WHEN the opportunity arises to learn from a World Champion, you grab it.
This week’s edition of Tryout Thursday really was one for the books, as I headed down to the Jersey Mechanic’s Institute to learn snooker from one of the world’s very best, Aaron Canavan.
Now, snooker is a sport that has a very special place in my heart.
Growing up with a dad who was absolutely mad for snooker, I have many a memory of sitting in front of the TV, completely engrossed watching the best from across the globe battle it out for the World Snooker Championship in the hallowed arena of the Crucible.
Whenever I tuned in, I was just completely amazed at the powerful long pots and the unbelievably precise positional play of these players – it was as if they had the cue ball on a string.
From the flair of Ronnie O’Sullivan to the precision of Judd Trump, snooker really has something for everyone and, when the best come to play, it is nothing short of box-office – so, I just could not wait to try it for myself.
Walking through the doors of the JMI armed with nothing but a little experience in pool, there was no telling what to expect.
Then, when faced with the large, unforgiving snooker table, that only brought a whole other level of angst.
However, I was in the best hands.
In 2018, Canavan earned his crowning moment at the Crucible when he beat Patrick Wallace 4-3 to win the World Seniors Championship.
Such a feat is impressive enough, but Canavan etched his name in the history books after becoming the first exclusively amateur player to win the World Seniors Championship.
That, paired with wins over the likes of legends such as 1985 World Champion Dennis Taylor, his long-lasting World number-one ranking – where he still sits 47 points ahead – and joining an exclusive club of the few players to score a 147 at the Crucible, albeit in the practice room which he is “taking”, means there really is no denying that he is up there with the sport’s elites.
“I just remember watching characters like Jimmy white and Alex Higgins – they were the main draw,” said Canavan.
“When Alex Higgins won the World Championship and he was crying, beckoning over his wife and daughter, I just knew it was my dream to play there and, fortunately, I’ve now had that opportunity nine times in a row.
“When I go out there, it’s more wanting to prove to myself how good I could have been.
Due to personal reasons, I wasn’t able to fully realise my potential and I believe I could have been at the very highest level, so now I need to prove it to myself on the table.
“I just love the complexity of snooker – you could play for 1000 years and you’ll never get two frames the same.
“There’s no such thing as completion in snooker, but when you have a good session, there’s nothing like that feeling of accomplishment that you get – it’s like if David Beckham hit a 35-yard worldie of a free kick.”
Now, I am not going to dress this up – snooker is a hard, unforgiving sport which hinges on the very finest of margins, which I found out for myself.
As Canavan wanted to give me a complete experience, we went through a series of drills, working on everything from your posture, to eye dominance and then working on the art of potting balls.
We have all played a bit of pool, knocked a few balls in and thought we were amazing. But, snooker really is something else and I had a bit of a rude awakening.
When Canavan told me to just go and pit the blue initially, I thought “hmm…simple enough” but I was terribly wrong.
I may have potted it, but he instantly pointed out a series of aspects which had never even occurred to me.
That is when it hit me – snooker is a whole science in itself.
For the next 90 minutes or so, my mind was just blown at the precision and fine margins of the sport. If you were even 0.3mm off the mark, you found the ball missing the pocket by miles.
Canavan’s knowledge of the game was so complete that he was able to clearly articulate every aspect that went behind each movement, which was such a huge benefit to a newbie like myself.
It may have been a process through each drill, going over and over again, but Canavan really could not have said it any better himself.
That sense of accomplishment that you get when you make the pot, the sweet sound of the perfect contact – I have never felt so satisfied in a long time.
It was an unbelievable rush – you may not think such emotions pair with a calm, composed sport like snooker, but it goes hand in hand.
The overarching theme of snooker is that you get what you put in, there is no shortcut.
If you want to get good, then you just have to put in the hours of practice and repetition, going over and over until it practically becomes second nature and, when you think about it, what a great lesson for life.
But, if you just want to have a bit of a knock with some friends, then there will still always be a place for you, especially when you’re talking about Jersey’s welcoming and friendly community.
“For such a small Island, we really do have loads of great facilities, with tables here at the JMI, as well as First Tower, St Aubin’s and around the corner on James Street, all of which are so welcoming and friendly,” Canavan continued.
“We have a great community, especially here at the Mechanic’s. You have all the in-house and social leagues going on, as well as just the usual people coming in for a bit of a knock – the beauty of this sport is that it’s accessible to everyone and it’s a great way to relax, unwind and escape reality for a few hours.”
That sense of accessibility could not ring any truer when you look at their leagues.
With most being handicap leagues, that really levels the playing field and allows anyone to have a good game.
For such a hard sport, it could not be any easier to get started.
All you have to do is get in touch with the Jersey Billiards and Snooker Association through their website and they’ll help point you in the right direction.
When asked why people should try snooker, Canavan replied: “Why shouldn’t you? It’s such a great sport where you get to learn something new and improve in an area which is really difficult to earn that unmatched sense of accomplishment – there really aren’t that many sports like it.
“Snooker is a sport that is open to all ages and abilities, you’re all covered. It’s not overly expensive to get into, it’s a great pastime and, with the JMI memberships opening up from mid-December through till the end of January, this is a great time to get started, just get in touch and we’ll figure everything out.”
For more information on how to get started, visit the Jersey Billiards and Snooker Association website: www.jbsa.org.uk
