MIND OVER CHATTER
Sports psychologist has champion Allen doing his talking on the table
MARK ALLEN admits there is “no way” he would have won the Players Championship if he had found himself in a similar position three or four years ago.
The Antrim cue man had to dig deep before seeing off Zhang Anda 10-8 in Sunday’s final.
It was the 38-year-old’s 11th-career victory, and his sixth in the space of just 18 months.
Allen attributes much of his success to his health regime, after shedding over six stone in weight and linking up with sports psychologist Paul Gaffney.
The World No.3 said: “There is no way I would have won that match a few years ago. But mentally I am in a good place.
“I have been working hard with my psychologist Paul. I think that’s what probably got me through more than anything.
“I wasn’t playing well but mentally I was really good. I was ready for every shot.
“And no matter what the score was, it didn’t change my mental state in the game, which was good.
“The best I felt the whole day was when it was 9-8. I felt calm and managed to find a bit of form from somewhere to get over the line.
“But that is definitely a match I would have lost a few years ago.”
Affectionately known as the ‘Pistol’, Allen shot to fame with an exciting brand of snooker and outspoken personality that often left him in hot water with snooker’s rulers.
He has learned to adjust to the modern demands of the game, learning to curb his emotions on and off the table.
And Allen believes mind over talent can often be the difference between success and failure on the world stage.
He said: “The mental side of the game is bigger than I probably gave it credit for in the past. I always felt I was pretty good mentally, and that I was strong.
“But working with Paul has opened my eyes to things I wasn’t doing correctly. If you look at the top 30 or 40 in the world, they can all pretty much do the same things on the table.
“What separates them is what is between your ears. I have improved on that dramatically.
“I don’t think there is anyone in the game mentally stronger than me. It would just be nice to find some form to back that up.”
Allen has been working on some breathing techniques with Gaffney, and focusing on the controlables instead of allowing past errors dictate his mood, and game.
“People just don’t breathe correctly, and that’s where the shakes come from, and nervous tension,” he said
“And then there is the preparation, from the mental side of things. You can’t control what has already happened, you can only control your next shot and how you feel about that.
“I made a lot of mistakes in that final on Sunday, but when it came to my next shot I was ready for it. That is something I have improved on.”