Since many players have used Predator shafts for a while, I would like to submit a poll to those using Predator shafts. Do you think Predator shafts have radial consistency?
Radial consistency of the Predator shaft.
- Thread starter Tennesseejoe
- Start date
I would say they are more consistant than a standard maple shaft, but I think the OB-1 is closer to achieving perfect radial consistancy. I love my 314 though!
I would however like to qualify my answer with, unless the shaft was warped or the tip was messed up I've never really played with a shaft that didn't play reasonably radially consistent. At least to the level that my body would and or could notice a difference.
How can a shaft made of 8 separate pieces from different boards have radial consistency?
JoeyInCali said:
I am not sure if you understand what is being asked. Radial constant is that no matter how the cue is rotated it will play the same. A traditional one piece shaft is NOT radially consistant because it has a grain direction. If the woodgrain is horizontal on one shot and then the cue is rotated so that the cue is vertical it will react differently.
A predator shaft is made of TEN ( not 8) pie wedge cross grain matched pieces. No matter how the cue is turned it will be consistant.
I have been in woodworking for many years, and I have tried many different cues. The predator does what it says.
I really like the OB-1 shaft too. I like it better than my 314 first gen.
But they are both great shafts in my opinion.
Test it with a spine guage sometime. The results will surprise you. I've never tested an OB-1, but I'd be willing to bet it's better than a Predator, just because of how the pieces are spliced together, and what the pieces are made from.poolpro said:
If radial consistency is your ultimate objective, nothing beats McDermott's i-shafts. By taking the wood out of the equation (carbon cores by Easton), you totally eliminate the weakness/inconsistency. The wood is purely there for feel and aesthetics. I'm surprised that we aren't playing with carbon type shafts on our cues. It's the "old school" in us that will keep us using maple shafts.
Technically, a steel rod would be the most consistent. However, I'm talking about wood shafts with some form of performance parameters attached to them. I haven't tried the OB-1, but I wouldn't be able to handle the wooden ferrule. Too many years spent with white ones. I'm just saying in terms of consistency (radially), I think you'll have a tough time outperforming McD. They've tested it, and of course, they say they're the most consistent, same as Meucci and Predator say about their cues. From a technology standpoint, I'd think that the McDermott would win due to its design. I'd love to know how NONE of them have the performance of the OB-1. Lots of world champs still use the Pred, Engert uses the i-3, Hohmann uses the Universal SS, so there must not be too much of an advantage, otherwise every pro would have one.txplshrk said:
31 flavors of ice cream exist for a reason. Not everyone likes chocolate or vanilla.
swing
This radial consistency argument is the stuff of marketing, not pool playing.
What's the real question Joe?
This radial consistency argument is the stuff of marketing, not pool playing.
What's the real question Joe?
poolpro said:
Bingo! Rep +1 Bro!
Tennesseejoe said:
I think they play close enough from shot to shot to be considered the same from any direction.
What I think is amazing about these shafts is how consistent they are from shaft to shaft. My two 314-2's play exactly the same as far as I can tell.
Chris
I saw it tested.poolpro said:
It was put on a golf club "roundness" test.
It was bent, held by two bearings near the ferrule.
It spun, meaning it has a weak side.
If it was radially consistent, it wouldn't spin.
Of course, "radially consistent" is open for intepretation.
House cue
If you have ever shot with a cue and had to rotate it find the right spot to shoot with, you have used a radial inconsistent cue.
I really like the OB-1 but I love my Z-2's, I have 2 30" ones and the only difference is the thickness of the new tip I just had put on one of them.
If you have ever shot with a cue and had to rotate it find the right spot to shoot with, you have used a radial inconsistent cue.
I really like the OB-1 but I love my Z-2's, I have 2 30" ones and the only difference is the thickness of the new tip I just had put on one of them.
I saw a few tested with a spine guage that a local cuemaker used to have in this area. I have yet to see a shaft that is 100% radially consistent. Mind you, I haven't seen the OB-1 or the i-shafts tested yet. It would be interesting if some outside party could test this. Shane Sinnott, where are you?
One of mine warped within 2 months of buying it. Predator doesn't warranty against warpage, so I'm a little pissed at them right now. They offered to "straighten" my shaft, but I really don't see the point in paying for shipping the cue back and forth, plus the brokerage fees once my cue enters back into Canada.Flettir said:
If the shafts are 100% radially consistent, then warpage should NEVER occur. The shaft was left in my cue case, which only travels from my air conditioned basement pool room to the local hall where I play league.
Shawn Armstrong said:
Determining any shaft to be 100% radially consistent is like saying you have measured infinity. It is all relative and thought it would be confusing to describe a measurement of consistency because most Predator owners would not have equipment to measure it.
coopdeville said:
What don't you understand?
Tennesseejoe said:
I'm pretty sure the circumference of a cue shaft is finite. Just my opinion, but I think that 100% radial consistency is measureable. If you rotate the cue every 5 degrees and test it, you should get an answer.
BTW, I've measured infinity...............I'm still measuring
