Reflection, hairy chests and hairy mammals are all dealt with today!

Hey Hey it`s the Count

Posted: 16.11.10 in Tournament Analysis Blog category

Reflection, hairy chests and hairy mammals are all dealt with today!

`Daily` Mirror on the wall who unbuttons his shirt the most of all?

The Count of course! Ted Hankey, in his splendid darts costume outmanoeuvred `The Power` in a session of darting drama last night in Wolverhampton. What a huge difference a year makes. And we are not talking about Phil Taylor.

One of the key areas we promote at the Darts Performance Centre is reflection. This is the ability to objectively deconstruct your performance, whether it has been good, bad or in-different and work out what went right or wrong. The data that can be gleaned from an honest self-appraisal can be gold dust in the journey of self improvement. You do have to be truthful, however. Blaming tripping over the cat on your way to the venue or believing you `were just unlucky` is only going to keep you stationary when it comes to progress in whatever it is you are trying to master.

This is why we are talking about Ted. He made a complete fool of himself last year and he admits it. But, that is why a lot of darts fans set aside their admiration for Taylor, and all he has done for the sport and took off their hats (or maybe unbuttoned their shirts) in salute to `The Count`. He worked the crowd like an esteemed actor in `Theatre Land` and played darts like a champion. He dedicated his victory to the experience he had last year, he analysed the mistakes he made, corrected them and then moved forward, and some!

Barry`s Ark

Our favourite commentator, the unflappable Iceman was first compared to a Jackdaw and then hastily given the positive traits of a magpie (or was it the other way around) during the ITV4 broadcast last night, why you ask? Because of his encyclopaedic memory of darts matches from yesteryear, should it of been an elephant though, don`t they have good memories? Anyway, lets move onto hairy mammals, the monkees, hey hey it`s Aaron Monk.

Aaron is of course not a hairy mammal, he is a young, dedicated and focused darts player. Did anyone watch his game against Beaton and come away thinking he was un-lucky or you may even have been slightly bemused as to how he managed to lose 5:1? It didn`t surprise me at all, I have seen it all before! I worked with Anthony Urmston-Toft on the Pro Tour this year, a game between him and Aaron would be a good contest. However, beating a top fifty player in the PDC is a challenge, a huge challenge.

This type of match against the likes of Beaton is the harsh reality of the Pro Tour. If that had been the first round of a floor event Aaron would have been £200 down on entry fees as well as his travel, hotel and other expenses. How can a young and aspiring player afford this? Most cannot, and this is a real problem for young talent to get on the PDC production line. They can of course join the BDO as Anthony has done, he decided to get some experience, try and win some darts matches and thus build up experience and confidence and then perhaps have another try at the PDC later.

We wish Aaron Monk well, but any aspiring `monkees`, please `reflect` on your proposed route to darting stardom, like a lot of journeys you may have to take a diversion that you had not yet considered.

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The Darts Performance Centre is a resource to assist dart players of all standards play better darts. The site is arranged as an on-line coaching manual. There is advice on technique, nerves, psychology, goal setting, practice games, an area to log your statistics and an interactive area where your darting questions are answered by two sports scientists, one with 30 years dart playing experience! Membership is just £25.00 per annum.

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Author: Paul Gillings ( paul@dartsperformancecentre.com )

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