Phoenix Open - August 18-22
- By jbart65
- Main Forum
- 234 Replies
I've seen a lot of Pecelj over the past few years, and truthfully, I thought he had peaked. I never thought as him as a really serious contender to win a stacked event, Fargo 800 or not.
What changed? His confidence and consistency.
His confidence soared the past few weeks. He broke through a barrier mentally that was holding him back. Some luck was involved, sure, especially in his win over Albert Januarta after being down 9-1. Then there was the comeback vs SVB. Whatever the case, the wins allowed him to top that final mental hurdle.
The loss to Grabe taught him something, too. Pecelj came back stronger despite the setback. In the past, that kind of loss would have affected him very negatively.
His overall game itself has also taken a leap. His break has been a huge weapon. His safety play and tactical game have become much better. And he is stroking the ball with supreme confidence.
One way you can tell when a player is so confident, he can stroke really, really hard on some shots and maintain accuracy. Pecelj did that. Reminded me a lot of SVB or Chua in dead stroke. Some of his best shots were rifled in a way you don't often see.
Has Pecelj really crossed into the elite? Top 10 or 20 worldwide? We'll see, but I never would have thought so before August arrived.
What changed? His confidence and consistency.
His confidence soared the past few weeks. He broke through a barrier mentally that was holding him back. Some luck was involved, sure, especially in his win over Albert Januarta after being down 9-1. Then there was the comeback vs SVB. Whatever the case, the wins allowed him to top that final mental hurdle.
The loss to Grabe taught him something, too. Pecelj came back stronger despite the setback. In the past, that kind of loss would have affected him very negatively.
His overall game itself has also taken a leap. His break has been a huge weapon. His safety play and tactical game have become much better. And he is stroking the ball with supreme confidence.
One way you can tell when a player is so confident, he can stroke really, really hard on some shots and maintain accuracy. Pecelj did that. Reminded me a lot of SVB or Chua in dead stroke. Some of his best shots were rifled in a way you don't often see.
Has Pecelj really crossed into the elite? Top 10 or 20 worldwide? We'll see, but I never would have thought so before August arrived.