Predator for shooting over balls?

R

racer rx

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Does a Predator shaft allow you to shoot more accurately if you have to shoot over balls? Like sometimes when you get slightly out of shape then having to jack the back end of your cue higher to shoot over balls.

I seem to always miss these types of shots with my current cue. Will the Predator shafts help with these shots?
 
racer rx said:
Does a Predator shaft allow you to shoot more accurately if you have to shoot over balls? Like sometimes when you get slightly out of shape then having to jack the back end of your cue higher to shoot over balls.

I seem to always miss these types of shots with my current cue. Will the Predator shafts help with these shots?
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Not really. I've found that a cue with more weight near the tip is easier to shoot with an open bridge, especially a high bridge. Predators are lighter weight near the tip than the "average" cue.

I say this as I just miscued on such a shot Thursday night using my 314. I barely made the shot, but my problem is not being able to see very well up close, moreso than the shaft.

Driver, where are you? Holy deflection, the Driver light is on! To the Drivercave and the Drivermobile!

Jeff Livingston
 
racer rx said:
Does a Predator shaft allow you to shoot more accurately if you have to shoot over balls?
Click to expand...


No...but a Predator shaft will help you to shoot more accurately if you use it as a target when you're practicing with your 9mm and try to home in on that scrawny tip and hollow front end. :D
 
racer rx said:
Does a Predator shaft allow you to shoot more accurately if you have to shoot over balls? Like sometimes when you get slightly out of shape then having to jack the back end of your cue higher to shoot over balls.

I seem to always miss these types of shots with my current cue. Will the Predator shafts help with these shots?
Click to expand...

the predator is not the secret here.................

the secret is.................PRACTICE

when you shoot over a ball, get your correct alignment, make sure your aim is where you want it, and this is one of the few occassions that you look at the CUE BALL LAST, you are watching to make sure you hit the cue ball where you intended, as your bridge for jacking up is not as sound as a regular bridge.

as weird as it sounds, the reason you are missing is because you're not hitting the cueball where you intend...........not because of the shaft........

VAP
 
i think for me shooting off the rail or jacked over a ball the biggest help i ever
found was learning how important it is to hit center ball no left or right english
 
vapoolplayer said:
the predator is not the secret here.................

the secret is.................PRACTICE

when you shoot over a ball, get your correct alignment, make sure your aim is where you want it, and this is one of the few occassions that you look at the CUE BALL LAST, you are watching to make sure you hit the cue ball where you intended, as your bridge for jacking up is not as sound as a regular bridge.

as weird as it sounds, the reason you are missing is because you're not hitting the cueball where you intend...........not because of the shaft........

VAP
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GOOD JOB VAP!!! I hate when people ask if a shaft is going to make thier game better I always say NO just practice!! If that isnt working then take lessons. No product in any sport will make you play better. You have to learn how to play!!
 
lukeinva said:
No product in any sport will make you play better. You have to learn how to play!!
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Luke,
I think your principle is fairly correct, but there may be some exceptions. For me the oversized racquets RUINED tennis and racquetball. It is like you are not even playing the same sport. All of the techniques and artistry that you spent years developing was made obsolete by the technology - YECCCHHH!!!

As a straight pool player I have practiced jacked up shots fairly extensively (even to the point of learning to use English to a limited degree with them). A really fun tool is the circular rack sold by Muellers (you can place the object balls by hand in a circle in the middle or near the end of the table - but I'm lazy). I do the drill every day during straight pool season. Place the cueball in the center of the ring of object balls, pick your shot, then back the cue ball up until you are near an interfering ball (requiring you to jack up to some and differing degrees on every shot). Shoot until you make all 15 balls without missing. It's not that hard until you start placing your cueball very close to an interfering ball, requiring more cue elevation. As several posters have said the keys are looking at the cue ball last as you shoot, using the minimum cue elevation possible, and making absolutely sure to strike the cue ball dead center to avoid deflection/curve/throw (the same principles I use for shooting away from the rail when the cue ball is frozen there). Once the straight, rolling shots are mastered it is fun to throw in draw, follow, and side English.
 
Willie,

You are right those products make you better. Any training product will make you better I was speaking about the shafts people use today. Who think that a shaft is going to improve thier game by 2 balls. I have always thought good ole fashion practice will make you better. Along with the help of a coach/instructor. If you have those 3 things (training products, coach/ instructor and practice) you will improve your game. You will not however improve just by buying a shaft or a cue made by a certain maker. Bottom line no cue or shaft is going to improve your game to such a pro level! You need to practice thats the only way to get better!
 
As others have said, no, it wont make you shoot these shots better. But I think its important to understand why it wont help. I am not a big fan of predator shafts, but lets assume they do what they say they do to the point of helping on normal shots. The key to predator is lower deflection. So while it may cut down on deflection while shooting over a ball, that is not the main reason those shots are so hard.

When elevating the but of the cue any off center hit on the cueball will create a masse effect. So while it may not deflect as much, the cueball will still curve. In fact I would go so far as to say it may make it harder. If you strike it off center to the left, the cueball will curve left. But the cueball will deflect right. So in theory you would have a better chance if the cueball did deflect and the masse had time to react and get it back on line. With no deflection you would have zero chance of that happening.

So the key to these shots is learning to hit the cueball in dead center (no left or right) just like several here have said. If you have a Rempe cueball you could tilt it so that the lines are where you need to strike. That way if you are actually hitting where you need to you would know that you need to work on your alignment when dealing with and elevated cue.

Woody
 
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