This new series of Short posts will look at specific, individual shots that remain in memory as time goes by. Shots that stun a crowd and makes jaws drop; either from their technical difficulty, creativity, or both. No shot will be excluded, so pots as well as safeties, snookers and escapes will be mentioned as the ‘Memorable Hits’ grow in size. For this instance, I want to share one of my favourite all-time shots in recent years as Judd Trump was forced into a difficult position by opponent Neil Robertson, during the Masters 2019 semi-final.
Trump was 4-3 up against Robertson with a 40 point lead in a match where Robertson had been rebounding against every 2 frame lead that Trump was generating. As shown in the video above, Robertson played a safety shot that didn’t promise any obvious return-to-baulk solution.
The left side of the cluster couldn’t be played off as any contact would’ve resulted in hitting the side cushion first, or even going in-off. There wasn’t any space to swing around the reds on the right side of the table, and there were no plants available. There was a possibility of a dump shot but that could only result in trouble for Trump in his next visit. However, I reckon this is the shot most would have played because I don’t know many that could have visualised what Trump did next.
He played off the red up the middle of the table, manoeuvred around the reds on the right of the table and manufactured an angle that allowed the cue ball to travel in the gap between these reds and the main cluster in the middle of the table. Because Trump was playing off the side cushion before the bottom cushion, the relevant running side involved striking the cue ball on the right, to allow the cue ball to have the pace to make it up the table. If he overdid the side, the cue ball would have careered into the cluster; if he underdid it, at the pace he struck it, the cue ball wouldn’t have made it far.
Making it up the table to the top cushion wouldn’t have changed how incredible that shot was, so getting the bonus snooker behind the brown was the icing on the cake. And Trump reaped the rewards of that escape/snooker as he secured the frame and went on to win the Masters.
The reason this shot was so ingenious and imaginative is because we are mostly used to seeing safety shots played off the bottom then side cushion. When situations like this arise, players often find a way to play a dump shot or nestle into a red. Trump showed real visual acuity here which is something he has significantly improved upon this past couple of years, and still only really took a minute or so to work out.
When compared with Gary Wilson’s phenomenal safety shot in the world championship (against Trump, ironically) which is also considered as the shot of the year, it’s a tricky one. While Wilson’s shot was technically more difficult because it had to be struck to absolute perfection, Trump’s shots required more inventiveness because there was very little alternative.
What do you think? What are some of the most memorable snooker shots that stay in your mind? Let me know in the comments or using the socials below!
Like this Short? Click here to read: Are There Any Weaknesses in Judd Trump's Game?
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