In this video, Ralf Souquet opens up his cue case and reveals all of his secret pool gadgets and the other necessities of a traveling billiards-superstar.

Ralf Souquet (aka "The Kaiser") is a truely legendary player from Germany. He has been playing competitive pool for over 2 decades at a very high level. He has an amazing tournament record including over 250 wins including many European titles and US titles in an array of pool disciplines. He has world championships in 9ball, 8ball and 10ball. He is a US Open 9 Ball Champion and a US Open 14.1 champion. Bottom-line, if there is a big tournament, don't ever count out Ralf, he is a true champion.

OK...Let's find out what a world-travelling professional pool-playing superstar keeps in his pool cue bag of tricks...

Ralf has been playing with a Joss cue for some time and is working out an endorsement deal with them (at the time of this video). He uses a Predator 314 2nd generation shaft with his cue. His Joss cue is a one-of-a-kind, but here are some other Joss designs...



Joss JOS62 Bloodwood, Figured Maple and Holly Diamonds Pool Cue Stick




Joss JOS61 Bloodwood, Ebony and Holly Pool Cue Stick




Joss JOS07 - Holly Inlays Pool Cue Stick

These are just a few examples of Joss' work. I've always liked their cues. IMO, they are a high-quality cue for the money.

Ralf was carrying a Predator Air Jump cue like this one...



Predator Air Jump Cue

Let's keep looking, because Ralf's case is jam-packed with gadgets and supplies. Here are some of them with links, so you can stock your case, just like THE KAISER...



A Towel to wipe his hands and/or cue




A bunch of Moori Tips




A Cue Cube to shape his tip.




A Brad Scuffer, which is another way to scuff his cue tip.




A Q Wiz to clean and polish his cue shaft. This little gadget works great. I agree with Ralf when he says it is one of his favorite items.




This Cue Dude cue holder looks ingenious! I'm planning on trying one of these. I've seen many versions of cue holders, a lot of them home-made, but this one is very compact and more gentle on your cue...compared to the ones that I have seen.



Ralf carries the Justa Bridge, which is, maybe, the best bridge design I've seen so far. It slips on the end of your break cue or a house cue. It's well worth the little extra money over the cheaper bridges or a house bridge.



He also carries a Moosehead type bridge for a little bit of convenience over the Justa Bridge.

Ralf also carries Blue Diamond chalk, which seems to be popular with many of the pro pool players. He carries, yet-another, tip shaper/burnisher and some lucky charms...it seems to work for him. You'll see he carries some other supplies, too, like pain relievers, etc. That is a good idea.

Anyhow...here is the video interview from insidepool...I hope it helps you.

Cheers,
Skippy

If you own a jump cue and have used one for some time, you probably have developed some basic jumping skills.  This video does a good job of explaining some basic techniques for jump shots.  If you've never seen a jump cue in action, you might be surprised at how little clearance you need to jump a ball.  With the right equipment, like the Predator Air jump cue shown here, you can jump the cue ball over a ball that is only 1" away.  All other things being equal, you could be at a great disadvantage if you don't have one of these cues and the skills to use it, when your opponent does.  

There are several good jump cues on the market.  They share some basic design features...they have minimal mass (they're light) and the tips are very hard, many times made from a hard phenolic type material.  I would advise anyone playing competitively to invest in a good jump cue and practice using it.

CAUTION:  Warning, the use of a weapon like this can spoil you.  Don't let it be a crutch that keeps you from mastering other skills such as kicking, diamond systems, etc.  Also, with tools like this so readily available, you'll have to get much better at playing safe

Check out the deals to the right on jump cues...don't get stuck behind the eight ball.

Other than the Predator Air, I like the Lucasi jump cue.  What kind of jump cue do you own?  Comment and let everyone know what you think of these jump cues.  Let us know what you think is the best jump cue.  Thanks!!

Cheers,
Skippy

Do you want to play with the same pool cue that Jasmin Ouschan uses? Well, now you know. She plays with a Mezz Cue with a Predator 314 shaft. She has a beautiful case made by Jack Justis. Justis makes here a new case every year. The Mezz cue is the same cue that Mika Immonen plays with along with a lot of pro Japanese players. She has a Predator BK2 break cue. Also, she uses a Stealth jump cue.

In the video, you'll see all of stuff that Jasmin uses to keep her equipment in tip-top shape, like shaft conditioners, tip shapers, chalk, etc. It's always interesting to see what people keep in their case. I always minimized what was in my case. How about you, what is in your case?

If you want to get some equipment like Jasmin uses, I've found some deals on Mezz, Predator and Stealth cues. Check them out to the right --->

Cheers,
Skippy

Predator cues are, truly, unique and innovative. When considering buying a predator cue, you should be considering the technology and performance features that they provide. If your not familiar with predator products and your looking for a cue, then you MUST, at least give one a try before you make a final decision, IMHO.

There are many players that play with Predator cue products, including many top level players. Some of them are endorsed by Predator, but there are far more, high-level, pool players that play with them, because they like the performance and characteristics that there pool cue provides.

The main difference with Predator cues is their shaft technology. They started back around 1994 when they launched their revolutionary 314 shaft. This was a shaft that was made of 10 pieces of wood spliced together. The net result was a shaft that had much less cue ball deflection than your typical cue shaft. This shaft technology changed the cue world and changed pool players expectations about there pool cues. Also, it set in action a never-ending discussion about cue-ball deflection, squirt, swerve, etc. You can read more about cue ball deflection on my blog.

Predator didn't stop there. To this day, they just keep on innovating. In 2000, they introduced an improved version of their 314 shaft, which was called P2.

In 2001, they introduced there BK break cue series, which is, specifically, designed for breaking.

In 2003, they introduced their very popular Z Shaft technology. I like this series, because the shaft is a small diameter, about 11.75mm with a strong taper.

In 2005, they improved their break technology with the BK2 series and in 2006 they introduced improved versions of the 314 and Z shaft technology. Also, they introduced new designs for the cue butt in 2006 called C4.

Most recently, they have introduced new jump cue technology called "Air Technology" and a "revolutionary" P3 Technology in 2008.

Most of the buzz about Predator Cues is a result of their shaft technology and the consistency that it provides for pool players. Many players have production or custom cue butts with Predator shafts on them. This includes many pro pool players. Predator makes shafts with threaded inserts to match standard cue pins. This means, most likely, if you already have a cue, you can get a predator shaft to fit it. This provides a cheap way to get a "new" cue without buying a whole new cue.

For many years, I resisted the trend of the spliced cue shaft and the hype that came with the introduction of Predator shafts. I thought it was just hype. Maybe I am just a pool-purist and I didn't want things to change. Finally, I think I am a convert. As of Sept. 2008, I sold my Bill McDaniel cue. My next cue will have a Predator Z shaft. I borrowed a friend's cue and really liked the feel of it. It was amazing that you can hit a shot with extreme english without compensating much for deflection. Predators cues tend to be more "modern" looking. They are different than a lot of traditional custom cues. I think I am leaning toward one of the sneaky pete models.

I like this Predator sneaky pete.

My next cue.

In summary, I would encourage ANY player to pick up a Predator cue and/or shaft and give it a try. You have to give it a chance, though. If you are used to a cue with a lot of deflection (like most cues), then you might miss a lot of shots at first. There is an adjustment phase that you must go through. In the long-run, they can improve the consistency of your game.

Cheers,
Skippy

P.S. If you have any personal knowledge, dealings, experience and/or opinions about this cue maker, please contact me or post a reply below. Also, click on the rating "stars" to indicate your opinion of this cue maker. Thanks for your participation.

If you own a cue made by Predator, send me a picture and I'll share it with everyone else. If you have a website to promote, include a link and I'll include it with the picture. People like to see examples of a cue maker's work before buying.

If you represent Predator Cues and can provide me with more information, pictures, website, etc., then please contact me and I will gladly include that information on my site.

Here is the current contact info:

Predator Cues
5055-5 St. Augustine Rd.
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Allen McCarty
904-448-8748
www.PredatorCues.com

Where to buy:

Check out the great deals on Predator Cues to the right on this page===>