Ronnie O'Sullivan accused of 'stubbornness' for technique no other snooker star uses on tour

Ronnie O'Sullivan accused of 'stubbornness' for technique no other snooker star uses on tour

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Stuart Ballard

By Stuart Ballard


Published: 07/02/2024

- 14:49

Stephen Hendry has noticed something Ronnie O'Sullivan does that no other player currently on tour does any more.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has been labelled "stubborn" for not using the new chalk like his rivals on the World Snooker Tour.

Professional snooker has seen a big change in recent years with Taom chalk becoming prevalent on tour.


It's become the norm now for most players to use the revolutionary chalk, which is credited as causing less kicks as the formerly used Triangle brand.

But O'Sullivan has stayed loyal to Triangle chalk, despite complaints from his rivals.

Ronnie O'Sullivan uses a chalk no other player uses on tour

Ronnie O'Sullivan uses a chalk no other player uses on tour

GETTY

John Higgins told O'Sullivan to switch chalk brands after their meeting at the 2021 English Open.

However, Hendry has noted that O'Sullivan remains the only player on the World Snooker Tour that hasn't switched to the Taom brand.

The seven-time world champion is clearly an advocate for the new chalk, stating how it's much cleaner on the table cloth and causes less miscues.

And Hendry can't understand why O'Sullivan is yet to make the switch over like his peers.

"The players now I mean as I say the tables are just beautiful now and and they used to change a bit from tournament to tournament," Hendry said on his YouTube channel.

"But now pretty much consistently the tables are always...

"But as soon as anything goes wrong, the players are like 'oh my god'.

"The biggest I'd say is Ronnie will still use the old chalk, which gets kicks and bounces on the cushion.

"I don't know why he wouldn't use a new one. Whether it's stubbornness I don't know.

Triangle chalk was regularly used up until a few years ago

Triangle chalk was regularly used up until a few years ago

GETTY

"All the other players use the new chalk... You never get any marks on the table.

"If you watch old snooker matches from the 80s, there would be chalk marks everywhere and get kicks all the time."

O'Sullivan enjoyed a stellar start to 2024 with back-to-back victories at the Masters before winning the World Grand Prix.

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But he pulled out of the German Masters, explaining that he needed a rest before the Players Championship.

The 48-year-old said: “I love the event and fans in Germany but I have to make my health and wellbeing the priority.

“It’s been a tiring and challenging season for me so far, despite how it may seem with the tournament wins. So hope you understand.

“I’m sorry I won’t be there and I hope to see you all soon.”

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