PDC World Championship Day 3

Posted: 17.12.16 in Tournament Analysis Blog category

What a difference a day makes!

We were treated to some good old PDC razzmatazz last night with the bubbly Dutchman Jerry Hendriks lighting up the Ally Pally with his infectious glee at being on the big stage. Setting aside the feel good factor he exudes there is a great lesson for dart players making the transition to the stage.

You only need to go back 24 hours and think of Mark Frost. He needed several pints of nerve soother which did him no good at all and it was actually him that looked like a fish (one out of water) on the stage. Jerry on the other hand loved every minute of it. Now I am not saying Frosty needed to go at his confrontation with Gary Anderson in quite the same fashion as Jerry but to at least try and get in your head that being on the stage is why you play darts.

Look at going on the stage as a wonderful opportunity, forget about what the outcome may be, get up there and give it all you have and see what happens. Easier said than done I know, but the right mental attitude when you approach any task that you perceive is of great importance is a massive advantage.

Jerry went out in the last game of the night to Peter Wright. Price also came a cropper against the Ferret, Jonny Clayton, a well-deserved win for him. Steve Beaton also disposed of Dancing Devon pretty emphatically. At one stage I am sure Wayne Mardle was blaming the grip on Petersen’s darts for his poor form. This was usually just before he banged in a 140 or 180. It is actually a case of a technique that breaks down under pressure and works only erratically.

A double session today:

Saturday December 17
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Tengku Shah (10/11) v Masumi Chino (10/11) (P)
Terry Jenkins (4/6) v Josh Payne (6/5)
John Henderson (10/11) v Andrew Gilding (Evens)
Benito van de Pas (1/10) v Shah/Chino (8/1)

Evening Session (7pm)
Ross Snook (10/11) v Kim Viljanen (13/12) (P)
Cristo Reyes (10/11) v Dimitri Van den Bergh (24/23)
Stephen Bunting (8/15) v Darren Webster (9/5)
Michael van Gerwen (1/41) v Snook/Viljanen (25/1)

Jenkins looks like he is getting a bit of form back and his experience could be the crucial factor against the up and coming Josh Payne. In the evening session two players who appear to be at opposite ends of the form spectrum clash. Bunty v The Demolition Man. Webster at 9/5 looks good to me.

Double Jenkins and Webster

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