Some days Mike comes over to me and says that he is shooting so unbelievably well, like the cue ball is on a string. He is grinning ear to ear he is so happy. Then the next week he tells me he is not shooting very well.
There is something wrong with Mike's elbow joint, a clicking thing "like a tooth from a gear is missing". It drives him crazy, not knowing when it is going to pop up again. In his IPT match with 'Efrem' his arm starting acting up and it is so much of a distraction that he cannot concentrate. This is very frustrating to Mike.
You are right is that Sigel is still playing well. He knocks in a 100 at Champions like it is nothing to it. And I also agree with you that Mike is one of the smartest pool players ever (position play, patterns, etc.) He said that years ago when he was playing well in big tournaments, that after the game he would rush away to his hotel room to maintain his focus. If you watch him play, I have never seen a pool player with more focus, and I can completely understand why his elbow problem messes with his rhythm.
Plus, Mike hates Diamond tables. They just don't bank right. He told the owner this years ago. So, it would have to be something special to drag him out on a Diamond table.