How Joe Davis Changed Snooker Forever

Joe Davis played Snooker and Billiards on black and white. World Champion from 1927 147 century breaks and matches against Fred Davis. Break from Life shows how Joe Davis and his Snooker technique changed the way Snooker is played. Showing how Billiards slowly morphed into Snooker over the space of about 20 years.
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Break for life will attempt any challenge on a Snooker table got any ideas let us know Subscribe

[@garyrogers2819]

Great to see Billiards getting a mention, there’d be no Snooker without it !

[@michaelgardner96]

From Wisconsin in the USA and I gotta say I love these videos as a billiards player. Makes me appreciate snooker in a new light.

[@christopherecatalano]

I have an original copy of his book “How I play Snooker”. It was very specific about stance, bridges, theory etc. His chin alignment was slightly off to compensate for nearsightedness in one eye. His chapters on screw, stun and especially masse were revelatory. I love that book. Thank you for the stuff about walking into a shot. Interesting concept.

[@nuntana2]

Ronnie’s mentioned that book a few times.

[@abdullahali4314]

Nice video keep up the good work Abdullah from Baghdad Iraq 👌🏻

[@TheMacFreack]

0:08 life wouldn't be half as fun without these mishaps. Greetings from Bologna, Italy.

[@KoshiVirii]

I have been looking getting into 3-ball billiards, with a 9-ball cue, this video has been great, I have skittles as well.

[@neilsheridan6361]

Howdy from Perth Western Australia!! Love the videos...

[@liamheimann568]

Found you last week and loved the video. Another great one. Subscribed now and loving the videos. Looking forward to what is to come.

[@graememcgregor8407]

I wish I could play snooker. I love it! But I have a sight issue so that when I see the cue perfectly straight and hitting the middle of the cueball, I am actually cueing across considerably to the left. I tried hard - and with Joe Davis's book as my guide in the early days, not realising that the harder I tried, the worse I would play! The sighting issue is so marked as to fairly consistently miss a straight blue across the table onto the left jaw. It took me 35 years to discover that sighting issue so it's too late now for change and improvement. I've hung my cue up - regretfully.

[@KianSheik]

Enjoying your videos from San Francisco, CA. Keep it up! I am a pool player but recently have been playing snooker whenever I get the chance. I hadn't heard of the sport until you popped up in my recommendations :) I hope to see some American snooker professionals in the future now that your videos are reaching me, it would be interesting to explain the lack of interest from our cue players thus far! I know we have bigger pockets and balls but something tells me that's not the only deterrent. Thank you and cheers!

[@trek520rider2]

My guess is cost a 12 ft by 6 ft snooker table costs a lot more than a pool table and needs a lot more room.

[@shiptoshorecustombuildersl3855]

That tripped me out, lol. Listening at 2:51 am whilst engulfed in office work. Phone on the corner of desk playing great snooker feed...when he started talking to me. Thanks!!

[@fcast6730]

Agree with the last post great to see a bit billiards and a nice little input with your humourous attemp at nursery canons

[@stuarthamilton679]

I'd like to see some Snooker Plus sounds like it could be good!

[@andrewdatsenko]

Great vids and helps me improve my game! Watched almost all of them 😉 Andrew from Kyiv, Ukraine 🇺🇦. Now living in London, UK 🇬🇧

[@MMTWRX]

You could put Chesterfield up on your map. Joe and Fred Davis both lived here when they were kids and had a snooker salon in the middle of town. Also, Mike Watterson who brought the snooker world championships to the Crucible in Sheffield lived here too and played snooker in the Chesterfield League. 👍👍

[@mohammadyadiy6231]

Hi from Ipoh, malaysia!

[@shamelkhan9474]

Great video. It helps a lot, Shamel from Dublin Ireland here

[@topwelda147]

Cracking channel and vids! Would love my own snooker table in my house, maybe one day lol keep the good stuff coming 😎🎱 Jordan, Holyhead, Anglesey, North Wales

[@unclequack5445]

That break by Joe Davis was the best text book break I've seen it is the same as a straight pool break.

[@tjb3454555150]

Love watching your snooker videos here in Columbus, Ohio. Home of The Ohio State University.

[@mistakay9019]

Love the Vid's mate! Coming at you from Sunny South Shields ;)

[@laurencecorray]

Hello from Singapore. Great insights into Joe Davies' game.

[@APOTwixx]

Great video! Love the history. 🙂 From Beloit, Kansas, USA!

[@kissbence188]

Great video just like the others :D I'm watching you from Hungary. :)

[@thesportingblog23]

Great video! We've featured it in an article about the great man! Thanks!

[@ayden1245]

Love your videos, Ayden from Falkirk, Scotland

[@Breakfromlife]

I’m actually up in Scotland this week, haven’t got my cue with me though

[@robertbyrne7336]

I’m a young lad from Madrid Spain, honestly don’t know what to write, but it’d be cool to be in one of your vids. Keep up the good work!

[@renardmigrant]

Largely on topic, well done.

[@scruffy7080]

Some useful tips as always, thanks again, Adelaide, Australia

[@frankzhang188]

Fantastic videos and detailed explanation in each of them, definitly love this channal, Frank from Shanghai, China.

[@mikecintron4963]

Love these vids. Hello from NYC.

[@mangooleh]

love your content! all the best from Iran.

[@neiledwards4923]

Joe Davis was left eyed, which meant he had to stand over to the left in order to get that eye over the cue. That also meant he played with a ramrod straight left arm. Try standing that way and you'll see that its unavoidable. In addition, he played with his cue arm INSIDE the vertical, not vertically. If you watch footage carefully you'll see his elbow drop as the cue goes through. Indeed, all these points are addressed by Frank Callan in his teachings and his book, Frank Callans Snooker Clinic. Steve Davis and his father Bill also recognised the flaws in Joes technique when Steve was learning the game back in the early 70s. It is for these reasons that the modern game stems from Steve Davis rather than Joe. Steve was the first player to analyse and correct the "bible" which was Joe's book "How I Play Snooker". Until then, Joes word was law. There have been no further improvements to the accepted technique since Steve Davis set the standard in the late 70s/early 80s. It is the best way to cue for an even sighted player. Joe was left eyed, and simply couldn't play that way. All of this has been common knowledge for over thirty years. Incidentally, Joe did not make the first maximum break of 147. He made the first officially recognised one in 1955. The first maximum was in 1927.

[@Muninman]

I was going to add some of this information, so well done for beating me to it. Yes, influential book in which Joe acknowledged his adjustments due to eye weaknesses. And Steve Davis used that as a template from which he improved the general technique. But I think we have to give Joe a lot of credit for his analytical mind.

[@graememcgregor8407]

@@Muninman We'd have no modern game if it weren't for Joe Davis. I just want to tweak your wording in regard to the flaws in Joe's technique. With respect I think that idiosynchrosy might be a better word. If they were flaws then Joe wouldn't have been the player he was. Thanks for the info about the first max, I didn't know that. Do you know who made that break? When I Google it, I get conflicting information.

[@TheSnookerShed]

Morning mate cheers for another Vid

[@jenostheascended7818]

Hey, watching from Verona Italy here 👋

[@kevinlamcello]

Hello from Hong Kong!! Love your videos!!

[@andrewlivesey2777]

Walter Lindrum the greatest billiard player that ever lived,absolute genius.

[@colinc.8742]

On Sat. afternoon tv in about 1963 he put the cue ball up on the top of the cushion, bottom right, sent the ball all round the table on top of the cushion finally falling into the hole where it started. I wish I knew how he did it.

[@valravn5539]

Greetings from Wrocław!

[@luiseduardo3474]

Hello from Minas Gerais, Brazil

[@isaacfarrugia5760]

hello love ur channel love from isaac from qawra malta!

[@joec3950]

New snooker fan, and new sub from Madison, Wisconsin in the US! I have a problem with deflection, and am wondering what I can do to minimize this frustrating part of my game.

[@Breakfromlife]

It depends if you mean you are striking the ball with sidespin intentionally or unintentionally. Either way finding the centre of the CueBall isn’t always straightforward

[@douglasjohnmason55]

Good video content as usual (especially for those who don't know who Joe Davis was) with a dash of fun. :) Dont really get why 17 people don't like the video!

[@BladeRunner-td8be]

love your videos but a rail shot near those stacked boxes has to be a nightmare. I would move those boxes somewhere else.

[@joemudd2778]

Love ur vids and I’m from Monmouth Wales(UK)

[@bentranter1726]

Great vid, all the way from Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia

[@scambodia147]

Small world,just got back to the uk from Otres,have u got much rain there yet?

[@tehbryan0]

Hello from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

[@Kashby281]

Hi from Sydney, Australia!

[@holympo]

incredible! Diogo from Portugal!

[@tommysewell4944]

Tom watching from Basildon, Essex United Kingdon

[@durnin101]

Superb video mate 👍

[@jb894]

do one on Ronnie

[@sumanchhetri7280]

Love from Sikkim,India.

[@phillip391984]

I'm from Norway, Oslo

[@joeschofield9622]

From Halifax West Yorkshire

[@geetanshbhambhani5530]

Love from India

[@prabhjeetsingh9297]

I want you to make video why sometime cue fumble while playing screw shots

[@ddbear18]

Dylan Boston, Middlesbrough!

[@willsmethurst745]

Shout out from Oldham, Manchester?

[@lakmeister]

Joe D.....Mr Snooker himself!!! Swore like a trooper lol

[@joe2grand]

next video please do it on Louis XIV and Marie Antionette who also played a pivotal role in popularizing billiards

[@azngoku666]

seconding this

[@Breakfromlife]

Possibly, it’s actually slightly less abstract than video 5 for this series

[@sjs260563]

ok, i'll watch this again then

[@davebron4888]

Thanks for the great footage and tips ,useless bit of info but it looked like Bruce Forsythe in a few of the old clips.

[@paulriggall8370]

It was nice to see him, to see him nice.

[@davebron4888]

Nothing for a pair.

[@Thebrownguy98]

If you put me on the map could you say "yeehaw". I'm from Dallas Texas. Also thanks for your videos, they are super entertaining and very helpful even though I played American billiards.

[@musiclover-jy8ot]

hello how to pot balls on regulsr basis as i miss alot of simple balls plz reply im from pakistan ..

[@Breakfromlife]

This might help kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWHRZnyYgMh6ftE

[@1.21giggawatts8]

I love these videos - please send your cue to me and I'll put a proper tip on it - its been bugging me for a while.

[@Breakfromlife]

It’s all good just need to sand it down a bit more at some point

[@dizzlewizzle6570]

5:49 affect

[@rmilrta]

Where can we find the colour Joe Davis footage?

[@kieronsultana3287]

Im from malta!! :)

[@petrasant5495]

Were the “pockets” narrower on the tables that Joe Davies played on?

[@Breakfromlife]

They would have been if they were the old Billiards tables that are meant for playing cannons. But in general not sure

[@vmax4steve524]

@@Breakfromlife Yes they were, Joe's brother Fred mentions this in his book, he states the pockets changed around 1970 to make potting easier. Modern pockets jaws are cut straight to the back of the pocket from the fall of the slate whereas on old billiards tables the jaws were cut round so that they were narrower after the fall, making pots along the cushion very difficult as the object ball could only strike where the pocket narrowed. If you can make a fifty break on an old billiard table you're doing rather well.

[@johnhampshire4075]

Joe Davis was my dad's favorite snooker player

[@JOHN-tk6vl]

Favourite.

[@the_alchemy_method]

is this table in your garage?

[@Breakfromlife]

Yes

[@joshuajackson8926]

Josh from mansfield england 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@bilalzougragh8411]

One frome your old subscriber ❤❤ I see Morocco is empty on the map I m Bilal from Morocco 👍❤

[@leanm235]

When I watched Joe Davis or Ronnie O'Sullivan play.. a Left Dominant Eye player but right handed. In my case, I am a Right Dominant Eye player but left handed. When I place my cue under my right eye close to the chin with bended knees (low stance), I experience stress in my neck and back. This is my issue. :(

[@darktherapy]

He made potting the grey ball look so easy

[@Breakfromlife]

Some of the quotes from the commentary of these matches we’re brilliant like “ for those of you watching in black and white the pink is next to the green”

[@GoharGraphics]

Make a video on Neil Robertson's exhibition shots.(My_favorite) Greatings from mian channu, punjab, Pakistan

[@CA-ee1et]

2:35 Quinten Hann.

[@paulriggall8370]

Reardon would be a good one

[@Breakfromlife]

Yeah and Alex Higgins although people have probably done enough on his life

[@paulriggall8370]

No way! There's definitely an appetite for the Hurricane! He's probably as influencial as anyone else and there's certainly enough incredible footage.

[@kartush13]

Hello from St. Petersburg, Russia ^_^

[@HadToChangeMyName_YoutubeSucks]

This was very interesting, liked the one on Hendry too. I had no idea about the original billiards game but it looks like it's probably where 3 cushion comes from. Have you ever given that game a try?

[@tedhalund3560]

Nice video bro. I am from Pakistan Multan.

[@GoharGraphics]

Me from main channu dude

[@medureczek]

Still haven/t seen Kraków on your map :(

[@trek520rider2]

Not relevant to anything but I knew a man who was an executive at Slazenger many years ago and he met all the big name sports personalities. He said they were all conceited jerks with one exception - Joe Davis who, he said was a really nice bloke

[@gerardhoran7824]

You can also get a better picture for type in a position where the item can go off with your booking and you have been with it now and the girls will have the same with the corona

[@martinriley106]

What about Joe’s brother Fred Davies? He was a good player too!

[@kamrank7490]

15 times world champion undefeated and never gets mentioned also his record should be on the list and Steven Henry should be second on list they should be chasing joe Davis record not like they ever will lol

[@breconbooks8902]

Thanks for your comment Kamran .Joe was a great player, yet sadly he is forgotten most of the time.And he was my grand-father by the way

[@j2shoes288]

37-36 wow! that would have taken a week to finish?

[@dvidclapperton]

Joe Davis 15 worlds vs each of 2 8's 2 7's and 2 6's. How people can say that Joe Davis is not even in the picture in terms of the greatest is ridiculous.

[@dondamon4669]

What’s with the beanie??

[@jefo4213]

at 3.23 joe does not deliver the cue in a straight line

[@GTC9543]

Thailand 💕

[@helloitismetomato]

Wow, an extra orange ball worth 8 points, and a purple ball worth 10 points. Making the maximum break 15+(15*10)+45=210! Yeah, that would've made maximums far less likely. Not in the first place because they're harder, but because...who in their right mind would constantly go up and down for the purple in ranked play, especially with a whole extra 8pt ball to use? Nobody would've even attempted it unless they were like, way way ahead in a match.

[@lauweiqi342]

Lol hahah nice old school style

[@oussamazbair1479]

Are you not using a glove anymore ??

[@jefo4213]

the only reason he dominated was because there was an agreement between him and lindrum that lindrum not play snooker or he would kill off the game before davis could get people to like it..in an exhibition back in 1953 lindrum tipped out a set of snooker balls on the table and they went everywhere he proceeded to pot red colour all the while saying this is how you play snooker missing the last red they put the balls back in the box tipped them out again he then said and this is how a billiard player would play snooker and cleared the table..walter lindrum would have killed davis at snooker as well

[@breconbooks8902]

Rubbish.

[@unclequack5445]

Say what you will, But I copied Steve Davis' stance, it was awkward at first but now it's the only way to play it did make my game go up a level, from C- to C Aha ha ha ...

[@legendwillarise858]

Great vids. Now find me 🙂.. Dimapur, India

[@blackbirdsr71]

Great old reel parody

[@mikekoz68]

As great as Joe Davis apparently was, you have to take any first champion in a new sport , in any sport that is, with a grain of salt. A recent example would be Ronda Rousey.....He was the best of the few ppl who did it

[@jimmorris5700]

Absolute rubbish you mistaking snooker on the tv with number of players . Years ago before pot black there were halls in every town , 100of 1000s played Don’t rubbish the player in joe s time because he was supreme , an no tv or film to show it today . Tables balls cues cushions pockets are totally dif . As much as football is .