Predator vantage shafts

Level

plhlolelnlilx said:
I suppose I should say as level as possible but I was assuming you would know there are rails that make it impossible to be "perfectly" level unless reaching across the table to the point that the butt cap can literally touch the table. Extreme side English with an elevated cue can cause cue ball swerve that is more severe the higher the angle of your cue in relation to the horizontal surface of the table. I have a suspicion that you're very familiar with everything that I've explained.
Click to expand...

I really didn't think about how level my cue was until you mentioned it.
I try to shoot as level as possible but seldom is the cue perfectly level.

I guess I will have to do my own test , but everything changes with cue ball speed and the distance from the CB to the object ball.

After talking about this it has made want to focus more on my shorter extreme English shots.

Thanks for the debate
 
I had a orignal 314 on a schon cue once. Then one day while breaking about a inch or two below the furrel and about 4" long a PC of that Pie broke out. I contacted them but they wouldn't replace it or even discount the cost of a new one. So I trashed it and never bought predator anything since. That was 12 years or so ago.
 
Predator is very stringent when it comes to warranty items and it definitely helps for you to buy new and have the original receipt along with registering all products for warranty. If a 314-2 is sanded or turned down below 12.25mm they will not warranty it. I also wouldn't recommend power breaking with a 314-2 or Z-2 since neither was designed to handle the stress that goes along with such a shot.
 
I played with my Predator Vantage shaft last weekend, however I have never played with an aftermarket shaft before so I do not have any kind of baseline to compare it to. I can tell you, I like the taper, and I like the feel of the hit and I can spin the cue ball with ease, also I have never played with a layered tip before, I was a Lepro user since the 70's, then when they starting having problems my cue repairman switched me over to Triangle tips.

If anyone local wants to try out my Predator Vantage shaft they are more than welcome, if you want to use your own butt, mine is set up for 5/16 X 18.
:grin-square:
 
Heres a review for you, I bought the shaft.

I started with a 314² about 3 years ago, loved it and decided to give the Z² a go about 1.5 years ago. It took me a while to get used the Z² because of its extra spin and lack of forgiveness, but I grew to love it. My Z² somehow got warped recently so I decided to buy a new one, and I noticed the advertisement for the vantage shaft... being a sucker for predators campaigns, I fell victim to temptation and ordered this shaft w/ the stock Victory M tip.

I've been using it for about 7 hours now and I will say it has improvements over the 314² and Z². It seems to have about the exact same spin application as the Z² shaft (which had a moori M on it), but its a tiny bit wider in diameter than the 314². The deflection reduction is top-notch, seeming to fall just a tiny bit more deflection than the Z² and a bit less than the 314², which is impressive considering its 12.9mm diameter (Z² being 11.75mm, 314² being 12.75mm). The wider diameter seems to make it more forgiving than the Z², while performing pretty much exactly as well.

One thing people will either LOVE or HATE about this shaft is its ridiculous amount of vibration dampening. The hit is very very clean; it almost feels like you aren't hitting anything. Some people will love this clean hit, but if you're someone who enjoys the clacky feedback from hitting balls around, you will be disappointed to find that you feel next to nothing on contact. The sound produced is a nice and quiet low frequency tap.

I am happy with my purchase, but I am used to the spin of the Z², and have grown adept at managing it. If you are a 314² user, you will have to spend some time getting used to the spin of the Vantage (which I'd estimate to be around 2-8% more than the 314² can seem to apply, and dependent on the tips compared)

This shaft will not turn you into an A player :P Only practice, patience, and deep analysis can do that. If anything it will mess with your game a little at first, due to the extra spin... but if you're willing to take on the challenge, you might find that you are better in the long run for risking the change.

Hope this helps.
 
9Ballr said:
The price on these things, as with most LD's, is just crazy
I am soooooooooooooo glad I'm not hooked on or attracted to those shafts.

Gimme solid maple any day over this junk.

In the music world laminated instruments tend to be much cheaper than solid wood ones.
Laminated back and sides is something used on a lot of those cheap GC guitars. The ones who are solid wood are much more expensive.
And resonate and sound better too.

In the pool world it's the opposite.
The laminated-no feel-glued together-drilled through-no wood in the center-s*it costs more than the solid wood stuff.
Funny how it works.
Click to expand...

Which do you think has more research and development, which do you think it more time consuming to make ? Heck, anyone can make a plain old maple shaft if they have a lathe, big fuggin deal. Maple shafts are not exactly rocket science, and yet, some cue makers charge $300 for them....hmmm, funny how that works.

But, it doesn't bother me one iota that folks want to shoot with maple because they have a built in adjustment in their head for all shots.... for the rest of us... we like it simple... and a few hundo is not expensive in terms of equipment..... Of course, I'd still by OB, but what ever floats your boat.
 
Ben Heintz said:
I started with a 314² about 3 years ago, loved it and decided to give the Z² a go about 1.5 years ago. It took me a while to get used the Z² because of its extra spin and lack of forgiveness, but I grew to love it. My Z² somehow got warped recently so I decided to buy a new one, and I noticed the advertisement for the vantage shaft... being a sucker for predators campaigns, I fell victim to temptation and ordered this shaft w/ the stock Victory M tip.

I've been using it for about 7 hours now and I will say it has improvements over the 314² and Z². It seems to have about the exact same spin application as the Z² shaft (which had a moori M on it), but its a tiny bit wider in diameter than the 314². The deflection reduction is top-notch, seeming to fall just a tiny bit more deflection than the Z² and a bit less than the 314², which is impressive considering its 12.9mm diameter (Z² being 11.75mm, 314² being 12.75mm). The wider diameter seems to make it more forgiving than the Z², while performing pretty much exactly as well.

One thing people will either LOVE or HATE about this shaft is its ridiculous amount of vibration dampening. The hit is very very clean; it almost feels like you aren't hitting anything. Some people will love this clean hit, but if you're someone who enjoys the clacky feedback from hitting balls around, you will be disappointed to find that you feel next to nothing on contact. The sound produced is a nice and quiet low frequency tap.

I am happy with my purchase, but I am used to the spin of the Z², and have grown adept at managing it. If you are a 314² user, you will have to spend some time getting used to the spin of the Vantage (which I'd estimate to be around 2-8% more than the 314² can seem to apply, and dependent on the tips compared)

This shaft will not turn you into an A player :P Only practice, patience, and deep analysis can do that. If anything it will mess with your game a little at first, due to the extra spin... but if you're willing to take on the challenge, you might find that you are better in the long run for risking the change.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

I got the Vantage shaft before it was released to public. It took some getting used to because my brain had built in squirt calculation for my Meucci. After playing with the Vantage shaft, I love it more every day. It provides a clean, solid hit. It puts a lot of spin on the ball. I actually like the Predator layered tip that came on it. Color is a little wierd, but it plays well.
 
tashworth19191 said:
I got the Vantage shaft before it was released to public. It took some getting used to because my brain had built in squirt calculation for my Meucci. After playing with the Vantage shaft, I love it more every day. It provides a clean, solid hit. It puts a lot of spin on the ball. I actually like the Predator layered tip that came on it. Color is a little wierd, but it plays well.
Click to expand...

WOW. Going from a "moochie" to a full blown extra low deflection shaft, you sir have stones ;)
 
Thanks for the info

Ben Heintz said:
I started with a 314² about 3 years ago, loved it and decided to give the Z² a go about 1.5 years ago. It took me a while to get used the Z² because of its extra spin and lack of forgiveness, but I grew to love it. My Z² somehow got warped recently so I decided to buy a new one, and I noticed the advertisement for the vantage shaft... being a sucker for predators campaigns, I fell victim to temptation and ordered this shaft w/ the stock Victory M tip.

I've been using it for about 7 hours now and I will say it has improvements over the 314² and Z². It seems to have about the exact same spin application as the Z² shaft (which had a moori M on it), but its a tiny bit wider in diameter than the 314². The deflection reduction is top-notch, seeming to fall just a tiny bit more deflection than the Z² and a bit less than the 314², which is impressive considering its 12.9mm diameter (Z² being 11.75mm, 314² being 12.75mm). The wider diameter seems to make it more forgiving than the Z², while performing pretty much exactly as well.

One thing people will either LOVE or HATE about this shaft is its ridiculous amount of vibration dampening. The hit is very very clean; it almost feels like you aren't hitting anything. Some people will love this clean hit, but if you're someone who enjoys the clacky feedback from hitting balls around, you will be disappointed to find that you feel next to nothing on contact. The sound produced is a nice and quiet low frequency tap.

I am happy with my purchase, but I am used to the spin of the Z², and have grown adept at managing it. If you are a 314² user, you will have to spend some time getting used to the spin of the Vantage (which I'd estimate to be around 2-8% more than the 314² can seem to apply, and dependent on the tips compared)

This shaft will not turn you into an A player :P Only practice, patience, and deep analysis can do that. If anything it will mess with your game a little at first, due to the extra spin... but if you're willing to take on the challenge, you might find that you are better in the long run for risking the change.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
 
Predator Vantage Shafts

I have been playing with a Predator Vantage shaft for a little more than a month now. This shaft is 12.90 MM and plays a little on the stiff side. I feel its more efficient in transferring energy than any other shafts I have played with. I can draw the ball with about 15% less speed and get the same effect. I also like that it is a very quite shaft.

I'm old school and learned to play with a 13.00 MM shaft. The Predator Vantage Shaft plays as stiff as a 13.00 MM shaft and has much less deflection and less noise. I feel its a nice compromise between old thicker shaft and new shaft technology. So if your old school and like the thicker shafts you owe it to yourself to try the Predator Vantage shaft.

NOTE: I replaced the original Predator tip with a Kamui SS black tip.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top