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Which player(s) is/are mentally the strongest?

John Spencer
0
No votes
Ray Reardon
0
No votes
Terry Griffiths
0
No votes
Cliff Thorburn
0
No votes
Steve Davis
2
4%
Alex Higgins
1
2%
Dennis Taylor
0
No votes
Joe Johnson
0
No votes
Stephen Hendry
12
23%
John Parrott
0
No votes
Ken Doherty
1
2%
John Higgins
14
27%
Mark Williams
0
No votes
Ronnie O'Sullivan
3
6%
Peter Ebdon
2
4%
Shaun Murphy
0
No votes
Graeme Dott
0
No votes
Neil Robertson
0
No votes
Mark Selby
16
31%
Stuart Bingham
1
2%
Judd Trump
0
No votes
other
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 52

Mentally toughest players

Postby TheRocket

Who in your opinion is/was the strongest player mentally during his prime? And thus have a big advantage when the pressure is at its highest.

Choices are all the World Champions of the Crucible era (since 1977). I've also added the other option if someone believes a non-World Champion deserves to be mentioned.

You can vote for three options. Lets see who will end up in the Top3.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Badsnookerplayer

Good poll Rocket.

I went John Higgins, Hendry & Selby. I was going to put Davis but I don't think he was as confident once Hendry emerged which indicates he was not as steely as the others.

Hendry was fearless in his prime.
Higgins always has been and still is granite.
Selby is as mentally tough as anyone.

The only one on the list I don't really know is Spencer

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby TheRocket

I agree with the three you mentioned BSP. The likes of Davis,Ronnie and Williams are obviously mentally tough players as well (you wouldn't win that much if you weren't) but still slighly below/weaker than Hendry,Higgins and Selby.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Ash147

I've gone for Higgins, Selby and Davis. I wanted to say Hendry too, but there were only three options.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby TheRocket

Ash147 wrote:I've gone for Higgins, Selby and Davis. I wanted to say Hendry too, but there were only three options.


Interesting though you've chosen Davis over Hendry. I didnt vote for Davis as he bottled a 8:0 lead in a World final and a 7:0 lead in the UK final. Those were some huge bottle jobs.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Pink Ball

There is an argument to be made for O'Sullivan.

He has been described in the past as having manic depressive tendencies. To succeed in a sport that's considered tougher mentally than most if not all other sports requires phenomenal mental strength.

You could argue that O'Sullivan's talent is so incredible that he has succeeded in spite of this. You could also argue that, perhaps, he has managed his issues extraordinarily well, all things considered. Perhaps a bit of both.

Whatever the case, I find it hard to discount him entirely.
Last edited by Pink Ball on 07 Sep 2019, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Ash147

TheRocket wrote:
Ash147 wrote:I've gone for Higgins, Selby and Davis. I wanted to say Hendry too, but there were only three options.


Interesting though you've chosen Davis over Hendry. I didnt vote for Davis as he bottled a 8:0 lead in a World final and a 7:0 lead in the UK final. Those were some huge bottle jobs.


The reason I chose Davis over Hendry was because I think it was Davis' mental strength that helped prolong his career. After Steve dominated the 80's, he still was able to carry on playing to a good level long after his peak. There's no way Hendry would have had the mental fortitude at the age of 52 to have been able to make it to the quarters of the WC, defeating the defending Champion along the way.

In short, Davis' mental toughness kept him going, when his game was far from his best.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Badsnookerplayer

Pinkball said
"There is an argument to be made for O'Sullivan.

He has been described in the past as having manic depressive tendencies. To succeed in a sport that's considered tougher mentally than most if not all other sports requires phenomenal mental strength.

You could argue that O'Sullivan's talent is so incredible that he has succeeded in spite of this. You could also argue that, perhaps, he has managed his issues extraordinarily well, all things considered. Perhaps a bit of both.

Whatever the case, I find it hard to discount him entirely"


I did not know this - was it recent?
Last edited by Badsnookerplayer on 07 Sep 2019, edited 2 times in total.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby TheRocket

Who voted for Bingham? Even though he did show some mental toughness in his decider win over Judd and in the final against Murphy.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Ash147

Badsnookerplayer wrote:
Pink Ball wrote:There is an argument to be made for O'Sullivan.

He has an extremely debilitating disorder (he is bipolar). To succeed in a sport that's considered tougher mentally than most if not all other sports requires phenomenal mental strength.

You could argue that O'Sullivan's talent is so incredible that he has succeeded in spite of having bipolar disorder. You could also argue that, perhaps, he has managed his disorder extraordinarily well, all things considered. Perhaps a bit of both.

Whatever the case, I find it hard to discount him entirely.

I genuinely did not know that ROS had been diagnosed as bi-polar. Was this recent?


I am aware that he has suffered with clinical depression, but I don't think there has been anything confirmed about him being bipolar.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Pink Ball

Ash147 wrote:
Badsnookerplayer wrote:
Pink Ball wrote:There is an argument to be made for O'Sullivan.

He has been described in the past as having manic depressive tendencies. To succeed in a sport that's considered tougher mentally than most if not all other sports requires phenomenal mental strength.

You could argue that O'Sullivan's talent is so incredible that he has succeeded in spite of this. You could also argue that, perhaps, he has managed his issues extraordinarily well, all things considered. Perhaps a bit of both.

Whatever the case, I find it hard to discount him entirely.

I genuinely did not know that ROS had been diagnosed as bi-polar. Was this recent?


I am aware that he has suffered with clinical depression, but I don't think there has been anything confirmed about him being bipolar.

That’s a fair point actually. I don’t know if it has been confirmed. I looked it up online and it has been said in the past that he has manic depressive tendencies. Which is very different.

Still impressive, but I’ll change my OP, so could you guys edit my quote as well?

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Pink Ball

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Wasn't meaning to be pedantic. I had just never heard it before.

And I did not vote for Bingham. He is pretty tough but a level below the likes of Higgins.

It’s not being pedantic. There’s a good chance my original post was inaccurate

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby SnookerFan

Badsnookerplayer wrote:Wasn't meaning to be pedantic. I had just never heard it before.

And I did not vote for Bingham. He is pretty tough but a level below the likes of Higgins.


I have heard it, and thought it was confirmed?

Don't the commentators mention it all the time?

Or am I imagining that?

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby TheRocket

Badsnookerplayer wrote:I can't think of a particularly mentally strong player who has not won the WC


Maybe Paul Hunter (R.I.P). Three huge and successful comebacks in Masters finals. He bottled a big lead against Doherty in the 2003 WC once. But he had a fantastic temperament.

Maybe Mark Allen to a certain degree as well. I think he's a tough player mentally. I think he once said bottle has never been his problem. And I'd agree with him. Its rather inconsistency in his game.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby TheRocket

Pink Ball wrote:Higgins and Selby are probably the two standouts.


Can't disagree. For me Higgins and Selby have always been the two standouts. Hendry probably the third best.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby D4P

Can anyone remember a meaningful match that Selby lost after holding a big lead...? The closest I can think of is his 9-8 loss to Ronnie in the 2007 UK Semis after leading 4-1 and 6-3...

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Ash147

D4P wrote:Can anyone remember a meaningful match that Selby lost after holding a big lead...? The closest I can think of is his 9-8 loss to Ronnie in the 2007 UK Semis after leading 4-1 and 6-3...


The 2013 UK final comes to mind. Selby lead 5-1 and 6-3. He ended up losing 10-7.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby TheRocket

D4P wrote:Can anyone remember a meaningful match that Selby lost after holding a big lead...? The closest I can think of is his 9-8 loss to Ronnie in the 2007 UK Semis after leading 4-1 and 6-3...


The biggest lead he had in a big match and still lost was probably the UK final in 2013. He led 5:1 against Robertson and lost 10:7.

This year he also lost to Robertson at the Tour Championship after leading 6:2.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Cloud Strife

Pink Ball wrote:Ray Reardon was tough as nails too


Yes, he was, but he did have a number weaknesses though, it has to be said.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Badsnookerplayer

Pink Ball wrote:Ray Reardon was tough as nails too

I agree I think.

Most of us have not had the luxury of watching these older players in their prime. Reardon though I have seen on clips and he was a beast. He had tough experiences when he was young so snooker held no fear for him

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Cloud Strife

Badsnookerplayer wrote:
Pink Ball wrote:Ray Reardon was tough as nails too

I agree I think.

Most of us have not had the luxury of watching these older players in their prime. Reardon though I have seen on clips and he was a beast. He had tough experiences when he was young so snooker held no fear for him


What tough experiences did Reardon have when he was young? Genuinely curious.

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Badsnookerplayer

Cloud Strife wrote:
Badsnookerplayer wrote:
Pink Ball wrote:Ray Reardon was tough as nails too

I agree I think.

Most of us have not had the luxury of watching these older players in their prime. Reardon though I have seen on clips and he was a beast. He had tough experiences when he was young so snooker held no fear for him


What tough experiences did Reardon have when he was young? Genuinely curious.

He was buried in a mine and thought he was a goner

Re: Mentally toughest players

Postby Cloud Strife

Badsnookerplayer wrote:
Cloud Strife wrote:
Badsnookerplayer wrote:I agree I think.

Most of us have not had the luxury of watching these older players in their prime. Reardon though I have seen on clips and he was a beast. He had tough experiences when he was young so snooker held no fear for him


What tough experiences did Reardon have when he was young? Genuinely curious.

He was buried in a mine and thought he was a goner


Damn, did not know that. Glad he survived and everything turned out well for him.


   

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