The Darts Performance Centre and The Bulldog

Posted: 22.04.13 in Darts Performance Centre Blog category

We are proud to announce our sponsorship deal with PDC Pro John Bowles - The Bulldog!

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 The Darts Performance Centre meet The Bulldog

We have been looking for a long time to find the right type of dart player with the right type of attributes not just to sponsor but also to work with. We wish to develop our knowledge of what it takes to be a top PDC pro. We were also seeking a player that embraced the 21^st century version of darts and had attributes that include being dedicated to practice, a repeatable and solid technique and a player open to our coaching and video analysis ideas!

There have been a few players on our radar but we have agreed a deal with The Bulldog, PDC pro John Bowles.

I went to meet John in Crawley during the PDC floor event at the end of February. We agreed a sponsorship deal that will contribute to John being able to focus on his darts as well as providing our darts coaching, video analysis and nutrition expertise to him. In return The Bulldog will be sporting a Darts Performance Centre patch on his shirt.

The deal was signed a month or so ago and we managed to get together at the weekend for a video session and some photos!  John has already started demonstrating why we are backing him. Days after we signed on the dotted line The Bulldog got through to the last 32 in a UK Open qualifier in Wigan and followed that up four weeks later with a run to the semi final of another UK Open qualifier.

It was in the UK Open tournament in Bolton in 2011 that I first noticed John. He was a qualifier and got through to the 5th round before going out to Chizzy. I watched him beat Justin Pipe during that event. The most remarkable part of his victory over The Force was John was 4:0 down and 7:3 down. This never say die attitude from The Bulldog is a huge asset, the round before he was 3:0 and 4:1 down against The Bronzed Adonis but ended up going through 9:8!

He then picked up his PDC tour card in January 2012 and then popped his head way above the parapet during the PDC World Championships in December 2012. John got through to the last 32, going out in a classic battle with Gary Anderson.

John "reflecting" on the double top that would have defeated Anderson

John has played rugby for Widnes but had to give up rugby after breaking his arm playing for an amateur team and has a metal plate in his right arm, his dart throwing arm! His previous career in rugby was of great interest. We figured The Bulldog would not be afraid of confrontation and that his knowledge of the benefits of coaching and getting the right advice during his rugby career may be something he could take in to darts. After chatting with him that proved to be correct!

Technique wise my colleague Andy H was very impressed, stunned in fact with John’s technique.

Andy H analyses the video with The Bulldog

Take a look at the clip below! No matter how slow he made the video he could not find a fault with John’s technique. “You have picked a winner there Mr G” he added!

I think he's right! 

You will be able to follow The Bulldog on his own website soon and also look out for The Bulldog signature darts which will also be available shorlty!

A huge thanks to our friends at RILEYS in Wolverhampton for letting us use their fantastic Darts Zone facility! 

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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.