The Grand Slam-Night 1

Posted: 13.11.11 in Tournament Analysis Blog category

Our blog is a little cheeky today and we also wonder, has an undertaker ever stooped so low before?

Science in Darts

Mixing sports science with darts is of course the inspiration behind The Darts Performance Centre. We have applied sports science knowledge from different sports, golf, tennis and football for example to demonstrate how the methods used in these sports can assist dart players. We also love carrying out experiments and take our work with dart players seriously. We do have a sense of humour too mind, dart players seem to appreciate that when we work with them.

So keep that all in mind when I explain one ongoing piece of research we are conducting during The Grand Slam. We have dubbed it the “Litmus Wanderer” test. Do you remember litmus tests from school ? (sorry if this is bringing back bad memories!) Litmus paper is treated with different types of dye and then depending on what is applied to it, the paper changes colour to indicate what is contained in the liquid that it comes into contact with!

Litmus paper sprung to my mind when I was told by a reliable source that the standard of play of Wayne Jones was directly linked to the colour of his cheeks ! A rosy glow spelt trouble for his opponent and a more anaemic set of jowls was welcomed by anyone facing the resolute “Wanderer”. My source did not go into exact details as to how this “chemical reaction” is caused by Jones but no doubt through hours of tireless research we can come up with a theory for that!

This data was of course far too tempting to ignore so a colour chart was downloaded and an experiment conducted. Our initial description of Wayne’s cheeks was “late autumn sunset”. This has now been officially marked as “cheeky wink” on the Crown colour chart. The result of the match was a fine 5:2 win over “form” player Brendan Dolan.

        "Cheeky Wink"

Will “Cheeky Wink” be enough in a tournament crammed full with of darting talent for Wayne to progress? Keep an eye on Wayne, if he can get to “RaRa Red”   or even “Red Carpet”   he can “face” any player with confidence!

Nigel Heydon

The bulk of the work we have conducted recently is analysing players' techniques. Rodders pointed out last night (as we have done about “Mile High” and “The Warrior” to an extent), that Nigel Heydon’s technique is the exception that proves the rule.

The best description I can think of is to imagine a very tall man who has dropped a pound coin on the oche and as he leans forward to search for it he remembers he is supposed to be throwing a dart! For a better idea take a look at the video.

This most singular throwing style did the trick for Heydon, he dispatched Gary Anderson in a  fascinating match. The commentary team were also concerned about the ongoing conflict between “The Undertaker's” technique and possible future implications for his good health. He is putting a great strain on his back.

We are fortunate to have a biomechanist as an integral part of The Darts Performance Centre, Mr H as I respectfully call him, and he will carry out an investigation and report back shortly.

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 The Darts Performance Centre is a resource to assist dart players of all standards play better darts. We are also committed to researching all aspects of darts to provide players with information and solutions that most other sports take for granted. Please support us by joining today.Membership is £25.00 per annum. 

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