Judd Trump is back with his old, super-successful cue, but is still flirting with some other pieces of wood and not ruling out making a switch again.
The world number one experimented with a new cue in the first half of the season, changing his equipment for the first time in seven years.
Those seven years had seen Trump become world champion and become the most successful player in the game during that period, so it was a huge change to make.
The switch didn’t go as hoped, with the Ace failing to win a tournament with his new cue and admitting that he was struggling with it at times.
The Champion of Champions was a turning point as he reached the final but underperformed against Mark Selby, feeling he had no chance of hitting his best form with the cue he was using.
Trump has reverted back to old faithful and has since been to a UK Championship final and Masters semi-final, but while he waits for his first title in over a year, there remains a chance he could ditch this cue later this year.
‘I’ve been practising with other cues and nothing is absolutely perfect,’ he said at this week’s German Masters in Berlin.
‘The way I’m playing with my old cue at the moment, I’m putting myself in good positions every event, it would be different if I was going out first round.
‘But I think now, with what’s gone on, I think probably the best time is the end of the season. If I don’t win anything, then I’ll change the cue. But if I win one or two big ones, then maybe I’ll have another year [with it].’
Trump got his German Masters campaign off to the perfect start, beating Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka Wei on Tuesday to set up a meeting with Ryan Day.
His trophy drought dates back to December 2024 when he won the UK Championship, but he is feeling relaxed about the state of his game.
The only issue that is bothering him is his remarkable run of losing deciding frame contests, which has lasted all season and has seen him beaten in seven on the spin.
‘I feel good,’ he said. ‘Just the odd miss here and there. It’s been kind of the story of the whole season, not winning any deciding frames and if you don’t do that, then you’re not going to win.
‘Any time I’ve had a good season I’ve always been nicking the close ones and this year it’s been a little bit different. But yeah, I’m not too disappointed, I’ve just got to keep putting myself in that position.
Judd Trump's deciding frame defeats
The Masters: 6-5 John Higgins
Riyadh Season Championship: 4-3 Zhao Xintong
Northern Ireland Open: 9-8 Jack Lisowski
Xi-an Grand Prix: 5-4 Matthew Stevens
British Open: 4-3 Shaun Murphy
English Open: 4-3 Elliot Slessor
Wuhan Open: 5-4 Gary Wilson
‘Obviously, I’d rather it didn’t go to a deciding frame. But if you look at it in percentage terms, it looks like I’m probably due a win after the losses. So you always have to look on the bright side. It’s just snooker.’
Trump admits his confidence is not quite where it has been in the past, which may have harmed him in deciding frames, and he puts that down to a disrupted practice routine.
Now based in Dubai, his brother and long-time practice supervisor, Jack, has been around less and that has possibly taken an edge off his game.
‘Every year in the last seven years my brother’s been doing the same thing,’ explained Trump. ‘This year has been a little bit harder because there’s been more distractions off the table with him not being able to get a visa, which is now sorted.
‘So probably the first year that I’ve not practised to the same level as the last six years and that’s probably the only difference that I can put my finger on, maybe just not quite as confident because I know not quite as much work has gone in. But at this level, that’s probably all it takes.’
Trump plays Day in the last 32 of the German Masters on Wednesday.
