Wednesday and Thursday Tournament 27th & 28th November

Another two tournaments this week, and I tried a few things, especially with the mental side. 

At Wednesday's Under 55 average tournament, I went from one extreme to another. The previous couple of tournaments, I have mentioned that I feel tight and a bit nervy. My plan, therefore, was to just relax and not worry.  I think I did that a little too much and lost focus. I didn't get down or annoyed by not playing well, but felt I just wasn't putting in the effort. Another aspect I noticed, was my grip. It just didn't feel right. This is almost definitely a mental thing, as it's the same gripped I've always had. I suppose I just play through it - it what I advise others, so will keep going. 

For the first time in a very long time I didn't even make it out of the group stage. That won't happen again!

Wednesday 27th stats: Avg 42.28:  First 9 50.53: 100+ 1: 140+ 0: 180+ 0

Thursday 28th November and back to it. This is an Open event of all abilities and I felt I might claw something back from the previous day, as I never expect too much from this event. 

I hadn't really looked at the line-up beforehand and then saw a couple of real quality darts players signed up.  The first was the American PDC Tour player, Danny Lauby. Actually this is not the first time we have played in the same tournament, but it's always a great thrill to play against one of the World's top players. Unfortunately I didn't get drawn in the same group, but that helped in other ways with my overall performance.  The other was Tom Lonsdale. If you follow the Modus Super Series, you may recognise him. He has played a few times on that stage now, and made a semi-final too. Last year, he was very unlucky at Q School, where he made a late charge on the last day, but just fell short. Lonsdale also plays on the Challenge Tour. Outside of those two were several county players, another Modus player and generally lots of good players!

I have to admit, I still didn't feel right. The grip was really bugging me and I was going left into the 5s a lot. I even switched darts at one point, but switched back, once I realised it wasn't going to change anything. 

I lost the first game fairly comfortably, but in the second, I got my chances and the win, as my opponent was well below par. So I reckoned on having to win one more game out of my three remaining group games to progress, barring any vastly shocking results. 

My third game was my best by far, despite losing. My First 9 was mid 70s and average in the 50s. They were better than my opponents, although we all know it's all about the 'W', and not average. 

I lost my fourth game, so it was just a straight shootout between myself and another player. Winner goes to the knockout stage. The first leg was messy. We both scored ok, but both then ended up on double 1, for what seemed like an eternity. I won that one luckily. Second leg we both played ok and he took the double. Into the last leg and I hit a couple of decent scores that were unmatched, so ended up with a comfortable go at the finish. 

I was pleased with the fact I got out of the group stage, and that gave me back some of the confidence lost on Wednesday. 

In the last 16, I really should have made things closer. I did have doubles to win legs, but just didn't have that killer instinct. I lost 3-0, but I did have chances. 

Overall it was a better night, but need to sort this grip issue out. I do have my eye on a set of darts that may help with this, but will give the faithful Mervyn King's a little longer. 

Thursday 28th stats: Avg 44.60:  First 9 51.46: 100+ 5: 140+ 1: 180+ 0

WDF Mens Darts World Championship Preview

 

The 2023 WDF World Darts Championships seemed to have a clear favourite, with Andy Baetens, who went on to went the title in fairly comfortable fashion. 

The 2024 Championships is very different, with a host of names that could take the crown. 

Jimmy van Schie is the bookmakers favourite, and this is about right. Van Schie's form this year, especially of late, shows he is hitting his peak at the right time. Winning in the Modus Super Series and WDF events across Europe makes him a very strong contender 

The number one seed is Australian Danny Porter. Another player with multiple WDF tournament wind this year, he has arguably the 'easier' half of the draw and will be there or thereabouts. 

Former WDF World Champion Neil Duff is always consistent and has been here before. Nerves shouldn't affect him and his experience will count a lot. A tenacious player ,he will make any player work very hard if they are to beat him.

Two younger players may also have a say. Reece Colley has made it to a few Pro Tour events this year and he is a big scorer. Shane McGuirk is also another 180 specialist. He's had some good results on the Modus stage and the Challenge Tour. He could be a dark horse.

If he plays to his best Gary Stone could be a real contender. He often comes into tournaments as the favourite but occasionally seems to play below par. He has bags of experience though, so cannot be written off. 

Mike Gillet is another dark horse. The draw has been reasonably kind and if he gets going, could find himself deep into the competition. 

So,in summary, it will be a close and exciting tournament.  I think van Schie will just edge it with McGuirk having a run to the final. 

WDF Women's World Championship Preview

Beau Greaves heads to the Lakeside on 29th November to try and defend her WDF Women's World Darts Championship for a third year in a row. She is the overwhelming favourite, so is there anyone who can stop her?

Beau topped the Women's Series Order of Merit and won 8 of the 24 events. She would have won more, but for the emergence of Dutch player Noa-Lynn van Leuven. Noa-Lynn has made huge strides in 2024. Finishing second on the Order of Merit and winning a Challenge Tour title. Her success has meant that she will opt for the PDC World Championships instead, alongside Fallon Sherrock, who would also be a major threat to Beau. 

Mikuru Suzuki has also opted not to play in the WDF event, and it may seem like it will be plain sailing for Beau, however there are still a crop of very good players that could upset the odds.  

Lisa Ashton had a few issues with injury last year, so was never quite at her best. This year, especially the second half, as been much much better. Lisa won events 11 and 12 of the Women's Series and was back to something near her best. Her involvement on the Seniors Tour has also been useful and she has had some good results there. If she can maintain some of this form, then she has a chance of a final place, at least. 

Another candidate for a final place, at least, is Aileen de Graaf. The perennial Dutch player has been at the top end of Women's darts for over a decade. She has had hit and miss form on the Women's Series Tour, but has had some good results in her home country of the Netherlands. She was the 2023 Women's World Championship runner-up and made showed some real class at times. She has the experience and will be hungry to go one step further this time around. 

Two emerging players hoping to cause some surprises are New Zealander, Nicole Regnaud, who was very unlucky not to progress further last year, and 18 year old Sophie McKinley. Sophie has a tough first round match against Lisa Ashton, but many will know that she is more than capable of causing a surprise. Nicole has a draw that will give her a lot of hope. Potentially meeting Deta Hedman in the quarter finals ,but that will not overawe her. 

Deta Hedman, Anca Ziljstra and Irina Armstrong have an incredible amount of experience, and will all expect to go far. Deta was unlucky at the recent Womens ADC Championship Finals, and has been winning all over Europe this year, as has Anca. Irina has been at the top end of WDF Womens darts for the best part of 20 years, so these players should never be underestimated. 

I believe the toughest opponent Beau will face in her half of the draw is the Finnish player Kirsi Viinikainen. On her day she is a match for any player. She has had deep runs in several Women's Series events and has had experience playing on the Modus stage. Kirsi is due a big win and maybe this could be her chance.

Aletta Wajer usually plays more in the continental European events and is always around the latter stages. Lorraine Hyde is another to consider. An experienced and quality player,she faces a tough draw,  but if she can get through the first couple of rounds, she may think it could be her year. 

I think the draw is set up for a Beau Greaves/Lisa Ashton final, but darts is never that predictable!

Practise Update (Mind)

After being set back with a flu bug thing over the past couple of days, I went back to practise, and using the mental techniques I mentioned before. 

The idea was not to really worry about what I was hitting, just to throw with more ease and to feel comfortable, instead of tense. After just a few hours of doing this, I did find that my darts were not going astray as much. Certainly the number of snatchy darts was reduced. I also took a little breath before each throw and kept at a slow-steady pace. It made me feel more in control I guess. If I hit a bad dart, I didn't think about it and carried on. 

The first test will be tonight at my regular Wednesday Under 55 average tournament. This is probably my worst tournament for getting nervous or tense. I'm fairly sure that I put too much pressure on myself, as I expect to do well. I will not be doing that tonight. I will just throw. If I win then great, if not, I get an early night, so it's not all bad. This is a long term goal, so it may take a while to get my head programmed into just relaxing, but will update tomorrow, to tell you how it went. 

Pilot PDB Rankings

So over the past few months, I have been putting together a formula that should hopefully rate players on a variety of aspects of their game and performance in tournaments. I hope to do this for as many tours as possible (Pro, Challenge, Womens, Development etc). 

As it's early days, the data may become more accurate as the year goes along. I've set up a pilot sheet for the Players Championship and will also use it at the World Championships.  

These ratings will be known as PDB Rankings (named after my Twitter name) and I hope they will bring discussion and interest. The maximum score possible is 800, but unlikely that will ever be achieved!

Interesting so far, that although Humphries and Littler were high up in the ranking, as maybe expected,they are not top. Anderson had good performance indicators, which scored well for him. Same goes for Cameron Menzies. Based on this we should expect good performances of them both at the World Championships, the draw of which will happen later today. 

 

Modus Week 12 Preview

 The final of this 12 week cycle of events, and it is loaded to say the least. The players will win the first prize and a place in Champions week, which is already looking very strong. 

The favourite, and perhaps deservedly so ,is Daryl Pilgrim. For many darts players, he is regarded as one of the best darts players not currently on the PDC Tour. However, due to some great performances on the Challenge Tour, he has been fairly regular in the PDC floor events, so is getting more and more experience. He is also a Modus stalwart and knows what to expect. 

His biggest challenge could come from the Dutch player Jimmy van Schie. Van Schie has already ready won at Modus and he goes to the WDF World Championships as one of the favourites. He regularly challenges at Challenge Tour events and won't be far away. 

One of the most successful Modus players ever is Steve West. He has a wealth of experience and knows how to win here. He also has years of Pro Tour experience and will keep a cool head. Another successful player at Modus is Conan Whitehead. He is another veteran of the event and also has a lot of experience. 

Then there is Ted Evetts. The former World Youth Champion has played on the Challenge Tour this year after losing his Tour card. He is a quality player and will also pose a real challenge. Jared Cole is another quality player coming through. He has had a 9 darter at the Modus event, and played many times here, 

On the other end of the scale, (well age wise anyway), is Richie Howson, one of the best players on the World Seniors Tour. Howson also plays well as Modus events should not be overlooked. 

I'm particularly excited to watch Klein Hilton play this week. He is a Botswanan player I know little about. I do keep a small eye on African darts, but not come across him at all. Will be keen to see how he performs. Either way, it's great darts is reaching even more countries!

The rest of the list includes Modus and Challenge Tour regular, Adam Lipscombe ,alongside Steve Reynolds, John McCarthy and Rhian O'Sullivan. I hope Rhian particularly plays well, following in the footsteps of Fallon Sherrock and Gemma Hayter who have represented Womens darts so well in the Series. 

Overall it's a very tough call this week, but I think as Pilgrim has been playing on the Pro Tour quite a lot this season, this has sharpened his game. I expect him to make the final at least. 

The Mental Side

 As I may have mentioned in my previous post, I've got this flu bug thing happening, so I can't see me playing darts for the next couple of days. Luckily there is darts on TV, so will still get my fix. 

One thing I can do, however, is to have a look at the mental side of the game. 

I've had a look around the internet for tips and advice and there are quite a few articles. Most of them are in agreement, so I think it's safe to say they may all be worth a try. I will trial this for 2 weeks and see what happens. 

Big in sport generally is the idea of visualisation. Trying to imagine hitting perfect darts or picking up the trophy at the end of a tournament. This is something I will try to spend at least 15 minutes per day to visualise that I am a good darts player and try and stop the self doubt. I want to embed this thought in my head. It doesn't matter what averages I'm getting, or games I'm winning, I will still visualise that I'm a great player. 

I'm a big overthinker and analyse way too much. This, I've read, can be quite detrimental, as there is little focus on what you are actually doing. This would give less confidence in the throw - I would always be thinking how to adjust to make things better, rather than just have belief that I have a decent throw. So my intention is to just throw and not worry about where they go. This is a long term project, so I will accept I will have dips in form. 

I remember a few years back, I was told by an elderly, and obviously very experienced player, that breathing was the most important part of the game. I didn't think too much of it at the time, but after reading more and more articles, he may well have been onto something. Deep breathing before a turn and control of breathing during a turn can make a lot of difference in terms of keeping relaxed and focussed at the same time. Concentrating on the breath, means you are not concentrating on the noises in your head.  I've been given advice that maybe having a song in your head, or counting can have the same effect, as is distracts the mind, but I am going to try the breathing route.

Finally, for the next 2 weeks, I will just enjoy the game, whether that's practise or matchplay. The aim at the moment is to feel comfortable and not tense. By not worrying about the result or average, I hope this will eventually make a difference. I'm sure I will come back to this topic many times, but I think I have a starting point. 

Thursday's Tournament 21st November

 I felt it was just one of those nights last night. I felt good in the warm-up, but after that, just couldn't find a good rhythm .The draw didn't help either. I had Ryan Palmer who is a former Pro Tour player and Robbie Long, the current ADC Welsh champion. At least they were my first two games, so no pressure and could just throw my darts. Against Long, I did just that and pulled out a half decent average over 50, and wasn't much worse against Palmer, although he did batter me with an 88 average.  So I knew that I had to win 2 of my last 3 group games to progress . On paper the odds were against me, but I had beaten all 3 of my next opponents before, although not on a regular basis. 

My head got to me in the third game. I couldn't hit a treble. I was playing a very good JDC player, so I had to stick with him. I seemed to be applying more and more pressure on myself, which was making things worse. It was one of those games that you just want to end. I now had to win the last 2 games and my confidence was low. 

My fourth game was different to the others, as I seemed to just relax. It helped a lot that my opponent was not at his best, but I didn't seem so tight or snatchy. Although my mind was still racing. Nothing in particular, but just a noise going through my head. In the third and deciding game, I was left with 93 and my opponent waiting on 40. It was the highlight of my night when I took it out in 2 darts. I didn't feel much emotion, other than 'why can't I do this all the time?'. I still had a chance to qualify, but I just couldn't relax. Maybe other things in life come to the forefront of the mind, or was I tired? As it turns out, I 've now got a flu bug, so maybe that was it?

Last game,again, was a case of my opponent playing below par. In normal circumstances I should have won comfortably, but I still kept missing the trebles and didn't put myself in a commanding position. My opponent won through instead of me. 

Although a bit disappointed, I did feel I had learned something. I think the biggest obstacle in my game at the moment is in my head. I intend to do a lot of research on this. I know there 

Players Championship Finals Preview

 

A couple of weeks back, I would have thought this would be a wide-open tournament. The unique aspect of this tournament, is that the seeding is based on performance at the PDC Tour 'floor events'. Due to players having the free will to play as many or few of these tournaments per year, coupled with the lack of a crowd or big TV exposure, the floor events can throw up a few surprises and the seedings can be very much different to the other ranking events. 

Chris Dobey comes into the event as the number one seed. He has had multiple wins on the PDC Tour this year, and deserves his place at the top. However, he is in a tough quarter of the draw, with Michael van Gerwen, Luke Littler and the recent European Championship winner, Richie Edhouse. 

As for Luke Littler, he looks at his brilliant best. Playing incredible darts at the Grand Slam and destroying his opponents along the way. He will be a hot favourite, but I suppose it depends on him recreating his recent form. 

The second quarter has the exciting young Dutch prospects Wessel Nijman and Gian Van Veen. Both have been playing at a very high standard and is clear they are hungry for a televised win.  These two will be very tough opponents to beat. Another Dutch player in this section is Wesley Plasier, who has hit a purple patch in his career, including a first Pro Tour win this year. He could be an outsider that creeps through the rounds. 

The third quarter could be the most open section of the draw. Martin Lukeman, runner-up at the Grand Slam has been playing the darts of his life, so could have the momentum to progress, although he plays the heavy scoring Connor Scutt, in what promises to be a high quality first round match. Jermaine Wattimena is having a revival in his career and could cause some surprises. Then there are the Pro Tour stalwarts Johnny Clayton, Stephen Bunting, Peter Wright and Daryl Gurney. Ok, they are not at their best, but you bet against them at your peril. Oh and Josh Rock is in there too, so is impossible to pick a quarter winner from this list. 

The final quarter depends on whether Luke Humphries can gain back his brilliant early season form, If he does, then I expect him to make the semi-finals, However the two in-form Scottish players, Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies lie in wait and will pounce on any vulnerability Humphries shows. Damon Heta, who is somewhat under the radar, could sneak all the way through, if the draw opens up kindly. 

So, in summary I expect Luke Littler to be in the final , From the other half of the draw I would not be surprised if we see Gary Anderson joining him. Anderson is in top form and being played just down the road from his home ,so support will be very much in his favour. If I had to pick and 'outsider', then I'd say Nijman or Van Veen could go far in this exciting 

Players Championship Draw:

(1) Chris Dobey v (64) Nathan Aspinall

(32) William O'Connor v (33) Niels Zonneveld

(16) Mike De Decker v (49) Richard Veenstra

(17) Michael van Gerwen v (48) Ian White 

(8) Luke Littler v (57) Rob Cross

(25) Ritchie Edhouse v (40) Luke Woodhouse

(9) Danny Noppert v (56) James Hurrell

(24) James Wade v (41) Stephen Burton

(4) Ryan Searle v (61) Jeffrey de Graaf

(29) Gerwyn Price v (36) Thibault Tricole

(13) Wessel Nijman v (52) Kim Huybrechts

(20) Gian van Veen v (45) Scott Williams

(5) Dave Chisnall v (60) Joe Cullen

(28) Andrew Gilding v (37) Kevin Doets

(12) Ross Smith v (53) Dimitri Van den Bergh

(21) Wesley Plaisier v (44) Mensur Suljovic

(2) Stephen Bunting v (63) Mario Vandenbogaerde

(31) Martin Lukeman v (34) Connor Scutt

(15) Daryl Gurney v (50) Peter Wright

(18) Michael Smith v (47) Dom Taylor

(7) Josh Rock v (58) Ricky Evans

(26) Alan Soutar v (39) Jermaine Wattimena

(10) Jonny Clayton v (55) Florian Hempel

(23) Dirk van Duijvenbode v (42) Callan Rydz

(3) Damon Heta v (62) Mervyn King

(30) Krzysztof Ratajski v (35) Madars Razma

(14) Raymond van Barneveld v (51) Chris Landman

(19) Luke Humphries v (46) Gabriel Clemens

(6) Gary Anderson v (59) Ryan Meikle

(27) Brendan Dolan v (38) Martin Schindler

(11) Cameron Menzies v (54) Jim Williams

(22) Ryan Joyce v (43) Karel Sedlacek

Follow my progress

https://www.dartsatlas.com/tournaments/trKR98B71bNF

Here is a link to tonight's tournament.  I'm in a very tough group, but all good experience!

Video link

Wednesday's Tournament 20th November

 Tonight's under 55 average was a little bittersweet. For the most part I scored well, but in a couple of games, the doubles haunted me. I put this down to nerves. Absolutely no idea why they crept in, but it is something that I really need to tackle if I am going to progress at the rate I want to. 

The first two games in the  group were a case of me playing well, but just getting beaten by the better player. Perhaps I could have scored heavier, but these were the types of games, where you just have to hand it to your opponent. 

I was in a bit of trouble and had to win my last two games. I went a leg down in the third game and then I seemed to relax and start to play well. I won that match with a 57 average and followed up with a 2-0 victory in my last group game with a 60+ average. I was really happy with that, as my target is to hit at least one 60+ average per tournament. 

The last 16 and quarter final games were a bit of a mess. I won both, so I'll take that, but I just couldn't finish. I felt really nervous for no particular reason. Maybe I was putting pressure on myself, as I knew I had a chance of making the final. Luckily for me, my opponents were equally as bad at finishing and so I eventually scraped myself through to the semi final. 

In the semi final, I met the player that had been playing best overall throughout the tournament. We both matched each other for scoring, but he managed to get to the doubles first. I had chances, but the better player won on this occasion. He went on to win the final. 

So a good Wednesday, I know where I need to brush up on, and I need to get my head sorted. It's only a game! - I need to tell myself. 

Tournament Stats:  Average 46.02: First 9 49.61: 100+ 8: 140+ 1: 180+ 0

Should I Change My Darts Set Up

 I noticed that my darts seem to go in the board at a weird angle and have been trying to correct this in various ways. I tried focussing on my elbow position, place on the oche and being more deliberate with my follow through. I can't tell if it's really helped, so decided to look at my darts set up and see if that is a potential issue. 

For around 2 years I was using 22 gram Aspinall darts, which seemed to be a nice suit. Results were ok and they felt ok. Then out of the blue, my grip changed and I lost confidence in my throw. I tried a friend's set of Mervyn King darts, (again 22 grams) and this seemed to suit my finger position.  They have a scalloped barrel which my fingers seem to sit naturally.

I have used these since December 2023 and have improved my game. However now and again, I have periods where I just can't get my grip. They don't have natural grip lines as many other sets do, the grip is all about settling the fingers into to grooves. Now for the most part this works for me, but it is very frustrating when my grip doesn't settle, as it makes a big difference. So I asked myself if maybe I need a new set up. Perhaps a dart with a good grip and possibly a different weight. 

I have acted as a marker for the PDC in various events for about 3 years. As well as enjoying the events in general and getting the opportunity to talk to players, I always see this as a learning tool. I look at players stance and throw, but mainly (as I spend most of my time looking at the board), at the type of darts used and how they sit in the board.  I looked at the point length, type of barrel,shaft and flight. 

I initially thought of longer points, but I don't think that would affect my actual throw. I've a few friends that have opted for longer points, (probably due to the 'Littler effect'). but some have them have opted back, saying it didn't really change anything. I've always liked the all-in-one shaft and flight set up. My main reason is I break too many shafts and flights, and changing set up mid-game is a pain, so that's just for ease and I'm happy with that. So, I guess it's down the the barrel and grip.  At one Challenge Tour, I was marking German player Franz Roetzsch. I really liked the darts he was throwing and I thought that they might be good for me. They had a grip on most of the barrel, so that could help when I have moments of mis-placing my own grip. I couldn't tell the weight so I went online to see if I could locate them.  Strangely, I could not find them anywhere. 

A couple of months later, I was marking Lorraine Hyde at the Womens Series. She had very similar darts to Roetzsch's. Her points were longer, but the barrel looked the same. She played really well in that game and after I asked her what darts she used. She said that her darts were custom, but could get the basic set up online.I got the chance to hold the dart and it felt comfortable. After trawling a bit further, I finally found a set from a Norwegian company. I ordered the 24 gram version, as they were the lightest I could see. I liked the darts anyway, so if I didn't play well with them, I could always just keep them in my collection. 

As you can see, the grip is all along the barrel. I have tried this periodically and they good fly well. For some reason, they don't seem to fly as well on the bottom half of the board, or doubles. I think this is all in my head though, so it's whether I just play through this and hope the end result is better. I will be using these in one of the tournaments this week and so I can compare whether this helps or not. I don't really like switching sets too much, but if I don't try this, I won't know if my set up is good or not. 

Modus Super Series Week 11 Preview

 The penultimate week of this Modus Super Series, and is quite close on paper. 

There are some players with a lot of Modus experience, such as Conor Heneghan, Darren Johnson, Chas Barstow and Johnny Haines. Connor, in particular always seems to play well here. Barstow has won many times here too, so these should be there or thereabouts, 

Jim Long goes in the week as the favourite, and that's probably correct. He has performed well on the Modus Series previously and is a very experienced player. 

James Wilson is not far behind and his Pro Tour experience and quality will certainly help him make it through the Saturday's finals night.

However, my pick, is one of the outsiders. Tavis Dudeney has had a great end to his season and looks to be in form . He won the penultimate PDC Development Tour event, beating 2024 World Youth finalist , Jurjen van de Velde. Dudeney is part of a wave of young players coming through the ranks quickly and this his well within his grasp. The stage experience is perhaps a downside, however he may be a player that thrives on it. So we will wait and see. 

Weekend Reflection

 As mentioned in my previous post, there was a big tournament in Bristol this weekend. Many of the big names from Bristol and the surrounding areas attended. There were around 70 players in the end. Games were played over the best of 7 legs. 

I had a tricky first round draw against a Superleague stalwart so I needed to get off to a good start. Unfortunately the exact opposite happened. My opponent was hitting solid scores of 60-100 per throw and I threw too many loose darts, giving him an advantage. After 2 legs, I finally woke up. The trebles finally came, but by which time I was 3 down as I was against the throw. In the 4th leg, I put up a good fight, I went ahead by a fairly comfortable margin, but a silly 21 score let my opponent back in. Which he did with a 140. I had 109 to clinch the leg, but missed the double 18. My opponent took out 60 and I lost 4-0. 

The winner of the competition was former Pro Tour player Ryan Palmer, who beat local player Chris Hartrey 6-3. I expect both players will be attending Q School in 2025 and wish them luck. 

I felt I played ok, so wasn't too disappointed. I noticed that there were quite a few players with lower averages than mine, and I kind of wished I got to play those players to build my confidence. This was a one off Open knockout competition and good experience, but will be back to my normal Round Robin competitions on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Huge Tournament in Bristol 15th November

 Since the introduction of the ADC, most of the tournaments I play in have been on a Round Robin basis, and generally no more than 32 players. Prior to that I did enter quite a few Open events around the country,which were mainly straight knockouts and had more players.  

So I was thrilled to hear that there was going to be a big tournament held in Bristol. The current sign up is around 100 players, so it will be a lot of fun. The line up consists of anyone who is good in Bristol and the South West, minus professionals, (not eligible) and people like me who just want to test their arm. As a big darts fan anyway, I will get a lot out of just watching matches. If I do get knocked out early, then I have the option of a loser's plate competition. Also, I may be asked to mark some games, (for cash obviously!). So could end up paying for my day doing that. 

I'll report on it tomorrow, but the current line up includes former Tour players, Challenge Tour regulars and a host of County and Superleague players from the city and surrounding area. 

If anyone wants to follow this competition, the link is www.dartsatlas.com/tournaments/T1d2FELhhdrJ

Thursday's Open Round Robin Tournament

 Thursdays are always a tricky one. The levels here are only getting better.

However, I love playing in it as I can measure myself against the very best. Some of these players will themselves be going to Q School in 2025, and a couple have played on the Tour before. After the big four or five names, then next seven or eight are high standard players. Being a hotbed of youth darts, this tournament brings out the best young players too. Some JDC players that are on the up, and already looking promising for success in the game.

Luckily tonight only had 16 players. This meant that everyone went through to the knockout stages. The round robin was just about jostling for positions. 

My first game was lacklustre. I don;t think I warmed up properly and only got going when it was too late. To be fair my opponent hit a 98 first 9 average, and had it not been for some trouble on the doubles, his actual average would have been decent too. 

My second game was against one of the junior players. I felt confident I could win and I did 2-0. However we both played way below par. Neither of us got focussed.

The third game was a totally different story. I played one of the top youth players in the area. I actually beat him last week, but he was very much below par. This time he was back to his normal form. He beat me 2-0, but I had chances at doubles in both legs. I got my 60 average, which is my benchmark these'm days, so any time I'm around that mark, I'm happy. Hopefully over the coming weeks, these 60 averages will be more and more common. 

In the last 16, I lost to the eventual finalist. Again, another youth player, who has just started his journey on the PDC Development Tour after a couple of successful years on the JDC Tour. 

All in all an ok night, but I need to focus. Maybe I was just tired.

Tournament Stats: Avg 44.16: First 9: 46.67 100+ 2: 140+ 0: 180+ 0

Wednesday Under 55 tournament

I definitely identified an issue this week. Actually I think it's been an ongoing issue for some time and I need to work out how to address it. 

I seem to be 'choking' at key moments, or in key matches. 

I always feel comfortable that I will get through the group stages, perhaps because I have several matches to qualify in the round robin stage. Here I seem to play much better darts. In two of my games last night my average was mid 50s and first 9 over 70. This is the direction I believe i'm going in practise. However, when I got to the knockout stage, my form went drastically downhill. Was I over-thinking things, or trying to hard. Those 100+ scores were not forthcoming, and my opponent eased to a finishing position while I was still struggling. My throw felt ok, but just couldn't score. This has been happening for a while. I believe in myself and know I can play well, but something seems to creep in that adds extra pressure. I feel I am good enough to be making the latter stages of this tournament every week, but for some reason this habit of 'choking' is stopping this. 

I've tried slowing down, and breathing to relax myself, but still in key moments, I fall short. I genuinely believe this is the number one reason why I am not improving as I would like. 

So what do I do? I've tried to read up on various topics online, but nothing seems to capture what I am feeling. I am seriously considering seeing a sports psychologist, but this is expensive. I cannot see another way past this currently.  Obviously will keep battling through, as I think if I can solve this issue, my game could certainly go up several levels. 

Stats for Weds then: Tournament Avg: 43.85: First 9 60.73 :100+ 6: 140+ 0: 180+ 0

Hopefully will perform better in Thursday's tournament. I'm usually more relaxed as I'm not expected to be in contention. 

Dartsasylum And My Home Venue

 These are basically the same. 

My home venue is the Browns Bar, based in Kingswood, Bristol.  Bristol has a wealth of opportunities for darts players of all standards and experience. There are many leagues in the area, and even more within a few miles radius of Bristol itself. So if you are in the area, there is an abundance of tournaments and leagues to play in. 

One of the best venues, (and I know i'm biased!) is Browns Bar. This is a bar that has also has its own bespoke darts function room. It has four boards and has competitions everyday apart from on Sundays (currently). I play Wednesdays and Thursdays and sometimes Saturdays. 

The venue is also to three exciting junior academies. And already the signs are looking good, with several players performing well on the JDC tours. It does help that one of the people responsible for setting up the academies, (as it is his bar),  is Steve Brown, the chairman of the JDC, so the passion and appetite for youth darts is clear to see. 

The standard of play is also very good too and various pros or ex pros have visited the venue to try their hand. Names such as Mark Dudbridge, Danny Lauby, James Richardson, Dom Taylor are just a few of the players that have frequented tournaments here. 

One of the new additions to the venue is the Dartsasylum shop. There's a large stock of darts and accessories available and a practise board too. The addition of the website www.dartsasylum.com means that you can order online and receive, or pick up the order in quick time. Have a look and see what you think

Monday Practise

 After a couple of days of casual practise, (ie no set routine) I had a few games against the computer on the Russ Bray App. What I really like about this app is that you compete across a season and try to gain prize money to enter bigger events at the end of the season. There are loads of levels, so there is one to suit everyone, from total beginners through to professional standard. I'm currently playing at level 9, which is around 52-54 average mark. I will only go up a level if I finish in the top 10 in the final Order of Merit. My aim will be to try an go up a level every six weeks, but we will see. 

I was happy with my form, although the averages don't really tell the whole story. I played two best of nine games. My First 9 was ok, with 65 and 57 respectively. So that's about what I'd expect. I think a few missed doubles contributed to my lower overall average, finishing with 53 and 49 respectively.  I wasn't too worried about the averages, as the darts felt good and were going straight for the majority of times. The amount of 41s I hit was quite amazing, and most of them involved hitting the wire and falling into the one. I can cope with that, and just need a little bit of fine refinery. Hopefully the 41s will turn to 60s and above soon. 

Performance Ratings

 From the 2025 PDC World Championship onwards, I will be compiling a 'Darts Performance' rating for various Tours. This should give a good indication of players in form, as well as improvements and declines. It will be based on various stats and competition performances, so will be interesting to see how it compares to Order of Merit rankings.  

I will be running a pilot test during the Players Championship Finals, so watch this space.................

Competitions 6th and 7th November 2024

 Recently I have changed my grip and technique slightly. I'm holding the dart slightly further back and have slowed down too. This seems to be making the dart go straighter, more often, so was keen to see how I got on in the weeks' competitions. 

Wednesday 6th was an under 55 average tournament. I got through my group pretty comfortably and darts were feeling good. Averages were below par, but I was happy with the throw. I felt I was unlucky with hitting 5s and 1s. It was a wire's width on the majority of cases, which, on another day, could have been 20s or Treble 20s, so that's fine. Just need to get the muscle memory to slightly adjust. As it was, I made it to the quarter final, and was beaten by the eventual winner, so I'll take that. 

Stats: Avg 43.8  First 9: 48.60 100+  4:  140+ 3:  180s 0

Scoring seemed to be ok in patches, but doubling let me down in a couple of legs, hence the low average. 

Thursday 7th was a much improved performance. Thursdays are Open tournaments, so players of any standard, good or bad can enter. Standards are usually very good, and includes players with a wealth of PDC or JDC experience. There are a few mortals like me, so there is sometimes a glimmer of hope of progressing through the group stages. 

This was one of those occasions. 

Although I had a tough group, it could have been worse. My first game was against an upcoming JDC player. He normally averages around the 70 mark. I thought I just need to stick with him and hope a get a chance at a double. As it was, he struggled with doubles, and I was lucky enough to capitalise. He played extremely well for the rest of the tournament, so the darts gods seemed to be on my side.  Results went my way and I just needed a leg in the final game to guarantee progress to the knockout stages. My opponent is another quality player, capable of 80+ averages. This, again, was a game of missed doubles, although I played probably my best darts of the year. I managed to take advantage of a rare miss by my opponent on a big number. I had 3 darts at double 16, which I duly took . So, I knew I was through, so just relaxed.  I kept up with my opponent and then managed to finish in 9 darts from 293, for which he had no answer. I ended up with a 65 average and I feel that this is my benchmark for the rest of the year. 

I got through to the last 16, but I never really got going until it was too late, but gives me a whole lot of confidence for next week. 

Stats: Avg: 52.22: First 9 54.82: 100+ 8: 140+ 1: 180 0

Day One

So I have decided that today is the start of my Q School quest in earnest . I have been treading water for quite a while and need a plan of action. 

I will be making a timetable that I want to stick rigidly. Although I really enjoy playing 501s against AI at home, I think I need to do more drills, to get that muscle memory up to scratch.  I need to treat my darts practise like I am going to a regular class. So, for example, if  I put 6.00-8.00pm darts class, then I devote my focus strictly to that, as though I've actually left the house and gone to a 'real' class. The sessions I will design by researching online, but also from friends that play darts at a high level. 

I will also factor in my regular two nights a week of competitive play.  On Wednesdays, I play in an under 55 average tournament. I have already made two finals, but yet to cross the winning line. I blame a lot of that onto nerves. Crazy really, as I've played at this venue for several years and know nearly every player. I think the issue of nerves, is something I place on myself, and am already trying techniques to stop this being an issue.  Thursday is an open tournament and has players of all levels, from ex-Tour players to Academy kids just starting out. 

So, my timetable will go like this for the week ahead.

Wednesday: Hour practise vs computer on Russ Bray App - then under 55 average tournament

Thursday: No much time , so just the Thursday open tournament

Friday: 2 hour session - consisting of drills, double practise and a couple of vs computer matches

Saturday: Same as Friday

Sunday: concentrating on hitting 20s,19s,18s and bulls. Set up play and try to finish 61-100 in six darts or less. 

Fingers crosses this helps. 

Welcome to my blog

 Hello! Welcome to the first post in my new blog. 

As briefly stated in my little info paragraph, I have decided to write a blog as I attempt to make something of myself in the world of darts. As the title of the blog suggests, I am trying to make it to 'Q School'. This, for those of you unaware, is the usual qualifying route to playing on the main PDC Darts tour.  It's extremely competitive, so have no illusions on how difficult it will be. But I'm positive and will keep going.  Unfortunately I'm not good enough to enter this year, so will have to stick to practice and local tournaments for the time being.

So the story so far.........

Back in the late 1970s and early 80s, darts was massive, and quite similar to today in terms of the amount of tournaments that are around and on television. My favourite player was Eric Bristow and his style and winning mentality drew me into the game, albeit at just a fun level. I got a board for Christmas when I was about 8 and I would play my dad and brother, usually losing, but I loved the game and like to show off a little, that I could add up quicker than both of them! I improved a little when I had a board put up in the loft and used to spend hours up practicing. So by the time I was a teenager, I could play well enough to give the men down the pub a decent game.

But, this will still just a bit of fun and although could play quite well for a pub standard player, I never really had aspirations of going any further.

I then worked around the country for a few years in my early 20s, and again just played for fun. I played pool for a few local teams, so this became my main focus, but still kept my hand in a few games of darts.

I guess my first inspiration to try and play darts seriously was when I heard an interview ,in 2003, on radio about someone who decided that darts was a game, that with enough practice, could be something that anyone could reach a high standard, and even get to professional level. This struck a chord with me, so I bought a board and new set of darts and looked to do the same. 

I played ok, but this was before the internet took off, so I spent a lot of time trying to find tournaments or leagues to play in, but these were quite scarce. I still loved the game, so kept practicing now and again, but my main focus had now become competitive Quizzing! Yes it does exist and through meeting someone on a TV quiz show we both appeared on, I gave it a go and became ridiculously immersed in this world. I was reading up to four hours a day and getting my knowledge levels up to try and compete with the best.

Quite surprisingly are a lot of similarities with darts and quizzing. You can enter Open competitions against some of the country's and world top players by just paying an entry fee. The opportunities for success are also there if you practice hard enough - for example one of my good friends, Didier Bruyere, started quizzing for fun in 2007. In 2022 he became the World Quiz Champion. This was somebody that I had beaten before, but he applied himself way more and rose through the ranks. Although there are more similarities, the most striking one is that you can play at any age. In the various darts tournaments and leagues I've played in,, the ages vary from 11-85. And there are some outstanding 11 and 85 year old players out there! The same is in competitive quizzing.

The reason I mention this is that this was a massive focus for me. However after the birth of my second child, I found it hard to concentrate on the books like I used to, and eventually faded away from quizzing, although I keep my hand in ever so slightly these days.

So around 2017, I found a void and felt like I wanted to focus on something seriously in my spare time. I still watched darts religiously and could see that the darts world was expanding rapidly.  I decided to give darts a real go. No expectations, just try and see where it takes me. Worse case scenario, I get a good social life!

So I went to Facebook as a first point of call. I searched for 'Darts Leagues in Bristol' and up came the Redfield and District League. I like to follow fate and my gut, so though I'd see if I could join a team. From my practice scores, I was averaging around 40-45 and had hit a few 180s, so mentioned this when asking on the Redfield Facebook Group. If I'm honest, I wasn't sure if this would be good enough. However I was pleasantly surprised to find that several teams were looking for players. They said the average was fine. 

Going with my fate mantra, I decided to join the first team that asked if I would like to play. These were called the LC Pirates, and were bottom of division four. (The league has a Premier Division and four lower divisions). Well, I thought, at least I can only go up from here. And besides it will be less pressure and a good introduction into competitive darts.

Actually the Redfield Darts League is a very good league. It is one of the country's oldest and has had professional players such as Steve Brown, Chris Mason, Mark Dudbridge and Ronnie Baxter among its alumni.

Oh, just an aside. In 2010 I played in an Open competition in Swindon. This tournament included a couple of players that are now in the top 10 in the World, Johnny Clayton and Luke Humphries. My point being that it is possible to be a very good local player and go onto massive things with the right mindset and application. So my thoughts are that I will aim to be a very good local player and kick on from there!

So, back to the story....

I played for the Pirates for a couple of years. After a few nervy matches, I won my first game and this made me think, 'OK, I can handle myself here'. I just need to get my technique right and put in the hours of practice and maybe I can start improving to a higher level. I progressed to be one of the better players on my team and was winning my games most weeks. Also I was starting to compete with players in higher divisions in cup matches.  At this point I started to enter a few Open competitions. Although I had little success, I did claim a few match wins and also got a much better understanding of the levels I need to reach.

2020 and Covid hits. Darts stops. Well competitions and leagues anyway. For the first month or so, so did I. I was adjusting to my work/life balance and generally juggling things around. Eventually I found that I could make time for darts practice, and this also kept me sane during the main lockdown periods.

I could see that some online leagues were created, but I felt they weren't for me. I like the feel of a real life face to face match and online wasn't quite ticking the enjoyment boxes. I created a few games and challenges myself and this seemed to motivate me during practice, so I kept to it. By the end of lockdown, I had improved a fair amount and my average was over 50. This kept my motivation going and at the the same time a place became available on a Division 1 team, so I felt these were steps in the right direction.

Early 2022 and I heard about the Amateur Darts Circuit (ADC) and entered some of their competitions. More about the ADC later, but in essence, they are a series of Open competitions with ranking points on offer. These ranking points can get you into bigger competitions, and also show a measure of your performance on an individual basis. Through playing these competitions, I met a lot of new players, who encouraged me to join a Superleague team. This is the next level up from local league darts and a route in County darts. I found a team and have been playing since September 2022.

So to the present...

I'm currently entering tournaments within the ADC, as well as some non-ADC open events. I'm averaging around 55 and feel I am going in the right direction, albeit a little slower than I wanted. But that's ok, I love the game and will stay motivated and keep going!