Bristol & South West's Most Improved Players - A Very Important Ranking

 

Winning tournaments will always grab the headlines, but it isn't the only way to measure progress.

One of my favourite features in the Q4QS rankings is the Improvement Report, which compares a player's last 50 recorded legs against their previous 50 legs. Rather than rewarding a single great night or one tournament victory, it highlights players who are genuinely raising their level over time.

In many ways, I think this tells a bigger story than a simple league table.

Every darts player goes through peaks and troughs. We all have evenings where nothing seems to go right, followed by weeks where everything suddenly clicks. That's completely normal. What matters is how you respond after those difficult spells.

Take Ethan Williams, who currently tops the latest Bristol & South West Improvement Rankings.

His numbers are remarkable. Ethan has increased his average from 47.12 over his previous 50 legs to 65.91 across his latest 50 legs – an improvement of 18.79 points, or almost 40%.

That doesn't necessarily mean Ethan has suddenly become a completely different player overnight. It may simply show someone who has worked through a difficult period, found confidence again, and is now producing the level he is capable of.

That is exactly why I enjoy this report so much.

Behind Ethan are several players who continue to move in the right direction, including Christopher Willcocks, Christopher Staples, Joshua Rees, George Freeman, Natalie Baxter, Benny Watkins and Jamie Davey. Each has shown significant improvement over their most recent performances, proving that consistent development often matters more than one-off results.

Improvement isn't always a straight line

It's important to remember that this isn't a permanent ranking.

Players who appear near the top this month may naturally drop back next month once those improved performances become part of their longer-term average. Equally, players who are currently outside the Top 50 may suddenly climb the list after putting together a few strong tournaments.

That's exactly how improvement works.

Nobody keeps getting better every single week forever. Even the best players experience dips in form. The difference is that they recover.

The players to watch

Rank	Player	Previous 50	Last 50	Improvement	Improve %
1	Ethan Williams	47.12	65.91	+18.79	39.88%
2	Christopher Willcocks	51.47	60.40	+8.93	17.35%
3	Christopher Staples	52.34	61.39	+9.05	17.29%
4	Joshua Rees	43.65	50.64	+6.99	16.01%
5	George Freeman	36.24	41.98	+5.74	15.84%
6	Natalie Baxter	48.57	56.19	+7.62	15.69%
7	Benny Watkins	55.22	63.70	+8.48	15.36%
8	Jamie Davey	52.52	60.20	+7.68	14.62%
9	Brooklyn Anthony	57.62	65.63	+8.01	13.90%
10	Cruz Morse	38.20	43.51	+5.31	13.90%
11	Beau Murton	48.88	55.38	+6.50	13.30%
12	Jenson Swift	43.95	49.77	+5.82	13.24%
13	Markk Valentino	48.13	54.39	+6.26	13.01%
14	Gavyn Griffiths	46.95	53.03	+6.08	12.95%
15	Jac Thomas	53.84	60.50	+6.66	12.37%
16	Kieran Thomas	52.83	59.23	+6.40	12.11%
17	Alfie Milroy	28.89	32.35	+3.46	11.98%
18	Logun Godbeer	59.58	66.42	+6.84	11.48%
19	James Pryer	50.15	55.79	+5.64	11.25%
20	Phil Bisset	53.23	59.21	+5.98	11.23%
21	Arnold Szasz	43.18	47.96	+4.78	11.07%
22	Steven Rees	69.26	76.67	+7.41	10.70%
23	Todd Marfell	55.88	61.80	+5.92	10.59%
24	Pec Parkinson	58.33	64.49	+6.16	10.56%
25	James Taviner	55.44	61.08	+5.64	10.17%
26	Kian Baker	41.01	45.08	+4.07	9.92%
27	Reece Harding	53.69	58.90	+5.21	9.70%
28	Harley Hunt	39.30	43.10	+3.80	9.67%
29	Joel Farrell-Humphreys	52.79	57.87	+5.08	9.62%
30	Edward Manley	70.18	76.91	+6.73	9.59%

For me, one of the most encouraging signs is seeing the same names appear in the Improvement Rankings again and again.

If a player can consistently remain inside the Top 50 Improvers, it usually suggests they are steadily developing their game rather than relying on occasional good nights. Those are often the players who quietly climb the Q4QS rankings over the course of a season.

This report isn't designed to replace the main rankings.

Instead, it complements them by answering a different question:

Who's getting better?

Whether you're chasing your first tournament win or trying to break into the top tier of South West darts, improvement is ultimately what matters.

Keep improving, and the results usually follow.

I'll continue updating the Q4QS Improvement Rankings throughout the season, and it'll be fascinating to see who keeps moving upwards as 2026 progresses.

Time for a Reset

Tonight was one of those nights.

I didn't win a single leg.

The strange thing is that my average wasn't completely terrible, but the results certainly were. Walking away without a leg win is never enjoyable, and it has forced me to take a long, hard look at where my game currently stands.

The truth is that I know I'm capable of better. I've shown flashes of it. I've had good legs, good spells, and good tournaments. The problem isn't a lack of ability. The problem is that I'm not currently doing anything focused enough to solve the issues that keep appearing.

If I'm honest, this isn't just a darts problem.

It's something I do in life generally.

I overwhelm myself with ideas, projects, plans and possibilities. Instead of focusing on one thing and improving it, I end up trying to tackle everything at once. The result is that progress becomes slower than it should be.

So it's time for a rethink.

Not a dramatic one. Not because I'm angry or depressed about tonight. Quite the opposite. I'm actually feeling quite positive about it.

I think I need to strip everything right back to basics.

Physically, that means rebuilding my throw from the ground up. Looking at stance, alignment, grouping and consistency. No shortcuts. No miracle fixes. Just simple, deliberate practice.

Mentally, it means getting my head in the right place again. Finding focus. Removing noise. Concentrating on the things that actually matter instead of worrying about everything at once.

I've even started thinking about whether Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) might be useful. Not specifically for darts, but for helping me organise my thinking, improve focus and gain better perspective. The lessons could easily transfer onto the oche.

This isn't a blog post about giving up.

It's a blog post about starting again.

The good news is that I know I'm not alone. Every darts player seems to hit these periods where they know there's more in the tank but can't quite unlock it. Every player has moments where the game feels harder than it should.

So over the next few weeks I'm going back to basics. I'll document what I'm doing, what works, what doesn't work, and whether the changes make a difference.

And if I manage to find something that genuinely helps, I'll make sure I share it.

Because I suspect there are plenty of players out there standing exactly where I am right now.

Wednesday Night Under 55 Average Tournament – Browns Bar, Bristol

 Last night (Wednesday) I played in the Under 55 Average Comp at Browns Bar, Bristol. It was a bit up and down overall, but I’m happy with my scoring. The big takeaway? My head was in a much better place than it’s been for the past few weeks.No overthinking, just enjoying the game.

I definitely need to practice my doubles more, but mentally I felt solid. Lost focus a little in the Last 16, but I’m fine with that. Tonight is an open tournament, so the goal is to keep this upturn in form and mindset going.

Stats from Wednesday

Result: Last 16

Match Average: 45.74

First 9 Average: 53.79

100+ scores: 7

Legs Won: 7

Legs Lost: 6

Breaks: 4

Reflection

Scoring was decent, but finishing let me down. Still, the mental side felt strong, which is a big win for me right now.