How can I be critical of Shane and Rodney? Pretty easily when you consider that everybody that's playing is a truly world class talent so everything must go under the microscope in this setting. If all else is equal and one player has a flaw, even a minor one, it's going to rear its ugly head in this environment. So while both players are great in one sense, in comparison to the best in the world I think their technique is lacking.
First Rodney, he is an old fashioned, loosey-goosey, feel player. That's fine and dandy if you are locking horns with a guy for hours on end and can outrun a few mistakes but if every rack needs to be played as if it's hill-hill that style just doesn't cut it. He will inevitably one-stroke a ball at the worst time either overrunning position or missing the ball completely. Jayson Shaw sort of plays this same style but he delivers his cue about as straight as anyone in the world. So as talented as Shaw even is, you can see where this style of play got him in to trouble at the Mosconi.
And Shane.....I know he's a great champion but that long and hitchy stroke of his lets him down seemingly out of nowhere each and every year. Shane has so much going on with his stroke that being comfortable and in rhythm at the table is probably more important that it is for players with more compact and rigid cueing fundamentals -- like Darren Appleton or even more so Mark Gray. I think for Shane to play his best he has to constantly be on the table to keep all these moving parts in line. If you watch Shane closely like I have, you will see his entire arm moves onto a different plane DURING the shot. It may be a small move but like I said we are talking about the best of the best here so all these minor issues come into play.
I didn't even mention Dechaine. That guy has so much talent. He could get a ball better over night if he would just commit to staying still. He literally moves on just about every single shot. If he spent time fixing that he would certainly be more solid under pressure.
