The Toughest Vault 18 Venues in the South West – According to the Q4QS Database

 

Where are the hardest places to win a Vault 18 title?

It's a question I've heard several times, and like most debates in darts, everyone has an opinion.

Some players will tell you Bristol is the toughest place to play. Others swear by Gloucestershire, while players from Somerset and Worcestershire would no doubt argue that their local venues are every bit as competitive.

Rather than relying on opinion, I thought I'd let the Q4QS database do the talking.

Before looking at the rankings, it's important to explain exactly what you're looking at.

Tournament Strength isn't the same as tournament average

One of the biggest misconceptions in darts statistics is that a high winning average automatically means a strong tournament.

It doesn't.

The Q4QS Tournament Strength Index isn't designed to measure how well the winner played. Instead, it measures the overall quality of the field taking part. A tournament packed with highly-rated players will score highly, even if conditions mean averages are slightly lower than normal.

In simple terms...

Tournament Average tells you how well players performed.

Tournament Strength tells you how difficult the tournament was to win.

That's what makes it such an interesting statistic.

The table below shows the highest Tournament Strength Index recorded by each venue currently appearing in the Q4QS database. While these are benchmark figures rather than long-term venue averages, they provide an excellent indication of which venues are capable of producing exceptionally strong fields.

Q4QS South West Vault 18 Venue Rankings

Rank	Venue	County	Highest Tournament Strength
1	Bengeworth Club	Worcestershire	71.06
2	Sartan Club	Bristol	70.25
3	Yeovil Labour Club	Somerset	68.75
4	Bridley Moor & Batchley SC	Worcestershire	68.31
5	Magpies Social Club	Gloucestershire	68.02
6	North Star Club	Wiltshire	67.02
7	GWRSA Club	Oxfordshire	66.79
8	Choughs Hotel	Somerset	66.78
9	Faringdon Town FC	Oxfordshire	66.65
10	The Academy	Hampshire	66.37
11	Bretforton Sports Club	Worcestershire	66.31
12	Hangar61	Bristol	63.33

Figures based on the highest Tournament Strength Index currently recorded for each venue in the Q4QS database.

Worcestershire quietly leads the way

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the county at the top.

While Bristol has long been regarded as one of England's darts hotbeds, Worcestershire boasts three venues inside the current Top 15, including the Bengeworth Club, which holds the highest Tournament Strength recorded in the database.

Anyone who has played at Bengeworth will know exactly why.

Strong local players, regular visitors and a consistently competitive field make every draw a genuine test.

Bristol continues to deliver

It would be impossible to write this article without mentioning Bristol.

The Sartan Club continues to justify its reputation as one of the country's premier grassroots venues, while Hangar61 has established itself as another excellent destination for competitive Vault 18 darts.

What stands out isn't just the quality of the leading players, but the depth throughout the field.

Winning in Bristol rarely comes easily.

A healthy spread across the South West

One of the most encouraging aspects of these rankings is how geographically diverse they are.

Somerset is represented by Yeovil Labour Club and Choughs Hotel.

Gloucestershire has the ever-improving Magpies Social Club.

Wiltshire's North Star Club continues to attract quality entries.

Oxfordshire appears twice, while Hampshire also makes the list.

That's fantastic news for grassroots darts.

Players no longer need to travel huge distances to find strong competition. Across the South West there are now numerous venues capable of producing fields packed with county players, experienced competitors and ambitious youngsters.

The standard keeps rising

Perhaps that's the biggest story of all.

The purpose of the Tournament Strength Index isn't simply to rank venues.

It's to track the overall health of grassroots darts.

Looking at these figures, one conclusion feels unavoidable.

The standard is improving.

More players are competing regularly.

More venues are attracting stronger entries.

And more tournaments are becoming genuinely difficult to win.

For anyone looking to test themselves against quality opposition, these venues represent some of the very best the South West has to offer.

As the Q4QS database continues to grow, I'll be revisiting these rankings using long-term venue averages to see which clubs consistently attract the strongest fields.

For now, though, these venues have set the benchmark.

And judging by the quality on display week after week, earning a Vault 18 title at any of them is an achievement to be proud of.

Just How Difficult Is It To Break Into The PDC Top 20?

 

One of the biggest debates in professional darts centres around the PDC Order of Merit. Are the world's top players simply the best players, or does the structure of the professional game make it harder than ever for new names to break into the elite?

It's a question I've heard discussed countless times, particularly around the European Tour. The Top 16 receive automatic entry and seeded positions, while those further down the rankings often have to battle through qualifiers before they've even thrown a dart on the main stage.

Rather than simply offering an opinion, I wanted to look at the numbers.

A remarkably exclusive club

Looking at the year-end PDC Top 20 between 2010 and 2025 reveals just how difficult it is to join the sport's elite.

Across those sixteen seasons there were 321 Top 20 positions available (2019 included a tie for 20th), yet they were occupied by just 63 different players.

That immediately tells us one thing.

Breaking into the Top 20 is far harder than many people probably realise.

Even more striking is the annual turnover. On average, over 82% of the previous year's Top 20 remained there the following season. In a typical year, only three or four places became available.

Think about that for a moment.

A player isn't realistically competing for one of twenty places. They're competing for one of perhaps three opportunities, while the remaining positions are occupied by players who have already established themselves.

Staying there is just as impressive

Once players reach the elite, many stay there for years.

James Wade appeared in every year-end Top 20 from 2010 through to 2025.

Michael van Gerwen has spent fourteen consecutive years inside the Top 20.

Dave Chisnall has managed thirteen consecutive appearances, while Peter Wright and Simon Whitlock both enjoyed runs of twelve straight seasons.

This isn't simply a list of talented players. It demonstrates remarkable consistency over long periods.

At the other end of the scale, only eleven players appeared in the year-end Top 20 on just one occasion during the study period. Reaching the Top 20 is rarely a one-season fluke.

So is the system fair?

This is where opinions begin to differ.

One argument is simple.

The best players win the biggest tournaments, therefore they deserve to be seeded, receive automatic entries and benefit from those rewards.

It's difficult to argue against success being rewarded.

However, there is another side to the debate.

Once a player reaches the Top 16, they gain regular access to the biggest ranking events, avoid qualification for many tournaments and often receive more favourable draws through seeding.

Those advantages don't guarantee victories, but they do provide more opportunities to earn ranking money than players trying to break through from outside the elite.

The statistics alone don't prove that the system keeps players in the Top 20.

What they do show is that very few places become available each year, meaning the pathway into the elite is incredibly narrow.

Is there a changing of the guard?

Yes, but perhaps not as quickly as many people think.

The early part of the study was dominated by names such as Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis, Raymond van Barneveld, Terry Jenkins and Simon Whitlock.

Gradually they were replaced by Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Michael Smith and Gerwyn Price.

Now we're seeing another generation emerge, led by Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Gian van Veen, Josh Rock and Martin Schindler.

What's interesting is that this change rarely happens overnight.

Most players don't jump from outside the Top 100 into the Top 20 in a single season. Instead they tend to climb steadily over several years before finally making the breakthrough.

Luke Littler is the obvious exception. His rise has been extraordinary and almost certainly shouldn't be viewed as the normal route to the top.

Can we spot the next breakthrough?

This is where I think statistics become really interesting.

The PDC Order of Merit measures prize money won over a two-year period.

My own Q4QS rankings are designed to measure current playing strength using a different methodology.

That means they don't always agree.

Sometimes a player appears high in the Q4QS rankings long before they reach the very top of the PDC Order of Merit.

That doesn't mean they'll definitely become a Top 20 player.

But history suggests that players who consistently produce high averages, win regularly and continue to climb the rankings often follow a similar pathway to those who have broken through before them.

Over the coming months, I'll be comparing today's Q4QS leaders with previous generations of players to see whether we can identify the next stars before they establish themselves on the biggest stages.

The verdict

The figures leave little doubt that breaking into the PDC Top 20 is one of the hardest achievements in professional darts.

With only a handful of places changing hands each year, new players need sustained excellence rather than one outstanding season.

Whether the current structure simply rewards the very best players or also makes it harder for newcomers to force their way through is a debate that will continue.

What the numbers do prove is that reaching the Top 20 is only half the battle.

Staying there is an achievement in itself.

This is only the first part of the research. Over the coming weeks I'll be looking more closely at the journeys of previous breakthrough players, comparing them with today's emerging talent and asking one simple question:

Who will be the next player to force their way into the PDC's elite?

What's in a Name? Which First Name Rules the Q4QS Rankings?

 

Every now and then I spot something in the rankings that makes me wonder...

This week I noticed that Luke Humphries sits at No.1 in the Q4QS Rankings, Luke Littler is No.2, and Luke Woodhouse isn't far behind.

So naturally I started thinking...

Is Luke the strongest first name in darts?

To find out, I grouped every player in the Q4QS rankings by first name. Rather than simply looking at the highest-ranked player, I added together the rankings of each name's best five players. That rewards names with real depth rather than just one superstar.

The results were a real surprise...

The Strongest First Names in Q4QS

🥇 1. Jack (Combined Ranking Score: 558)

• Jack Drayton (#34)

• Jack Aldridge (#50)

• Jack Tweddell (#136)

• Jack Johnson (#145)

• Jack Todd (#193)

🥈 2. Daniel (571)

• Daniel Ayres (#25)

• Daniel Klose (#46)

• Daniel Zapata (#87)

• Daniel Larsson (#171)

• Daniel Nicholls (#242)

🥉 3. James (670)

• James Wade (#13)

• James Beeton (#40)

• James Hurrell (#163)

• James Howard Hughes (#226)

• James Parkin (#228)

4. Ryan (761)

• Ryan Searle (#100)

• Ryan Hogarth (#114)

• Ryan Joyce (#119)

• Ryan Branley (#196)

• Ryan Furness (#232)

5. Michael (811)

• Michael van Gerwen (#6)

• Michael Smith (#84)

• Michael Unterbuchner (#178)

• Michael Wiles (#202)

• Michael Bajowski (#341)

6. Adam (812)

• Adam Gawlas (#37)

• Adam Sevada (#116)

• Adam Leek (#142)

• Adam Beck (#189)

• Adam Paxton

7. Scott (895)

• Scott Robertson (#26)

• Scott Waites (#29)

• Scott Walters (#258)

• Scott Campbell (#277)

• Scott Winder (#305)

So what about the Lukes?

This was the whole reason I looked into it.

With Luke Humphries at #1, Luke Littler at #2 and Luke Woodhouse at #11, I thought Luke would probably top the table.

Not even close!

Once you get beyond those three, the rankings thin out, meaning Luke only finishes 15th overall in the first-name standings.

It just shows that having the world's two best players doesn't necessarily give you the strongest name overall.

Is your name any good?

Being called Paul myself, I couldn't resist checking.

There are 107 Pauls in the current Q4QS rankings.

The leading five are:

• Paul Krohne (#19)

• Paul Milford (#240)

• Paul Rowley (#369)

• Paul Hogan (#379)

• Paul Redfern (#575)

That puts Paul in 17th place overall. Not bad... but I'll admit I'm slightly disappointed we couldn't crack the Top 10!

What about some of darts' legendary names?

I also wondered how some of the sport's most famous first names were represented today.

• Eric – Just 9 players appear in the rankings, with Eric Wadlow (#1064) currently leading the way.

• Phil – 27 players, headed by Phil Johnson-Hale (#708).

• Philip – 16 players, with Philip Van Gasse (#738) the highest ranked.

• Raymond – Led by Raymond Smith (#58) and Raymond van Barneveld (#399), giving the name a respectable showing.

• Ray – Only 6 players, with Ray Byron (#3302) currently the highest ranked.

It seems some of darts' most iconic names have become surprisingly uncommon in today's rankings.

Which name comes next?

This started as a bit of fun, but it turned out to be a fascinating look at the depth of talent behind each first name.

It also raises plenty of other questions...

• Which surname is strongest?

• Which first name is the most common?

• Which names are climbing fastest?

• Is there a lucky darts name after all?

I'll definitely be digging into the data again.

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.