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BBC piece on Snooker psychology

Postby Andre147

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCzQDJzPSq4

A must watch BBC piece by all snooker fans out there about the psychology around everything in snooker, couldn't agree more with everything being said there, very true indeed. <ok> :hatoff:

And also that's why as much as ITV or Eurosport have, in general, better commentators than the BBC, those 2 channels don't make pieces like this, and that's why I'm glad BBC is still involded in the game and I hope for many years to come.

Re: BBC piece on Snooker psychology

Postby Wildey

That was Great stuff and why i love the game the journey from being tortured by the mind and finding a way of coming out of that and win is what snooker is about for me.

I was brought up in the 80s watching Cliff Thorburn, Terry Griffiths and Eddie Charlton so watching a player like Selby, Ebdon etc doing a job on Ronnie fascinates me Seeing how he copes with it and its exciting stuff in the heat of the Crucible.

Re: BBC piece on Snooker psychology

Postby Holden Chinaski

Wildey wrote:That was Great stuff and why i love the game the journey from being tortured by the mind and finding a way of coming out of that and win is what snooker is about for me.

I was brought up in the 80s watching Cliff Thorburn, Terry Griffiths and Eddie Charlton so watching a player like Selby, Ebdon etc doing a job on Ronnie fascinates me Seeing how he copes with it and its exciting stuff in the heat of the Crucible.


I don't feel like Selby "did a job" on Ronnie in the world final. I don't think Ronnie broke down mentally. Ronnie was just not finding his A game and his safety game wasnt there. Ronnie never really played his very best in this years world championship. Selby's safety game was sublime and Selby found his A game and that's why he won. Don't think psychology had a lot to do with it, ok Ronnie doesn't like slow frames and doesn't like endless safety battles and Selby knows this and used it, but I think Ronnie could have handled it if his safety was there. Problem was Ronnie's safety game was nowhere near what it usually is. It happens. Selby had trouble finding his A game in the Masters final and look what happened there...

Anyway, give me players like Alex Higgins, John Spencer, Jimmy White, Hendry and Ronnie over players like Thorburn, Griffiths, Ebdon and Selby anyday. :zzz:

Re: BBC piece on Snooker psychology

Postby Wildey

Holden when a player does a job on another finding your form is difficult but im not talking about this particular match at the World but i love the Phsycolagy of seeing players going through it out there and still clicking in to form to win. prime example of that was the 2007 World Championship Final when you could see John Higgins saying to himself Right enough of that bullocks and he won the closing 4 frames in fine style making a century and just steamrolled Selby at the death. after going through the mill backwards as selby won 9 frames out of 11.

i love to see how players cope with it big breaks and fast play is great to watch but my preference is when a slow player tries to get in to the mind of another and tactically grind them down i find that the most exiting part of snooker by a mile.

Re: BBC piece on Snooker psychology

Postby Holden Chinaski

Wildey wrote:Holden when a player does a job on another finding your form is difficult but im not talking about this particular match at the World but i love the Phsycolagy of seeing players going through it out there and still clicking in to form to win. prime example of that was the 2007 World Championship Final when you could see John Higgins saying to himself Right enough of that bullocks and he won the closing 4 frames in fine style making a century and just steamrolled Selby at the death. after going through the mill backwards as selby won 9 frames out of 11.

i love to see how players cope with it big breaks and fast play is great to watch but my preference is when a slow player tries to get in to the mind of another and tactically grind them down i find that the most exiting part of snooker by a mile.

I must say I've been amazed at the mental strength of John Higgins over the years. Another good example is the 2006 Masters final, probably one of the very best matches ever and the way Higgins made that winning clearance was amazing. I would say John Higgins is probably the toughest competitor ever in the mental department.

Another good example of mental strength in my opinion is the legendary 69 clearance by Alex Higgins. Alex just refused to lose sometimes.

Re: BBC piece on Snooker psychology

Postby mantorok

Andre147 wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCzQDJzPSq4

A must watch BBC piece by all snooker fans out there about the psychology around everything in snooker, couldn't agree more with everything being said there, very true indeed. <ok> :hatoff:

And also that's why as much as ITV or Eurosport have, in general, better commentators than the BBC, those 2 channels don't make pieces like this, and that's why I'm glad BBC is still involded in the game and I hope for many years to come.


Great piece which I must've missed during the final.

It also just happens that this year we had two of the most mentally strong players in the final, and it was purely down to who was on their game more that decided it, there were no breakdowns mentally, neither player ever looked down or beaten at any stage, sure the play might ahve suffered but they never really expressed it, they controlled it well.

Another reason I give Selby extra credit, Ronnie didn't break down mentally, Selby stepped up.

Re: BBC piece on Snooker psychology

Postby LukeB

I agree on everything he exposed, the mental component in this game is the key to win at the big 3, specially in the Crucible, and in being consistent in a very consuming sport.

Re: BBC piece on Snooker psychology

Postby Skullman

Good piece. Nice to see it again. I remember thinking at the time it was fitting after Selby won six in a row in the final.

Shame it has to be on that idiot Rocket Expresses's channel, who apparently thinks safety is cheating :roll: :zzz:

Re: BBC piece on Snooker psychology

Postby LukeB

And Selby doesn't even play relatively slow, Robertson played slower than him in the tournament.