Week One of My Four-Week Darts Improvement Plan: What I Learned

 Week one of my four-week darts improvement plan has been a real eye-opener. I went into it with a clear routine, a plan to refine my grip, and a determination to finally break through some of the mental blocks that hold me back in competition. Day one and day two actually went really well. My grip felt different, more controlled, more deliberate and I genuinely thought I was starting to turn a corner.

But when it came to competition, everything changed. I completely overthought it. Instead of just throwing naturally, I was trying to force the exact technique from practice. My grip slipped back to the old way, my mind was busy, and every dart felt like a calculation rather than a throw. It was frustrating because I know I can play better, but sometimes the brain gets in the way more than the mechanics do.

After that, I tried to practice again a couple of times, hoping to get back into the flow, but nothing clicked. My arm felt tight, my head felt full, and there was just no rhythm. So I did something I don’t usually do, I left my darts alone for a couple of days. No practice, no routines, no thinking about grip. Just a reset.

When I picked them up again yesterday, I made a conscious effort not to care. I didn’t focus on grip, score, mechanics, or anything technical. I just threw. And instantly it felt better. With no internal commentary running, my arm moved freely and my throw felt natural again. It reminded me that sometimes the best thing you can do in darts is get out of your own way.

So the plan now is simple: I’m going to continue with my practice routine, but without overthinking it. No scorekeeping, no analysing every small detail, no trying to be perfect. Just throw and let the technique settle naturally. Fingers crossed I can carry this mindset into tournament play, because that’s always the real challenge. If I can keep the noise in my head quiet, I genuinely believe the results will follow.