Mark Allen feels “lost” with his game after the death of coach Joe Shortt
The Pistol, 36, was the standout player of last season as he fired himself to a career-high ranking of world No 3 after landing three big titles.
Allen added the UK Championship to his Triple Crown collection, alongside his 2018 Masters trophy, as well as defending his treasured Northern Ireland Open title and pocketing the World Grand Prix
But the Antrim ace feels off the pace after a nine-week summer break and has returned with a technical kink he frustratingly can’t quite figure out.
“I always come back super rusty,” admitted Allen, who was dumped out in the last 32 of the English Open by Matt Selt
“I took nine weeks off after the World Championship and I’m someone that needs to practice all the time.
“That nine weeks, as much as I needed it, it hasn’t helped me at the start of the season.
“I feel like I came back with some real bad habits, some real basic stuff.
“I feel like I’m a little bit on my own and a little bit lost with that at the moment
“I took nine weeks off after the World Championship and I’m someone that needs to practice all the time.
“That nine weeks, as much as I needed it, it hasn’t helped me at the start of the season.
“I feel like I came back with some real bad habits, some real basic stuff.
“I feel like I’m a little bit on my own and a little bit lost with that at the moment
“I don’t have Terry Griffiths in my corner anymore, he’s not about the circuit, and the only other person I would turn to in technical terms was Joe Shortt and he died there in the summer, which was absolutely gutting for me.”
There are many renowned coaches on the scene.
Chris Henry led Mark Selby to his fourth World Championship in 2021, whilst last week’s British Open Mark Williams credits SightRight and Lee Walker with resurrecting his career.
But Allen bonded with Shortt and 1979 Crucible winner Griffiths since he was a kid and doesn’t feel he could replicate that special relationship with somebody else.
“With the greatest respect with the coaches that are about, I don’t know if I’d trust them the same as I’ve trusted Terry and Joe over the years, I’ve known them since I was 12 years of age,” added Allen.
“I don’t know if I’d have that same trust in other coaches.
“It’s just about me trying to find ways of remembering what Terry and Joe have taught me over the years
I’ve got loads of email notes from Terry, I’m reading them to see if anything hits home as I’ve done it before.
“I’m just a bit lost with it at the minute, I know there’s something wrong but I can’t put my finger on what yet
