Exclusive: Snooker Star Mark Allen Battling Himself, Storms, and a Gruelling Schedule

Mark Allen has revealed he is battling himself more than anything on the baize at the moment.

The Northern Irish potter started the campaign ranked number one in the world, but has slipped down to fifth on the official rankings due to a slow start to the season.

Allen has reached three semi-finals so far this term, but is struggling with a technical kink he is desperate to overcome as he searches for enjoyment with his game as much as success.

The 38-year-old is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to rediscover his mojo and linked up with Mark Williams’ renowned coach Lee Walker midway through his run to the final four at last month’s UK Championship.

The Pistol overcame a potential banana skin as he beat talented Chinese potter He Guoqiang 4-1 in the first round of the Scottish Open and he sat down exclusively with SportsBoom in Edinburgh.

He told SportsBoom.com: “I’m really struggling with myself if I’m honest. I’m trying so hard but it’s just not coming easy.”

“I thought what I was trying wasn’t working so I just swapped it mid match. I tried to speed up a little bit and went for my shots. I finished that first match off well, but some of that was lucky that I gave up the other thing that I’m working on.”

“I just don’t know what to trust. I’m seeing things which are unnatural and your cue action I’m not trusting because I feel like I’m on the wrong line.”

“I’m fed up of playing like that if I’m honest.”

Caught Out By The Schedule 

Despite joining forces with Walker during the UK Championship, Allen has found it difficult to lock himself away on the practice table to iron out his flaws.

He went straight from the pressure of trying to land a major title in York to the jovial atmosphere of last week’s Shoot Out. It is a fun event Allen enjoys, but he may have pulled out for the sake of banging his game into shape in other years. That was a luxury he potential felt he did not have as defending champion this time around. 

Allen added: “What me and Lee are working on will do me good in the long run. But because I haven’t had long spells to work on it on the practice table, I was working on it mid tournament at the UKs, the Shoot Out comes and you don’t prepare properly there, it’s still really new.”

“It’s a process, I know that. I’m just a bit lost. It’s only a short time we’ve been doing it.”

“That’s the one downside with these tournaments coming thick and fast, you don’t get the time to work on things. It’s great when you’re playing well and riding the crest of a wave, but not so much the other way.”

“It’s my own fault for not doing better at the start of the season and being able to pick and choose a bit more.”

Allen has happy memories of the Scottish Open, where he bounced straight back from losing to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the UK final to lift the Stephen Hendry trophy in 2018.

But getting to Scotland may have proved harder than any potential journey back to form as he battled through the effects of Storm Darragh.

“My journey wasn’t fun!” Revealed Allen. “It was part my fault, part not in the end.”

“I booked a flight for the wrong day and ended up trying to book another flight which was interrupted by the storm.”

“After having two flights booked I ended up one an eight-hour train, which was meant to be six because of the delays. It was a long old day, but I got here.”