Gary Wilson admits he has had to overcome the 'yips' and struggles with his technique, despite winning three ranking titles within the past 14 months.
Speaking on Snooker Club Podcast to Stephen Hendry, who has wrestled with a similar issue in the past, Wilson said: "A couple of years ago I had the yips. I was getting through the ball too quickly, rather than being able to pause. So I was struggling with power shots and deep screw shots. It still affects me now and again, but nowhere near as much as it did before.
"I don't mind talking about it because I have done it for so long, I don't care any more, I'm happy for people to hear that I've had these problems. It's horrible, you play the wrong shot because there are certain shots you want to avoid. You get commentators saying you have gone about a break in a weird way, but it's not because I don't know that, it's because I am avoiding a shot I know I can't play. If I play that shot I'll chuck myself at it, because I can't control myself.
"You try not to be too negative and to think about it logically. It's partly down to a lack of confidence on a given day. If you're not fully committed to what you are doing, it becomes a problem which is very hard to break."
Since December 2022, Wallsend's 38-year-old Wilson has won the BetVictor Scottish Open twice as well as the BetVictor Welsh Open, climbing to 13th in the world.
He added: "To win three within 14 months is amazing. I always knew deep down I was capable but had never really got anywhere, for so many years. I have always tinkered with my cue action a lot, changing it from match to match. But for the last few months I have stuck to what I am doing and not changed much, and that seems to have worked."
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