My Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th Tournaments

 I think I may be on the up again. Not in terms of average, or even winning tournaments, but after the past few weeks of just being tense with my throw and having grip issues, my last two tournaments have felt so much more comfortable.

I have tried to concentrate on relaxing my arm and focus on the arm finishing straight. I also take a breath before I take my first throw. This seemed to work for a good percentage of my throws. Obviously I had a few go wild, (although I'll always take those random treble 12s!), but in general, I felt like there was improvement. Doubles-wise I had a few issues, but I was more concerned with the throw and feeling relaxed than doubles and averages. The doubles will come, but for now, my focus is on consistent 20s or 19s. I need to be on a finish after 12-15 darts if I am to make that next jump in my performance. 

So, to Wednesday. This was just one of those tournaments. 

I played really well in parts and felt good throughout. However, it seemed that whoever I played decided that were going to play just that bit better than me. I had no real argument and I missed a few doubles, but just seemed to be beaten by the better player each time. The good thing is I didn't let it affect my mind and took it in my stride. I looked at all the positives and could take them to the next tournament.

Wednesday 4th December Stats: Avg: 46.30: First 9 49.10: 100+ 4: 140+ 0: 180 0

Thursday's tournament was a little bit better. Actually if I played like I did on the Wednesday, I may have had a good chance. I arrived late to the venue, as I had an appointment, and was straight on, with just 9 practise darts. I think it was the lack of time to be able to think, (and therefore worry), that I threw a nice 60 average. I felt very relaxed and the trebles were going. However my opponent hit around 80 so I didn't pick up a win. My second game was against a player I knew I had to beat in order to have a good chance of progressing. This is when a little bit of tension crept in. I went one down, and then just told myself to relax and just throw. For once, it actually worked and I started playing well and took the next two legs to record a win. My third game was close, but just edged out, although I did record a 20 dart leg, so that's positive. Fourth game was similar. Had chances, but didn't take them. 

In the last 16, I found myself up against former Pro Tour player, Ryan Palmer. He opened with a 180 and I just tried too hard chasing and didn't really give him a game. I was pleased to get to the knockout stages though, as Thursdays are brutal and there's no average cap.  Definite progress made this week and looking forward to practise and more tournaments. 

Thursday 5th December Stats: Avg: 46.42: First 9 51.38: 100+ 5: 140+ 2: 180 0

What should I try this Wednesday?

 Back to my Wednesday night Under 55 average tournament.  I've had a little throw this week, but no intense practise or anything like that.  I'm at a stage where I just need to play through any insecurities or mental issues I'm currently having with the game. I just seem to be putting to much pressure on myself on a Wednesday and it is causing very silly mistakes. I need to go in relaxed, but have focus on what I need to hit. It doesn't have to be treble 20 every time. 60 per throw would be enough to get me to the semi-finals. ,or even better. Then once I'm comfortable with this, I can worry about the bigger scores and bigger finishes.  As mentioned in a previous post, Australian player Raymond Smith, spoke of the discipline of just going at the 20s and hardly switching. It makes sense to me and I am guilty of trying to make clever shots, which I don't really need to do. 

Last Wednesday I was too relaxed and didn't really care how I played. The arm felt good, but the results didn't reflect anything. Perhaps with a relaxed attitude but with a focus of caring, this may help. And being disciplined and not switching all over the board. 

You can follow my progress tonight from 7.30pm (gmt) Just click this link > My Wednesday U55 Tournament 

Listen to the Commentator

I've been watching the WDF World Championships on You Tube. While there are some little bugs, such as long advert breaks between matches, I have been particularly impressed with the commentary and punditry. 

One pundit, in particular, has bee, the Australian player, Raymond Smith, who has been insightful in the psyche of players and also given tips. 

He was talking about the idea of going back to basics and concentrating primarily on the 20s. Not switching very often and getting to the 161, 141, 101 finishes. It struck a chord with me, as it seemed so simple. In practise, I do sometimes have a tendency to switch around, and change games/drills, as I think it will improve me in various areas. However to concentrate more on the 20s and be consistent with them will surely increase my chances of winning. Perhaps if I get to a very high level, my thinking will change, but the sort of comps I generally play in, a 70 average will get me far and even a competition win. Raymond also mentioned that it will take a lot of discipline to do this, as it's quite boring when the vast majority of your practise routine is just throwing at the same number. For me, I need that discipline, and I really think this 20 focus might help my game improve in a reasonably short amount of time. I've never really thought about this way of practise before, but I'm going to give it a go. I don't expect anything to happen overnight, but maybe after a few weeks.

So sometimes there is some really good advice out there aside from the general commentary, and now and again something resonates. 

That Time Of Year

 It's that time of year, when the WDF stage their World Championships. One thing that always bugs me is the negativity some people give to this. 

They say it's no where near PDC level and 'they could beat them' .

The PDC is generally considered, even by those staunch to the WDF (old BDO), to be of a higher quality in terms of strength in depth. And that's ok.  This has been the case since the late 90s. PDC offer more prize money and have a more dynamic progression system, with Q School and the Challenge and Development Tours. Therefore it is to be expected that this will be the stronger governing body. 

And many have seen time in the WDF/BDO as a stepping stone to the PDC. In fact, it used to be that the WDF/BDO World Championship finalists would be invited to Q School, with many taking this opportunity. 

So in a nutshell, it is quite clear that PDC is better, in terms of averages and coverage than the other tours, including WDF. 

Elsewhere we also know that Premier League football is better quality than Championship football. We expect the Premier League game to have more skill and more familiar names, but as a fan of the game, I'd still enjoy, and appreciate the Championship game. And also acknowledge they are way better than me!

This can be applied to darts. I appreciate the quality is not quite as high, but it still is much better than me and most of my darts peers. To get to the WDF World Championships is not a free ride. It takes qualification, a season of earning ranking points, or winning a big competition. Also a consistent level must be maintained throughout the year. If the layman tried there hand in WDF competitions, they may understand just how difficult it is. Besides as the competition moves on, the averages are not that far away from generic PDC scores. You are talking maybe 1 or 2 darts per leg.

The Modus Super Series is a good comparison. As a fan of the game, I love the Modus Super Series. Again , it is not PDC quality, and I don't expect this.  It still has all the drama and excitement that darts gives and so I'm satisfied. 

To enjoy darts, every game doesn't need to be 100+ averages, and 9 darters. There is so much more to the game. 

A final point is that some players that have been in the WDF World Championships and Modus , have gone on to have successful careers on the PDC Tour.  Players such as Glen Durrant, Gian Van Veen and a certain Luke Littler. 

So keep enjoying the darts and watch it for what it is. Some games will be slower than others, but personally I don't care, I just love the fact that darts from all areas is appearing more and more on TV and Online. 

Modus Champions Week

 As this is Champions Week, it is no surprise that you could make a case for any of these players to take the crown. To get to this position means you would have had to qualify through a quality field, so any player represented will believe they can win.

The bookmakers have made the Lithuanian player, Darius Labanauskas the favourite closely followed by Andreas Harrysson. Although Labanauskas spent a few years on the Pro Tour ,I'm not sure his form in general would put him at the top of the field. Harrysson, however, is always a tough opponent. He is a big scorer and also had a 9 dart checkout at the Modus Super Series. I'd be very surprised if he did not make Saturday's final six. Tom Sykes and Jim Long are another two I fully expect to make it to Saturday, Both are perennial winners here and are usually comfortable at making the final stage. Sykes, in particular, is an exciting prospect for the future, and someone I'm quite confident will take his place on the Pro Tour soon. 

If it was this time last year, I would expect Andy Boulton to be favourite. He has an amazing Modus record and played on the Pro Tour, as part of a high placed Challenge Tour position .If he gets back some of last year's form, then he will be very difficult to stop. 

Paul Hogan and Andy Hamilton have bags of experience, so they shouldn't get nervous, but whether they can remain consistent, is another question. They have made it to Champions week, so there is a chance that either could spring a surprise. 

Scott Taylor, is another with an excellent Modus record. He has blown hot and cold this year, so depends which Scott Taylor turns up. On his day, he can match any of these though. 

Kai Gotthardt and Romeo Grbavic are interesting players, in that they are not that well known outside of darts circles. Those that have played against them will know their talent, so not to be discounted. Both players have had solid seasons, so at least one of them should make the Saturday finals night. 

That leaves David Davies and Derek Coulson. These are seen as the outsiders, but they have both already caused a surprise in qualifying. Davies has been here many times and will not be overawed. I could see him sneaking a Saturday place. While with Coulson we will have to wait, but he is a capable player. 

So in summary I think Andreas Harrysson will make the final. I think he is that tiny percentage better than the others currently. His opponent? I'll go for Andy Boulton, as I know he has real quality, and if he hits that here, could take a lot of stopping.  I will say, though, don't be surprised if David Davies goes a long way into this competition. He has got his chance at Champions Week after many, many attempts, so he will be very motivated. 

Less is More Or Not?

 I had a busy weekend and so go zero opportunity to throw darts, not even in practise. It made me wonder whether this actually may be a good thing. 

When I play in my weekly tournaments, one of the things I berate myself with is, 'I should have practised more'. However, I have previously been speaking about being tense and overthinking things. Perhaps one of the reasons for this, is I am being too analytical and looking for perfection. The more I practise, the more I get frustrated that I'm not reaching the dizzier heights I expect to. Maybe these few days off will give my mind and body a chance to relax and reset. I will practise tomorrow for an hour or two and it will be interesting to see if my throw will be a bit easier. 

Obviously I know I do have to practise if I want to improve, but maybe there's a balance. May quality, rather than quantity, and certainly less analytical. Just throw at the board, get comfortable with certain areas and don't put pressure on yourself. For this week ,I will step away from playing the computer in 501s. That will just cause unnecessary pressure. Maybe just drills and simple games like Bobs 27 and 61-100 in 6 darts. Then I will play on Wednesday and hopefully will help with the tension. 

JDC World Cup and Championships

 The climax of a full season of Junior Darts was staged in Gibraltar as the JDC World Cup and World Championship were played. It also saw the staging inaugural Luke Littler Legacy Trophy. Littler owes a lot of his success to the JDC and academy route into professional.  His success has inspired many many young people to try their hand. Some want to be future pros and some just want to enjoy the game. 

The Luke Littler Legacy Trophy was the first major title to be held, and there was no shortage of quality. The eventual winner was Ryan Branley, who beat fellow English star, Jack Nankervis in the final. Both have been flying on the JDC tour, and many within the JDC would not be have surprised to see these two make the finals. The final score was 6-5, with Branley hitting an average of 92.53. In fact he hit above 80 in every round. Nankervis wasn't far behind as he hit 83.14 in the final. 

The World Junior Championship was the next event. No winner decided in Gibraltar, as this will be played at Alexandra Palace during the PDC World Championship. However the tournament was played down to the semi-finals, with the winner of each securing their place. 

The young Belgian talent,Lex Paeshuyse booked his place beating the Mongolian sensation, Tergel Khurelkhuu in his semi final. Paeshuyse had also beaten both Branley and Nankervis in the earlier rounds, so had performed incredibly well to make it. Along with names mentioned above, he will be one for the future for sure. The second player to qualify was the English player Daniel Stephenson. Stephenson had to beat the number one ranked JDC player, Archie Self in the quarter final, so his route was tough too. This all leads to an exciting final on the Alexandra Palace stage, where both players will be hoping to follow in the successful footsteps of previous winners such as Jurjen van de Velde, Keane Barry and, of course, Luke Littler. 

The final big event in Gibraltar was the World Cup. Teams of four would play, firstly in a group stage, and then onto a straight knockout. 20 countries were represented, and around half of these had second string 'B' teams.  

The strength of some of these nations give an indication of what's to come over the next few years, and it's great to see new countries emerge with young talent. Mongolia, in particular, stand out. Not a country you would consider when it come to darts, but are a nation getting stronger each year. Also good to see Italy, Canada and Gibraltar perform well. This will hopefully make darts even more global than it currently is. 

The final saw England 'A' overcome Netherlands 'B', in the final. Perhaps not too surprising, as the Junior game in these countries has had most investment and structure in recent years. However England had a tough match to overcome Mongolia 4-2 in the semi final and Netherlands beat Ireland in their last four game. So more and more countries are emerging and may darts may not always be UK/Dutch stronghold.

The English team was a very capable group and included JDC number one, Archie Self, Ryan Branley, who has also appeared on the PDC Development Tour and Modus Super Series, Jack Nankervis, who I've mentioned above and Kieran Thompson. I'm sure we will be seeing most of this group a lot more in the coming years too. 

The JDC goes from strength to strength, and events like this can only make it grow. I look forward to see players come through this system and follow the legacy of Luke Littler.