Overrated / Underrated

Let's play a game!

The rules: I'll post a player's name (past or present) below. I want you to name a part of that player's game that's either underrated or overrated, which will also be specified below.

The first person to give an answer will then choose their own player to ask what part of their game is overrated/underrated, and so on.

Repeated names are allowed, but the same answer to the same question is not. So for example, you can ask what part of John Higgins' game is overrated even that's already been asked. But whoever answers it can't give the same answer as was given first time round.

So, I'll start with this: what part of Steve Davis's game is underrated?

None.

What part of Hendry's game is overrated ?

Fine, buck the lot of you.

Bunch of anhedonic pin ends.

(Except Johnny, you're fine )

I'll stick to derailing threads with politics.

Johnny Bravo wrote:None.

What part of Hendry's game is overrated ?

Mental strength.

What part of Mark Selby's game is overrated?

Cloud Strife wrote:

Johnny Bravo wrote: What part of Hendry's game is overrated ?

Mental strength.

I agree. Higgins and Selbo are superior to Hendry in this department.

Cloud Strife wrote: What part of Mark Selby's game is overrated?

His long potting has always been average. Unless it's a 2 way shot where he has the natural angle to get the white back to baulk, he usually tends to miss (especially if he has to check the white).
And although it has improved, his cueball control is still not on the same level as that of ROS, Ding, Higgins.

Now, what part of Mark Allen's game is underrated ?

I think Allen's tactical brain is underrated. Not his safety itself but knowing when to play safe. Hos safety itself is unexceptional.

What part of Neil Robertson's game is overrated?

Iranu wrote:I think Allen's tactical brain is underrated. Not his safety itself but knowing when to play safe. Hos safety itself is unexceptional.

What part of Neil Robertson's game is overrated?

I’d say his cue ball control actually. For someone who has made over 600 centuries, his positional play isn’t as good as some of the other top professionals. Fortunately for him his single ball potting is very good, which helps him to play recovery shots.

What part of Judd’s game is underrated?

Ash147 wrote:I’d say his cue ball control actually. For someone who has made over 600 centuries, his positional play isn’t as good as some of the other top professionals. Fortunately for him his single ball potting is very good, which helps him to play recovery shots.

What part of Judd’s game is underrated?

Since 2015 definitely safety. Since 2015 I think Judd's been able to pull out remarkable safety shots with the creativity and spin he can get on the cue ball. Match management and tactics are a different thing, and he's definitely improved on them this season.


What part of Ronnie's game is underrated.

eraserhead wrote:

Ash147 wrote:I’d say his cue ball control actually. For someone who has made over 600 centuries, his positional play isn’t as good as some of the other top professionals. Fortunately for him his single ball potting is very good, which helps him to play recovery shots.

What part of Judd’s game is underrated?

Since 2015 definitely safety. Since 2015 I think Judd's been able to pull out remarkable safety shots with the creativity and spin he can get on the cue ball. Match management and tactics are a different thing, and he's definitely improved on them this season.


What part of Ronnie's game is underrated.

His safety play. Most people think he's an amazing scorer, but few realize he can play world class safety when he puts his mind to it. That's why he has managed to stay at the top of the game for so long, unlike Hendry, who faded at the tender age of 30 cause he lacked a great safety play.

What part of Kyren Wilson's game is overrated ?

His positional play. Not that he's a bad potter at all, he's actually a great potter, but during a break, the number of times that he has to play recovery pots is too great for a top player. Still can improve though.

Which part of Ding Junhui's game is underrated?

Raphael98 wrote:His positional play. Not that he's a bad potter at all, he's actually a great potter, but during a break, the number of times that he has to play recovery pots is too great for a top player. Still can improve though.

Which part of Ding Junhui's game is underrated?

I don't think Kyren's positional play is overrated - nobody rates it!

I'd say Ding's bottle is underrated. You don't win what he has without having great bottle, and few players would have stood up the way he did against Selby in 2017 world semi for example. Considering his profile in his home nation it's a wonder he hasn't had a nervous breakdown.

Ok the Masters loss against Ronnie knocked him for a while and he still has a bit of a mental block against Ronnie but other than that I think he has more bottle than he's given credit for.

What part of Neil Robertson's game is overrated?

Iranu wrote:

Raphael98 wrote:His positional play. Not that he's a bad potter at all, he's actually a great potter, but during a break, the number of times that he has to play recovery pots is too great for a top player. Still can improve though.

Which part of Ding Junhui's game is underrated?

I don't think Kyren's positional play is overrated - nobody rates it!

I'd say Ding's bottle is underrated. You don't win what he has without having great bottle, and few players would have stood up the way he did against Selby in 2017 world semi for example. Considering his profile in his home nation it's a wonder he hasn't had a nervous breakdown.

Ok the Masters loss against Ronnie knocked him for a while and he still has a bit of a mental block against Ronnie but other than that I think he has more bottle than he's given credit for.

What part of Neil Robertson's game is overrated?

His postioanl play.


What part of Judd Trump's games is overrated?

Cloud Strife wrote:

Johnny Bravo wrote:None.

What part of Hendry's game is overrated ?

Mental strength.

What part of Mark Selby's game is overrated?

Hendry had more Mental strength than any other player and i include Higgins and Selby that answer alone shows just how little you know about Snooker.

Wildey wrote:

Cloud Strife wrote:

Johnny Bravo wrote:None.

What part of Hendry's game is overrated ?

Mental strength.

What part of Mark Selby's game is overrated?

Hendry had more Mental strength than any other player and i include Higgins and Selby that answer alone shows just how little you know about Snooker.

Selbo and Higgins are both superior to Hendry in that regard.

Wildey wrote:

Cloud Strife wrote:

Johnny Bravo wrote:None.

What part of Hendry's game is overrated ?

Mental strength.

What part of Mark Selby's game is overrated?

Hendry had more Mental strength than any other player and i include Higgins and Selby that answer alone shows just how little you know about Snooker.

Hendry's mental strength from 97-2012 was unparalleled. We all saw what a titan he became once he could no longer fall back on his ability and poor opposition.

Cloud Strife wrote:

Wildey wrote:

Cloud Strife wrote:

Johnny Bravo wrote:None.

What part of Hendry's game is overrated ?

Mental strength.

What part of Mark Selby's game is overrated?

Hendry had more Mental strength than any other player and i include Higgins and Selby that answer alone shows just how little you know about Snooker.

Hendry's mental strength from 97-2012 was unparalleled. We all saw what a titan he became once he could no longer fall back on his ability and poor opposition.

What are you on about the reason Hendry no longer performed he had no real aim in his career to this Day Ronnie, Higgins and Williams still have the main record to strive for.tthe World Title. Hendry did that by the time he was 30 buck all to do with oposition Hendry's strenth was always the harder the. oponement the better he played nd he proved that when he became champion again in 1999.i have no doubT AT ALL had he turned pro with the other 3 he would have won more Titles because he had more drive and ambition than Ronnie, Higgins and Williams

i will not let ignarance of people on here change facts

To say Hendry lacked mental strength is a bit stupid to be honest

Badsnookerplayer wrote:To say Hendry lacked mental strength is a bit stupid to be honest

Nobody here has said Hendry lacked mental strength.

In fairness, Hendry has described the last half-decade (give or take, I forget exactly) of his career as "like playing with the yips" because he found it so difficult to play in professional setting.

He's even said in at least one interview that he still feels that way when he plays exhibitions etc and needs to have a drink or two beforehand to get rid of the anxiety or whatever it may be.

How much of that was purely down to a psychological issue and how much was a reaction to the increased quality of opposition inflicting defeats on him with a regularity he wasn't used to, well we'll never know. I suspect a combination of the two

While he certainly wasn't mentally weak, I also don't think you can describe him as the mentally strongest player ever, or put his relatively meagre haul in the last decade of his career entirely down to lack of motivation, although that may well have been part of it too.

Cloud Strife wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:To say Hendry lacked mental strength is a bit stupid to be honest

Nobody here has said Hendry lacked mental strength.

They're just twisting our words Cloudy. Hendry was mentally strong, but nowhere near Higgins and Selbo.

And I've just re-watched the 92 World Final. Both Hendry and Hendry missed so many balls. If u didn't know who they were, you'd mistake them for numpties. That final is the ultimate proof of how weak the era was and why Hendry has won so much. The class of 92, Selbo, Robbo, Trump, Ding, even Hawkins and Allen - they all would have mopped the floor with that version of Hendry.

Johnny Bravo wrote:

Cloud Strife wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:To say Hendry lacked mental strength is a bit stupid to be honest

Nobody here has said Hendry lacked mental strength.

They're just twisting our words Cloudy. Hendry was mentally strong, but nowhere near Higgins and Selbo.

And I've just re-watched the 92 World Final. Both Hendry and Hendry missed so many balls. If u didn't know who they were, you'd mistake them for numpties. That final is the ultimate proof of how weak the era was and why Hendry has won so much. The class of 92, Selbo, Robbo, Trump, Ding, even Hawkins and Allen - they all would have mopped the floor with that version of Hendry.

Hendry was so mentally weak he could not beat himself

Badsnookerplayer wrote:

Johnny Bravo wrote:

Cloud Strife wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:To say Hendry lacked mental strength is a bit stupid to be honest

Nobody here has said Hendry lacked mental strength.

They're just twisting our words Cloudy. Hendry was mentally strong, but nowhere near Higgins and Selbo.

And I've just re-watched the 92 World Final. Both Hendry and Hendry missed so many balls. If u didn't know who they were, you'd mistake them for numpties. That final is the ultimate proof of how weak the era was and why Hendry has won so much. The class of 92, Selbo, Robbo, Trump, Ding, even Hawkins and Allen - they all would have mopped the floor with that version of Hendry.

Hendry was so mentally weak he could not beat himself

I meant "Hendry and White"

Correction aside, you are still talking bullocks Johnny as far as I am concerned.

Allen would not wipe the floor with Hendry.

Said it before that comparisons across time are fruitless.

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Correction aside, you are still talking bullocks Johnny as far as I am concerned.

Allen would not wipe the floor with Hendry.

Said it before that comparisons across time are fruitless.

In the past couple of weeks I just re-watched a lot of matches from the early 90's. They missed way more sitters than they do now. Go watch that 92 final and see with your own eyes.

Johnny Bravo wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Correction aside, you are still talking bullocks Johnny as far as I am concerned.

Allen would not wipe the floor with Hendry.

Said it before that comparisons across time are fruitless.

In the past couple of weeks I just re-watched a lot of matches from the early 90's. They missed way more sitters than they do now. Go watch that 92 final and see with your own eyes.

Were they worse than Ronnie's missed yellow against Fu? Were they worse than Robbo and Bingham in the final on Sunday?

OK - that was flippant - but probably relevant.

If you watch a match hoping to see lots of mistakes then you will. Iranu has a name for it but I can't remember what it was. Something like pre-meditated consternation I think.

And the pockets were probably tighter.

Pre-meditated consternation love it

Comparing eras is bit pointless I agree.

But Hendry did have opponents eho bottled matches against him, namely White and Hallet. However, even ROS has to had opponents who were beat before they struck a ball.

When you're an all time great it puts that kind of fear and pressure into your opponents.

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Correction aside, you are still talking bullocks Johnny as far as I am concerned.

Allen would not wipe the floor with Hendry.

Said it before that comparisons across time are fruitless.

He got it the wrong way round, peak Hendry would wipe the floor with Allen.

sas6789 wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Correction aside, you are still talking bullocks Johnny as far as I am concerned.

Allen would not wipe the floor with Hendry.

Said it before that comparisons across time are fruitless.

He got it the wrong way round, peak Hendry would wipe the floor with Allen.

He would win most times, but wipe the floor I doubt it.

Trump: quite naughty still