Welcome to Shanghai

I am starting to think Sky Sports have it in for me. The temptation of daily darting delight on TV is certainly distracting my own practice, although it has been another positive week.

If I am completely honest, my home practise hours have started to dwindle. It is proving very difficult to match practice with game play scenarios, although I have started to bulk up on planned actions within my practise sessions, mainly thanks to the help of the Darts Performance Centre (www.dartsperformancecentre.com)

Terrific Tuesday

My Tuesday night in the club was brilliant this week. I made it down at 9.30pm and was quickly thrown in to action with a couple of single’s games, which I lost miserably. Without laying blame too sternly on one cause, I hadn’t warmed up one bit.

We soon swapped to doubles, and in a similar fashion to a week previous, my partner and I weren’t too long about upsetting the odds once again. We got off to a flier with some steady shooting, a few 140’s between us as well as finishing a number of legs with a decent double percentage.

Wait, it’s wrong to go for the 180???

Personally, I was throwing some steady 60’s, but still very capable of a 45, 26 and even a 7 which really annoyed me. Last week, I mentioned one of my goals was to score the elusive 180 in a game play scenario. But when gifted with the chance, it turned out I went for the wrong choice.

Left with 233, the first two had nestled in the 60. Without even thinking, I wound up for the third before my partner said to swap down to 19’s. I stopped myself, and suddenly had a conundrum Geoff Stelling would be proud of. Hit the 180 or set my partner up….

The delay in itself had put me out of sync, and when I eventually threw for the 180 it dropped low to leave 93 in a leg we eventually would lose. What I have learned? A 180 would be brilliant, but is it more important than giving yourself the best opportunity to win a leg? Of course not.

Wait… I win???

Come the end of the night, I have learned that the players swap from 501 to a game called Shanghai. This basically means everyone has three darts at numbers 1 through 9, and whoever scores the highest combined tally will take the money. If someone hits a ‘Shanghai’ i.e. a dart in the single, double and treble, then they would automatically win the match.

Nine players started out, and I managed to build up an early lead thanks to some treble 3’s and 4’s. With a couple of players ‘falling’, which means missing any odd number with any of their three darts, I ended up winning the game with a score of 137, which I am told is not too shabby. I was elated, so encouraged with an apparent development in my play to the point where I can outscore eight others in this scenario.

1. Singles Tournaments

This is goal number one, and there is actually movement in this one tonight (Friday 18^th November). I am playing my first singles tournament tonight, and my aim is simple. Just get through the first round Aidan!!

2. The elusive 180!

Could have happened last week. I am knocking on the door, hope it will come my way in the next couple of weeks.

3. Stay on for four or more games in the club

Managed to stay on for a couple last week in doubles, would like to transfer this to singles matches now!

Average is still hanging around the 55/60 mark this week. Plenty of improvement in other areas this week, so overall I am thrilled. A huge thanks to everyone who continues to offer their support and advice, as always it’s hugely appreciated. You can find me on Twitter (@A_Farrelly) or email: throwlikeaprodarts@gmail.com

Cheers

A

The Double is no Friend of Mine

This week was interesting on a number of levels. As the dust began to settle as we waved goodbye to Mr. Barneveld, it was time to get back to work, taking the positives from such an epic experience and putting those to use in the bread and butter of club darts.

I didn’t lift a dart on Sunday. Was this a good decision? I am not too sure. I was tired on Sunday, and the way I felt, if I went throwing with a lacklustre attitude, chances are I would end up getting frustrated and it could do more harm than good. So it was Monday night before I stepped up to the oche, and practice went well.

Tuesday is my night in the club, and genuinely I considered this more important than a one leg encounter with the Dutchman. I needed to refocus again, and prove to myself I can continue to develop without such a milestone to look forward to. I was a little late to the session, which meant I was thrown straight in to a leg which almost brought me to tears with such shoddy darts being thrown on my behalf.

Two out of Three Aint Bad!

Never take experience from a man who takes his name from a dinner dish! This post has two main pillars; one of extreme frustration followed by one a little more encouraging. Here is the frustrating one…

Once I warmed up the hands, I had started to find my groove against some of the best players in the club. We were playing doubles, and to say my partner and I were underdogs against any other pairing would be a whopping understatement.

Between the two of us, we were managing to stick with our opponents, and in our second leg, we were left with 156. Before I stepped up to the oche, I had a little word with myself; ‘Aidan, you are going to take this out!’ Simple right? I followed my pre-throw routine perfectly, and what do you know the first dart nestles in the treble 20.

Ok, now to add a second. Easy peasy!!! I am conscious now that my fellow throwers have fallen silent, their way of offering me their respect. I have had opportunities of a three dart check out before, and have failed to compose myself on the third dart, so I made sure to take my time as I took aim at the Double 18. Then, well the best way I can describe it is my left hand took a life of it’s own and flung the arrow an inch wide of the mark.

Three Dart Checkout, Take Two

So once I got over this, I had another attempt minutes later to redeem myself somewhat. With 103 on the board, the plan was to hit Treble 20, Single 3 for Tops. First dart… Treble 1. Ok, 100 left, lets hurt this 60. And I hit it. Now, for the love of god COMPOSE YOURSELF MAN!!!

Its official, I hate wires. I didn’t just bend it on the Double 20. My dart did it’s best to break the wire altogether. I was sick, so annoyed with myself but was soon made up when I turned around to see everyone praising a ‘very good effort’.

Great Expectations

This is an interesting point, and has left me pondering for days now. I used to wonder why the Pro’s would look physically ill if they hit a fat 60 instead of a 100 or 140. In at least four separate legs on Tuesday, I hit three or four 60’s in a row with my three darts. Missing out on the treble, I couldn’t stop myself voicing my frustration. This is surely an encouraging sign?

If you had told me two months ago that I could reach a level of consistency where three darts were reaching the same bed, I would have literally snapped your hand off. Now, I have come to expect more. I want that treble each time I throw, and when the darts land high or low of the bed, I am disappointed.

Switch the Goalposts

Now my date with Barney has passed, it’s time to set some new, realistic goals for the coming months. I don’t want to become stagnant in my throw, and feel it is vital to work towards something in order to develop.

1. Singles Tournaments

I need to get out and play some tournaments. Even if I am knocked out in the first round every time, the benefits of preparing both mentally and physically would be extremely positive.

2. The elusive 180!

I still haven’t managed to hit a maximum in the club yet. I have scored some 140’s, but am becoming desperate to hit a 180 in a real game scenario.

3. Stay on for four or more games in the club

As it is winner stays on in the local club, the most I have won in a row is two games. I want to double that, as it will show my concentration skills are improving for longer games in tournament scenarios.

Two weeks ago, I had a quick look at my three dart average during a practice session at home. I marked it at 55, and when I did the same a couple of days ago, it had risen to a little above 60 over 15 legs. As always, any improvement is always welcomed.

Thanks for reading, and as always your comments and advice is appreciated. You can find me on twitter: @A_Farrelly or email: throwlikeaprodarts@gmail.com

Cheers

A

The night Barney came to town

He may have won this one, but my date with Barney lived up to every expectation. I hit no maximums, and had no shots at a double, yet I still couldn’t be happier with how it went. Here’s how the last few days have unfolded.

Please welcome to the stage...

The sound engineer strikes the play button on Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger; two hundred and fifty people jump from their chairs and give a justified standing ovation to the towering figure of one Mr. Raymond Van Barneveld. The one and only was here. The battle lines were drawn, his arrows sharpened and sweatbands at the ready. Oh it was on.

Before now, the nerves were fine, just fine. Having spent the previous Friday with Paul and Andy from the Darts Performance Centre at the Belfast Darts Academy (A full blog will follow on this session), I was happy with my throw. Well, when I say happy...

‘Don’t be nervous, just go and enjoy it!’

In the final days leading up to the game, the feeling of worry was certainly overshadowing my level of excitement about taking to the stage. With my family and friends all coming to cheer me on, the stakes were fairly high. They were all aware of my goal, and this was the first time I was throwing in front of them.

Everyone kept saying ‘Just enjoy it’, ‘It will be an experience of a life time’; ‘don’t let the nerves get to you’. Of course, all sound advice for anyone who doesn’t throw. But that little voice in my head piped up with the only piece of advice I could hear:

“You’re going to throw 26, EVERY TIME YOU VISIT THE BOARD”.

Paul Mulreid Photography 089-4186574

Time to go to Work

I have said in previous posts that this game wasn’t about beating Barney, but just to stick with him in the leg and not make a show of myself. I want to become a pro, so one day I want a date with the likes of this Dutch man on a regular basis. So I went down to the club two hours early to warm up, and start focussing on the task in hand.

The nerves started to relax a little when I met up with the rest of the throwers. It was as if we were a little army preparing for the fight of our lives, except a couple of us exchanged a soldier suit for a Wayne Mardle shirt, with another pulling on a Holland soccer jersey in tribute.

With the crowd beginning to fill up, we took to our seats. I couldn’t sit down of course, pacing nervously while tensely gripping my darts in anticipation. As he began to pick his way through the batting order, I was suddenly up next. I hear my name called on the microphone, and as I stride towards the stage, I notice there is a smile on my face, one Ronnie Baxter would be proud of.

                                                    Paul Mulreid Photography 089-4186574

Game On

So I am up on stage, and we are throwing a few at the board. I kept telling myself, just stick to the pre-throw routine. My hands were visibly shaking. I was struggling to focus on the treble. I was just about to ask the man himself for the lend of his sweat band when, we were off:

Me                                                       Barney

            (45)                  456                                                      461                  (40)

            (100)                356                                                      340                  (121)

            (45)                  311                                                      281                  (60)

            (45)                  266                                                      227                  (54)

            (23)                  243                                                      142                  (85)

            (40)                  203                                                      77                    (65)

            (60)                  143                                                      20                    (57)

            (45)                  98                                                        Double 10, 2^nd Dart

                                                   Paul Mulreid Photography 089-4186574

So as you can see, there were no heroic darts in this leg. Apart from my tonne, I scored 4x 45’s which could and should have been at least 60’s, with the 5 coming on the third dart on three visits.

I won’t make excuses, but I will remain positive. If I am honest, the nerves didn’t sink in until I hit the tonne. Now I suddenly felt a pile of pressure. I had gone from being a goalkeeper in a penalty shootout where no one expects you to save it, to being the striker who should convert. Following up this tonne with anything worth talking about proved too difficult as the legend took out his double 10.

Barney signed my score sheet and as I made my way off stage there was a little part of me that felt I could have won that leg. And that is the most encouraging part of this whole experience. Because this proved something, it wasn’t the climax of this journey, but merely the beginning. Thanks for reading, and as always your feedback is always welcomed.

Cheers,

A