Willie Hoppe - The Master :)

KRJ

KRJ

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Just saw an old Willie Hoppe video on The Beard's website....

Quite amazing. He really was a magician with that cue ball. I'm very surprised that he does not even really line the shot up, or look at the angels, he just fires it and bam, 3, 4 or 5 rails later, he hits one ball on the exact spot needed, and caroms off to the other ball for a point.

Never really watched 3-cushion before... but watching this video kinda "hooked" me..... I'm digging it, but man, it looks like a pretty tough game to score on, especially for an amateur.

If you wanna watch it, go to "bankingwiththebeard.com"... I don't want to post something off someone else's website :) Lot's of old video's, including banking and 1 pocket matches !!!
 
ChicagoRJ said:
Just saw an old Willie Hoppe video on The Beard's website....

Quite amazing. He really was a magician with that cue ball. I'm very surprised that he does not even really line the shot up, or look at the angels, he just fires it and bam, 3, 4 or 5 rails later, he hits one ball on the exact spot needed, and caroms off to the other ball for a point.

Never really watched 3-cushion before... but watching this video kinda "hooked" me..... I'm digging it, but man, it looks like a pretty tough game to score on, especially for an amateur.

If you wanna watch it, go to "bankingwiththebeard.com"... I don't want to post something off someone else's website :) Lot's of old video's, including banking and 1 pocket matches !!!
Click to expand...

I knew a guy who knew Hoppe pretty well. He said even though he is credited with developing the use of the diamond system Hoppe had a bit of a distain for it. Hoppe often said, "If you took the diamonds off the table half these guys couldn't play".
 
macguy said:
I knew a guy who knew Hoppe pretty well. He said even though he is credited with developing the use of the diamond system Hoppe had a bit of a distain for it. Hoppe often said, "If you took the diamonds off the table half these guys couldn't play".
Click to expand...

prolly true... Hoppe just seemed to know where to hit it before he even got to the table....

Gonna keep my WH Pro Model cue for life :)
 
macguy said:
I knew a guy who knew Hoppe pretty well. He said even though he is credited with developing the use of the diamond system Hoppe had a bit of a distain for it. Hoppe often said, "If you took the diamonds off the table half these guys couldn't play".
Click to expand...

Danny Mcgoorty had a story about walking into a place, and Hoppe was there with "his" book laid out on the table, shooting shots diagramed in it. He looks at Danny and says something to the effect of, "ya know, if your stroke is good, these systems are pretty close"
Always makes me laugh picturing if.
Chuck
 
Chuck Fields said:
Danny Mcgoorty had a story about walking into a place, and Hoppe was there with "his" book laid out on the table, shooting shots diagramed in it. He looks at Danny and says something to the effect of, "ya know, if your stroke is good, these systems are pretty close"
Always makes me laugh picturing if.
Chuck
Click to expand...


Billiards As It Should Be Played is one of the best books around for helping fundamental principles. We are all truly inferior players, as Willie said.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
I like to watch old Walther Lindrum videos. His game was english billiards. Just look at the speed and touch he has. Its unbelievable. I think this kind of quick, natural game can only be developed if you start playing almost in infancy. Both he and Hoppe started early. In pool there is Keith McCready who also started early and has the same kind of quick, effortless style. Here is Lindrum:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zNwemKarDU

In color with some commentary and background:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD1F87w37UI
Click to expand...


Thanks for the links, first time I saw that and I do enjoy looking at the old timers.
found this the other day
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=350807
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLx_Em1zbXQ

Chrippa
 
Yes, he was one of the great players. My first two piece cue was a Willie Hoppe with a leather wrap. Cheap but a wonderful playing cue. Someone stole it. I bought another one and someone broke into the pool hall where I kept it and stole all the two piece cues. That was the last one I owned but both played very well. Now I use a Sneaky Pete cue.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
I like to watch old Walther Lindrum videos. His game was english billiards. Just look at the speed and touch he has. Its unbelievable. I think this kind of quick, natural game can only be developed if you start playing almost in infancy. Both he and Hoppe started early. In pool there is Keith McCready who also started early and has the same kind of quick, effortless style. Here is Lindrum:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zNwemKarDU

In color with some commentary and background:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD1F87w37UI
Click to expand...

That second video looks to be on a 10 foot table with some horribly slow cloth. I would not enjoy playing on that at all.
 
Hoppe, Schaefer, Cochran and other champs, were trained as youths by the billiards master, Professor Lansing Perkins of Chicago. He was a brutal taskmaster, only allowing the students to learn how to play with first only one ball on the table. Hours and hours later, he would finally introduce a second ball, and finally, an interminable amount of time later they got to play with all 3 balls. By that time, they knew the table, the cushions and angles, better than they knew their parents.

The only American that I can think of who trains that hard today is Shane Van Boning.

Gus Copulos was credited with being the main architect of the diamond system.

Beard
 
Chuck Fields said:
Danny Mcgoorty had a story about walking into a place, and Hoppe was there with "his" book laid out on the table, shooting shots diagramed in it. He looks at Danny and says something to the effect of, "ya know, if your stroke is good, these systems are pretty close"
Always makes me laugh picturing if.
Chuck
Click to expand...

"You know, Dan, it works. But you need a perfect stroke." Willie Hoppe to Danny McGoorty.
 
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