Battling Through A Blurry Patch

 

Battling Through a Blurry Patch

Since Friday, things have been a little tougher. My eyesight has taken a hit, and as a diabetic, I know exactly why. My blood sugars were running high for quite a while, and now that I’m finally getting them under control, my body’s reacting. One of the side effects can be blurry vision, and from what I’ve read (and felt), it could last anywhere from a day to a couple of months.

Looking back, that probably explains a lot about my performances last week. I’ve tried practicing, but it’s been difficult to focus — literally. Even so, I managed to hit a 50 average in practice last night against a bot, so there are still positives to take.

It’s a bit frustrating because this Wednesday’s Under-55 Average Tournament looks very winnable. A few of the big names aren’t playing, and it’s a great opportunity. Whether my eyes will let me take it, though, is another question.

Still, it is was it is.  I’ll keep pushing through, stay patient, and trust that when this phase passes, things will clear up. Maybe both literally and metaphorically. Once that happens, I’ll be in a much better place to kick on and keep improving.

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Key Takeaway

Resilience and patience are just as important as practice — sometimes the biggest challenges aren’t on the board, but within ourselves.

Tough Week at the Oche. Time to Reset

 This week wasn’t my best on the board.

On Wednesday's Under 55 average tournament, I averaged 45.61, and on Thursday, things dipped further with a 39.35 in the regular Open Round Robin.. I struggled to find any rhythm or focus across both nights.

On Thursday in particular, I suspect my blood sugars may have been off. I felt flat and couldn’t concentrate properly from the start. Sometimes darts is as much about managing the body and mind as it is about hitting targets. When either is off, performance follows.

No excuses, though, it was just a bad couple of tournaments. The key now is to regroup, clear the head, and get back to throwing smooth and relaxed. Over the next few sessions, I’ll be concentrating on rhythm, tempo, and mental clarity to put this spell behind me and move forward positively.

Everyone has off days, it’s how you respond that matters.

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Key Stats

Wednesday – Under 55 Average Comp

• Average: 45.61 | First 9: 46.79

• 100+: 4 | 140+: 0 | 180s: 0

• Legs Won: 5 | Legs Lost: 9 | Breaks: 1

Thursday – Round Robin

• Average: 39.35 | First 9: 47.25

• 100+: 2 | 140+: 1 | 180s: 0

• Legs Won: 2 | Legs Lost: 10 | Breaks: 0

Darts Challenge and DartGolf all now available!

 Just to let you know I have two free darts practise games ready for you to try. 

Darts Challenge

In this game you play 10 rounds at 4 targets (20,19,18,Bull/25)

You have 9 darts at each person round. Doubles count as two and trebles as three.

You play against bots and can add up to 3 more human players. 

There are also 20 levels, so try to keep moving up!!

DartGolf

You are given a 'par' finish eg 107 is Par 5, so you have 5 darts to checkout. If you checkout in 4 then you are 1 under par and if it's 7 then 2 over par, just like golf. 

The maximum score is 9 darts per hole so you don't get frustrated

There is a leaderboard and you play bots. 

There are also different levels of difficulty. 

Beware!. Only the top50 make the cut to play rounds 3 and 4!

Good luck😀

Quick Note About My Games

 On the right side of the screen, you may have noticed thee are currently two games to play. One is Darts Golf and one is Darts Challenge. Both are free by the way!

Due to a little hitch, Darts Golf is still being fixed to launch, but should be available very soon. It's a cracker of a game!

Darts Challenge is available now though. 

If you like any of them, then please thank me by following me on Twitter, as I look to grow this passion of mine😇

What will the top 10 PDC Pro Tour look like in 10 years time?

 I was looking at the PDC Development Tour scores today and there are some big names getting big results. This led me to think, it is only a matter of time before many of these players break through to the Pro Tour and start mixing it with the very best. 

I suppose Luke Littler is an anomaly and has risen to the top in at an unbelieveable rate. This is certainly not the norm. My thinking is how will the top 10 look like in 10 years, as normally takes a few years to build up and defend prize money.

The rise of Littler has coincided with the rise in the popularity in darts in general, and espcially with young fans and players. This has led to the JDC and PDC Development Tour becoming among the most popular of all the tours, and is where the next wave of top class players will come from. 

Now there are some players that have been around the top 10 or so for years, even decades. However I firmly believe that there is a shift happening. The top 32, and eventually the top 10, is going to have a big shake up. 

I will be running a model over the next few days, to try and use a statistical method on a Top 10 in 2035, but for now, it's just my own thoughts on what the top 10 could be come December 2035. 

Top 10 (in no particular order)

Luke Littler

He is too good not to be still at the very top of the game. Assuming he doesn't get embroiled with the distractions of fame, he will continue to be the standard for the next decade. 

Luke Humphries

Alongside, Luke Litter, Humphries is setting new standards, and I believe he can improve even more. He is still relatively young, in darts terms. His approach to keeping healthy in mind and body, will keep him sharp. 

Gian Van Veen

Some may disagree, but in terms of ability, I'd rate Van Veen equal to Littler  He hits 105+ averages with regularity. I believe he may need a little more mental toughness, but if that comes, he will be around at the top for many years. 

Wessel NIjman

Another of the young Dutch players that is consistently hitting the big scores. Nijman and Van Veen can really push each other, much like their predecessors Van Gerwen and Van Barneveld.

Beau Greaves

Yes, deadly serious. Beau is competing with the very best. To qualify via the the PDC Development Tour, to the main tour is no mean feat. She is playing at the highest standard, and will only get better as she gains more experience playing against the very best players in the world.

Dominik Gruellich

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A bit of a wild card, but Gruellich as proven himself on the Pro Tour in his first year. He seems to be ultra consistent, and has been a real player on the Development Tour. 

Michael van Gerwen

I can't see Van Gerwen dropping outside of the top 10 anytime soon. Despite dips in form, I think we are comparing him to the days where he won absolutely everything. He is still one of the best players in the world and I don't think he will lose pace just yet. 

Josh Rock 

Prior to Littler, Josh Rock was touted as the next big thing. And perhaps this was seen as a false dawn to start with. However, paricularly in 2025, Rock has shown he is the real deal. He is back to his best, winning the World Cup with Daryl Gurney, and is going from strength to strength. 

Charlie Manby

Another wild card of sorts, Charlie Manby seems to be flying through the ranks and improving at a great rate. He hit a 130 average during one of his Development Tour games, which must demand attention. If he doesn't automatically qualify for the 2026 Pro Tour, he should ease through Q School. 

Tergel KurelKhuu

Wild card number three. Tergel is an unbelievable talent. Those in the JDC circles know all about him . He would win more competitions, but living in Mongolia can make things tricky. However he is  one of the best under 18 players in the world . With more experience he will show what he can do. There is no question of his amazing talent. 

Thursday (10th Oct) Tournament

 So back to a no restriction traditional Open tournament. A very good field was on display. Some players, that had not played here for a while turned up, making it particulalry competitive. 

I had one of those nights (again!) I had a very manageable group and believed it should be a group I could qualify from.  Maybe I was tired, or just not focussing, but I got off to a bad start, losing to Academy player, Spencer Phillips. He is a bogey player of mine anyway ,but neither of us turned up. My thinking was it was the first game and I'll warm up. 

Second game, I played Ben May. I was unaware of him prior to tonight, but I marked his first game and he look decent (around mid 50s average Id say). In fact that was the kind of game we had. We both hit around that range, but I had some nerves creep in when finishing. (As I've said previously, I desperately need to get rid of darts nerves)  I can only describe the nerves as when you are performing a task completely fine and then someone watches you. You then lose all ability. Crazy. I've had it since I was a child, so it needs a lot to fix it, but I'm always hopeful. 

Third game, was against Ashton Brown. Part of the Brown clan of incredibly good players.(Brother John and father Steve, both recent PDC Tour players). Ashton is not far behind. I didn't expect too much, and in parts I played well, but Ashton was too strong. Hitting big scores, it was too much for me and he won 2-0. I'm now in trouble and really need to win my last 2 games, as any hope of results going my way drifted away. 

So I needed a win against Andrew Long. We were playing around the same standard, but those nerves kept coming and I just tightened up more and more. I lost 2-0 and was out. I then followed that up with a 2-1 loss to Antwon Phillips. 

On reflection, I did play well in parts. My head wasn't totally there tonight.  Big fixes for the next week is mind control and double practise. I need to be disciplined. These are clearly weak areas for me, and if I have any aspirations of improving over the 60 average mark, then I need to focus, and not just play 501 against bot games!

Stats: 

For a minute I was PDC level - Wednesday's Tournament

Wednesday's Under 55 was quite eventful. Very up and down, but a few lessons learned. 

I started ok. losing 2-1 to Zach White, who played really well. He even said after the game that it was the first time he beat me. So a nice compliment, and I had 3 more games to go , so no panic just yet. #

Second game aaginst Craig Johnson, was just one of those games where neither of us played well or could finish. Craig, at his best, is county level, but a bit of dartitis has landed him in with the Under 55s for now. Hopefully it won't be too long until he finds his old form . 

Still confident though. I had to win my last two games - actually probably just one win will do it, as I have taken legs in my losses. 

On thing I did use as a positive, was I noticed the group our group would be playing in the knockouts, was very level. Actually maybe five of the best players were in that group, so it didn't really matter if I topped my group - just get through and then take each knockout match at a time. 

Third game was against Geoff Puddy. A seasoned player, and I've seen him play high averages, but also low avergaes. Hence why he is with the rest of us on a Wednesday night. Luckily for me, he didn't play his best, and I got a solid 2-0 victory.  

Qualifying was still in my own hands andthat soon went away, as Liam Durham decided to throw a 61 average against me. He won easily 2-0. And like Zach, I am Liam's 'bogey' player apparently. 

Geoff won in the meantime, so for me, it rested on Zach v Geoff. I needed a win from Zach and I was through, but a Geoff win would knock me out. Luckily Zach finished better against Geoff in a game I 

think they would both forget. 

Next game last 16 , and playing arguably, one of the favourites. Last time I played Richard Kot, he served me 70+ average. I knew I had to score well and hope I could hit a finish early. I went 1-0 up, but he soon came back. In the decider Richard hit back to back 80+ scores , where I hit 22 and 45. I must have assumed I was out, so just relaxed. And this happened:

Somehow the darts gods came along. I hit 434 in 12 darts (and bull finish!) That's over 100 average. For just a moment I was really good at darts. And regardless of what happened thereafter, this was my win.

Onto the quarter final, I couldn't recreate that last moment form the last 16, but due to double trouble from Chris Williams, I scapred through. Was a bit of a steal really, but I'll take it. 

Then in the semi final, I played Shane George. To be honest, I fancied it. I've not played him before, but felt I had been paying better. However, I didn't expect the barrage of treble 20s he hit. And his finishing was ok too. I hold my hands up to him was beaten by the better player. 

So a semi- final is respectable. I desperately need a head doctor to stop me getting nervous. If I can overcome that, I feel I will be so much better. But for now I'll take the win, knowing that a much better player is inside of me. I just need to get him out more!

Finally well played to Josh Greatrex on winning the final. He played really well night

Wednesday Night Under 55 Average - Let's smash it!

 So tonight I am playing in an Under 55 average competition at my local dart venue, DartsAsylum@Browns Bar in Bristol

You can follow the scores here from 7.15pm Wednesday Under 55 average Tournament

Last week I played really well. Started with a 64+ average and came through a group winner, winning all four group matches. 

Then for some reason, the nerves kicked in and I went out in the Quarter Finals. Thanks to some new practise styles, I am feeling very confident and am positive going into tonight. I just need to remember that I am as good as anyone here and I need to make the opponents worried about playing me, rather than the other way around. 

I feel my game is getting a lot more consistent, mainly because I am practising, and am practising in a focussed way. So I should have nothing to fear.  

I will play 121 for about 30 mins before I go to the venue and then just throw my usual warm up darts ant the big numbers and doubles when I get there. 

Darts Practise today - A new game!

 So in my latest bid to improve at darts, I am using another game that I have designed.  

It's called Dartsgolf. The main aim is to improve finishing, which is an area I can really struggle at. If I can throw steady (around 60 per turn), I show be on a 60+ average. What then spoils it for me, is finishing from around 120 downwards and taking too many darts to hit that final double. 

So I thought what would help with that, whilst keeping interest over a fairly long session 

There are very good game ideas such as 121 and Bob's 27, but I can only keep focussed for a limited time when playing these. So, I designed a game based on golf that would have a dynamic leaderboard to keep me interested. I decided  to have different levels, and the bots would also be at different levels. That way it keeps you interested and you have different bots to aim for, and try and beat. To win this game a the top level, you need to be very good, perhaps even pro level ,so there is a constant challenge for you. 

Below are some screenshots showcasing it.  I really feel this one will be one of the strongest games, in terms of getting an average up quickly. 

Tournament with Handicaps

 On Friday (3rd October), I signed up for, and played in a tournament in Stroud. 

Two things intrigued me. 1. It was free! 2. It came with a handicap format. 

So how it worked, using darts atlas and local knowledge each player was given a starting score. If you running average was 50, then you start at 500 in all your games. If you your average is 40, then you start at 400. And so on. 

What made this interesting was how I would play if I had a big advantage or big disadvantage. Psychologically would this be different to a normal 'scratch' match. 

And who would the winner be? Someone with a high start, say 700, or someone with a low 300 start. 

Here's what I found. Well from this week anyway......

If I played against someone around my average (50 points each way),  I found that I had the same kind of focus and mind set. I felt the same kind of nerves and performed about the same. 

However,things seemed different when I played a county player. He started on 620 and I started on 490. I won the bull and knew that if I could get a solid 60 with my first 3 darts, I would have a near 200 point lead. This was a real boost as I knew if I kept steady, I should have a few darts at a double. I wasn't too worried about when he started first, I just needed to hold my throw. It seemed all the pressure was on my opponent. I won that 2-0. (He did mutter something about me not being a 490 player, but I'll take that as a compliment!)

In the flipside, I then play someone starting on 400. They actually scored really well throughout, but they had more trouble on the doubles than me, so I stole that match. 

In the last 16 I had to play a 350 player. This was really tough, as they scored well, so were on a finish a lot quicker than me. This is where good scoring was crucial, but I'd hazard a guess that they had a better first 9 than me. Once again, they had way more trouble at the latter stage, so fortunately I came through. 

My quarter final saw me play a 690 player. Again I didn't feel pressure, but they were banging in 100+s for fun. My scoring just wasn't there and I knew once they were ahead, they were likely to finish first. I got a leg, but was a game too far. 

The overall winner was a 540 player, so it showed that everyone had a chance. It was really enjoyable and an interesting format. I'll likely be back next week for more. I'm guessing my starting score will be around 520-530, so will need to make sure I can score heavier next time. 

Some tools I've created to help me.

My new passion, alongside darts (obviously) is to create some games that will help with darts practise .    

I've been using them for a couple of weeks, and I can already see improvement. So I though I'd share one with you now. This is a work in progress, so there will be other games to follow, and some will be chargeable, but only very cheap, and will have no adverts and no subscriptions etc. 

Anyway, this first game is simply called Darts Challenge. 

You throw 9 darts at 4 targets (20,19,18,bull) . After each 'round' (9 darts) , you enter your score.    

You then enter your score and you will be placed on a leaderboard against bot players. 

You can choose your level, so you can push  yourself

Up to 4 human players can play, so really good as a social game, as well as solo practise. 

Depeneding on feedback, there can be other options added, such as different target numbers (although I already have something similar in production currently.

Just click on the Icon and away you go! Would really appreciate any feedback, ideally on Twitter/X, 

Enjoy!