Episode 1: A new season, and still learning the basics.

Posted: 26.07.12 in Throw Like A Pro Blog category

We welcome Aidan to our blog area. You can follow his dream of becoming a darts pro here!

Episode 1: A new season, and still learning the basics.

Sometimes I can get annoyed, frustrated, ill-tempered, grumpy and tired. And I step up to the oche wondering ‘Why… why do I continue to put myself through this mental torture?’ And then out of nowhere, I throw a 180 or hit a double first time, and suddenly life…is…good.

Let me fill you in. In September 2011, I set out on a journey. One that I believed would be full of success, fun, comradery and hitting tops on demand. I wanted to become a professional darts player. The popularity of this sport continues to rise, and with it the desire of many to make it to the stage. I had never thrown darts competitively before, and set myself of making this my profession.

Over the last few months I have had my up’s, which have included; playing Raymond Van Barneveld in one leg of 501, getting tips from the best in the business on the Dublin leg of the Premier League, and steadily increasing my ability on the oche. My best leg of darts is 16; the closest I have got to a 9 darter is 2x180’s in a row, and in a recent singles tournament I made it past the round robin stage to reach the quarter finals.

Where there are ups, downs shall follow!

So, last week, after 11 months of dedicated practice at home, I realise my oche was measuring 8cm too close. I always thought the boards felt off when I played in a tournament, and questioned why I could never truly transfer my form from home to a competition. And there, I found my answer. What’s in a few centimetres I hear you ask?

To a soccer player, this won’t make too much of a difference. But to us darting folk, that is an extensive error. My darts won’t fly the same, land the same, and in the last few days I have noticed I have needed to work that little harder at directing them near the red bit. So in essence, I feel like I back to square one again. In a desperate attempt to clutch a positive from this disaster, it couldn’t happen at a better time.

September = Competition Time

In Ireland, September marks the time when leagues begin in earnest. I will line out with the local pub for the first time in my County League. The aim will be simple; win my game each Friday night. Simple…

What I have learned so far on this journey is that you can be a fantastic player with skill in abundance, but if you cannot control the mind, your attempts for glory will be in vein. A striker in goal scoring form is likely to continue finding the net as confidence is high. For me, darts is the same. When you line up the shot, and think I won’t make this, then you won’t.

But if you visualise the dart nestling perfectly in its intended destination, there is a greater chance of success. The Darts Performance Centre (www.dartsperformancecentre.com) offers a brilliant service to all aspiring players, offering support both on the physical approach to the game as well as the importance of mental preparation. I would encourage anyone looking to become a better darts player to look them up.

Practice + Practice = More Practice!

For now, it’s time to practice, both at home and down in the club. Becoming a consistently good player requires a number of factors; the same pre-throw routine (finding a routine that works and having the ability to repeat that each time), the right dart for your throw, a positive outlook and exposure to games/competitions (there is no substitute to the pressure you feel when you have to take out the double against an opponent).

I don’t want to be a good dart thrower. I want to be great! Join me as I continue this journey full of ups and downs, no doubt there will be many more of both.

You can visit Aidan's website here!