By Elliott West
“Get on with it! There’s a lot worse things than worrying about my poxy break-off.”
Mark Williams
Introduction
Much has been said and made of Mark Williams’ unconventional break-off shot with emails flying around the professional tour asking for feedback on whether it should be banned?. What is in essence, perfectly legal, has led some to question the use of this shot, that first was used by the Welshman at the Masters last January, when he became frustrated at leaving frame-winning opportunities for his opponent, Shaun Murphy.
A Storm in a Tea Cup?
The three-times World Champion adopted a shot choice which nudges the cue-ball into the back of the reds off the bottom cushion. This was quickly picked up by the media and other players with some such as Judd Trump clearly irritated by the shot selection, although not asking for it to be banned. Judd described it as “just so negative”.
However, since the revelation of an email circulating around the players, snooker’s governing body had to make a statement and admit that such an email was sent. Although upon further investigation, it was found that although a few players made their views known, this deviation from conventional snooker didn’t warrant any further investigation or action.
Perhaps the media spotlight that surrounds the World Championship, was just looking for a story that would run. In this case though, this headline has only worked in Mark’s favour, highlighting that the game can still can still operate even when an unconventional technique is applied. As long as the sport’s rule book is adhered to, Williams does not need to justify to anyone why he plays this way. Williams believes he can win a match this way and it cuts out the number of errors made when the conventional break-off is used.
Trivia sells newspapers and in the light of the paper-thin prosecution, this story fizzled out before it could catch light. It’s doubtful that other players will follow Mark’s way of thinking but that just makes it more unique. In a game where the psychological aspect plays a major influencer and can win or lose someone the match, Mark Williams’ only crime, is that he didn’t turn to this method sooner. A trivial debate in a world that has more pressing issues to tackle.
