Allen Hopkins

[mullyman]

You know, I've known his face and name for more than 20 years but I've never really seen him play until recently. I bought an Accu-Stats DVD of him and Rempe playing 14.1. I believe the match was in 1992. Anyway, fantastic game. Sweat all the way through it. But I gotta ask, does Hopkins always stroke the ball the way he does in this video? He's got a very short pull back and really quick punching stroke to the cue ball. He raises up on almost every shot too. I guess we have another stroke that isn't "text book."
MULLY

 

[JAM]

Yep, that is EXACTLY the way he strokes, and it is quite effective.

I've seen Allen play a kazillion times, but one memorable match was between him and Ginky at Snookers pool room in Providence, RI at a Joss Tour event. The finals between the two of them was electric. It was anybody's game. Ginky came out on top.

Allen still has a whole lot of game, believe me. That little punch stroke of his is deadly!

JAM

 

[JAM]

Here's the picture of that tournament at Snookers in Providence. Joe Tucker (left) came in third, Ginky won it, and Allen came in second place.

The tournament was the 2005 Ocean State Championship.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Here's a cute shot of Keith and Allen taken at a 2004 Joss Tour event held at Drexeline Billiards in Drexel Hills, PA. It was a pretty tough tournament with players like Jose Parica, Karen Corr, Mike Zuglan, Shawn Wilkie, Jalapena, Eddie Abraham, Mike Davis, Ryan McCreesh, and the list goes on and on.

Keith won it, and Allen came in second.

Allen still competes today in many events. You can find him at a lot of regional tour tournaments near in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and New England area.

JAM

 

[SCCues]

You know, I've known his face and name for more than 20 years but I've never really seen him play until recently. I bought an Accu-Stats DVD of him and Rempe playing 14.1. I believe the match was in 1992. Anyway, fantastic game. Sweat all the way through it. But I gotta ask, does Hopkins always stroke the ball the way he does in this video? He's got a very short pull back and really quick punching stroke to the cue ball. He raises up on almost every shot too. I guess we have another stroke that isn't "text book."
MULLY

Allen is a great guy and he plays great, but I swear I don't see how he does it with the stroke (or lack of stroke) he uses. It's like he's punching at the balls instead of a nice smooth stroke and follow through. I had a good friend tell me once that "if it works for you then it's OK" and in this case he's right.

James

 

[Cornerman]

You know, I've known his face and name for more than 20 years but I've never really seen him play until recently. I bought an Accu-Stats DVD of him and Rempe playing 14.1. I believe the match was in 1992. Anyway, fantastic game. Sweat all the way through it. But I gotta ask, does Hopkins always stroke the ball the way he does in this video? He's got a very short pull back and really quick punching stroke to the cue ball. He raises up on almost every shot too. I guess we have another stroke that isn't "text book."
MULLY

"Raises up" is an undestatement. Sometimes he raises up and while coming back down he fires the shot. Sometimes, he has never got down on the ball, and he fires away. It takes all kinds, and the guy is a gifted genius. But, I blame him and Sigel for my poor habits. They were my textbook when I was growing up.

Fred <~~~ thinks Allen Hopkins is simply amazing

 

[worriedbeef]

But, I blame him and Sigel for my poor habits.

I would say Sigel is pretty textbook. Not a bad player to emulate at all!

 

[Cornerman]

I would say Sigel is pretty textbook. Not a bad player to emulate at all!

Sigel jumps at everything. Believe me, I follow through just like him.

Fred

 

[worriedbeef]

Sigel jumps at everything. Believe me, I follow through just like him.

Fred

true he does jump up a bit, but he strokes the cue very smoothly and powerfully, and has great form.

 

[pdcue]

Sigel jumps at everything. Believe me, I follow through just like him.

Fred

Have you noticed, when he thinks he missed?
He swings the cue out to the side - we used to call it Mikie's
'rowing the boat' stroke.

Just to show you how susceptible people can be, one of the better
players in my room at the time, who had neve pulled the cue
off line in his life - saw Mike play one time, and immediately became dangerous to the eyes of anybody playing on a table next to him.
He started swinging the cue sideways on about every third shot.

Dale

 

[scenario]

Allen Hopkins Stroke

Everybody knows about Allens so called punch stroke, here is the rest of the story. What Allen believes is more important than the pre stroke ( before hitting the ball ) is follow through, once you have made contact you need to completely follow through with it. This is something most people dont even think about that Allen has perfected to complete his shotmaking.

 

[trueblu8]

Hey not everybody can have as beautiful form, and be as smooth as Buddy Hall, or Earl Strickland, or Bustamante. Everybody has there own mechanics, and muscle coordination. Just like not everyone can swing a golf club like Tiger, or play ball like Jordan. But I definitely can agree on one thing, the way that Sigel swings his cue to the side when he is putting english on the ball is DEFINITELY contagious. I find myself doing it all the time now after watching him, lol.

 

[mantis99]

I believe I read somewhere that he developed that stroked from playing where he did not have enough room for a full backstroke, so he had no choice.

 

[mullyman]

I used to play in Beechmont Billiards in Cincinnati. Gary Spaeth was a regular there. He had this habit, probably similar to Sigel's, where when it looked like the ball was just going to make it or possibly go off the point of the pocket, or if he was playing a safe and the CB was just rolling up to where it should be but weren't sure if it had enough gas, he would swing his cue out in that direction like he was steering it in or something. Oddly enough, I never conciously thought about the way he does that. When my wife saw him play for the first time she said to me "He swings his cue out just like you do." I'll admit, Gary was a huge influence on me when I started and I never noticed that I was copying some of his habits. But I've been doing that for so long now that it's part of my game.
MULLY
kinda like having it there too

 

[SpiderWebComm]

His stoke is "pool simplified." Long strokes equate to more room for error, more things that can go wrong. That's why, in my opinion, he's one of the best money players ever. He just made fewer errors than the next guy for the cash (esp. their own cash). Just my humble opinion.

 

[Gerry]

His stoke is "pool simplified." Long strokes equate to more room for error, more things that can go wrong. That's why, in my opinion, he's one of the best money players ever. He just made fewer errors than the next guy for the cash (esp. their own cash). Just my humble opinion.

well said! Here's an article that somewhat explains a similar idea.

Baffling Economy Of Motion

Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 7:21 a.m.

In her prime, Joan Benoit Samuelson, one of the best female distance runners, should have been faster than Alberto Salazar, one of the best male distance runners. Samuelson's running was beautifully smooth. Salazar's was not.

"He looked terrible,'' said Jack Daniels, an exercise physiologist at the Center for High Altitude Training at Northern Arizona University, who studied both runners in the 1980s. "She looked great.''

Not only that but Samuelson also had an amazing ability to use oxygen to fuel her body, Daniels said. Even though women's maximum oxygen consumption, or VO2 max, is typically lower than that of men, hers was as high as Salazar's. Maximum oxygen consumption was often considered one of the best predictors of performance in distance events.

But Salazar always ran faster than Samuelson. The difference between them turned out to be one of the least understood and most mythologized aspects of performance: economy of motion. It's the relationship between how much energy you expend and how fast you go.

"How much is it costing you to run 10 miles an hour?'' Daniels asked. "If it costs you less than it costs someone else, you are more economical.''

Salazar, despite his less than classic running style, expended less energy when he ran. So when he and Samuelson put out the same effort, he ran faster.

But economy is baffling. It seems to be physiological, but it is not clear what exactly is involved. Is it an ability of muscles to use energy, an ability to use a variety of muscles in concert, an ability of nerves to activate certain muscles for a task while allowing other muscles to relax, an ability of nerves to fire in near-perfect patterns? Or is it all of these things in combination?



After that it goes into more running styles, but I think it explains the beauty of an economical stroke and the lack of wasted energy.

Also, on the subject of moving up and down. I do the same thing, and what I'm trying to do is see/find the angle of the shot. By moving my head up and down I can feel the angle needed....farther the shot the lower I get. I'm sure Allen is doing the same thing.

There is absolutely something to be said for removing wasted energy from your game IMO.

 

[mullyman]

There is absolutely something to be said for removing wasted energy from your game IMO.

I can agree with this. Now, I've never seen Hopkins play up close, this DVD is actually probably the first time I've actually watched him play, but it seems to me that a short back stroke like his would use more energy to stop it where he does and then punch if forward with very little follow through. It would seem to me that a smooth back stroke and a full follow through expends less energy.

I'm not knocking his play. That match was fantastic and he played real well. Hell, I may not agree with his stroke style but I really picked up a lot from him, and Rempe, in that match. I've watched that DVD like 4 times so far and have been doing image training in my spare time. Last night I went to the pool hall and I tried to emulate some of the things I saw them do and I was shooting the lights out. My highest run was only 27 but still. The biggest thing I picked up from them is that you need to work on the center ball with just a touch of follow or a touch of draw and hit that OB solid. No pansy assing around with that slow roll. I felt great last night and I can't wait to get back and put it to work again. Watching Hopkins got that in my head BTW.
MULLY

 

[Gerry]

yea Mully, you will see a ton of heavy center ball shots from the old skool guys. They explained this as a way to not let the ball wander off line on its way to the pocket. Playing on the road all those years on less then perfect equipment will force you to firm the ball into the pocket instead of rolling it. Also, hitting shots with a little more force will get you into stroke quicker IMO.

I have heard from more than one world champ that no one plays the short tight position better than Allen.

G.

 

[jay helfert]

yea Mully, you will see a ton of heavy center ball shots from the old skool guys. They explained this as a way to not let the ball wander off line on its way to the pocket. Playing on the road all those years on less then perfect equipment will force you to firm the ball into the pocket instead of rolling it. Also, hitting shots with a little more force will get you into stroke quicker IMO.

I have heard from more than one world champ that no one plays the short tight position better than Allen.

G.

Except for a certain Reyes character.

 

[dave sutton]

i know allen well. he lives 5 mins from me. we always goof about his stroke. the funniest thing is one of my best friends joey testa who is allens protoge. he has the same stroke and mannerisms. he pokes when he is uncompfortable. he raises up and down pre shot. it helps find the angle. makes me laugh my a$$ off. dont think that poke stroke isnt effective. allen can shoot a spot to spot shot and not hit the back rail on the reg. he gets a massive amount of english on the ball.

for anyone that doesnt know joey take a look at this article. he ran through maybe one of the strongest fields ive seen in a small event. beat mika hill-hill. thorston 9-1 and shin park quit him @ 8-1.

this may make you shake your head but he can beat anyone in the world. even when he looses he moves well and hangs in there. he lost to ralph 9-7 alter, breaks after being down 5-1 then tied at 7. he made a position error dead out for 8 and with the break on 9. he should have beat ralph
all the "top players" in our area he dominates

anyways read the article

http://www.azbilliards.com/2000storya.cfm?storynum=5085