There is a difference. The term is radial consistancy. Just like a standard shaft made of a single piece of maple, the grain has a direction. Meaning that on one shot the grain may be horizontal and on the next it may be vertical. It is actually very easy to see this on a laminated shaft. The hit will be stiffer one way than the other. The shaft will flex and feel differently from shot to shot. Shafts like predator eliminate this difference. The cue will hit the same no matter how the cue is rotated. Now, I do not think that it would be the determining factor on whether you would be able to draw the ball or not, but it is a noticeable difference. There are enough variables in this game, any time you can reduce or eliminate one it would be worth it to do so.
On the other hand, this game has been around for hundreds of years, and these style of shafts have been around for about ten years. You will never be able to buy a pool game ( or I would have been the first to sign up). Find what you like and works for you. If you cannot feel the difference, it would not make sense to spend money for it. There are many very good players who use standard maple and laminated shafts.
