What do you think of the predator shaft?!

personally i have played with predator shafts, tiger shafts, ob1 and ob2 i sold my last ld shaft in october b/c it went with a cue i had sold. i had to go back to maple shafts b/c it was all i had laying around. i really worked hard on my stroke and i have to say that i never had as many break and runs with a ld shaft as i have with my current cue. i feel like with my stroke being better i am able to get just as much out of a standard shaft as i was ever able to do w/ a ld shaft. and the hit is 1000 times better. you can say what you want about hit but no ld shaft on the market has the hit of a well made custom cue. just my 2c
 
I played with Predator shafts for years, but over the past year or so I have played mostly with solid maple shafts. About a week ago I decided to get Predator shafts for two cues I play with and went to some trouble to get Predator shafts that weigh close to what the original shafts weigh. Since I just ordered two Predator shafts, I guess it is obvious that I think they can contribute to your pool game. One of the main advantages, in my opinion, is that if you play with several cues, you can stick Predator shafts on all of them and they will play pretty much the same from one cue to another.
 
berlowmj said:
How do they compare with the Universal Smart Shaft?
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Professor, that is what I use and I find them to be vastly different.
Both of my Universals come in over 4 ounces and seem to have more "feel" to them. At least to me they do.
 
I have both the LD and RD versions of the USS. One thing is true about the predator, they are as stiff as a board. Really stiff. The USS deflects a bit more, but a much easier hit to get along with. And you can run the same shaft from stick to stick, changing only the plug. Just like Yamaha motorcycles, someday someone will realize what these shafts were all about and it'll be too late. I'm picking them up as I see them to ensure future supplies.

tim
 
stikapos said:
I have both the LD and RD versions of the USS. One thing is true about the predator, they are as stiff as a board. Really stiff. The USS deflects a bit more, but a much easier hit to get along with. And you can run the same shaft from stick to stick, changing only the plug. Just like Yamaha motorcycles, someday someone will realize what these shafts were all about and it'll be too late. I'm picking them up as I see them to ensure future supplies.

tim
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Me too man, me too.
 
This is my opinion. Neither a low deflection shaft OR a standard hard rock maple shaft has EVER caused anyone to miss a shot.

I have two Z shafts. A regular Z and a second generation Z that I use on my backup cue (on rare occasions). When I first began using the Z shaft (my first foray into LD shafts) I really liked it and felt it made a slight improvement in my game.

Then I got a nice Jacoby and purchased a second generation 314 shaft which I really like. Now I feel the 11.75mm tip on the Z shaft too small for my liking. I have been real happy with the Jacoby butt/Predator 314-2shaft combo and can see no reason to ever own another cue.

But all the above being said, I can still pull a $27 Rage cue off of my house rack and manage to run out a rack or two.

I don't feel that the LD properties in my Preds are the reason I like them. I just like the 12.75mm tip size and the taper of the 314. Being a semi-gun nut, I have come to appreciate the strength inherrent to the lamination process of woods. It gives me CONFIDENCE knowing that the shaft has strength and is less likely to warp (this statement is likely to elicit some comments from former, unhappy previous owners of Predator shafts).

LD shafts are not for everyone. Neither are standard maple shafts. Each to his own. For every naysayer of LD shafts I can find someone who praises them. Same for standard shafts. Me, I can shoot and MISS with any type of shaft, same as all of y'all. Like I said before, no shaft (if free of any defects) has ever caused ANYONE to miss a shot.

I reserve the right to my opinion and do not insist that anyone has to agree with it.

Maniac
 
Only you can decide if you like them or not, everyone has an opinion, buy one and test it out, if you like it keep it, if not sell it and take a $75.00 hit, big deal.

I tried one, sort of liked it but went back to a standard shaft, now I may try the new style, each to their own.
 
I just got my first predator cue a couple weeks ago, and I like it. I still like my schon cues better though. Two days ago I tried an OB1 shaft on my schon, and I really like that, probably gonna get one. I still dont like the ferrule on those OB shafts, but it hit great.
 
I have been using Predator cues and shafts for over 10 years now and I wouldn't switch to anything else. And I don't think that most or any of the top pros would be using a shaft just because they are getting paid to do so. Pool is how they make a living. Endorsements are not that much usually.
 
salam4 said:
A ton of people use the predator shaft including many top pros. What is your take on the shaft. Do you recommend using it or not? I was thinking about switching over and going to predator products just so in the future when I change cues I can purchase a predator shaft and it will shoot similar in terms of deflection.

WHAT DOES EVERYONE THINK????? DO YOU LOVE OR HATE PREDATOR PRODUCTS?
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I have 3 cues and I use a predator 314-2 on each cue. I tried so many different cues and shafts before I started using predator shafts and now i'm very comfortable with the way predator shafts play. They work for me.........

James
 
the pie spliced shafts...

the pie spliced shafts give a good use to all the crap shaft wood floating around... that's one good thing about them...
 
I personally do not play with a Predator shaft but my other half, who played with Predators for about 8 years, used to swear by them. He split his original shaft about 6 months ago and has split 2 replacements since, and does not break with his cue. Maybe there is an explanation for this but he won't touch one now.
 
I had an old predator that was on a huebler sneaky that I bought at a pawn shop for $85 a few years ago. It was one of the "good" ones, the pre-cat. I thought it played well. My friend has one that plays well also. I would rather play with nice old wood. Taking crap wood and making it into a shaft that is playable is cool, but not the price they are asking for them. I played with an old Dufferin that had a laminated shaft. That thing played amazing and it was only $95 new, and it was made in Canada.

I sell IT and pretty much everything is made in China. But I don't understand how people would want to purchase a wood product that came from China for $150-$200. Yah, the wood comes from America, but it still doesn't seem to make sense. They must be making a killing in margin.

I think if the price was inline for other Chinese made goods, more people would buy them.
 
Hello,

I love Predator shafts, especially the taper. However I'm concerned with their quality issues as of late. I hope they address these issues. I went through eight Fat Shafts before I found one good to buy, they had slight warps in them. I will pay the expensive asking price but I want a shaft that is dead straight with no quality issues.
 
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predators

i have been playing with a schon for a couple of years now. last year i was at tournament playing in the event. i met larry nevel. he was playing with a predator. i ask him how they played he explain to how the shafts work. i hit balls for about 10 mins. with his cue. he was using a 314-2 shaft and had a z-shaft in his bag. i like the shaft. it was easier to make balls with side spin. a couple of days after the event i ordered a 314-2 and z-2 shaft for schon. i played with 314-2 for amonth then swaped to the z-2 an played with it for a month. i have to say the z shaft is the better shaft it is a lot easier to pocket balls with side than 314. i love the z shaft would not trade any thing for it. in closing i would like to say this last tuesday i purchased a full predator cue from ozone billards with 2 z shafts. i drove to there place an tried the p3 , inkon and blak series on there pool table the have set up for customers. i have to say i did care for the p3. i spent over 2 hrs trying cues. i have to say there is aperformance advantage of the predator butt to go along with the shafts in my opinon the but seems to make the shaft played more accurate. i bought the the 1st cue in the blak series. i hope this helps prof
 
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