I see lots of "big name" pros wearing the Predator patch and I guess that means playing with at least a Predator shaft. Are there any "big name" pros playing with OB shafts? I've played with both and see very little difference between the two yet I see no OB patches on any of the "big name" pros. What am I missing here? Is it a marketing issue or something else?
Predator vs OB
- Thread starter Murdoch7627
- Start date
A) at my league hte preditors outnumber the OBs by about 5 to 1.
B) you should be using the shaft that feels right to you without regard to what others are playing (with).
B) you should be using the shaft that feels right to you without regard to what others are playing (with).
I would guess that Predator got a lot of the name guys before OB even came out on the market. I have no idea, just a hypothesis.
The only top guy I know who was sponsored by OB was John Schmidt. I don't know if he still is or if anyone else is.
If I were going to play with an LD shaft, it would most likely be an OB Classic or possibly a Mezz WD700. I like OB's customer service and their owners are very personable/accessible so based on that I would probably go with them.
The only top guy I know who was sponsored by OB was John Schmidt. I don't know if he still is or if anyone else is.
If I were going to play with an LD shaft, it would most likely be an OB Classic or possibly a Mezz WD700. I like OB's customer service and their owners are very personable/accessible so based on that I would probably go with them.
Pred nowadays has low overhead 50/50 china quality. You 'may' get a sweet one. Good luck.
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I could name some pros that used at one time or another OB cues.
Hunter Lombardo used OB cues for a while - then switched to Mezz Cues
Matt Krah used OB Cues up until 2011 - switched to Lucasi Hybrid
Shaun Wilkie used OB back in summer 2008 for a short time on the Predator Tour - then moved to Lucasi
John Schmidt - sponsored by OB until 2010 then moved to Fury.
Cris DeLaGarza used OB308 - then switched to Poison Cues
I remember SVB - thats right - Shane Van Boening, having used the OB1 shaft back in 2006 during the IPT, before he hit it big in 2007. It was announced on their website. I heard from OB that he had an issue with it, but never contacted them to fix it. The first generation OB shafts had a splintering issue due to the direction of the laminations, that could bet he issue, but can not confirm.
Strickland also used OB shafts back in fall of 2007, after he was fired from cuetec. The OB shafts were custom tapered by gulyassy, and the fiber pad was replaced with a phenolic, and he was able to do some crazy english shots with it.
I remember hearing that dechaine used an OB Break shaft on his BK2, but can not confirm.
Predator also has the capital for sponsoring professional players to use their shafts.
Hunter Lombardo used OB cues for a while - then switched to Mezz Cues
Matt Krah used OB Cues up until 2011 - switched to Lucasi Hybrid
Shaun Wilkie used OB back in summer 2008 for a short time on the Predator Tour - then moved to Lucasi
John Schmidt - sponsored by OB until 2010 then moved to Fury.
Cris DeLaGarza used OB308 - then switched to Poison Cues
I remember SVB - thats right - Shane Van Boening, having used the OB1 shaft back in 2006 during the IPT, before he hit it big in 2007. It was announced on their website. I heard from OB that he had an issue with it, but never contacted them to fix it. The first generation OB shafts had a splintering issue due to the direction of the laminations, that could bet he issue, but can not confirm.
Strickland also used OB shafts back in fall of 2007, after he was fired from cuetec. The OB shafts were custom tapered by gulyassy, and the fiber pad was replaced with a phenolic, and he was able to do some crazy english shots with it.
I remember hearing that dechaine used an OB Break shaft on his BK2, but can not confirm.
Predator also has the capital for sponsoring professional players to use their shafts.
If OB charged as much for their cues as Predator they'd have the capital for sponsoring professional players to use their shafts, too.
It's funny that people here will point to the number of pros wearing Predator ads as the reason why it must be the best choice of cue/shaft. It's self-perpetuating.
Predator have the best marketing/promotion strategies, and they sponsor Pro's with their products so that they must play with Predator in tournaments.
The Pro's have many cues/shafts and you can see them shooting with different one each day in the pool hall. But they HAVE TO play with their sponsors' products in tournament.
The Pro's have many cues/shafts and you can see them shooting with different one each day in the pool hall. But they HAVE TO play with their sponsors' products in tournament.
Pred has been around a lot longer and spends a lot more on advertising. But the OB is a far better cue in my opinion, and made in TX, and the customer service is second to none.
I"m sure Pred has offices in the US, but not really sure you are gonna get the one on one interaction with the guy who actually made the cue or even helped make the cue.
I"m sure Pred has offices in the US, but not really sure you are gonna get the one on one interaction with the guy who actually made the cue or even helped make the cue.
TheThaiger
Banned
Are you saying pros play with their own shafts in practice, but play with Preds in competition?
Extraordinary.
TheThaiger
Banned
What is? Your delusion?
As ever, the market decides who plays with what. And how AZB distorts markets!
You may have convinced yourself that most players play with a Predator cue or shaft but you would be wrong. Predator's policy of paying pro's to play with their cues and wear their patch may have convinced quite a few that it's the one and only best LD cue for which they pay more which allows Predator to pay more pro's to use it but that is irrelevant to what a knowledgeable person thinks of the cue relative to less expensive cues.
Also, I've noticed that most of the Predator shafts and cues I see were purchased from an original owner.
Wearing something and paying the best to play with a product doesn't make said product the best.
Big companies have psychologists on staff to tell them how to get into peoples heads to buy their stuff, but i never understood that method, i never thought the $300 shoes with michael jordan's name on them would make me michael jordan (i was happy with my comfortable $20 Kmart ReebOOks) or that paying triple for golf clubs because tiger woods is sponsored by nike would make me any good.
Find what works best for you and use that.
Big companies have psychologists on staff to tell them how to get into peoples heads to buy their stuff, but i never understood that method, i never thought the $300 shoes with michael jordan's name on them would make me michael jordan (i was happy with my comfortable $20 Kmart ReebOOks) or that paying triple for golf clubs because tiger woods is sponsored by nike would make me any good.
Find what works best for you and use that.
it is very true. they not just practice but also play money matches with other cues than the cue they sponsored with, because after 5', they are comfortable with any cue in their hands
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I have owned or own the following LD shafts:
314
314-2
OB1
OB2
Mezz Hybrid Alpha
My personal favorite out of the bunch is the OB1. It just felt more natural than the predator shafts. Hard to explain. From a deflection standpoint they both work as advertised. I just enjoyed the hit of the OB shafts more. Lately I have been playing with the Mezz Hybrid Alpha which I also enjoy.
314
314-2
OB1
OB2
Mezz Hybrid Alpha
My personal favorite out of the bunch is the OB1. It just felt more natural than the predator shafts. Hard to explain. From a deflection standpoint they both work as advertised. I just enjoyed the hit of the OB shafts more. Lately I have been playing with the Mezz Hybrid Alpha which I also enjoy.
TheThaiger
Banned
Which pros do this?
Efren Reyes, Alex Pagulayan, Dennis Orcollo, etc etc
Predator built up a reputation in the US when everything was made there...the name got about, professionals used their equipment and they started to grow as a company. Now for a business to sustain profits, they shipped all of their manufacturing to China, where costs are very very small. Sure, the wood quality isn't as good as the old stuff, but they still perform. Personally I don't like any of the products they have released...ever. Only thing I could have got away with was the old 314.
I use OB products after successful demo's of them. Prefer everything about them in terms of sound, feel, build quality, customer service...and as ever, you have people who like different things.
Moori was THE tip to have...since they shipped production abroad, they too have dropped in quality.
Have to respect Predator as a company and for what they do for the billiard industry.
I use OB products after successful demo's of them. Prefer everything about them in terms of sound, feel, build quality, customer service...and as ever, you have people who like different things.
Moori was THE tip to have...since they shipped production abroad, they too have dropped in quality.
Have to respect Predator as a company and for what they do for the billiard industry.
i've had more than a few friends have trouble with their predator shafts or cues and get really bad customer service when they tried to get the problem handled. a friend had a z2 warp on him and the ferrule cracked. they said they'd straighten it for him n replace the ferrule. it was still warped but the ferrule got fixed. they didn't offer a new tip so they just put the old tip back on it for him. they said "well the best i can do is give you 40% off a new one". so 40% off an item that's 50/50 to break again. what good is that?
Its not about how much OB charges, its about how much profit they make.
They could sell for the same price, like they do with the shafts, but Predators cost less to make due to the labor cost overseas where its made. OB makes their shafts in TX, where cost of labor is higher. Predator therefor profits more with their worldwide presence, and can afford to sponsor or pay pros for top finishes using their cues.
So, Predator cost of production is lower and they charge more. But it still remains that the difference in pricing is pretty wide and OB could probably raise their price and still maintain their sales. This can get complicated- to maintain sales they may have to up marketing costs. On the other hand there is research validating that there are a certain number of people who compulsively equate higher cost with higher quality. The more you charge the more they want it. But it has to have some kind of buzz around it.
Anyway, the point was that Predator is creating the buzz with the higher prices that their customers pay, i.e., a portion of the higher price customers pay is only for the purpose to convince someone else to also pay a higher price. That isn't value.