much time to devote (then everyone could have the seven - at least in my imagination).
 
Williebetmore said:
Fast Larry,
How do you recommend your students develop their concentration? In a 2 hour straight pool match I will almost always miss at least one fairly easy shot - how do you recommend a player get rid of this annoying habit?

Zen, I am writing a book on exactly now to do this, it is one third done and now on hold until I crank out some dvds, then I'll go back to it. Help on this is on the way from me. :cool:
 
I recon if it had been called the TingBingClangClunkLamoJunk instead of PREDATOR it would not have sold as well.
 
Williebetmore said:
Fast Larry,
How do you recommend your students develop their concentration? In a 2 hour straight pool match I will almost always miss at least one fairly easy shot - how do you recommend a player get rid of this annoying habit?

That happens to me if my concentration falls off due to internal thoughts or external things going on around me. I try to empty my mind of all thought and get very relaxed before a match. Not always successful, but when I can achieve that, then I do play better.

I also walk off to be by myself between times at the table to try to keep relaxed. Talking to anyone during a match, like lots of people do at league play really hurts my concentration. It takes me out of focus so I try to stay by myself and do something meditative between my turns at the table.

I am still learning how to do all of this and do better at some matches than others. I am trying to learn to have no internal thoughts other than standing looking at the shot, deciding what to do, to not hear what is going on around me, shoot empty brained and emotionless.

Laura
 
Bluewolf said:
That happens to me if my concentration falls off due to internal thoughts or external things going on around me. I try to empty my mind of all thought and get very relaxed before a match. Not always successful, but when I can achieve that, then I do play better.

I also walk off to be by myself between times at the table to try to keep relaxed. Talking to anyone during a match, like lots of people do at league play really hurts my concentration. It takes me out of focus so I try to stay by myself and do something meditative between my turns at the table.

I am still learning how to do all of this and do better at some matches than others. I am trying to learn to have no internal thoughts other than standing looking at the shot, deciding what to do, to not hear what is going on around me, shoot empty brained and emotionless.

Laura
Good luck.
Me? I'm hopeless. Hypoglycemic and has the wandering brain syndrome. :D
 
I just love these guys who put down Predators because they aren't smart enough or patient enough to take the time to figure them out. I really, truly hope you don't use one because you are only helping your opponent. My Predator is the best cue I have EVER had. My handicap has gone up 1 1/2 balls since I got it and in the league I have played in for 3 years I have gone from a 65% shooter to an 85% shooter. So keep bashing the best cue on the market and I'll keep making balls......
 
Just curious, how did you get the figure that you are shooting 1 1/2 balls better or that you have gone from a 65% to an 85% shooter?

wondering how good I'm shooting
 
miko said:
Just curious, how did you get the figure that you are shooting 1 1/2 balls better or that you have gone from a 65% to an 85% shooter?

wondering how good I'm shooting
The league percentages don't lie. I went from a C player to a B+ in a year and it is because I have a cue that never lets me down. I have 100% confidence that I can now make most of the shots and I can make the cue ball do things with a Predator that I just can't do with any other cue. Until you learn what the cue does you can never give a TRUE opinion on it.
 
I am going to agree with the last guy.

I am an A class player/gambler. I just got an "It's George" cue with the Predator shaft and and original with ivory ferule. The stick with the Predator is the best hitting stick I have ever played with.

I have no problems with speed control as alluded to by another poster, and the consistency of hit of this shaft is something I have never come across before. It's uncannily accurate. Just aim and shoot. Hard/soft, doesn't matter. Extreme or half tip...its all good

I love the Predator shaft.
 
ZigZag Master said:
I am going to agree with the last guy.

I am an A class player/gambler. I just got an "It's George" cue with the Predator shaft and and original with ivory ferule. The stick with the Predator is the best hitting stick I have ever played with.

I have no problems with speed control as alluded to by another poster, and the consistency of hit of this shaft is something I have never come across before. It's uncannily accurate. Just aim and shoot. Hard/soft, doesn't matter. Extreme or half tip...its all good

I love the Predator shaft.


Zig Zag...I don't know if your pupils were in a state of zig...or...zag when you were reading the posts, but I don't recall anyone commenting that they had problems with speed control. Where was that? Maybe MY pupils were dilating, I could be wrong. I thought everyone here that disliked a Predator didn't allude, but was quite specific. We CAN'T STAND the POS! However, when the other team scores... then the other team scores. Score 1 on the scoreboard for Predator, thanks to Zig.
 
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