The End Is Nigh

Posted: 29.06.15 in Throw Like A Pro Blog category

Aidan has set some goals - It's shoot some great darts or quit time!

It’s weird how your attitude can change when you put a plan in place. For the last 18 months or so, life has completely taken over as priority to throwing darts. Not to say I haven’t been throwing, I have. A lot. But I can’t say I was throwing with the ambition of improving, or winning tournaments.

I sat down a couple of days ago with a pen and paper (how weird). I needed something to work towards, some clear goals in mind. It all happened really quickly. It’s as extreme an ambition as I can hope for. But that’s ok.

Since putting this together in my head, practice has been more focussed; I’m no longer throwing for the sake of it. There’s a method to the madness. This plan is going to be difficult, costly, time consuming; but in truth it’s the only feasible way in which I can truly answer the question;

Can anyone take up a set of darts and become a pro?

2015 – Six months of that are gone. So the plan is to play as many local singles tournaments as physically possible. Win some. Play league darts. Practice hard.

2016 – Play on the I.N.D.O circuit. (The Irish National Darts Organisation hold events throughout the country, players receive ranking points based on finishes in the tournaments.)

2017 – PDC Q-School. Challenge tour if unsuccessful in gaining a Tour Card.

In 2017, I will set out some criteria in deciding whether to play on or not i.e. if I gain a tour card I will play on, if I win some challenge tour events I will play on. If I get brutalised in each outing then I won’t. I will hang up the darts.

I am genuine in my confusion as to how it will turn out. The more I’ve delved in to the darts world, the depth in talent has continued to shock and scare me. I’m simply not there yet. But now that I’m no longer stagnant, but moving forward, that could give me the opportunity to improve.

Either way, it’s interesting. It ramps up the blog from a talk shop to something real again. By December 2017 I will be either throwing at a professional standard, or retiring the blog, and the darts.

Image courtesy of iosphere at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Meet Aidan

Aidan has been a fan of darts since a young age, although he didn't pick up his first set if arrows until he was 23. In that time, Aidan has been dedicated to finding out what it takes to become a professional. He plays with two club teams in his County in Ireland.

Aidan documents his ups and downs of improving his game, and explores some of the unknown, yet crucial elements of darts such as nerves, confidence and much much more.

Aidan teamed up with the Darts Performance Centre ahead of his battle with Raymond van Barneveld, a relationship which he admits has "helped me to focus on certain areas that needed improvement, and the support from Paul and Andy guarantees will make you a better dart player".

Aidan throws a 23g DPC Elite Performance dart. He loves to tell people that he has now lost count of the amount of 180s he has thrown. His highest checkout in a competitive leg is 130, and the closest he has come to a perfect leg was two maximums before crippling under pressure to finish out with a 15 dart leg.

His plan is simple: to be a Pro! Follow his journey right here!

Aidan welcomes any feedback, advice or questions. You can find him on twitter:

@A_Farrelly or email: throwlikeaprodarts@gmail.com