IAN McCulloch is turning to 'video games' in a bid to rediscover his winning formula ahead of the Snooker Grand Prix at Preston next week.

McCulloch, who trains at Accrington Snooker Club, may not have made the best of starts so far this season, losing in the last 64 of both the British Open and the China International during qualifying at Blackpool.

But the former Leyland Motors apprentice is determind to make an assault on the World's top 32.

And he is studying videos of his former exploits in a bid to recapture the winning habit.

"I've been watching a lot of videos of matches when I've done okay and I'm just trying to get that winning feeling back," said McCulloch.

"You've got try anything which might give you the edge.

"So I've been studying these videos to remind myself what I was doing when I was winning matches."

McCulloch has surged up the world rankings over the last 18 months.

Yet he has failed to find top gear so far this season, culminating in a crushing 5-1 defeat at the hands of Mark King in the third round of the British Open last month.

"I'm still waiting for my game to click," said McCulloch, who faces Stephen O'Connor or Mark Selby in the second round on Wednesday.

"But I've really been putting it in over the last couple of weeks, playing different players, rather than going through specific routines. "And I seem to be getting a little bit better with every game."

McCulloch admits appearing in front of his home crowd gives him a special buzz, although the Guild Hall hasn't been one of his happier hunting grounds in the past.

On his debut in 1997, he beat Jason Ferguson before a second round exit at the hands of Tony Drago.

Then last year, he went out at the first hurdle, losing 5-1 to Stephen Hendry.

But the current world number 39 is determind to turn it on next week.

And whether he faces Selby or O'Connor, he is confident of setting up a third round clash with practice partner Dave Harold.

"If I play well it doesn't really bother me who I play," said McCulloch.

"But I always get a great reception when I play at Preston and I want to acknowledge the fans support with a good performance.

"Ideally, I could do with a couple of decent runs.

"I've got into the top 40 on the rankings so I'll just have to keep chipping away in the hope that things improve and it would be nice for that to happen in Preston.

"I believe I'm good enough to be a top 32 player, but I've got to start showing that in the rankings."

McCulloch is one of a quintet of Lancashire players hoping to make an impact on 'home' territory. Accrington's Shokat Ali, Blackburn's Dennis Taylor, Preston's Stuart Pettman and Bolton's Tony Knowles are also in action next week.

And Ali, in particular, has high hopes of reproducing the form which took him to the last 16 twelve months ago.

Cue problems wrecked his season last year and he slumped 20 places in the world rankings to 69th after suffering nine successive defeats in ranking tournaments.

But Ali's confidence is currently sky-high after recently reaching the last 16 of the China International which means a trip to Shanghai in December.

"I've just had one or two good wins, particularly against Darren Morgan in the China International, and getting through to the overseas stages won't do my provisional ranking any harm at all," said Ali, who faces Nick Dyson on Monday.

"The top 64 is what I'm aiming for and anything else would be a bonus."

Taylor's first opponent is Scotland's David McLellan, while Knowles takes on Barry Pinches, and Pettman faces Mike Dunn.

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