Predator Vantage Shaft Review

Does the Predator Vantage Shaft live up to manufacturer claims?

The Predator Vantage is one of four shafts in the Predator low deflection shaft lineup. The other three shafts are the Predator Revo, Predator Z 3 and the Predator 314 3. These shafts vary in playability and depend on the user’s preference. This review will focus on the Predator Vantage shaft. What defines this shaft from the others and should you purchase this shaft?

Predator Vantage main features

The Predator Vantage boasts the newest and patented technological advantages of the Predator shaft manufacturing spliced maple line. These include vault plate technology, V-tek ferrule construction, V-tek fiber tip silencing, and I-Match 10-piece splice construction. These are all impressive feats that I will refrain from explaining in this review. You can do further research if you are interested in knowing more about the specific manufacturing techniques.

The Predator Vantage shaft boasts a Pro V stiff taper which is supposedly the preferred taper of the champions. The shaft is 29” and comes with the predator 8 layer victory medium tip. The Predator Vantage costs between $380 and $470 depending on the type and style of connection that you prefer. It is also backed with a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty. The Vantage is a 12.9mm shaft which makes it a thick shaft. We’ll see if this is an advantage or a disadvantage.

Predator Vantage Shaft Gameplay

The Predator Vantage shaft is said to be a very consistent, low deflection shaft over a wide range of strike velocities. I put this to the test first of all with a deflection test. I used lower right-hand English for a soft shot, medium shot and a hard shot. Both the soft and medium shots only produced about 1.5” of deflection for a shot spanning the length of the pool table. The hard shot only produced about 2” of deflection. This is very consistent compared to other wooden shafts on the market.

The shaft also holds up very well in regular gameplay. The stiffness of the shaft allows you to transfer a high velocity to the cue ball without excessive effort. The low deflection rate also causes you to need to do less adjustment to your shots which increases your precision. You can also add more spin to the cue ball which increases your arsenal of available shots.

The medium softness victory tip also works really well with this thicker and stiffer shaft. It transfers the velocity from the shaft to the cue ball superbly while maintaining optimum compression. It doesn’t mushroom or requires trimming even after a long day of high-velocity shots. The Predator Vantage also boasts the lowest front end mass of the Predator maple shaft lineup which is surprising because it is the largest of the shafts. The lighter weight is evident during gameplay and makes the shaft fairly comfortable to use despite its thickness.

The thickness of the shaft is however still slightly an issue for me. I personally prefer the slimmer shafts which slide easier and less detectable through my bridge hand. I have spoken to persons who actually prefer the thicker shaft so I guess that all boils down to personal preference.

Predator Vantage Shaft final thoughts

I do recommend the Predator Vantage shaft as an option if your shopping for a new shaft or another shaft to add to your collection. It is a great backup shaft if you own a Revo or a great option if you are not ready to make the financial investment in a Revo. It is a great low deflection shaft and my only issue is the thickness which doesn’t seem to bother most players who use this shaft on an american style table. I give the Predator Vantage shaft a 4 out of 5 stars rating.