Serious problems with new Predator?? Help!!

[TwoRailDave]

The 13mm shaft was helping you get through the cue ball. Many people people here on the forums suggest that thinner shafts produce english

easier. I agree that mostly, the thinner shaft can allow for more control and accuracy, even easier soft spin. On stroke shots or longer draw shots

I find that a 13mm will help you come with more power and a lesser chance of miscuing. If you don't have a disciplined stroke, the z2 will expose it.

Sometimes before muting Jim Wych, I will here him say how snooker players practice hitting a ball straight down the table and back. I think this is

especially important because they are playing with 9mm tips that will accentuate any unintentional english. Every time I go play pool, the first thing I do is line

up my stroke with the rail and make sure it is dead straight all the way through. Do this at full stroking speed to make sure you're on point.

Any flaws will usually present themselves at the end of your follow through. Pay particular attention to it. If

you do this and make sure to keep your head still, you should slowly start to see some results with the z2. If you've played two months with it and

you don't like like, then ditch it. Most times, lightning isn't in the bottle. The z2 is a good shaft, but there are pros that prefer a 13mm high deflection. Be

confident in your game and your own decision for equipment.

 

[graemeham]

Sometimes before muting Jim Wych.

Alot of what you say makes sense, however this made me laugh :grin:

I have just had a hit around there and it is better. I'm striking the cueball through the centre alot more and making my hit much thicker. Part of my problem is when I play with my other cues i strike alot of my shots with spin, now with the z2 I am going to concentrate more on aiming for the middle.

One difference I have definitely noticed is, I can generate power and spin with alot less effort than with previous cues

 

[quadrary]

I am up north in cold Scotland.

Donny thanks for advice, I might hold back on it.

Don't get me wrong guys, i can still run out however its just miscuing with certain shots for example deep screwing is quite tough.

I will keep at it and give you guys an update on how it is in a few days.

Thanks all for the advice. Much appreciated

I use a z2 also and i can tell you that on extreme draw shots if you are used to a 13mm tip you are used to being able to draw with your cue almost scraping the cloth on a stroke. With the smaller tip if you have your shaft that low on the vertical plane you are probably outside of the miscue limit with a power stroke either try taking a little off the stroke or raising the tip placement slightly.

 

[MitchAlsup]

A couple years ago I switched from my SP8RW with 314-1 shaft to another SP8RW with a Z2 shaft. Practicing at my home table I could detect little difference. But at league play, after the stress hit, my level of play would simply drop off a cliff. In effect, over years of use, my muscles were remembeing the old 314-1 shaft. It took several months of 3hr/day use to get the muscle memory put in place so that I would not misremember what the que would do.

Moral: Stick with it, and every time you switch back, will reset to adjustment clock.

 

[ENGLISH!]

I tend to agree that it may be the tip.

But... how do you 'aim' your tip for english?

If you use the center to aim, then when you place the smaller tip in the same place as the larger tip you will be hitting more off center than with the larger tip. I would suggest that you use the inside of tip for tip placement. I would guess that you already know this, since you said you have played with the smaller snooker cues.

So... I would guess it's the tip. If I were you I'd change it to the same brand as your 13mm cue.

Regards &

 

[Celophanewrap]

LD cues & shafts take some getting used to. Most likely 2-4 weeks. I'm not an LD guy and this is why. All cues deflect somewhat. The more you switch it up the more inconsistent your game will be. Staying with the same cue for along time is a good thing and when you change it's not always with great results. You have to mentally learn what the cue does all over again. It's up to you if you want to devote the time to the change. Switching back any fourth to your old cue will make this process longer.

Agreed, there is an adjustment period. Also keep in mind that you're playing with a new tip and there is likely a "break in" period for the tip. For me even with an Onyx or a Kamui SS I've got to play with it for a while before it is at performance level. If you have the stock tip on it you'll probably find that eventually you can play with it, but any time I order a new shaft or a cue, if it comes with the Everest I'll ditch that and order it with the tip I want. Get used to it, I think you'll like it

 

[taojones]

i use an unusual cur tip Keith Hannsens black widow they are hard and do not deflect because they cant distort on contact . when i have given them to people they find it takes a while to adjust to the fact that the tip is doing an extraordinary job and stuff they used to do is unnecessary and causes the equipment to over preform. you will adjust as your brain gets used to the new parameters. follow the basics , no more than 2 tips off center, do not go too low on draw and scoop launch the ball , soften up your stroke keep the cue level and follow through more deliberately and your new shaft will work fine.

 

[graemeham]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. Im reading every one as they come through.

I'm getting more and more used to it as the hours roll by. Long shots with screw are still troubling me however I'm starting to learn how this thing plays. Definitely don't need to put in quite as much effort for basic english.

 

[ENGLISH!]

I have a Predator 314 Cat that has been 'juiced' (sanded down). I would all but swear that it has 'no' squirt/deflection.

On those long full table shots with english it just swerves. I don't play much with it for that reason. It's just too hard to adapt. It is fantastic in close quarters though.

Now I'm not saying yours will play like that, but the point is how little the squirt/deflection can be & how much the swerve appears to be 'magnified'.

Just keep playing with it & I believe your subconscious will adapt.

Regards &

 

[arnaldo]

Two points to consider:

-- Are the actually established (not manufacturer stated) weights different between the Bison and your new cue?

-- Equally important: alternately rest both cues on your straightened index finger to find their respective balance points.

If the cue weights or balance points are moderately different you need to adjust the placement of your grip proportionately to find what's most ideal and positive result-producing for longterm play with your new Predator shaft and new butt assembly.

I've needed to make incremental, sometimes scant (but productive) grip position changes when moving to various new cues over the years. With most quality cues you can also adjust the weight and balance points to more personally suitable conditions.

Arnaldo

 

[ENGLISH!]

You do know with a predator ,,you have to hit toward the center of the cue. And just outside of center for English. Nowhere near as far out as other cues. And you will get the same effect,, if not more English.

That is what takes time to get used to. One tip out at the most,,any further and you will miscue. Try it for awhile and you will see. Even a half tip out,, and English applies well.
You have to pay close attention to the cue tip placement on cue.

flash,

I tend to agree with you except that I can go all the way out to the miscue envelope & not miscue, but as you say there is no need to do so.

I will say that if out on the 'edge' & you try to power it there is a bit more miscue potential, since the shaft is deflecting off of the ball so much.

Regards &

 

[ENGLISH!]

Two points to consider:

-- Are the actually established (not manufacturer stated) weights different between the Bison and your new cue?

-- Equally important: alternately rest both cues on your straightened index finger to find their respective balance points.

Arnaldo

Good point. When I switched from my stock shaft to the Lds I removed the weight bolt from my cue. The balance came back into form.

Regards &

 

[TheThaiger]

One difference I have definitely noticed is, I can generate power and spin with alot less effort than with previous cues

Wherefore art thou, Patrick?

 

[ENGLISH!]

Wherefore art thou, Patrick?

I thought the same thing. But...

it is so much 'quieter'.

Regards to You &

 

[TheThaiger]

I thought the same thing. But...

it is so much 'quieter'.

Regards to You &

So much more boring, you mean. He didn't like first hand testimony like this - only what Dr Dave's site told him. All shafts produce the same spin. All tips produce the same spin. All shaft sizes produce the same spin. All tip sizes produce the same spin.

Yadda yadda.

 

[ENGLISH!]

So much more boring, you mean. He didn't like first hand testimony like this - only what Dr Dave's site told him. All shafts produce the same spin. All tips produce the same spin. All shaft sizes produce the same spin. All tip sizes produce the same spin.

Yadda yadda.

And there is no such thing as 'skid' unless it is cause by chalk at the contact point among so may others, but we digress.:wink:

 

[mortuarymike-nv]

LD shafts

The very first predator shaft that I put on my cue repair lathe was so warped that it made me never want to own one..................................................

I would be looking for a good soft layered tip.


MMike

 

[sfleinen]

The last time I used sandpaper on the face of a tip was probably 1968.

Sandpaper may help the tip hold chalk, but only at the expense of wearing the tip out faster. There are a number of good tip tools on the market, and most are not too expensive.

I wouldn't over-think the correction on aiming thing. If you're an experienced player, your subconscious may make the adjustment for you. When I got my first Predator shaft, I struggled for the first half hour, trying to make conscious adjustments. Then I put the adjustments out of my mind, and fifteen minutes later I ran five racks.

By the way, I don't care for the Everest tips that much either, though I like the other tips that company makes.

I agree, Donny. Cueing technique aside (I don't think this is the OP's problem, since he did say he can successfully use 10mm tips), using sandpaper at every instance where one feels he/she needs to scuff the tip will only serve to wear that tip down faster -- probably won't last a month or two.

Better to use a tip tapper or tip pick type of tool, rather than sanding. I personally like to use the chalk-seater surface of my CueShark (it's a sharply-knurled surface), and tap it on the tip to gently perforate the surface and lift the fibers. I've seen people do the same thing -- the same tapping technique -- with a Brad or It's George tip scuffer. (Yes, even though that is a heavy abrasive silicon carbide coating, it works great with a tapping technique on the tip.)

Also, I've heard some folks complain that the Everest is very prone to glazing, thus incurring miscues. I haven't had this problem with Emerald or Sniper tips.

-Sean

 

[CJ Wiley]

Most players don't realize how many calculations has to be made to spin the cue bal

I got a problem guys!!!

After playing pretty much all my life with a basic Bison cue, I decided to go for it and splash out out £600 on a top of the range cue. I went for a Predator because they have a strong following and appear to be one of the best brands. I went for an Ikon 3 with the Z2 shaft. I went Z2 because I find the 13mm tips a little too thick and sometimes find myself playing with a snooker cue (10mm) for more accuracy. So the 11.5 Z2 sounded like perfection!!!

I have played around for it for a couple of hours and I am mortified!! I am miscueing like hell and generally having a really really tough time adjusting to it. After a while of struggling through some 9 ball racks I switched back to my Bison with 13mm and played a flawless rack, spinning the ball all over the place and playing so smooth.

Can someone offer some advice and opinion. Why the heck is this supposedly top of the line cue, causing me so many problems to do even the most basic of spin shots. I am very close to putting it up on Ebay

ARgh

Yeah, another top level player that spins his ball a lot told me it took him 30 days to adjust to a LD cue. I don't spin my ball as much so it's not a huge deal, but I still can't just pick one up and play with it. Although the OB ones seem to be easier from my limited experience.

Many players don't realize how many unconscious calculations has to be made to spin the cue ball accurately. It turns the game into a "guessing game" unless you play many hours a day.

 

[CJ Wiley]

Most players don't realize how many calculations has to be made to spin the cue bal

I got a problem guys!!!

After playing pretty much all my life with a basic Bison cue, I decided to go for it and splash out out £600 on a top of the range cue. I went for a Predator because they have a strong following and appear to be one of the best brands. I went for an Ikon 3 with the Z2 shaft. I went Z2 because I find the 13mm tips a little too thick and sometimes find myself playing with a snooker cue (10mm) for more accuracy. So the 11.5 Z2 sounded like perfection!!!

I have played around for it for a couple of hours and I am mortified!! I am miscueing like hell and generally having a really really tough time adjusting to it. After a while of struggling through some 9 ball racks I switched back to my Bison with 13mm and played a flawless rack, spinning the ball all over the place and playing so smooth.

Can someone offer some advice and opinion. Why the heck is this supposedly top of the line cue, causing me so many problems to do even the most basic of spin shots. I am very close to putting it up on Ebay

ARgh

Yeah, another top level player that spins his ball a lot told me it took him 30 days to adjust to a LD cue. I don't spin my ball as much so it's not a huge deal, but I still can't just pick one up and play with it. Although the OB ones seem to be easier from my limited experience.

Many players don't realize how many unconscious calculations has to be made to spin the cue ball accurately. It turns pocket billiards into a "guessing game" unless you play many hours a day.