Kim Davenport's Stroke

SilverCue

Sir Raksalot
Silver Member
In this YouTube video Kim Davenport makes a great comeback against Johnny Archer. I remember him making a similar comeback once against JR Calvert on a tour stop in San Diego, CA around 1995. A good lesson for all........never give up!

In the filming of the match they had a cameraman with a shoulder mounted camera. He was able to get a couple good straight-on views of few shots by Kim. On these shots there's a noticeable slight crookedness to his stroke . On the chopped segments below are two examples of this:

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/5978158

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/5978186

Kim was a great champion and his accomplishments in the game speak for themselves. But perhaps this is why he played just a hair under the very best at the time.........Earl, Sigel, Buddy, etc. A slight stroke flaw like this will undoubtedly cause a miss here and there, especially pressure shots with distance.

Kim's stroke may have had a flaw but this 8 part video
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Kim+Davenport+vs+CJ+WIley+at+the+Bicycle+Club

Shows Kim Davenport beating CJ WIley at the Bicycle Club :)
 

PoolBum

Ace in the side.
Silver Member
Kimmer was once down like 9-2 or 10-2 to The Miz and came back to beat him 11-10.
 

Albatross Cues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In this YouTube video Kim Davenport makes a great comeback against Johnny Archer. I remember him making a similar comeback once against JR Calvert on a tour stop in San Diego, CA around 1995. A good lesson for all........never give up!

In the filming of the match they had a cameraman with a shoulder mounted camera. He was able to get a couple good straight-on views of few shots by Kim. On these shots there's a noticeable slight crookedness to his stroke . On the chopped segments below are two examples of this:

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/5978158

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/5978186

Kim was a great champion and his accomplishments in the game speak for themselves. But perhaps this is why he played just a hair under the very best at the time.........Earl, Sigel, Buddy, etc. A slight stroke flaw like this will undoubtedly cause a miss here and there, especially pressure shots with distance.

Wow, he does have a hitch in his gitti-up, great observation, thanks for posting this.

Aloha
 

GaryB

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You may have found a flaw but in person it was a thing of beauty. The accident that affected his eye led to his being tremendously under appreciated. Had a ton of heart.
 

Sealegs50

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
perhaps this is why he played just a hair under the very best at the time..

Too bad you were not around to coach Kim in those days. Perhaps he could have been Player of the Year more than just once.
 

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
I warmed Kim up for about 45 min. before a 9 ball tournament in Tampa, FL around 1986. Kim always dressed well and is a hell of a nice guy. Seemed to have a nice smooth pure stroke to me. Johnnyt
 

ssbn610g

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey, looked a bit like Greenleaf who also waggled. Watch the forward stroke, it looks to be pretty str8. As long as his waggle stops in the same place and his forward stroke is str8, I think he can be pretty accurate. Any merit to my thought?

Al
 

12squared

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Maybe he was ahead of his time using CTE or 90/10 pivot or whatever those others are???? (Sorry, I couldn't resist, hope you are all laughing).

But to me, Kim had the most sound stance and stroke I ever saw in person. He was solid as a rock at the table but with no tension in his body what so ever, and his stroke was pure. Not many wanted to gamble with him. One night he was to play Rafael Martinez 10 ahead 9-ball for 10 dimes late at night. We all gathered ready for the long grueling action. It lasted 12 games (Rafael won 1). Kim was so solid in his game it held up when it counted the most.

Dave
 

Sealegs50

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You're proof that one can be both sarcastic and right at the same time.

I will need to work on my writing style. I was going entirely for sarcasm.

Being named Player of the Year in an era that saw so many of the greatest players of all time speaks to his skills. Few players were as well-liked or highly respected as Kim Davenport in his prime.
 

RussPrince

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the video. Very inspirational. I'll have to add that to my "must watch" list every now and then. Watching matches like this is mentally better than actually practicing. That kind of confidence rubs off just from watching.

I read your comment after watching and funny thing and I noticed the same thing. His right hand during practice strokes was not in line with his shot.
 

wahcheck

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I disagree

I disagree with those who said Kim was a shade less than the top pros of his time; I believe he was right up there with them..........

It was tragic and a damn shame that golf range accident happened to him.
I hope he sued the place for messing up his pool career.
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In this YouTube video Kim Davenport makes a great comeback against Johnny Archer. I remember him making a similar comeback once against JR Calvert on a tour stop in San Diego, CA around 1995. A good lesson for all........never give up!

In the filming of the match they had a cameraman with a shoulder mounted camera. He was able to get a couple good straight-on views of few shots by Kim. On these shots there's a noticeable slight crookedness to his stroke . On the chopped segments below are two examples of this:

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/5978158

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/5978186

Kim was a great champion and his accomplishments in the game speak for themselves. But perhaps this is why he played just a hair under the very best at the time.........Earl, Sigel, Buddy, etc. A slight stroke flaw like this will undoubtedly cause a miss here and there, especially pressure shots with distance.
I saw him play when he played on the road. I don't know what his real ambitions were in the game but he had it to be as good as anyone whoever played the game. Some players in all sports, just don't take their game as far as it could have been for what ever reasons. In pool for most, it is usually the game is just not worth the effort.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
In this YouTube video Kim Davenport makes a great comeback against Johnny Archer. I remember him making a similar comeback once against JR Calvert on a tour stop in San Diego, CA around 1995. A good lesson for all........never give up!

In the filming of the match they had a cameraman with a shoulder mounted camera. He was able to get a couple good straight-on views of few shots by Kim. On these shots there's a noticeable slight crookedness to his stroke . On the chopped segments below are two examples of this:

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/5978158

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/5978186

Kim was a great champion and his accomplishments in the game speak for themselves. But perhaps this is why he played just a hair under the very best at the time.........Earl, Sigel, Buddy, etc. A slight stroke flaw like this will undoubtedly cause a miss here and there, especially pressure shots with distance.
That's interesting - thanks for posting it.

His grip hand moves a little sideways: toward his body on the back stroke; away from his body on the shot stroke. I suspect this is due to his elbow being a little too close to his body (for his personal physiology), which angles his stroke that way.

The other reason might be that he's subconsciously avoiding brushing his hip with his hand - but this usually results in a curved stroke (swooping around the hip), and his stroke is pretty straight.

Elbow position is a neglected topic when talking about stance.

pj
chgo
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I disagree with those who said Kim was a shade less than the top pros of his time; I believe he was right up there with them..........

It was tragic and a damn shame that golf range accident happened to him.
I hope he sued the place for messing up his pool career.
What kind of accident? Did he get hit with a ball?

pj
chgo
 

arnaldo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yeah, too bad that NOBODY was around back then coaching/instructing the pros.......they were essentially on their own.
Not true at all. Kim and Nick Varner (as well as other pros) availed themselves of a nationally-recognized longtime coach: Hal Mix (one of the best-of-the best players' coaches). I had a lunch with Hal at the 1992 L.A. 9-ball championship (he was then about in his seventies) and it was a pleasure to realize what observational skills he had with regard to noticing and tweaking errors that had crept into the games of the pros who paid for his corrective services.

Kim came by and sat with us and the subject came up of hitches in the strokes of even the best of past and then-current top-level players. Hal stated flatly that in all his years around top players he had only seen 3 players with absolutely straight, and hitch-free strokes, and Mizerak's was by far the straightest and purest of them all.

He was quick to add however, that regardless of hitches that he had often observed (and correctively-minimized) including with Kim one of the present pros he was then assisting, it was plainly obvious to him that virtually every pro manages to deliver the meaningful final few inches of the forward stroke in a very straight manner or they wouldn't be where they are.

Look up Hal Mix's bio and story. He did try to put some of his principles into booklet form but articulating them in writing was less of gift for him than his one-on-one interactions with the pros and top non-pros who sought him out for private, hands-on coaching sessions in person. Here's a good AZB conversation from about 10 years ago about Hal Mix:

http://billiardsdigest.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-10839.html

Arnaldo
 
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macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Not true at all. Kim and Nick Varner (as well as other pros) availed themselves of a nationally-recognized longtime coach: Hal Mix (one of the best-of-the best players' coaches). I had a lunch with Hal at the 1992 L.A. 9-ball championship (he was then about in his seventies) and it was a pleasure to realize what observational skills he had with regard to noticing and tweaking errors that had crept into the games of the pros who paid for his corrective services.

Kim came by and sat with us and the subject came up of hitches in the strokes of even the best of past and then-current top-level players. Hal stated flatly that in all his years around top players he had only seen 3 players with absolutely straight, and hitch-free strokes, and Mizerak's was by far the straightest and purest of them all.

He was quick to add however, that regardless of hitches that he had often observed (and correctively-minimized) including with Kim one of the present pros he was then assisting, it was plainly obvious to him that virtually every pro manages to deliver the meaningful final few inches of the forward stroke in a very straight manner or they wouldn't be where they are.

Look up Hal Mix's bio and story. He did try to put some of his principles into booklet form but articulating them writing was less of gift for him than his one-on-one interactions with the pros and top non-pros who sought him out for private, hands-on coaching sessions in person.

Arnaldo
Funny you mention him. I just came across a floppy disk I have marked Hal Mix. I am curious what is on it, I don't remember. I did talk to him a few times.
i have to figure how to view this floppy.
 
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