By Elliott West
Introduction
Snooker has produced many snooker greats over the years but in order for these players to reach these heady heights of victory, there always has to be a support network behind the scenes. The most important role in order to achieve this has to be that of a coach. Many coaching names have been attributed to the raising of trophies by key faces in the sport with the likes of Barry Stark, Terry Griffiths, Wayne Griffiths and Chris Henry being just a few. However if you wanted to name one of the key coaches in the history of snooker then Frank Callan would have to be up there amongst the most influential. Callan worked with the likes of Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, John Parrott, James Cahill, Anthony Hamilton and Doug Mountjoy.
Mountjoy entered a decline, sliding to 24 in the rankings but subsequently beat Stephen Hendry to take the 1988 Tennants UK Open Championship and then went on to win the 1989 Mercantile Credit Classic title. Both were attributed to the Callan factor.
Background
Frank Callan came from Lancashire and became an avid amateur player like so many, in his teenage years. After fighting in the army during the Second World War, Frank returned to his cue passion and won the North West of England Championship in his late 20s. During this period he developed an interest in the mechanics of various sport, primarily in golf but after he suffered a back injury, Frank concentrated his attention on snooker. This fascination developed over a period of time and by the 1970s Callan was a familiar face in the clubs and beside the tournament practice tables.
Frank was so influential as a coach because he able to play pinpoint a fault in a player’s game just by watching them in action. He then ironed out that fault by working with the individual and developing a strategy of how to not to go back there. Stephen Hendry has often mentioned his association with this Lancastrian. Hendry won the 1999 World Championship but the Scot couldn’t put his finger on what caused a slump in his form in the previous year. Frank approached Hendry and found that Stephen was applying to much side when he struck the cue ball and as they say the rest is history.
“Technique should be flexible in order to suit an individual player, rather than moulding the body unnaturally to a preconceived technique”.
Frank Callan
The Callan Legacy
Frank Callan stamped his mark on coaching when he published his book, “Frank Callan’s Snooker Clinic” in 1989. Up to this point, there had only been one snooker reference guide, the snooker bible, Joe Davis’s book, ” How I Play Snooker “. Frank largely updated this doctrine and homed in on the importance of technique in a player’s game.
Phil Seaton said of Frank:
“I probably spent hundreds of hours with him. His understanding of the game was beyond anyone else’s. He had a unique way of identifying what a player was doing wrong within ten minutes and correcting it with very simple language. Every player who was sent to see him would find, within a few minutes, that they were hitting the ball better.”
Former coach and player, Phil Seaton
Frank passed away in 2016, aged 93 but his memory lives on with many players adopting the coach’s “drill” into their practice sessions.
