Hendry sticks with new 'stick'

[craigslater]

Stephen Hendry will start the new season armed with the same cue he introduced at the world championship.

The former seven-times world champion shocked many experts by turning up at Sheffield in April with a new cue.

But Hendry, who this week will take part in the 110sport.com Euro-Asia Challenge series in Hong Kong, says it was the right decision then - and that he is right to continue with the new 'stick.'

The Scot, who will team up with John Higgins, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ken Doherty for the glamour series against Asia's best, said: "I never thought changing my cue would be such a big story.

"I made the decision because I knew how I felt playing with the other cue. I was uncomfortable and lacked a bit of belief at times as well. I don't feel like that now.

"I started practicing again for the new season nearly a month ago - probably the earliest I've ever started - and I'm completely happy with the cue.

"But I know how I will be judged and the real test will be what kind of results I can achieve with it."

And the 38-year-old Scot revealed that he has had plenty of advice - and offers of assistance - since changing his cue.

He continued: "People are entitled to their opinions. But there were a lot of people who wanted to help.

"I even received an old Powerglide cue through the post. Actually, it was brand new, unused after 25 years and similar to the one I won my world titles with, right down to the original case.

"Unfortunately, it was a bit thicker and made of ash rather than maple. But it was nice to see that people were genuinely interested in me and what I did on the table."

[Wity]

Gives a new meaning to the phrase.. "I bet he's had some stick."

[cueman]

"I made the decision because I knew how I felt playing with the other cue. I was uncomfortable and lacked a bit of belief at times as well. I don't feel like that now

I find this statement rather strange. He is arguably the greatest player to play the game and yet he picked out the JP cue he's referring to and played with it for 3 seasons and won a couple of tournaments with it, now he is saying that he was uncomfortable with it.

Sounds like an excuse because he hasn't had the consistency in his game that he used to. I think that is purely down to age and the fact that everyone else has caught up with him. He was just as poor for a few years before his original cue got smashed up, and he said something very similar after winning the British Open with the cue Parris made for him.

[Erwan_BZH]

It's amazing...Stephen says he's happy with the cue, that it was the good choice, he feels good with it....and there are still people to put him down, calling the change of cue an excuse
If he was unhappy with his old cue and felt a change was needed, then it was. Period. Why always try to find a 'valuable' reason to everything?

[cueman]

I don't think people are looking for valuable reasons as you put it, I just remember Stephen saying something almost identical when he had his Parris cue.

I have nothing against Stephen or the cue he uses but I just wish sometimes that players would admit that age has caught up with them and they aren't as good as they used to be. Rather than BS us about not feeling comfortable with their cues or giving us excuses. We aren't all mugs, a few of us know a lot about the game but these comments are a bit lame to say the least.

[Wity]

I dont think age has much to do with it, even though the stars of today get younger and younger. Theres nothing to say a fit 60 year old cant play as well as a 20 year old, but staying at the top year in year out takes it's toll.

[david16]

He wasn't exactly dong badly with his previous cue last season when he made the final, semis and quarters back to back in 3 successive events.

OK it wasn't the success of old, but still very good form for somebody not far short of 40 in modern times. I think it's time Hendry admitted time's up re: him expecting to be invincible again, whatever cue he uses. 39's and 40+'s year of age don't win world professional snooker titles these days, and that's fact.

The last time somebody in their mid 30's won a world title was Joe Johnson in 1986 when he was 34 years old, and Dennis Taylor when he was 35 the year before that. You have to look back even further than that the last time somebody in their 40's made the world championship final, Ray Reardon in 1982, and further back still when somebody in their 40's won the world title, Reardon way back in 1978.

The fact is that in top level professional snooker in modern times your peak is in your 20's to early 30's. It's silly to suggest that Hendry in his 40's it would be embarassing to lose at the Crucible to somebody in their prime aged 25, the same age Hendry was in his prime.

Regardless of the cue he uses, if Hendry was still a prime contender at the Crucible, and he had a previously iffy h2h v somebody such as Carter though he was still unbeaten v Carter in best of 17 or above preceding the Crucible, he would have set the record straight against Carter in their round 2 best of 25 match with an emphatic victory, not lose to him the way he did.

The reason he changed his cue so close to the Crucible is that he wasn't confident with his form so close to the Crucible, he gambled with a new cue in hoping to get through the 1st 2 rounds and he would suddenly become inspired in his bid to try and win his 8th world title. It didn't work. He's sticking with his new cue, but I can't see him now at his age suddenly reproduce the spectacular mid 90's form again. There'll be much more perspiration than inspiration from Hendry now.

[Wity]

"The fact is that in top level professional snooker in modern times your peak is in your 20's to early 30's."

Only because most of these young guys today started at say 10 with natural ability and have been groomed for the job.

There's nothing to say taking a guy of 30 with natural ability and grooming him in the same way wont peak when he's 45 or is there?

[Erwan_BZH]

I don't think people are looking for valuable reasons as you put it, I just remember Stephen saying something almost identical when he had his Parris cue.

I have nothing against Stephen or the cue he uses but I just wish sometimes that players would admit that age has caught up with them and they aren't as good as they used to be. Rather than BS us about not feeling comfortable with their cues or giving us excuses. We aren't all mugs, a few of us know a lot about the game but these comments are a bit lame to say the least.

So far, Stephen didn't say the contrary. He even admitted he hadn't played well because of some sort of 'laziness' and lack of practice prior to last season. Hendry is Hendry. He doesn't need any excuse for anything...If he plays like a dog sh*t, he's always the first to admit it..

[tss125]

hope he play better in this session..