Michael Holt offers coaching opinion on what makes Ronnie O'Sullivan the snooker GOAT – 'He's like a robot'

ByEurosport

Updated 09/08/2023 at 09:29 GMT

Michael Holt has offered his thoughts on why Ronnie O'Sullivan remains at the snooker summit a remarkable 31 years after turning professional. Speaking to O'Sullivan's fellow seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, the Nottingham-born player – who is coaching the game during an enforced break from the main circuit – feels the Rocket is like a "snooker geek" who knows "everything about his game".

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Michael Holt feels snooker GOAT Ronnie O'Sullivan can perform like a robot when he is at the peak of his potting powers due to an astonishing self-awareness of his own game.

The former Shoot Out champion aims to regain his spot on the main tour via the 2023/24 Q Tour after dropping off last year, but has been spending time away from the circuit coaching aspiring amateur players.

He describes O'Sullivan as an example of superior technical excellence simply because he knows how to deliver the cue in a straight line under pressure, while disregarding irrelevant information.

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"It's all about repeatability and aiming in the right direction. That's it. It doesn't matter what it looks like," said Holt, speaking to O'Sullivan's fellow seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry on the Scottish icon's YouTube channel.

"A lot of stuff is just a waste of time about knowing where your feet and elbows are. You've got to hit the white in a certain spot to pot it.

"So you've got to know where the spots are, but people haven't got a clue.

"When you watch Ronnie O'Sullivan. He walks around the table like he doesn't care. We all know what he does.

"But if you know what to look for, he's like a robot. He knows what he's doing.

"People are obsessed with him and his cue action. But that's not why he's a great player, he knows how to play if you watch how he's aiming and how he does it.

"That's what you need to look at."

O'Sullivan starts the new season as world No. 1, an astonishing 31 years after he turned professional in 1992.

He is set to play his first match since losing 13-10 to Luca Brecel in the World Championship quarter-finals in April against 1995 Crucible semi-finalist Andy Hicks at the European Masters in the German city of Nuremberg (August 22-27 live on Eurosport).

O'Sullivan told the talented Jack Lisowski to "become more robotic" during the 2022 World Championship, a tournament he won with an 18-13 final victory over Judd Trump in claiming his record-equalling seventh Crucible triumph.

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"You don't have to be the perfect cueist to be a really good player," said Holt, who has enjoyed four wins over O'Sullivan in their nine career meetings.

"You've got to have that base knowledge. You look at Ronnie, he's like a massive snooker geek. He knows everything. If you know what to look for, he's like a robot.

"What he's amazing at, is just disregarding the stuff he's not interested in and trusting what he believes in. Then he goes out and just plays.

"Which is a talent in itself, but that ultimately is why he has played for so long, because he knows everything about his game."

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