‘It did take time to adapt’ – Snooker star reveals how 6.5 STONE body transformation changed the way he played
SNOOKER star Mark Allen has revealed he feels like he is playing with a “different body” after losing six and a half stone.
The Northern Irishman, 38, has seen a significant improvement in his game after shedding a considerable amount of weight.
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He has made it to six ranking finals since 2022 – winning five – a run that has seen him climb to No2 in the world rankings.
Now he is looking to reach a first Crucible final at the world championships as he prepares to get his campaign underway against Robbie Williams on Tuesday.
And in the lead-up to the biggest event of the year he has spoken about how the considerable weight loss has impacted his game in a positive manner.
Speaking to The Mirror, Allen said: “I just feel healthier in myself and more positive in the way I look.
“I’m not there worrying ‘Is my shirt coming out, can people see things they shouldn’t be seeing?’
“I just try to concentrate on playing snooker. It took me a bit of an adjustment period.
“It was a dramatic weight loss, it was about six and a half stone I lost at one point, it was a different body when you’re playing.
“I did feel like I was in a different position playing shots and it did take a bit of time to adapt.
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“I’m out the other end of it now and I feel like I’m in a good place with it all.
“I’m happy with where my body is, I just need to tighten up that cue action.”
The Pistol reached a second Crucible semi-final last year – his first since 2009 – before he was beaten by Mark Selby.
A world championship triumph would see Allen complete his set of Triple Crown titles following his 2018 Masters victory and 2022 UK Championship win.
Looking ahead to the Sheffield tournament, he added: “You can prepare all you want, and you can think you’re doing the right things, and then turn up and don’t play well on the day in Sheffield.
“But I feel like I’m fresher this year than last year, even though I played better and got better results last year, I haven’t been getting to the later stages as often.
“I should be going into Sheffield a bit more refreshed than I was last year.”