Predator P2 owners. Inside please.

B

Big C

Deep in the heart of TX.
Silver Member
Now that the P3 is arriving, there are some good deals and I need your help making a decision on whether or not to buy the P2. I have owned the 314 and Z2 shafts and I liked them both, but recently sold them in favor of my new full splice cue with a solid shaft. I have never played with a P2, so I was wondering what is it about your P2 that won you over? Is the P2 as a whole really better than just a 314/Z2 on any other cue? Is there anyone with a P2 near Austin that would allow me to test drive it? Please help.

Thanks
 
Big C said:
Now that the P3 is arriving, there are some good deals and I need your help making a decision on whether or not to buy the P2. I have owned the 314 and Z2 shafts and I liked them both, but recently sold them in favor of my new full splice cue with a solid shaft. I have never played with a P2, so I was wondering what is it about your P2 that won you over? Is the P2 as a whole really better than just a 314/Z2 on any other cue? Is there anyone with a P2 near Austin that would allow me to test drive it? Please help.

Thanks
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I recently stopped using my P2. It's a few years old - the butt warped. Now, I know everybody has a warp story to talk about but here's the thing. I've owned my coffee table for the same amount of time. I've spilled tons of stuff on it. It doesn't warp. My bed doesn't warp. In fact, I can't think of a single thing I own that's wood that's warped EXCEPT for my P2.

The reason it warped simply has to do with the fact that there was too much water in the wood when it was made. That's it. From what I recall reading, most craftsmen wait until it's below 10% and I believe cuemakers typically wait until it's below 5%.

IMO, Predator makes a fine shaft. I still use them. However, their butts are very expensive given they're mass produced and obviously not enough time is spent into making them. I now own a Schon. I'm very happy. It's also about 50x nicer looking than anything Predator makes.
 
Sorry I don't have one but I know a guy in College Station that let me play with his...I mean it felt solid and he had a 314. I would say the P2 just looks cool but beyond that I'm not sure if there is any advantage. I think that when I played with it it was the 314 I enjoyed not necessarily the butt.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
I recently stopped using my P2. It's a few years old - the butt warped. Now, I know everybody has a warp story to talk about but here's the thing. I've owned my coffee table for the same amount of time. I've spilled tons of stuff on it. It doesn't warp. My bed doesn't warp. In fact, I can't think of a single thing I own that's wood that's warped EXCEPT for my P2.

The reason it warped simply has to do with the fact that there was too much water in the wood when it was made. That's it. From what I recall reading, most craftsmen wait until it's below 10% and I believe cuemakers typically wait until it's below 5%.

IMO, Predator makes a fine shaft. I still use them. However, their butts are very expensive given they're mass produced and obviously not enough time is spent into making them. I now own a Schon. I'm very happy. It's also about 50x nicer looking than anything Predator makes.
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I own a Schon too. Although they are a "production cue", they are not mass produced. The people that make them are craftsmen with decades of experience and the materials are top shelf. Sorry to hear your P2 warped and I appreciate your feedback.
 
I have 2 P2s and have been using them for a few years now and nothing hits like them IMO. Very lively with feedback, solid.
 
I have been playing with my P2 for 10 months now and it is the best hitting cue I've ever hit. My comparison to how other cue's hit would be this: The P2 with it's radial laminated construction allows for more feed back in the hand, this provides more precision in shot making. Another reason that adds to the hit I like is the fact that the P2 has a thinner butt than usual and it is light without the weight bolt "17.6 oz" I think this provides me more precision. No disrespect to Schon's they really are better looking cues than predators and are hand made but I tend to get a deadening feeling when hitting with one, and they feel heavy and thick in my hand.
At the end of the day we all interrupt differently what the right hit feels like, how I arrived at the P2 being the right cue for me was being able try out different cues. One might think that it is costly to try out a bunch of different cues but since we have this great site AZ billiards you can buy a cue and try it out for a good price and if you don't like it you can trade it or sell it to get another cue so you are not out a bunch of money. I often trade cues just to try a new cue maker and a new hit.
Just my 2 cents
 
patrickjuhlin said:
I have been playing with my P2 for 10 months now and it is the best hitting cue I've ever hit. My comparison to how other cue's hit would be this: The P2 with it's radial laminated construction allows for more feed back in the hand, this provides more precision in shot making. Another reason that adds to the hit I like is the fact that the P2 has a thinner butt than usual and it is light without the weight bolt "17.6 oz" I think this provides me more precision. No disrespect to Schon's they really are better looking cues than predators and are hand made but I tend to get a deadening feeling when hitting with one, and they feel heavy and thick in my hand.
At the end of the day we all interrupt differently what the right hit feels like, how I arrived at the P2 being the right cue for me was being able try out different cues. One might think that it is costly to try out a bunch of different cues but since we have this great site AZ billiards you can buy a cue and try it out for a good price and if you don't like it you can trade it or sell it to get another cue so you are not out a bunch of money. I often trade cues just to try a new cue maker and a new hit.
Just my 2 cents
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Have you hit with a Hagan cue?
 
Big C said:
I own a Schon too. Although they are a "production cue", they are not mass produced. The people that make them are craftsmen with decades of experience and the materials are top shelf. Sorry to hear your P2 warped and I appreciate your feedback.
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I'm just saying, I've been playing with a Schon for the past few months now and I'm very happy. I played well with the P2. I'm not against playing with one again one day. I just question their value. It's an awfully expensive plain looking cue and as you stated, a mass produced one at that. I'm not going to go so far as to say that ALL of them are prone to warping. I know they're not. I just think for that kind of money, it's nice to have a personal touch. Besides, there's nothing more annoying than going to Las Vegas and seeing about 30 P2s in the room. It's a tribute to their popularity but at the same time, I like being able to distinguish which cue is mine from a distance.
 
I agree that having a unique cue is nice, P2's are everywhere.
I have not tried a Hagen cue, what do they hit like? and do they have the dimensions and weight I was talking about.
 
I have been playing with a P2 since they were released. I used to play with a beautiful custom Prather and it played excellent. When I tried the P2 I was sold. Offcourse a plying cue is personal. You like something and I like something else. The thing with the P2 is that it has a different weight balance than most other cues I have tried and it just suits me perfectly. It is also a very consistent cue. For the moment I have a OB-1 shaft on it and are waiting for the OB-2.

Being an equipment fanatic I always look for nice cues and would love to have a custom cue again. For the moment nothing compares with the P2 and with my new cork wrap it doesnt look to bad either:)
 
I also use and OB shaft on my P2, kind of funny a Predator butt with an OB shaft, it is the nuts combination. I just got my OB-2 shaft two weeks ago and it is an amazing shaft you will be happy with it. The one thing you will notice is that it has a little more backbone compared to the OB-1 due to it's taper, took a little getting used but really easy to adjust to.
 
My first cue was a Predator P2.
Bought it in 2004. Won my first trophy using it!
Played with it for about 2 years.

Then something very important in my life came up,
and I had too quit pool for 11 months.

Stored my P2 in my cue case for those 11 months.
Stiill perfect - rolls straight and all!

P.S.
I once left my pool cue case in my car
with my P2 and a break cue that my sister
acquired for me from Singapore.

The items were left inside the car, which
was under direct sunlight (from about 9 AM to 4 PM).

The butt of the break cue warped.
The P2 stayed perfect and all!
And I kid you not!

I love my P2! I have had lots of offers for it
but decided not to sell. It will be one of
my kids' playing cue when he or she decides
to take up the sport someday.

:)
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
I recently stopped using my P2. It's a few years old - the butt warped. Now, I know everybody has a warp story to talk about but here's the thing. I've owned my coffee table for the same amount of time. I've spilled tons of stuff on it. It doesn't warp. My bed doesn't warp. In fact, I can't think of a single thing I own that's wood that's warped EXCEPT for my P2.

The reason it warped simply has to do with the fact that there was too much water in the wood when it was made. That's it. From what I recall reading, most craftsmen wait until it's below 10% and I believe cuemakers typically wait until it's below 5%.

IMO, Predator makes a fine shaft. I still use them. However, their butts are very expensive given they're mass produced and obviously not enough time is spent into making them. I now own a Schon. I'm very happy. It's also about 50x nicer looking than anything Predator makes.
Click to expand...

I have been actually thinking of getting a Predator Break Cue but I might not now after reading this.
 
gatorcc said:
I have been actually thinking of getting a Predator Break Cue but I might not now after reading this.
Click to expand...

i think they're over rated. they're decent but for a few hundo less you could get someone to convert a house cue or something that'll break just as well
 
poolplayer2093 said:
i think they're over rated. they're decent but for a few hundo less you could get someone to convert a house cue or something that'll break just as well
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Thanks. I did a post a few days back and a lot of people were talking about the Fury j/b cues being really nice.
 
poolplayer2093 said:
i think they're over rated. they're decent but for a few hundo less you could get someone to convert a house cue or something that'll break just as well
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Well, that can bring up an entirely new debate about the value of a good break cue. It's very easy to point to the guy who has a powerful break who has had a lot of success in pool. However, I wonder how many players have powerful breaks that are only detrimental. I wonder if you were to graph your winning percentage in games where you broke as one axis and mph of the break as another, if you'd see a pattern. I mean, if your winning percentage is higher at 18 mph than 24 mph, do you really need a $400 break cue?
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
Well, that can bring up an entirely new debate about the value of a good break cue. It's very easy to point to the guy who has a powerful break who has had a lot of success in pool. However, I wonder how many players have powerful breaks that are only detrimental. I wonder if you were to graph your winning percentage in games where you broke as one axis and mph of the break as another, if you'd see a pattern. I mean, if your winning percentage is higher at 18 mph than 24 mph, do you really need a $400 break cue?
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Huh? i just meant that the in my opinion the bk and bk2 both spun the ball a little too much for me. i couldn't squat the cb hardley ever. i've seen some accustats with pros doing it but it seems like even they get more action on the cb than they'd probably want with it.
 
poolplayer2093 said:
Huh? i just meant that the in my opinion the bk and bk2 both spun the ball a little too much for me. i couldn't squat the cb hardley ever. i've seen some accustats with pros doing it but it seems like even they get more action on the cb than they'd probably want with it.
Click to expand...


Well, the argument for a good break cue like BK or BK2 is that they hit the cue ball harder. I mean, there is truth to this but like I said before, I wonder if it's at all valuable. You mentioned just now that you couldn't squat the cue ball well with Predator. Well, the truth is, it's much much easier to do this at 18 mph than 22 mph. In fact, I think one of the most common problems I see amongst amateur players today (this includes myself) is losing the cueball (even scratching) on the break.

So, the point I'm making is, if you're breaking medium speed, you don't really need the best break cue.
 
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