this video is GOLD. he's talking about different aiming systems...on high deflection cues (bar cues) you must pivot your aim, with a low deflection it changes the game. Also deals directly with throw
Anyone thumbing down this video doesn't know how to play pool worth shit. He's instructing you to correct for the deflection OR change shaft types. Yes, he's plugging a brand but it works as intended. Learn to play...
The technique I find working for me best is to actually aim center ball and move my arm to the right if I want to apply left spin and move my arm to the left to apply right spin. For longer shots I use a little bit of both parallel and "backhand" english and probably some adjustment. And I don't use predator shaft. So, I guess what I am trying to say is it all comes down to practice. As they say shoot one shot 1000 times and you'll know how to shoot it when it comes up in a game of pool.
(For those who actually read, thanks for actually listening instead of just starting to bitch about the video :3 This actually contains rather useful stuff, for those willing to read it.) But to start off: Don't even TRY to say that "A stick is a stick is a stick" because that's a load of bull from someone who wouldn't know anything about a cue or the game. Everything he said in the video is true, even though the video is a fake piece of garbage. Deflection can hurt, even if you're used to the particular cue. I play with 4 of my own cues 95% of the time, and all of them have medium to high deflection. I only play casually as of right now, and those are fine for that. The other 5% of the time, i play with my friends cues that have Predator and Intimidator shafts and i play better that 5% of the time than i do with my cues. Why do you think Professional players use low deflection shafts? Who in their right mind would pay a tourney entry fee just to use a cue that has a good chance of making them lose. It doesn't take a lot to mess up and in a professional tournament, or any tournament really, one mistake can cost you a LOT. You don't like that he's trying to make a sales pitch out of it, and that's fine, but that doesn't mean you have to bitch and moan just because you don't understand what he's talking about. This information is obviously not for beginners, and even some people who are casual-players-only can do without the information. I personally knew it all anyway, but I thought I would check the video out and, contrary to popular belief, it does in fact explain deflection which is EXACTLY what the name says. Learn what you're talking about before you start making a fool out of yourself, just a friendly tip.
*@Michael Warner* I am afraid that although much of what you have said has validity, many people are taking these comments far too simplistically. As far as I can see it, the video attempts to show that any stiff's game can be improved by using a high tech cue, specifically the Predator. That is also a load of bull, but much bigger. If that was the case, this brand would be the only cue on the market because everyone wants to play like 'The Rocket'. Maybe you make your living as a professional player, hence you'd make the investments needed, both time and money, to stay competitive, in which case you would not be wasting valuable practice time sitting at your computer feeding pearls to swine with pointless information such as estimated error percentages, and why *you* play better with one cue than another. You see, the real pros are either reviewing videos of their own games or practicing. Rest assured at my and most other people's skill level, neither a Predator nor an Intimidator, and not even a Balabushka will make a noticeable difference.
Wow......curiosity brought me here, and I found a dirty car salesman....as soon as I watched him aim with "product shaft" I knew what this guy was up to. to anyone looking to buy a new shaft/tip, b4 you buy into hype, know that pool is 90% technique and 10% cue :)
i have a meucci gambler w/black dot shaft and just ordered the 314-2 shaft, whats the main differences in these shafts, im looking for the stiffer hit, out of the predator shaft of course.
When using left or right spin the cueball will always deflect or "squirt" in a different direction. Then you have to consider the "throw" of the object ball due to the effects of the english you just applied. Example, if you use left hand english on the cue ball, the ball it hits will be "thrown" to the right causing you to miss the pocket. The point of a low deflection shaft is to minimize deflection so that you really only have to worry about compensating for "throw".
100% Agreed...Most of the people commenting barely know the technology behind a predator cue..They really think all cues were once a piece of maple just tapered down to the shooters preference, they couldn't be more WRONG! The 314-Z2 predator shafts are nothing short of advaced billiard technology
Holy cow ! The amount of deflection with that first cue he uses is outlandish. I've never seen anything even close to that. Ok, so "'I think" there is something fishy about that common deflection cue he uses to shoot the ball down the rail. When using right english the cue ball squirts a LOT more than when he uses left english. And when he uses the predator to shoot the same shot he does not use two tips of right hand english more like one and he shoots that shot hard enough so swerve does not come into play. When he uses left hand english for the same shot he does use two tips to the left but he shoots it slowly enough so swerve brings the shot to the correct contact point to pocket the ball. This video is still excellent at showing the difference between high, middle, and low deflection shafts. I have to say one more thing though. With a low deflection shaft it should not be possible to pocket a straight in shot by aiming at the middle of the object ball when using english. After all it's called a "low" deflection shaft not a "no" deflection shaft. Still, this video does a very good job of teaching people about deflection when different types of shafts.
Not to be rude to the guy making the video, but your jabbing stroke with the regular shaft compared to the smoother stroke of the predator shaft is way to obvious, even to me and I'm a Predator fan. Predators due hit different but with a video that people find so bias gives a faulty impression of a product that does work but is put on the back burner by trying to discredit maple shafts by over stroking these shots making the shaft look like a wet noodle. Predators sell themselves to people that use alot of inside english. All other shots are virtually the same except inside english.
Yeah, after repeatedly checking the timecode I posted, I think I'm noticing that he's following thru with the Predator cue stick more so than he does with the high deflection cue stick, on all the examples.
okay here's my two cents. i don't agree with everyone who says this is only a marketing video for predator. predator shafts are very low deflection. deflection does make a massive difference. shoot with my pechauer and then shoot with my buddy's action. it's obvious that my stick hits better than his. that being said, i do agree that sticks with spring have their place. meucci's are not stiff hitting cues at all, but they get massive spin.
At 6:20 you show the most helpful demonstration of why a frustrated amateur might make use of a low deflection shaft. straight pocket shots where scratching can occur and long pocket shots where draw can fail.
i agree with most...the deflection or squirt is exaggerated...doesnt matter wht kind of shaft you use, if your use to it you know how to adjust..i use a predator z2 shaft..it doesnt deflect as much as most other shafts but these differences are very small....bottom line practice with the shaft you are using and you will shoot just as good as anyone else with a different shaft....
Yea...as long as you don't want to learn the art of pool playing. LD shafts make the game easier because people are too lazy to learn the old school method.
I prefer OB shafts but all cue makers have new ways of lowering deflection now days. Great video! If you are using a conventional shaft or high deflection just remember its all a feel thing. Get warmed up on the table your playing and find your gear, keep a tighter bridge hand and may your aim be steady and eyes be true. later.
I don't know if Predators break shaft has gotten any better, but a couple years ago I broke 2 of them in a row within a month, at the joint. I was surprised to see such thin diameter wood at that joint. Anyway, I since use a Big Boy shaft with an ultra hard leather tip on a McD butt that I new use as my dedicated break cue. Works great, along with my other 2 cues with I-2 shafts.
I have been playing pool for 35 years, i have yet to see a pool player playing with pivot style. I agree with some of the comments posted, you must keep cue parallel to ob path then there will be no deflection what so ever, as far as swerve, if cue is not level you will have swerve. I have been playing with $15.00 cue for almost 30 years and won few tournaments , i aim before i go down, if shot needed English i will go down with English in mind and automatically my stick is parallel
A load of bull, just a bunch of crap to make more profit from suckers. I will give you its a fine cue, but every year they come out with a so called better shaft just to get into your wallet.
Well you should pay attention. He explanes that you need to learn to judge the deflection that your cue has then adjust out. If you are very new to pool then you should just ignore this video because it is geared more towards advanced players. Dont just dislike a video because your game is not up to the level needed to understand it. Most people miss and dont know why, deflection could help. The cue he uses and is advertising is a good cue but there are more out there that are low deflection.
I have used the Meucci Black dot shaft and have seen the shaft used in a laser demonstration titled Meucci Myth destroyer. I have tried exactly what has been shown in the video and it is for certain.
2- If you shoot above shot by aiming at center of ob, and then you bend your rear hand to put English (BHE) and shoot, you will have deflection, all cues, the way to avoid that is to make the bridge long depending on cue, mark the cue and you will find a sweet spot where there is no deflection, like Dr from Colorado
Advertisement or not, the only thing wrong about this video is that he seems to exaggerate the deflection. Other than that, he is correct. Deflection happens. It's physics. Predator cues greatly reduce deflection. The majority of pros use them. It's not just used by more pros than any other cue. More than half of the pros use them. Using one makes you more precise. It's like a rifled gun barrel vs. a non-rifled gun barrel.
@dlzhdan He wasn't trying to hit or pocket the ball; he was showing what happens when you use cues other than a Predator using English while aiming where you need to aim. In other words, he shows you the effects of cue ball deflection.
The concept of deflection how u just explained is relevantly true and I can't deny, I shot pool for many years Though you EXAGGERATED WAAAAAAY TOOO MUUUUUCCCCHHHhhhhhhhhh its like me telling my friends that I found a hundred dollar bill in a bar when I truly just in fact found only a $1 dollar bill. C'mon man
Can someone explain if using back hand English on a LD shaft, is low deflection the same as had u "shift over" to use English like he does in the video? Hopefully I phrase that question correctly. Or does each method of using English have different results when using a LD shaft? I tend to stay away from backhand English since do not fully understand if you still have to account for squirt when using LD shaft
So true...there is a number of these video's on youtube that focus too much on squirt and compensation when every half decent player knows it's feel. You don't try to physically play at another area or be conscious of what you are doing.
Funny to see how many people are saying this is bullshit. It's not--and you can test it yourself to see (to see that most cues produce a lot of squirt). There are straightforward (but counter-intuitive) physical reasons squirt happens. The amount of squirt is DRASTICALLY affected by the amount of mass in the last 6 inches or so of the cue. Predator simply hollows out the last fraction of the shaft, and makes that portion much lighter. Still, an experienced player instinctively modifies fr squirt
So the Predator 314-2 provides the lowest deflection on the market, really? Would that be with a very soft ultraskin tall tip and large ferrule? 11.75mm diameter? Hollowed out? What's the material, or what more can you tell me about it? Can it be had in 16 or 17 oz?
Now that I google the 314-2, I'm finding that it's discontinued. Why is this so? Then again, I'm now noticing that this video is 10 years old. What's available now-a-days for low deflection?
Best cue i've ever held.. Predator is well worth the money, Im getting back into the game and getting the p2 series with a z2 shaft:) Thank You Predator!!
nice video. although an important factor in controlling the amount of deflection is also the speed you hit cue ball at, the results were so drastically different, you'd have to attribute the better results to the shaft. i too use a 314-2 and i instantly noticed a jump in my game. and around a quarter to a third to pros also admit to using 314/314-2 so i guess that says something... good job.
1- two ways to aim at an object ball, take a straight shot place cue at spot and ob at other spot, with shaft two tips to right and your tip is aimed two tips to right of ob, aim using cue ball & ob, if you shoot this way there should be no deflection what so ever, ensure when you shoot do not have long stoke, just pull cue 1/2 inch and follow through # 2 next post
Honestly the deflection of a shaft doesn't matter to me because if you get used to a shaft you've been using for a while, you know how to aim with English and don't need anything better
@nathanrh Two things: I agree the strokes used are different - they even SOUND different, as if the shots with the "normal" shaft were hit gripping the cue hard (which makes matters worse), whereas the ones with the "low-deflection" shaft with a looser grip (which reduces the mass at impact, so the deflection is the cue's only, without addition of sideways weight from the arm etc.). Having said that, shafts DO DIFFER in terms of deflection! They all have some, really a matter of getting used to.
guys the predator 314² and x² shafts are ineed better for playing english, so just buy one, and test it, or borrow it,it isnt that expensive, I assure u playing with 314² or x² shafts is much more fun :)
If you use fractional aiming technique, you can easily image how many percent you have to hit the aiming, then aim and image ghost ball. Then 1/ just find out the point where you wanna put english on the cue ball 2/ other point on the ghost ball that the same exactly where you aim the point of the cue ball 3/ your eyes and cue stick >> if 3 things above on the same line, there is no more deflection. everyshots will have FIRE IN THE HOLE. Remember, practice makes perfect.
It never suprises me the insane amounts of side or "english" American pool players use. Do you find it so difficult to hit centre white or something? If you hit perfect centre all the time you will never miss, barring kicks.
Using English is more for positioning for the next shot. Yes it's preferred to use little to no English but sometimes you need spin to get better shape.
i do agree with you, he did not shoot straight up to the ball using the "high deflection" cue shaft. That is just too obvious, it does help having good shaft, but it doesnt make that huge of difference
First, this is obviously an ad for predator shafts, so the title is misleading. Second, I think the amount of deflection is exaggerated, you can alter that with the angle and pitch that the cue comes into the cue ball (which would be visible if we could see the back of the cue). And third, you can learn to play top pool with ANY cue, your arm naturally compensates (with practice) for deflection and throw. After all, Efren Reyes played most of his career with a $10 cue.
Back hand english, guys. It's one of the best ways to apply to sidespin if you guys practice it! Also if you can achieve position without using sidespin: don't use it, it'll just complicate things. :P
If I use a lead pipe I still have to aim for a different contact point on object ball.Having said that ... a capable player understands this deflecting blahblah..just means the predator is a stiff cue.Probably Ash ...whilst high deflection just means a springy cue made from maple.
All these company's have brainwashed you through the Pro's so you will buy there over priced $ 200- $300 crap shaft or even worse there $300-$1200 cues that you really don't need because Every time you hit a stationary object off center ( in this case the cue ball ) with a moving object that is going x amount of MPH faster ( in this case the cue tip ) then the stationary object ( cue ball ) will deflect.A " low deflection shaft " was actually designed to eliminate shafts from warping because cue manufactures were using lower grade maple for shafts and bleaching them white to look like Grade A " Hard Rock "maple shafts because The sapwood ( Core of the trunk) of the maples is commonly white with a slight reddish-brown tinge and the closer you get to the bark the softer and darker the wood gets .Todays 1 piece grade a maple shafts are lower deflection than they want you to know and a so called high deflection shaft was the ones on old Meucci cues that would bend if you blew on them.The first thing that hits the cue ball is not the first 6 or 7 inches of the shaft its the tip and when shooting a shot the energy goes ( forward ) from the butt of the cue to the tip and the moment the tip strikes the cue ball ( because every action has a reaction ) some of the energy try's to go back where it came from ( the butt ) which means the tip first then the ferrule then the shaft and so on until the energy disperses before going back to the butt and it seems that every time they say they have a new state of the art low deflection shaft the ferrule gets shorter and the tip is smaller diameter ( right now there lastest and greatest shafts have a 11.75 mm tip ) and that's getting close to a Snooker size tip where you hear nothing about deflection and they have to slam shots with side English every now and then and they have ash shafts that flex with tiny brass ferrules ......Hmmmmmmmm.......And if they were so low deflection and everything else is high deflection then how do you even hit a ball when breaking because that's when people hit the cue ball the hardest with a cue that has the hardest tip with the least amount of accuracy than any other shot and that should be when deflection is at its highest because not everyone has a $ 300-$500 low deflection break cue or a $200-$300 low deflection shaft on a regular butt for breaking...........I have never seen anyone breaking that is aiming at the side pocket to make up for cue ball deflection ( the harder you hit the cue ball the more deflection ) so they can actually break the balls......Bottom line is you can reduce deflection with smaller 11.75 mm diameter shafts ( some of the top Pro's even sand there shafts down smaller than that ) and harder tips ( again some of the top Pro's grind there tips down to 1/4 there original height ) and 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch long ferrules or even wooden ferrules
I am trying to understand whats being taught is it that predator cues are the best cures which btw I disagree with or well I dnt know what else this actually teaches this is confusing because it doe not teach how to correctly shoot with english?
you can minimise most deflection by just moving your grip hand right or left which is a minimal movement compared to the massive movement of the bridge hand...shafts and ferrule and tips come into play.. so when using side on cue ball and not moving the bridge at all the line of the follow thru remains perfectly str8 thru the line of the shot..this movement of the bridge was taken out of snooker for the very reason that now the v of the bridge or loop is not on the true line
very instuctional and yes standard shafts do give a lot of deflection. But to say the P 314 is the best well thats a matter of opinion. There is a lot of manufactures now making low deflection shafts that perform as good as what he is using. I like TigerX personally. Low deflection shafts are great but to improve your game its all about Practice. Afterall Hi Runs in straight pool were made without the technoligy of these shafts.
Maybe out of habit of playing for years, but all of your shots made after @6:05 were pivoted. In other words, you corrected for squirt with your Predator....
If you know how to aim, how to stroke, how to feel your cue, squirting is not a problem, I always use the original shaft (my cue is a custom,with 2s, 1 made of bird's eyes maple for new cloth table,for better control and spin, 1 made of hard rock maple,for old and slow cloth,for more power, I don't want to change anything of it) when you familiar with your cue, you'r master at table
Meucci black dot shafts don't really have a solid shot. At least to me, they are very similar in play to the stock shaft. Expect quite a bit of wobbling. With the 314, be sure to get yourself a nice tip for it, Moori or Sniper. It will definitely take some time to get used to the small ferrule and overall taper of the 314, but it will provide a better feeling game for you over a little time.
and even a different stroke - but you need a machine to do it standardized. It's hard... I mean - from being a player who uses a 314 I know where the balls going to go pretty much even watching HIM sight down it. :)
@th30wn4g3 i believe u are right it may just be fake i have a scorpion cue with the regular shaft and i have never gotten such poor english shots. pretty sure he is just advertising for predator trying to say that predator is better besides all u need to know is how to compensate for the deflection and it won't be an issue when playing the shot
you don't avoid deflection with a common shaft... you take it into consideration for your shot... but that means a lot of training with that particular cue
@dlzhdan For your info, this same shot was done by WILLIE THE ROBOT and essentially had the same results...Just like golf clubs and tennis rackets, billiard and pool equipment too have advanced, tested in the most modern facilities under hundreds of conditions...I've been shooting with predator cues for the better part of 7 years now...I've literally gone from a shooter with a big mouth to an absolute NIGHTMARE on the table! I love my predator cues!
hes using parallel english and not backhand english... this accounts for most of the deflection. However I will state that deflection IS affected by the weight of the cue, especially at the tip of the cue with it meaning less as you get closer to the butt. A heavier tipped cue will push the cueball out of line during a shot more than a lighter tipped cue which will be pushed out of the way by the cue instead. That is why predator corks the top few inches of their shafts with a gelatin like material, or why mcdermott uses a cotton like material. This also explains why the Z2 shaft has less deflection than the 314 shaft, because the Z2 is simply thinner at the end, therefore less weight and less deflection. I have done tests with several shafts with parallel and backhand english, and deflection IS ABSOLUTELY affected by the shaft, it is not a hoax... but it is nowhere near as affected as this video makes it seem.
I dont think his stroke his horrible and IMO above average. I think he started with conventional shaft at a early age and his brain automatically compensates when he spins balls, by steering his follow through out of the way of the cue. Then he does is less with when he knows he has a predator shaft. True a pro will know how to make these shots with any cue and they will make adjustments in aim and stroke to compensate for deflection and squirt. in order to do so...
I don't know about the claim that Predator are the hands-down least deflecting shafts around, I'd bet money my I2 and OB shafts are just as low deflection, or better.
Why do you say it's bullshit? I am new to playing pool, so I don't know what he was trying to say in this video. Does it matter weather you use high or low deflection stick?
Now I wonder how at all Willie Mosconi and other great pool players in the past could hit ANY ball without the Predator 314 shaft. And they did it. Oh, yes, they did it so well :-)
Why do you care one way or the other? FYI... nearly all the good players I know (including myself) play with predator shafts. Are you an investor in OB cues?
Guys I am not rubbishing the cue/shaft whatever name you give it.The Predator may be a very nice cue. I am rubbishing video's like this and their misinformed claims. But...NEVER base buying a cue if it's selling point is squirt/deflection.because the control of squirt is subconscious through 'feeling' how a cue reacts. Cues are individual even amongst mass manufactured cue shafts.The best tip is base buying a cue on what it feels like when you play with it.
This is an amateur video, and I have no idea what this guy is trying to do. I am an amateur player, but I can tell the difference between "parallel english", used in this video when shooting with high deflection shaft and conventional shaft, and a combination of parallel english and backhand english, used when shooting with the predator shaft. So to get to the point, no matter which shaft u use if you use only parallel english you will get more deflection, than if you use a combination of both.
The thing is english shots cannot be applied how he showed. When he hits with the predetor willingly or unwillingly he makes the correct shape of bridge. But come on give me a house cue and I show you how to make an english shot from the various distances. Most people try to find correct adjustment through the object ball. It's a big mistake. If you are trying this, my dear fellas, you're doing it wrong. Just aim at right side of the pocket if you try to conduct right hand side english as far as your shaft deflects in your grip medium and loose shots. If you apply left english to the cue ball do the opposite. You'll be just fine. This is not a secret. Sorry for my English (language) This is not my native language.
I'm pretty sure you were paid for this advertisement. Besides this, I don't doubt that a cue will make a difference in the way one plays, but it can't just be the cue? The way one stands, or how one gets into position, how one holds a cue, or maybe even the table can make some or a lot of difference. What would be the difference between a pool cue, and a snooker cue? When it comes to this deflection? Does a smaller tip help? Or is it good to have a pool cue as well?, mainly because of the larger surface area of the cues' tip?
You are deliberately cueing across the cue ball . Using side spin is about allowing for the spin being used but always cueing straight through the cue ball and this can done with any cue .
your cue action is clearly off, for the whatever predator 314.2 shaft, you clearly stroked off to the side, as in, when you were using Right english, your stroke was off to the right, cue tip pointing way off to the right(and NOT straight like you claimed and NOT the same stroke as with other cues), therefore the deflection would make your cue go straight. And vice versa with left english.
I bought 2 of the very first 314 shafts.... drove me nuts..... i can't play WITHOUT DEFLECTION..... people do play real well with these shafts.....I still have a few ranked friends and they all play LD shafts....not Efren though LOL
Ok...so now i need to aim 3 ball widths to the left when I'm using left English to compensate for a high deflection shaft...best lesson ever!!!!cheers
this video is GOLD. he's talking about different aiming systems...on high deflection cues (bar cues) you must pivot your aim, with a low deflection it changes the game. Also deals directly with throw
You are a bare faced liar.
Anyone thumbing down this video doesn't know how to play pool worth shit. He's instructing you to correct for the deflection OR change shaft types. Yes, he's plugging a brand but it works as intended. Learn to play...
It's amazing how gentle he hits using the low deflection cue LMAO!!!!....I'll stick to my "high" deflection cue, thanks mate :)
The technique I find working for me best is to actually aim center ball and move my arm to the right if I want to apply left spin and move my arm to the left to apply right spin. For longer shots I use a little bit of both parallel and "backhand" english and probably some adjustment. And I don't use predator shaft. So, I guess what I am trying to say is it all comes down to practice. As they say shoot one shot 1000 times and you'll know how to shoot it when it comes up in a game of pool.
(For those who actually read, thanks for actually listening instead of just starting to bitch about the video :3 This actually contains rather useful stuff, for those willing to read it.) But to start off:
Don't even TRY to say that "A stick is a stick is a stick" because that's a load of bull from someone who wouldn't know anything about a cue or the game. Everything he said in the video is true, even though the video is a fake piece of garbage. Deflection can hurt, even if you're used to the particular cue. I play with 4 of my own cues 95% of the time, and all of them have medium to high deflection. I only play casually as of right now, and those are fine for that. The other 5% of the time, i play with my friends cues that have Predator and Intimidator shafts and i play better that 5% of the time than i do with my cues. Why do you think Professional players use low deflection shafts? Who in their right mind would pay a tourney entry fee just to use a cue that has a good chance of making them lose. It doesn't take a lot to mess up and in a professional tournament, or any tournament really, one mistake can cost you a LOT. You don't like that he's trying to make a sales pitch out of it, and that's fine, but that doesn't mean you have to bitch and moan just because you don't understand what he's talking about. This information is obviously not for beginners, and even some people who are casual-players-only can do without the information. I personally knew it all anyway, but I thought I would check the video out and, contrary to popular belief, it does in fact explain deflection which is EXACTLY what the name says. Learn what you're talking about before you start making a fool out of yourself, just a friendly tip.
*@Michael Warner*
I am afraid that although much of what you have said has validity, many people are taking these comments far too simplistically. As far as I can see it, the video attempts to show that any stiff's game can be improved by using a high tech cue, specifically the Predator. That is also a load of bull, but much bigger.
If that was the case, this brand would be the only cue on the market because everyone wants to play like 'The Rocket'.
Maybe you make your living as a professional player, hence you'd make the investments needed, both time and money, to stay competitive, in which case you would not be wasting valuable practice time sitting at your computer feeding pearls to swine with pointless information such as estimated error percentages, and why *you* play better with one cue than another. You see, the real pros are either reviewing videos of their own games or practicing.
Rest assured at my and most other people's skill level, neither a Predator nor an Intimidator, and not even a Balabushka will make a noticeable difference.
Wow......curiosity brought me here, and I found a dirty car salesman....as soon as I watched him aim with "product shaft" I knew what this guy was up to. to anyone looking to buy a new shaft/tip, b4 you buy into hype, know that pool is 90% technique and 10% cue :)
i have a meucci gambler w/black dot shaft and just ordered the 314-2 shaft, whats the main differences in these shafts, im looking for the stiffer hit, out of the predator shaft of course.
that was the longest Predator commercial ever
When using left or right spin the cueball will always deflect or "squirt" in a different direction. Then you have to consider the "throw" of the object ball due to the effects of the english you just applied. Example, if you use left hand english on the cue ball, the ball it hits will be "thrown" to the right causing you to miss the pocket. The point of a low deflection shaft is to minimize deflection so that you really only have to worry about compensating for "throw".
100% Agreed...Most of the people commenting barely know the technology behind a predator cue..They really think all cues were once a piece of maple just tapered down to the shooters preference, they couldn't be more WRONG! The 314-Z2 predator shafts are nothing short of advaced billiard technology
Holy cow ! The amount of deflection with that first cue he uses is outlandish. I've never seen anything even close to that. Ok, so "'I think" there is something fishy about that common deflection cue he uses to shoot the ball down the rail. When using right english the cue ball squirts a LOT more than when he uses left english. And when he uses the predator to shoot the same shot he does not use two tips of right hand english more like one and he shoots that shot hard enough so swerve does not come into play.
When he uses left hand english for the same shot he does use two tips to the left but he shoots it slowly enough so swerve brings the shot to the correct contact point to pocket the ball. This video is still excellent at showing the difference between high, middle, and low deflection shafts. I have to say one more thing though. With a low deflection shaft it should not be possible to pocket a straight in shot by aiming at the middle of the object ball when using english. After all it's called a "low" deflection shaft not a "no" deflection shaft. Still, this video does a very good job of teaching people about deflection when different types of shafts.
You are Awesome. Learned so much!!!!
i preordered Jacoby ultra super pro shaft,dave Jacoby said its going to be the top LD shaft on the market
Not to be rude to the guy making the video, but your jabbing stroke with the regular shaft compared to the smoother stroke of the predator shaft is way to obvious, even to me and I'm a Predator fan. Predators due hit different but with a video that people find so bias gives a faulty impression of a product that does work but is put on the back burner by trying to discredit maple shafts by over stroking these shots making the shaft look like a wet noodle. Predators sell themselves to people that use alot of inside english. All other shots are virtually the same except inside english.
MacRae MacDonald be rude cause it's a crock of ...
0:49 and 1:52, 2:39 and 3:52, 5:24 and 6:19
Yeah, after repeatedly checking the timecode I posted, I think I'm noticing that he's following thru with the Predator cue stick more so than he does with the high deflection cue stick, on all the examples.
okay here's my two cents. i don't agree with everyone who says this is only a marketing video for predator. predator shafts are very low deflection. deflection does make a massive difference. shoot with my pechauer and then shoot with my buddy's action. it's obvious that my stick hits better than his. that being said, i do agree that sticks with spring have their place. meucci's are not stiff hitting cues at all, but they get massive spin.
At 6:20 you show the most helpful demonstration of why a frustrated amateur might make use of a low deflection shaft. straight pocket shots where scratching can occur and long pocket shots where draw can fail.
i agree with most...the deflection or squirt is exaggerated...doesnt matter wht kind of shaft you use, if your use to it you know how to adjust..i use a predator z2 shaft..it doesnt deflect as much as most other shafts but these differences are very small....bottom line practice with the shaft you are using and you will shoot just as good as anyone else with a different shaft....
I have a question??? What did people do before "low deflection" shafts? I don't recall Efren ever mentioning them. Hmmm.
Nice ad for Predator. Didn't help me in the least.
Couldn't agree more
Great cues though
Yea...as long as you don't want to learn the art of pool playing. LD shafts make the game easier because people are too lazy to learn the old school method.
Alan Wilson Whaaat a load of crap! 😂😂😂
I prefer OB shafts but all cue makers have new ways of lowering deflection now days. Great video! If you are using a conventional shaft or high deflection just remember its all a feel thing. Get warmed up on the table your playing and find your gear, keep a tighter bridge hand and may your aim be steady and eyes be true. later.
I don't know if Predators break shaft has gotten any better, but a couple years ago I broke 2 of them in a row within a month, at the joint. I was surprised to see such thin diameter wood at that joint. Anyway, I since use a Big Boy shaft with an ultra hard leather tip on a McD butt that I new use as my dedicated break cue. Works great, along with my other 2 cues with I-2 shafts.
I have been playing pool for 35 years, i have yet to see a pool player playing with pivot style. I agree with some of the comments posted, you must keep cue parallel to ob path then there will be no deflection what so ever, as far as swerve, if cue is not level you will have swerve. I have been playing with $15.00 cue for almost 30 years and won few tournaments , i aim before i go down, if shot needed English i will go down with English in mind and automatically my stick is parallel
This is such a BS promo for predator shafts. I'm sure they make a fine stick, but this guy isn't shooting the same with both shafts.
A load of bull, just a bunch of crap to make more profit from suckers. I will give you its a fine cue, but every year they come out with a so called better shaft just to get into your wallet.
Agree, read my comments above.
Well you should pay attention. He explanes that you need to learn to judge the deflection that your cue has then adjust out. If you are very new to pool then you should just ignore this video because it is geared more towards advanced players. Dont just dislike a video because your game is not up to the level needed to understand it.
Most people miss and dont know why, deflection could help. The cue he uses and is advertising is a good cue but there are more out there that are low deflection.
I have used the Meucci Black dot shaft and have seen the shaft used in a laser demonstration titled Meucci Myth destroyer. I have tried exactly what has been shown in the video and it is for certain.
in the first shots with high deflection shafts, he wasn't aiming to even hit the ball... Predator is awesome but this video is really too much
2- If you shoot above shot by aiming at center of ob, and then you bend your rear hand to put English (BHE) and shoot, you will have deflection, all cues, the way to avoid that is to make the bridge long depending on cue, mark the cue and you will find a sweet spot where there is no deflection, like Dr from Colorado
Advertisement or not, the only thing wrong about this video is that he seems to exaggerate the deflection. Other than that, he is correct. Deflection happens. It's physics. Predator cues greatly reduce deflection. The majority of pros use them. It's not just used by more pros than any other cue. More than half of the pros use them. Using one makes you more precise. It's like a rifled gun barrel vs. a non-rifled gun barrel.
@dlzhdan He wasn't trying to hit or pocket the ball; he was showing what happens when you use cues other than a Predator using English while aiming where you need to aim. In other words, he shows you the effects of cue ball deflection.
Is certain that to give english is better a thinner shaft? 11 or 12 mm? Because the majority are 13 mm aldo the 314
Just wondering are you still answering question about the predator cue stick.I will check back every day to see if you answer. Thank you
The concept of deflection how u just explained is relevantly true and I can't deny, I shot pool for many years Though you EXAGGERATED WAAAAAAY TOOO MUUUUUCCCCHHHhhhhhhhhh its like me telling my friends that I found a hundred dollar bill in a bar when I truly just in fact found only a $1 dollar bill. C'mon man
Can someone explain if using back hand English on a LD shaft, is low deflection the same as had u "shift over" to use English like he does in the video? Hopefully I phrase that question correctly. Or does each method of using English have different results when using a LD shaft? I tend to stay away from backhand English since do not fully understand if you still have to account for squirt when using LD shaft
So true...there is a number of these video's on youtube that focus too much on squirt and compensation when every half decent player knows it's feel.
You don't try to physically play at another area or be conscious of what you are doing.
I don't understand how the shaft affects this, surely it's the tip and the chalk that makes the difference?
Funny to see how many people are saying this is bullshit. It's not--and you can test it yourself to see (to see that most cues produce a lot of squirt). There are straightforward (but counter-intuitive) physical reasons squirt happens. The amount of squirt is DRASTICALLY affected by the amount of mass in the last 6 inches or so of the cue. Predator simply hollows out the last fraction of the shaft, and makes that portion much lighter. Still, an experienced player instinctively modifies fr squirt
So the Predator 314-2 provides the lowest deflection on the market, really? Would that be with a very soft ultraskin tall tip and large ferrule? 11.75mm diameter? Hollowed out? What's the material, or what more can you tell me about it? Can it be had in 16 or 17 oz?
Now that I google the 314-2, I'm finding that it's discontinued. Why is this so? Then again, I'm now noticing that this video is 10 years old. What's available now-a-days for low deflection?
Is this learning how to adjust or just a marketing scheme for the predator??
dammit already getting use to compensating for deflection with a cheap cue
Best cue i've ever held.. Predator is well worth the money, Im getting back into the game and getting the p2 series with a z2 shaft:) Thank You Predator!!
nice video. although an important factor in controlling the amount of deflection is also the speed you hit cue ball at, the results were so drastically different, you'd have to attribute the better results to the shaft. i too use a 314-2 and i instantly noticed a jump in my game. and around a quarter to a third to pros also admit to using 314/314-2 so i guess that says something... good job.
1- two ways to aim at an object ball, take a straight shot place cue at spot and ob at other spot, with shaft two tips to right and your tip is aimed two tips to right of ob, aim using cue ball & ob, if you shoot this way there should be no deflection what so ever, ensure when you shoot do not have long stoke, just pull cue 1/2 inch and follow through # 2 next post
How do you feel about the Predator Z shaft? I am an experienced player.
so uploader, did predator send you any shafts/cues/products like you were hoping for?
Honestly the deflection of a shaft doesn't matter to me because if you get used to a shaft you've been using for a while, you know how to aim with English and don't need anything better
@nathanrh Two things: I agree the strokes used are different - they even SOUND different, as if the shots with the "normal" shaft were hit gripping the cue hard (which makes matters worse), whereas the ones with the "low-deflection" shaft with a looser grip (which reduces the mass at impact, so the deflection is the cue's only, without addition of sideways weight from the arm etc.). Having said that, shafts DO DIFFER in terms of deflection! They all have some, really a matter of getting used to.
Did u try on posion shalf? isit a high or low deflection?
guys the predator 314² and x² shafts are ineed better for playing english, so just buy one, and test it, or borrow it,it isnt that expensive, I assure u playing with 314² or x² shafts is much more fun :)
If you use fractional aiming technique, you can easily image how many percent you have to hit the aiming, then aim and image ghost ball. Then
1/ just find out the point where you wanna put english on the cue ball
2/ other point on the ghost ball that the same exactly where you aim the point of the cue ball
3/ your eyes and cue stick
>> if 3 things above on the same line, there is no more deflection. everyshots will have FIRE IN THE HOLE.
Remember, practice makes perfect.
can i draw the object ball using the 314 shaft ?
are you applying parallel english to these shots?
Congratulations! This video is very useful. Nice work.
It never suprises me the insane amounts of side or "english" American pool players use. Do you find it so difficult to hit centre white or something? If you hit perfect centre all the time you will never miss, barring kicks.
Using English is more for positioning for the next shot. Yes it's preferred to use little to no English but sometimes you need spin to get better shape.
i do agree with you, he did not shoot straight up to the ball using the "high deflection" cue shaft. That is just too obvious, it does help having good shaft, but it doesnt make that huge of difference
First, this is obviously an ad for predator shafts, so the title is misleading. Second, I think the amount of deflection is exaggerated, you can alter that with the angle and pitch that the cue comes into the cue ball (which would be visible if we could see the back of the cue). And third, you can learn to play top pool with ANY cue, your arm naturally compensates (with practice) for deflection and throw. After all, Efren Reyes played most of his career with a $10 cue.
why have high deflection shaft if it misses object ball?
Back hand english, guys. It's one of the best ways to apply to sidespin if you guys practice it!
Also if you can achieve position without using sidespin: don't use it, it'll just complicate things. :P
when he shifted at 6:10 the cue ball is in the exact same spot?
If I use a lead pipe I still have to aim for a different contact point on object ball.Having said that ... a capable player understands this deflecting blahblah..just means the predator is a stiff cue.Probably Ash ...whilst high deflection just means a springy cue made from maple.
All these company's have brainwashed you through the Pro's so you will buy there over priced $ 200- $300 crap shaft or even worse there $300-$1200 cues that you really don't need because Every time you hit a stationary object off center ( in this case the cue ball ) with a moving object that is going x amount of MPH faster ( in this case the cue tip ) then the stationary object ( cue ball ) will deflect.A " low deflection shaft " was actually designed to eliminate shafts from warping because cue manufactures were using lower grade maple for shafts and bleaching them white to look like Grade A " Hard Rock "maple shafts because The sapwood ( Core of the trunk) of the maples is commonly white with a slight reddish-brown tinge and the closer you get to the bark the softer and darker the wood gets .Todays 1 piece grade a maple shafts are lower deflection than they want you to know and a so called high deflection shaft was the ones on old Meucci cues that would bend if you blew on them.The first thing that hits the cue ball is not the first 6 or 7 inches of the shaft its the tip and when shooting a shot the energy goes ( forward ) from the butt of the cue to the tip and the moment the tip strikes the cue ball ( because every action has a reaction ) some of the energy try's to go back where it came from ( the butt ) which means the tip first then the ferrule then the shaft and so on until the energy disperses before going back to the butt and it seems that every time they say they have a new state of the art low deflection shaft the ferrule gets shorter and the tip is smaller diameter ( right now there lastest and greatest shafts have a 11.75 mm tip ) and that's getting close to a Snooker size tip where you hear nothing about deflection and they have to slam shots with side English every now and then and they have ash shafts that flex with tiny brass ferrules ......Hmmmmmmmm.......And if they were so low deflection and everything else is high deflection then how do you even hit a ball when breaking because that's when people hit the cue ball the hardest with a cue that has the hardest tip with the least amount of accuracy than any other shot and that should be when deflection is at its highest because not everyone has a $ 300-$500 low deflection break cue or a $200-$300 low deflection shaft on a regular butt for breaking...........I have never seen anyone breaking that is aiming at the side pocket to make up for cue ball deflection ( the harder you hit the cue ball the more deflection ) so they can actually break the balls......Bottom line is you can reduce deflection with smaller 11.75 mm diameter shafts ( some of the top Pro's even sand there shafts down smaller than that ) and harder tips ( again some of the top Pro's grind there tips down to 1/4 there original height ) and 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch long ferrules or even wooden ferrules
MrShark4488 i agree with you..people who know about pool can play with whatever cue!!do you think so?
@@giuliuploader to play with whatever cue you have to be very experienced and good talent.
Hi, have you tried posion shalf?
I am trying to understand whats being taught is it that predator cues are the best cures which btw I disagree with or well I dnt know what else this actually teaches this is confusing because it doe not teach how to correctly shoot with english?
you can minimise most deflection by just moving your grip hand right or left which is a minimal movement compared to the massive movement of the bridge hand...shafts and ferrule and tips come into play.. so when using side on cue ball and not moving the bridge at all the line of the follow thru remains perfectly str8 thru the line of the shot..this movement of the bridge was taken out of snooker for the very reason that now the v of the bridge or loop is not on the true line
very instuctional and yes standard shafts do give a lot of deflection. But to say the P 314 is the best well thats a matter of opinion. There is a lot of manufactures now making low deflection shafts that perform as good as what he is using. I like TigerX personally. Low deflection shafts are great but to improve your game its all about Practice. Afterall Hi Runs in straight pool were made without the technoligy of these shafts.
What's the best cue with low deflection under or close to 200$
Cuetec r360
youtube's worst video since rebecca black - friday
there is no way on gods green earth that anyone can adjust for that much deflection .
Maybe out of habit of playing for years, but all of your shots made after @6:05 were pivoted. In other words, you corrected for squirt with your Predator....
If you know how to aim, how to stroke, how to feel your cue, squirting is not a problem, I always use the original shaft (my cue is a custom,with 2s, 1 made of bird's eyes maple for new cloth table,for better control and spin, 1 made of hard rock maple,for old and slow cloth,for more power, I don't want to change anything of it) when you familiar with your cue, you'r master at table
A number of good players use deflection to their advantage... myself included...
True!
Old school is better.
Cory Day W how they use the deflection? Give an example..je
Meucci black dot shafts don't really have a solid shot. At least to me, they are very similar in play to the stock shaft. Expect quite a bit of wobbling.
With the 314, be sure to get yourself a nice tip for it, Moori or Sniper. It will definitely take some time to get used to the small ferrule and overall taper of the 314, but it will provide a better feeling game for you over a little time.
Are you still answering questions?
@beatzzz01 where is the link for that video where the robot does it then
and even a different stroke - but you need a machine to do it standardized. It's hard... I mean - from being a player who uses a 314 I know where the balls going to go pretty much even watching HIM sight down it. :)
I play realy good with my Jackson , and i can hit the cue Ball more than two tips out of the center.
Touch and power is the key word.
I agree, nothing about deflection but just promoting predator 314.
@th30wn4g3 i believe u are right it may just be fake i have a scorpion cue with the regular shaft and i have never gotten such poor english shots. pretty sure he is just advertising for predator trying to say that predator is better besides all u need to know is how to compensate for the deflection and it won't be an issue when playing the shot
you don't avoid deflection with a common shaft... you take it into consideration for your shot... but that means a lot of training with that particular cue
Blue diamond tip good for deflection.
@dlzhdan For your info, this same shot was done by WILLIE THE ROBOT and essentially had the same results...Just like golf clubs and tennis rackets, billiard and pool equipment too have advanced, tested in the most modern facilities under hundreds of conditions...I've been shooting with predator cues for the better part of 7 years now...I've literally gone from a shooter with a big mouth to an absolute NIGHTMARE on the table! I love my predator cues!
hes using parallel english and not backhand english... this accounts for most of the deflection. However I will state that deflection IS affected by the weight of the cue, especially at the tip of the cue with it meaning less as you get closer to the butt. A heavier tipped cue will push the cueball out of line during a shot more than a lighter tipped cue which will be pushed out of the way by the cue instead. That is why predator corks the top few inches of their shafts with a gelatin like material, or why mcdermott uses a cotton like material. This also explains why the Z2 shaft has less deflection than the 314 shaft, because the Z2 is simply thinner at the end, therefore less weight and less deflection. I have done tests with several shafts with parallel and backhand english, and deflection IS ABSOLUTELY affected by the shaft, it is not a hoax... but it is nowhere near as affected as this video makes it seem.
Ben Heintz Way more helpful than the video.. Thanks.
I dont think his stroke his horrible and IMO above average. I think he started with conventional shaft at a early age and his brain automatically compensates when he spins balls, by steering his follow through out of the way of the cue. Then he does is less with when he knows he has a predator shaft. True a pro will know how to make these shots with any cue and they will make adjustments in aim and stroke to compensate for deflection and squirt. in order to do so...
I don't know about the claim that Predator are the hands-down least deflecting shafts around, I'd bet money my I2 and OB shafts are just as low deflection, or better.
nice video!
greetings from Greece
Why do you say it's bullshit? I am new to playing pool, so I don't know what he was trying to say in this video. Does it matter weather you use high or low deflection stick?
Now I wonder how at all Willie Mosconi and other great pool players in the past could hit ANY ball without the Predator 314 shaft. And they did it. Oh, yes, they did it so well :-)
u2dva do you think you don't need low deflection shaft? How can i play well with economic cue?
good demonstration
Why do you care one way or the other? FYI... nearly all the good players I know (including myself) play with predator shafts. Are you an investor in OB cues?
Guys
I am not rubbishing the cue/shaft whatever name you give it.The Predator may be a very nice cue.
I am rubbishing video's like this and their misinformed claims.
But...NEVER base buying a cue if it's selling point is squirt/deflection.because the control of squirt is subconscious through 'feeling' how a cue reacts.
Cues are individual even amongst mass manufactured cue shafts.The best tip is base buying a cue on what it feels like when you play with it.
What is with his shirt at the beginning of the video, did he drool on himself?
how to buy 314
This is an amateur video, and I have no idea what this guy is trying to do. I am an amateur player, but I can tell the difference between "parallel english", used in this video when shooting with high deflection shaft and conventional shaft, and a combination of parallel english and backhand english, used when shooting with the predator shaft. So to get to the point, no matter which shaft u use if you use only parallel english you will get more deflection, than if you use a combination of both.
Free commercial, u-tube should charge for this..
The thing is english shots cannot be applied how he showed. When he hits with the predetor willingly or unwillingly he makes the correct shape of bridge. But come on give me a house cue and I show you how to make an english shot from the various distances. Most people try to find correct adjustment through the object ball. It's a big mistake. If you are trying this, my dear fellas, you're doing it wrong. Just aim at right side of the pocket if you try to conduct right hand side english as far as your shaft deflects in your grip medium and loose shots. If you apply left english to the cue ball do the opposite. You'll be just fine. This is not a secret. Sorry for my English (language) This is not my native language.
I'm pretty sure you were paid for this advertisement. Besides this, I don't doubt that a cue will make a difference in the way one plays, but it can't just be the cue? The way one stands, or how one gets into position, how one holds a cue, or maybe even the table can make some or a lot of difference. What would be the difference between a pool cue, and a snooker cue? When it comes to this deflection? Does a smaller tip help? Or is it good to have a pool cue as well?, mainly because of the larger surface area of the cues' tip?
You are deliberately cueing across the cue ball . Using side spin is about allowing for the spin being used but always cueing straight through the cue ball and this can done with any cue .
yeah, good add for Predator.....not much instruction, im not a great player, but can usually
make this shot. with house cue
your cue action is clearly off, for the whatever predator 314.2 shaft, you clearly stroked off to the side, as in, when you were using Right english, your stroke was off to the right, cue tip pointing way off to the right(and NOT straight like you claimed and NOT the same stroke as with other cues), therefore the deflection would make your cue go straight. And vice versa with left english.
I bought 2 of the very first 314 shafts.... drove me nuts..... i can't play WITHOUT DEFLECTION..... people do play real well with these shafts.....I still have a few ranked friends and they all play LD shafts....not Efren though LOL