Looking at buying one of these shafts. Im interested on hearing some opinions.
ob classic pro vs tiger x pro
- Thread starter jim_vielee
- Start date
Your going to here tons of different opinions on here and that's the only thing, they are opinions. I have a tiger pro-x shaft on my Kikel cue and I have had 2 spares fitted to the cue as well I like them so much. I have played with----OB2, OB1, Predator 314-2, Predator Z, Meucci Black Dot, McDermott G Core, McDermott i2, and I like the Tiger Pro better than any others and it is my main shooting shaft now. Hope my OPINION lol helps
I've owned both. Both we'll made, but I preferred the tiger in the end. Feel was a more lively. OB had had a neutral hit. Tried multiple tips. Sold it a few weeks after getting it. Tiger is back to being my primary ld shaft. Both shafts though are worlds better in quality and hit than a 314. IMHO.
I like the Tiger-X but not the Pro-X.
The Pro-X has the European taper which does not work for my closed bridge.
Also...after shooting with a Meucci forever, there was no need for adjustment on how to aim to make the balls. It was the same...for me. Now the original tip on the Tiger was great for a month...then it just went dead on me and I had to replace it.
The OB was great for a few days, then after a while I just didn't like it.
I like the Tiger X myself, it is very predictable and I took to it quickly from playing with a regular maple shaft. I have a predator Z as well, and its good for one pocket ( FOR ME ). But the all-around champ shaft in my book is the Tiger X with a sniper tip.
Lesh
Lesh
I have tried out both, as well as nearly every LD shaft under the sun. The majority of my pool playing life at this point has been played using Predator (314 and 314-2). I currently am using the OB Classic Pro. I believe that both the Tiger and the OB have superior feel and hit to the Predator. Also, I think the construction is much higher quality. I have spent a lot of time talking to the reps and/or owners of each company. One thing that really turned me off to the Tiger products is the tendency of the people in the booths at shows to claim the shaft did something it didn't do. For example, like it or hate it, the Z2 Predator has quite a bit less deflection than any other shaft (I mean cue ball squirt). So when the Tiger guy says their lowest deflection shaft has *less* than the Z2, that is simply false advertising. It doesn't. We tested it and he confirmed that I was right lol. So why keep claiming it? Better to extol the virtues that the product *does* have...great feel, quality construction, etc. This is the route OB goes. Royce never says OB has less deflection than this or that competitor. He says it deflects like *this*, and talks a lot about the construction and feel. He lets the product speak for itself. I think this is a better approach.
There is a group of shafts out there that claim to be low deflection, but are really only *kinda* low deflection...like low compared to a standard maple shaft, but not really compared to a Predator 314 or Z2. I'm talking about things like the Mezz WD700, Jacoby Hybrid, etc. The Tiger stuff comes in right at the lowest end of this group. In other words, it is slightly lower deflection than these, but really not close to the OB or Predator. Thus far, only OB and Predator occupy the category of what I would call *true* LD shafts. As such, the OB Classic pro has quite a bit less deflection than the Tiger. Both are well made, both offer good solid feel (perhaps the Tiger is a bit more solid feeling). The OB feels a bit stiffer, which I like. The bottom line is that when deciding, you have to weigh the values of LD properties and feel. For some people, the solid feel is going to be more important than the lowest possible deflection. If I wanted the lowest possible deflection, the Predator Z2 is a no brainer. However, I don't really like the dull hollow feel of that one. I've never really played with one for any length of time, so I've never adjusted to that level of deflection. I played with a 314-2 for many years. I switched to the OB Classic for a couple of years, and really liked the feel and play. However, when I tried my 314-2 again, I had to admit that pocketing balls with english was easier. It simply had noticeably less deflection.
Recently I began playing with the OB Classic Pro full time. I think it might actually have a hair less deflection than the 314-2. On the other hand, the feel is much better to me. More solid, more "sense" of the cue ball, more of a feel for how much I'm *turning* the cue ball, and a stiffer overall hit. I feel more confident on long shots that I have to stroke in. For me, this is the best overall shaft I have ever had.
If very low deflection (squirt) is important to you, I'd definitely go the OB Classic Pro route. If feel is more important than deflection, the Tiger may be a great choice (although I must say I LOVE the feel of the OB...both are superior in feel to the Predator).
Hope this helps,
KMRUNOUT
There is a group of shafts out there that claim to be low deflection, but are really only *kinda* low deflection...like low compared to a standard maple shaft, but not really compared to a Predator 314 or Z2. I'm talking about things like the Mezz WD700, Jacoby Hybrid, etc. The Tiger stuff comes in right at the lowest end of this group. In other words, it is slightly lower deflection than these, but really not close to the OB or Predator. Thus far, only OB and Predator occupy the category of what I would call *true* LD shafts. As such, the OB Classic pro has quite a bit less deflection than the Tiger. Both are well made, both offer good solid feel (perhaps the Tiger is a bit more solid feeling). The OB feels a bit stiffer, which I like. The bottom line is that when deciding, you have to weigh the values of LD properties and feel. For some people, the solid feel is going to be more important than the lowest possible deflection. If I wanted the lowest possible deflection, the Predator Z2 is a no brainer. However, I don't really like the dull hollow feel of that one. I've never really played with one for any length of time, so I've never adjusted to that level of deflection. I played with a 314-2 for many years. I switched to the OB Classic for a couple of years, and really liked the feel and play. However, when I tried my 314-2 again, I had to admit that pocketing balls with english was easier. It simply had noticeably less deflection.
Recently I began playing with the OB Classic Pro full time. I think it might actually have a hair less deflection than the 314-2. On the other hand, the feel is much better to me. More solid, more "sense" of the cue ball, more of a feel for how much I'm *turning* the cue ball, and a stiffer overall hit. I feel more confident on long shots that I have to stroke in. For me, this is the best overall shaft I have ever had.
If very low deflection (squirt) is important to you, I'd definitely go the OB Classic Pro route. If feel is more important than deflection, the Tiger may be a great choice (although I must say I LOVE the feel of the OB...both are superior in feel to the Predator).
Hope this helps,
KMRUNOUT
Last edited:
