John Higgins has followed the lead of Ronnie O'Sullivan by speaking to a sports psychologist after admitting he is no longer good enough to win without one.
Higgins is attempting to finish his illustrious career on a high by doing all he can to ensure his mentality is the best it can be.
O'Sullivan has often paid tribute to the impact Dr Steve Peters has had on the longevity of his snooker career.
The Rocket was close to giving up in 2011 before he met Peters and has been working with him ever since.
John Higgins has followed Ronnie O'Sullivan's lead by seeing a sports psychologist
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O'Sullivan still looks as good as ever at the age of 48 and has won the last three tournaments he has entered.
He part of snooker's famous 'Class of '92' alongside Scottish star Higgins and Welshman Mark Williams.
All three players are still competing at the highest level but Higgins is without a tournament win in almost three years.
He beat O'Sullivan in the final of the Players Championship in 2021 but has been on a barren run since.
Higgins is still 12th in the world rankings, so hasn't suffered a dramatic drop in form.
But the 48-year-old has not been happy with his performances, claiming a negative mentality has often got in the way in the big moments.
Like O'Sullivan, Higgins is now seeking professional help in order to give him an extra edge.
He told the Metro: "I’m trying to introduce a different mindset into my game. I’ve been too open. I think in this game you can’t afford to be.
"Everybody else is giving it 100 per cent and I feel as if I’ve maybe not been giving it my all. I’m speaking to someone because there has been negative thoughts.
"There’s no beating about the bush, obviously in the last wee while I’ve lost some big matches and they would always surface, every time, so I’m trying to speak to someone about that, having more positive thoughts and who knows?
"It’s early days just yet, but I feel as if I need to work on that because every other part of my game is good. It just seems to be mindset when it’s getting a little bit difficult.
"I’m not good enough now to think that I can’t look at that side of things. Everybody else seems to be doing it, so why not me?
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Ronnie O'Sullivan has seen a sports psychologist since 2011
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"Early days, but I’m enjoying it. It’s just good to bounce off a different person because it can be a lonely sport when you’ve not really got anyone with you, speaking about certain things. I sought him out, read about it, gave it a go."
Higgins pooh-poohed the idea of speaking to a psychologist earlier in his career but insists he is already feeling better.
He added: "People have said I should in the past and I thought no, but nothing ventured nothing gained. You can get really negative, it would be good to get some positive thoughts.
"People watching you, close to you, they can see it. You think you’re fine, but people see the chaos on you. So the first step is realising it. But I feel a lot better now."
John Higgins admits he is no longer good enough to win without extra help
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Higgins turned to a professional after accepting he could no longer be successful on his own.
He said "It seemed to be you’ve always been in control of your own destiny. So it’s as if you’re admitting you’re not as good as you were. But I’m not [as good as I was].
"In the past I’ve said I’m still feeling great but obviously I’m not winning anything, so you can’t keep on thinking you can do it your own way.
"I’m not winning anymore. So I need to get back to what those feelings are like."
