Thursday Night Round Robin – A Tough One Mentally

 Another Thursday night wrapped up, and this one was a real test of patience. The numbers tell the story quite well:

• Average: 43.92

• First 9 Average: 56.55

• 100+ Scores: 8

• Legs Won: 1

• Legs Lost: 10

The scoring patches were actually decent.A  56.55 first-9 average shows that when I get going, the darts still come out straight and with intent. But once again, the big issue was the same: doubles. They continue to desert me, and at the moment they’re costing me match after match.

I’m going through a strange phase where I’m massively overthinking everything on the oche. Grip, stance, follow-through, tempo… all the things you shouldn’t be thinking about mid-game. Every now and again I relax naturally and the throw feels smooth, but the moment I realise I’m throwing well, I tighten up again. That mental battle is exhausting.

What frustrates me most is that I know the player I am. At home, in practice, and even in isolated legs in matches, I throw like someone with a 60-average game in the tank. But right now, my head is getting in the way more than anything physical. The darts are fine. My mechanics are fine. The mindset is the issue.

But this is part of the sport. Every player at any level goes through these patches.Periods where nothing feels natural and the doubles feel impossible. The important thing is to ride it out, keep putting the work in, and find ways to bring that calmer, freer practice throw into competition.

I’ll be working doubles hard over the next few days. The moment they start landing again, everything else will lift with them.

This spell will pass. It always does.