Can anyone tell me if they know any pros that actually use the Predator Z2 shaft. I've read alot of advertising that says the Z2 will bring your game to a new level etc., and I remember the advertising for the original 314 saying about 50% of the top male pros used it. I've owned the 314 and liked it. I've been playing with the Z2 for about 6 months now and like it also, but it is unforgiving and can send the cue ball into left field when tip placement is off. I realize that we're supposed have perfect tip placement and the problem is mine - not the shaft. But, realizing that everyone eres sometimes, I would think even pros would opt for a more forgiving shaft, such as the 314-2, perhaps. It has just a slight bit more deflection. Sometimes, when I send a ball into left field I question if I should switch to the 314-2, and forget the advertizing hype that caused me to buy the Z2. Please help me out AZBr's. By the way, the other nite a semi pro told me he never could get used to the Z2 - he plays deadly with the 314-2. All comments are welcome and, again, I am very curious if you know any pros that actually shoot with the Z2 (in competition, like for real).
Do Pros Actually Use the Predator Z2 Shaft in Competition?
- Thread starter shankster8
- Start date
Mike Davis does.
HarleyKR07
New member
shankster8 said:
Well I am far from a pro, but I have since changed to a 314-2. I used a Z then went to a Z-2 for a while after they came out. I didn't give the 314 a thought because I prefer a shaft that's not a tree trunk. I started noticing if you are off by a hair on tip placement the Z-2 will make you pay dearly. I've adjusted well to the 314-2 and have gotten some confidence back in my game. You sound like you are in the same boat as I am and I would switch over to the 314-2. They are both excellent shafts and either way you have a good backup shaft but I will stick with the 314-2 until I feel I need to go back to the Z-2.
what does it matter which pros uses the Z2 shaft? If there were 100 top pros using it would you feel any better with it?
You can either go for the more forgiving shaft or work on your aim....
At the end of the day which do you think will improve your game?
You can either go for the more forgiving shaft or work on your aim....
At the end of the day which do you think will improve your game?
I know a lot of semi pros that have different opinions on the two shafts. Some say they can't stand the Z-2 and some say they don't know what they would do without it. Personally I don't like how small the shaft feels. It almost feels like your holding a chopstick. I've been playing with a 314-2 for about a year now and it plays very well. I feel like the Z-2 is mainly for snooker players trying to transition to the game of pool. I am very curious as to how a ob-1 shaft plays. I believe that the deflection from a OB-1 and 314-2 are about the same but the feel for both shafts are different.
i really feel that all the predator stuff is all hype i tried using a few differant predator shafts and the only differance i found is on dead straight in shots i switched back to the shaft that was made for my cue and sold all the predator shafts, for me my jerry-R- plays lights out, so my point is use what feels right for you , dont start buying all kinds of new shafts cause the pros use them willi mosconi ran over 500 balls with a regular shaft
Rahl said:
I tried an ob-1 and there is no comparison to a regular 314. I can't shoot with the ob-1. straight forward and back is fine... any left or right I get too much deflection. I tried a Z shaft and not sure what you guys mean on tip placement. I thought it hit the same as the 314. Didn't hit much with it though.
Don't know if many pro's would use the Z. That smaller tip would be an adjustment for some.
tattoosbyjay said:
I can't even imagine how many he would have run using a predator. He would probably still be at the table.
maybe i think if you learn with a predator then you will love them i just think you should use what feels right , is this the jason that was in indiana pa state 9 ball
Jason Robichaud said:
You really get more deflection on that shaft for a OB-1 against a regular 314? Looking up in the internet I came across this
http://www.platinumbilliards.com/rating_deflect.php
Numbers don't seem to add up but hey, it's not about the numbers, it's what feels most comfortable with you. Like any new piece of equipment, it's gonna take you a bit of time to adjust to it. I tried a week with the Z-2 and I just couldn't stand it (sucker to marketing
). I guess the bottom line is "If it ain't broken, don't fix it!".i use an OB-1 and the deflection is the same as the 314-2. not as low as the z2, which i used to play with, but not by much. some of the snooker players that play pool use a z2 as well, as it is similar to a snooker taper. quinten hann and ronnie o'sullivan used them iirc.
if you flatten the tip a bit more on the z2, it will make it a little more forgiving on tip placement
if you flatten the tip a bit more on the z2, it will make it a little more forgiving on tip placement
I didn't feel that the OB-1 had anymore deflection then the 314-1 shaft, I did not need to adjust at all when rotating between the two shafts. I did need to adjust a bit to the 314-2 when I got it.
After 10 years of playing with 314 shafts I decided to give the Z shaft a real chance, I got two Z-2 shafts (to fit all my cues) and I only play with the Z shafts for now, the plan was to give them a 6 months trial period.
It took me a while to adjust to them on long shots but I do feel more accurate with it then with the 314. I admit that it is not forgiving and any loss of focus and I will start missing simple shots.
I would highly recommend the Z shaft especially to those who play on slower cloth, it moves the cue ball around with less effort then with the 314. I think if the IPT tour was still alive then a lot of pros would have transfer from the 314 to the Z shaft eventually because of the slow cloth.
After 10 years of playing with 314 shafts I decided to give the Z shaft a real chance, I got two Z-2 shafts (to fit all my cues) and I only play with the Z shafts for now, the plan was to give them a 6 months trial period.
It took me a while to adjust to them on long shots but I do feel more accurate with it then with the 314. I admit that it is not forgiving and any loss of focus and I will start missing simple shots.
I would highly recommend the Z shaft especially to those who play on slower cloth, it moves the cue ball around with less effort then with the 314. I think if the IPT tour was still alive then a lot of pros would have transfer from the 314 to the Z shaft eventually because of the slow cloth.
I think Souquet does.
I read somewhere from Darren Appleton, he uses the Z for the slow IPT Gorina cloth and 314 for faster Simonis 860.
Under TV lights and new Simonis, the extra spin of the Zs is just overkill....
Crappy bar tables, may be more useful!
I read somewhere from Darren Appleton, he uses the Z for the slow IPT Gorina cloth and 314 for faster Simonis 860.
Under TV lights and new Simonis, the extra spin of the Zs is just overkill....
Crappy bar tables, may be more useful!
A good friend of mine once told me to play with what works for you.tattoosbyjay said:
I've bought and sold a lot of cues in my life and I switched playing shafts each time I tried a different cue. It was a constant battle for me to adjust to the different deflection characteristics of the different cues.
Another friend of mine and I were talking about deflection one day (he plays with predator shafts) and I was telling him about my problems using english on cut shots and he asked me why I hadn't tried a predator shaft. I told him that I thought it was just Hype to sell expensive shafts. He assured me that it wasn't and I finally gave in and I bought a predator shaft for my cue.
I didn't like the predator shaft at first because I couldn't get used to aiming with english and not allowing for deflection, but once I learned to trust the shaft and let it do what it's designed to do I was hooked. I play exclusively with predator shafts now and I've never played better.
I think you should play with what you have confidence in and what works for you and predator shafts work for me.
James
snookerish
New member
I'm not sure if knowing how many pros use a Z will help you. If you want to know whether or not you should get one, then I'd suggest you go to your local room and try as many different shafts as you can.
Personally, I think it will come down to your stroke-type. Players using an open bridge, who slow-roll a lot of shots and who have very little movement in their swing arm will probably use the Z more. They tend to need the smaller tip to generate spin to get in position as they hit the balls pretty soft. People who have the traditional closed bridge and a little more movement in their swing arm (i mean from their shoulder to their elbow) will use, say, a 314 or similar. It is definitely more forgiving.
I think it's maybe wrong to think you can't use a Z. But it is probably going to show up weaknesses in your stroke/aim.
On a side note, I was in the pool hall last night using my Z, as usual. Hitting pretty well. I was using a house cue to break. I got distracted after one break and proceeded to shoot the rack with the house cue. I honestly didnt notice until i ran it out and stepped up to break the next, when I reached for the lonely predator standing at the chair.
'Tis a strange old game sometimes...
Hit with whatever feels comfortable and you won't go far wrong. If it's shaft diamter/tip size...I see Predator have brought out a "fatter" 314..looking forward to getting a hit or two with one of those.
Personally, I think it will come down to your stroke-type. Players using an open bridge, who slow-roll a lot of shots and who have very little movement in their swing arm will probably use the Z more. They tend to need the smaller tip to generate spin to get in position as they hit the balls pretty soft. People who have the traditional closed bridge and a little more movement in their swing arm (i mean from their shoulder to their elbow) will use, say, a 314 or similar. It is definitely more forgiving.
I think it's maybe wrong to think you can't use a Z. But it is probably going to show up weaknesses in your stroke/aim.
On a side note, I was in the pool hall last night using my Z, as usual. Hitting pretty well. I was using a house cue to break. I got distracted after one break and proceeded to shoot the rack with the house cue. I honestly didnt notice until i ran it out and stepped up to break the next, when I reached for the lonely predator standing at the chair.
'Tis a strange old game sometimes...
Hit with whatever feels comfortable and you won't go far wrong. If it's shaft diamter/tip size...I see Predator have brought out a "fatter" 314..looking forward to getting a hit or two with one of those.
