Getting used to a 314?

D

Dale Nichols

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
First of all let me say that I am not a great player but I do love the game.

I play at my local bar with house cues all the time. So last weekend the Houston Open was going on here and I found a deal on a Joss with a Predator 314.

Had Ron Geyer clean up the shaft and boy was I excited. Well three days later and I still can't make anything.

Is this normal for some people? I am 49 years old and last night I asked myself if I was to old to learn how to play with this thing.
 
I had a similar experisnce with the Tiger X shaft. I won one of those cuetable contests and bought a shaft from tiger products for my Frey. I didnt like the low deflection shaft.

Im definately not knocking the product, it's made great and I know people who swear by them, but it's just not for me. I keep it with me though, just in case I want to give it another try.

With this shaft though, I think I would think about shots to much, specifically those that would have a lot of deflection on them, and try to compensate with the new shaft. I would miss shots like this more often with the Low Deflection shaft. I did have a few break and runs here and there, but not as often as I do with a regular deflection shaft. I really noticed this when i bought my Jacoby which came with 2 regular shafts. My game picked back up and I felt like I was also shooting better partly because I had sniper tip[ on the tiger shaft so I decided to get snipers on my regular shafts.

I do owe thanks to the tiger shaft for introducing me to the Sniper tips. I probably would have never tried one if it wasnt for that shaft. I love those tips (on a regular shaft though :D)
 
It might be a mental block. I switch back and forth between a 314 and the stock shaft that came on my Fury with very little problem. Try to forget the cue and just shoot the shot.
Steve
 
I did not

have a problem when I tried a 314 type shaft, but I could not stand the change in the balance of the cue, it affected the feel of the cue too much for my tastes.
 
When I first moved to SC, I played with a Joss sneaky pete with a 314 almost every day for about 3 months. Finally gave up in disgust. I did everything I could think of to adjust and it just didn't happen. Went back to my Danbuilt with standard shafts. Some people can adjust to them, I was one who couldn't. I'm over 50, by the way. and been playing a LONG time.
 
Dale Nichols said:
First of all let me say that I am not a great player but I do love the game.

I play at my local bar with house cues all the time. So last weekend the Houston Open was going on here and I found a deal on a Joss with a Predator 314.

Had Ron Geyer clean up the shaft and boy was I excited. Well three days later and I still can't make anything.

Is this normal for some people? I am 49 years old and last night I asked myself if I was to old to learn how to play with this thing.
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I tried Predator 314 shafts on my cue a few years ago and they didn't work for me. I sold the shafts to a friend and went back to my regular shafts. Another friend of mine used Predator shafts and he kept telling me how much he liked them and that he didn't have to allow for deflection or only a very slight amount on certain shots. I kept listening to him and finally I said that maybe I didn't give the shafts a chance so I bought another Predator 314 and I was determined this time to give the shafts a chance. I worked hard making myself not allow for the normal deflection and finally it started feeling right for me. I play with Predator 314 shafts now on my regular playing cue and I really like the way they play. This can't be a gimmick because of the number of Pro players who use Predator shafts and I'll admit that they aren't for everyone.
 
Adjustment period is very normal. Your subconscious is adjusting for squirt, throw, swerve and deflection (or whichever is occuring). You really need to just bang balls for a few more hours, and your subconscious will get the right picture.
A similar thing can happen with different tips.

Edit: I have found it is important to use centerball hits almost exclusively during this adjustment period.
 
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DougT said:
Adjustment period is very normal. Your subconscious is adjusting for squirt, throw, swerve and deflection (or whichever is occuring). You really need to just bang balls for a few more hours, and your subconscious will get the right picture.
A similar thing can happen with different tips.
Click to expand...

People tend to have very strong opinions of low deflection shafts, from "It ruined my game" to "I can't go on without it."

I am a pretty decent APA SL5 (some think this means I'm a banger) but I've had it take a few weeks to adjust from various tips.

Why people think they can change to a new shaft probably that has a different tip than their other shaft and start adjusting to it after a few hours are out of their mind, if they are regular shooters. It can take weeks, if not months.

IMO, the longer a player shoots, the longer it will take to adjust. A guy playing for a few months may notice no to little difference. A seasoned shooter with a couple of decades of experience may take a very long time.

Personally, I feel like I can get a heck of a lot more spin and control with my 314, and even a fine shaft like the two I have on my Samsara seem heavy and dead, as opposed to the lively feel of my 314 for the same cue.

That said, no shaft or tip combo is the Holy Grail of billiards. People will short chance themselves if they take the advice of someone without trying for themselves various cues and tips, or giving enough time to build up an opinion of a particular item for themselves.
 
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Gregg said:
IMO, the longer a player shoots, the longer it will take to adjust. A guy playing for a few months may notice no to little difference. A seasoned shooter with a couple of decades of experience may take a very long time.


That said, no shaft or tip combo is the Holy Grail of billiards. People will short chance themselves if they take the advice of someone without trying for themselves various cues and tips, or giving enough time to build up an opinion of a particular item for themselves.
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I think someone playing just a few months probably wouldn't notice much difference anyway. They haven't had enough experience to become aware of the different characteristics. An experienced player can pick up a cue and within a short time, have a very good idea how a cue is going to respond. The more experienced, the easier the adjustment.

I totally agree there is on Holy Grail as far as equipment. Each player is an individual, and needs to find the equipment that they are comfortable with. If it was in the equipment, how did Rempe ever win anything playing with a Meucci????:D (Sorry, I couldn't resist that one!)
Steve
 
Dale Nichols said:
Thanks for all the replys.
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Aren't the best cues a total package of both butt and shaft, that work together by design? If you are going to use a 314 shaft, why not buy a Predator cue? Wouldn't it play better and cost less than, for instance, a Schon with a 314 shaft? I mention Schon because I have met several players that pay good money for a Schon, then get a 314 shaft for it - never understood that.
 
Dale Nichols said:
It was a used stick that looked like new. That's the way it came. $175.00
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Dale, that's a good deal - if I were going to attach a shaft to a butt it didn't go with, I would want to do it as cheaply as possible. That Joss/314 combo probably plays every bit as well as a Schon/314, for a lot less. But if I really wanted to know if a 314 was for me, I would try a used Predator SP.

BTW - I DID play with a Lucasi/314 for a while and I liked it better than the plain Lucasi. But I found a cue I liked better and never gave a 'full' Predator a chance.
 
Dale Nichols said:
First of all let me say that I am not a great player but I do love the game.

I play at my local bar with house cues all the time. So last weekend the Houston Open was going on here and I found a deal on a Joss with a Predator 314.

Had Ron Geyer clean up the shaft and boy was I excited. Well three days later and I still can't make anything.

Is this normal for some people? I am 49 years old and last night I asked myself if I was to old to learn how to play with this thing.
Click to expand...

Dale if you can play other types of sports, you should be able to play at least as well at pool regardless of your tender age. Age has a little to do with it but the mind has more to do with it than anything else. Many people get burned out on a sport when they are very young. If you are used to playing with house cues, you may want to stick with a NON-Low squirt cue (one that is not laminated and designed for low squirt). The best players in the world do not ALL use low squirt shafts like the Predator 314. I have used the Predator shaft a few years ago but returned to good quality maple shafts.

The bottom line is a new shaft whether it is a Predator 314 or a high end maple shaft by Mike Bender will not make you play substantially better. It could enhance your talents a bit but hard work, tenacity and a incessant desire to improve is what it takes to play well. That and some good pool lessons. Check out Randy Goettlicher the BCA Master Level Instructor for some pool lessons and I assure you that if you have been playing with house cues most of your life, he will show you things in one day that will make you smile, if learning how to play better is what you really want. 49 is a nice young age to get serious about this sport. Life is short, get serious. :-)
Warm Regards,
JoeyA

P.S. Don't get rid of the Predator 314 just yet. Check out Randy's school http://www.poolschool.com/meetus.htm to improve your play.
 
pooltchr said:
I think someone playing just a few months probably wouldn't notice much difference anyway. They haven't had enough experience to become aware of the different characteristics. An experienced player can pick up a cue and within a short time, have a very good idea how a cue is going to respond. The more experienced, the easier the adjustment.

I totally agree there is on Holy Grail as far as equipment. Each player is an individual, and needs to find the equipment that they are comfortable with. If it was in the equipment, how did Rempe ever win anything playing with a Meucci????:D (Sorry, I couldn't resist that one!)
Steve
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Buddy Hall played his best pool and won the most tournaments with his Meucci. I think he still has it and still plays with it on occasion. Hope Buddy is doing well.
JoeyA
 
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