cluelesscuer
New member
Good stuff.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Predator losing influence?
- Thread starter LHP5
- Start date
Ill Gotten Gain
Deceased
Damn it Joe, must have missed the train somehow. Been playing with the same Schon butt and shaft I purchased 20 years ago. Unfortunately had to change the tip after five years of use. When in Vegas, I play with a Carmeli I purchased four years ago. No LD shafts for me. Guess I just don't know what I missed
. Must be why I play so bad 
! Might it be I'm just old :wink: ?Lyn
I bet he switched because the cues play so much fn better!!!! Lol
Not a knock mezz and OB get my respect. But pros switch sponsors for cash
I think Shane & Earl both proved this by winning 8 US open titles with Kmart cues
Untrue. Predator had a full cue making operation in Jacksonville. I was there twice. They made the entire shafts and the P-2 butts.
They did also use outside makers from the early days to meet demand.
They are highly involved in the development of their product and have full facilities to make cues. They are also pretty strict with their manufacturing partners as to exactly how the products will be made.
John (insider)
I think Shane & Earl both proved this by winning 8 US open titles with Kmart cues
I thought after Earl, then Shane winning everything in sight with an off the shelf production cue most everyone would finally get the idea that it's not the cue... it's who's using it. Still too many think it's the cue. I'm waiting for some young gun to start using and winning with a Dufferin one-piece or one made into a sneaky-pete. There still will be people that think for every $500 more you spend on a cue you get a ball better. Johnnyt
This shows how stupid I am, I obviously know this yet still play with a 3 thousand dollar cue. And damned it I'm gonna make a ball with it some day too.... even if it kills me:angry:
buuuuuutttttt........could be bullshit too
someone lied to you. They don't own a lathe.
I think Shane & Earl both proved this by winning 8 US open titles with Kmart cues
It would be real strong if Cuetecs were sold in Kmart. Don't forget all the titles Earl won in the World Championships, all of Allison's wins, and of course all of Shane's other wins.
Say what you want but the Cuetec is a cue that works perfectly fine as a pool cue. Not everyone's taste but technically it is enough cue to win with.
And Johnny Archer has racked up quite a lot of titles using a Scorpion made by Cuetec.
Regarding the orignal topic:
Traveling around the country I still see a LOT of Predator usage. But I do see a fair amount of OB and Tiger and now even Jacoby Hybrid as well.
I would guess - just based on my loose observations these past six months that Predator is still dominant among "performance" shaft users but the market has definitely matured to the point where users are experiementing with different brands and settling into the one they like best. I have also met a number of people who have put down all segmented shafts and play with single piece shafts simply because they like the feeling better.
I personally own no Predator shafts anymore simply because I don't like the way they feel when I hit a ball. Not because I don't believe they don't work. I know they work having it seen it proved to my satisfaction in Jacksonville.
Predator is still quite active but perhaps not quite as "influential" as they were in terms of mindshare. I think that people now consider the alternatives as serious choices that stand toe to toe with Predator for performance. Still a lot of Predator stuff out there though and still on a lot of people's wish lists.
I think it's a sign of the times. This probably belongs in a separate thread, but look at Inside Pool as an example, and the coverage they used to give events like the DCC and US Open. You hardly see that anymore.
seems to me they have had QC issues since the start, bad joints, bad ferrules and warping. Still when you get a good one....
I have 2 good ones.
james chong
Banned
mine works fine, i love it
i like mine, didnt like all the crappy logo's, it actually is a very good cue.
here's a stock photo of the cue after refinish, string wrap pressed and waxed (not polished).
i didnt get the string polished because i dont like that slippery oily eel skin feel.
and i can take it anywhere and not have too much to worry about.
i like mine, didnt like all the crappy logo's, it actually is a very good cue.
here's a stock photo of the cue after refinish, string wrap pressed and waxed (not polished).
i didnt get the string polished because i dont like that slippery oily eel skin feel.
and i can take it anywhere and not have too much to worry about.
Attachments
Last edited:
I have been a dealer for many companies for a long time. Most cue manufacturing companies have had a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) policy for a long time...even before Predator. Predator did seem much more aggressive in the enforcement of theirs, though.
With the internet stores, availability of product has become much easier. It used to be that you had to be licensed and a brick & mortar institution to buy directly from the manufacturer/distributer. Now, on-line stores, many who simply have the cues "drop-shipped" from the distributor to the buyer, are much more prevalent. This is really tough on the brick & morter establishments that have rent, utilities and inventory to pay for. It means that the drop-shippers can easily beat their pricing.
That may sound great to the buyer, but it is death for the B&M stores, pool rooms, etc. It is also not too good for the producer, because, over time, the price-point of their product declines. Being aggressive on the MAP and trying to insure that the product is not priced below that point maintains a level playing field, and it also keeps values up.
Joe