My Progress Over the Last Few Weeks – A Breakthrough?

 

It’s been a strange few weeks. Life has thrown its usual mix of busy spells and distractions, which meant the blog took a temporary back seat. But one thing I didn’t step away from was the practice board  and, in a quiet sort of way, things have started to change.

I’ve been here before, thinking I’d made a breakthrough, so I’m saying this carefully.
But something really does feel different this time.

Thursday 22nd January – A First on a Thursday Night

This was the first real sign that things might be moving in the right direction.

I played five group games  and won all five.

On a Thursday, with an Open-standard field, that simply doesn’t happen for me. The averages weren’t spectacular, but that didn’t matter. Winning was the priority, and I felt sharp, solid, and genuinely competitive.

I eventually went out in the Last 16, but even that didn’t sting. I walked away feeling good and better than I had in quite a while.

Thursday 29th January – A Tough Group, Better Scoring

A week later, the results on paper didn’t look as impressive: just two wins from five.

But context matters. It was a very tough group.

My scoring was noticeably improved and, although doubles let me down at key moments, I had chances in every match. These were players I’d normally expect to lose to comfortably, yet this time I was pushing them, taking legs, and losing narrowly.

Instead of feeling deflated, I walked away thinking:

I’m starting to mix it with the next level up.

Thursday 5th February – Consistency Emerging

This night felt like a blend of the previous two weeks:

• Really solid scoring

• Four wins out of five in the group

• Another Last 16 exit  but one that could easily have gone my way

My opponent produced a 17-dart leg to win the deciding leg 3–2. Hard to complain about that — sometimes you just get hit with a cracking leg at the wrong moment.

Once again, though, the key takeaway was that my level stayed high.

So… What’s Changed?

Interestingly, the breakthrough didn’t come on the oche.

It came while I was marking and refereeing at Challenge Tours and Masters qualifiers.

Being around higher-level players forced me to really pay attention  not just to how good they were, but how they played:

Their stance
Their throw
Their rhythm
Their arm path
Their overall movement

As I watched, I started comparing everything to my own technique  and that’s when I noticed something big.

My arm was going back twice before the throw.

Almost nobody else did this.

Most players had one clean movement: back and forward, smooth and controlled.

So I started testing it in practice.

At first it felt weird. Then awkward. Then suddenly… it clicked.

And when it clicked, the darts grouped properly.
Straighter, tighter, and far more predictable.

Taking It Into Competition

My practice routines focus heavily on grouping and doubles, but I didn’t fully realise how much this technical tweak had helped until I took it into live match play.

Suddenly:

• Trebles were appearing more often

• Doubles were going in more consistently

• My confidence felt calmer and more assured

Even the losses felt like good losses — games where I still played proper darts.

Right now, I’m consistently around a 60 average, and the next goal is clear:

Push towards a consistent 70 over the next six months.

If I can do that  and I genuinely believe I can. I’ll go into competitions feeling like I belong and can make real progress.

For the first time in a long while,
that feels very possible.