The World Champion and undisputed No. 1 at the moment, Judd Trump has displayed a formidable streak in form and trophies through the 2019/20 season. What may have been considered by some as a lucky run has quickly been struck off as we are witness to one of the, if not, the most dominant performances in a single season by any player.
Since the Northern Ireland Open in 2018, Trump has won 9 ranking titles as well as the Masters, as he completed the Triple Crown and won more ranking events in a single season than any other player. He closed out the decade in emphatic fashion as we turn a new year and perhaps a new era. But what parts of Trump’s game can this spell be attributed to? And has he now become the complete player without any weakness?
It’s actually a combination of a few things. Firstly, his long potting has dramatically improved from what it once was. Formerly, his long pots could be thought of as erratic attempts with slim chances of success; but this has now developed into a form more consistent and accurate. Even when he’s against the rail, it doesn’t seem to add further difficulty to the long pot. And when opponents are trying to play safe against Trump, there doesn’t seem to be a safe place on the table.
This leads to my second point which is his ability to convert long pots into one-visit contributions. There isn’t a single player right now that does one-visit as truly as Trump does. As soon as he pots that first red and is in a reasonable position, it’s a safe bet to assume that the next frame will follow shortly after. Something which takes every other player two or three visits to clinch, Trump can do regularly with his exemplary potting; as evident by his century tally.
Furthermore, Trump’s safety game has seen a significant step-up. Under the circumstances where there isn’t a pottable ball on the table, Trump is able to put his opponents in tremendous trouble under the cushion, utilising his creativity as well as experience. This goes hand-in-hand with another point I wanted to acknowledge in that Trump’s snooker IQ has made some leaps. I’m not saying that it wasn’t apparent previously, but this is particularly noticed in his improved shot selection, patience, ability to visualise/place the cue ball where he needs to and aptitude for picking out plants in a pack. Definitely worth mentioning.
Lastly, temperament is something that’s always come into question when looking at Trump’s ability. It’s safe to say that even the best of the best fell under the spotlight on some occasions, so there will always be instances where Trump would succumb to this, even with his position at the top. However, it is unreasonable to say that Trump lacks temperament or bottle anymore as he has been able to hold his nerve against the best players on multiple occasions. The prime example would be to observe his semi-final performance against Maguire in the Players Championship as Trump made one of the best pressure counter-clearance for the past few seasons.
So by the sounds of it, Trump’s game pretty much perfect, right? Almost. Unfortunately, nothing is quite perfect. While Trump’s one-visit game is substantial, his break-building and cue ball control isn’t quite where it should be. More often than not, he is finding himself having to pot out of situations in order to keep a break going. If he had more of an O’Sullivan or Ding touch then his life on the table would be significantly easier.
Also, Trump needs to keep a level head. He’s been a terrific champion and ambassador for the sport thus far, so there’s no complaints there. But he needs to not let the confidence get to his head. Trump will understand that he still has work to do, namely when it comes to winning more majors and keeping the streak going. This can only happen if he continues as he is and not get complacent.
As it stands, Trump has the fear factor that can be associated with O’Sullivan in that his opponents are aware any mistake they make on the table may be their last. Trump has made a multitude of tweaks to his game which have synergised into a nightmare for others on the snooker table. There isn’t anyone close at the moment, but will someone be able to step up, or will Trump’s game have to fall incredulously before he receives competition?
Like this Short? Click here to read: All The Things I've Said About Judd Trump Throughout The Season
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