Predator Z2 vs OB-1?

[Predator 4K4]

I play a Z2 shaft with the stock Everest tip, but I am intrigued by the OB-1 shaft. Any of you guys out there try this new shaft out? If so, what do you think? How does it feel, how do the balls react, do you get more spin, less spin, etc. Also, tip is everyone using? I went from Triangle tips on my original 314 shaft to the stock Z2, and noticed a significant difference. I'd be interested to hear what everyone is wielding in their arsenal.

[skor]

I do not have a lot of experience with the Z shaft but I think that the OB-1 should be compared with the 314 shaft and not the Z shaft.
Both the Z shaft and the 314 start the same from the same blank that is constructed the same. There are 3 differences between the Z and the 314:
1. diameter at the tip
2. taper
3. ferrule length

The OB-1 has a 12.75mm tip and a pro tapper just like the 314 shaft has so it would be more sensible to compare the two.

I find both reduce deflection about the same. The OB-1 is more flexible so it easier to get more spin with it. Personally I prefer the 314, I like it for being stiffer.

As for the Z shaft, I just received 2 of them today (damn Lucasi and the uni-loc joint.... ) so I guess I would be able to give you a better opinion and comparison to the 314 and the OB-1 shaft in a few weeks...

For years I was not into the Z shaft as I felt it was too thin for me but after a few nights in which I found my self in a pool hall without my gear and ending with using a 10mm snooker cue (the pool cues were too heavy for me) I found my self very deadly (accurate) with pin-pointed tip... so I decided to give the Z shaft a serious chance.

[McChen]

i played with the z2 shaft for a long time and just switched to the ob-1 shaft. i like the ob-1 a lot better. a lot of people will have a hard time adjusting to the small tip and taper of the z, but to me it was fine. i had played snooker, so it didn't seem strange. the z is a good shaft, but there were 3 main concerns i had with it:

1. felt it made long shots a little harder
2. sometimes the cue ball would get too lively and i'd lose control of it
3. had the typical hollow feel of a predator

i think the z is just a bit more sensitive if your stroke is off, however it's a fairly minor and i still like the shaft a lot. the z is a lot stiffer than the ob-1, but i don't think the ob-1 is 'whippy', which i've heard a lot. a lot of people can't get used to the look of the wooden ferrule, but i never really noticed it. ob-1 spins the ball as well as the z, and seems to draw the ball very easily, though this might be something with me.

deflection wise, the ob-1 is pretty much the same as the 314-2. the z2 has slightly less deflection, but it's a pretty small amount, not that noticeable most of the time.

the ob-1 does not have the hollow feel of a predator, but since it is filled with foam, it can feel very dead. i found that a hard tip is the best with ob-1, it puts some of the feel back into the shaft. i don't usually like le pro's that much, but a hard le pro works great with the ob-1. feels almost like a real solid maple shaft. i also like the long taper of the ob-1, but this is a personal preference.

so overall i'm a big fan of the ob-1. performs much like a predator with a few differences here and there, but a much better feel if you use the right tip.