The Warm Up

Ok, so over the last few weeks things have been fairly busy on the Irish darts scene. I’ll start by offering my congratulations to the Irish lads who qualified through Q-School, brilliant effort!

I had never really heard of this until a couple of weeks ago. What a gruelling yet ultimately rewarding competition for the top players who secure a tour card. I am on the hunt to have a couple of training sessions with the likes of Connie Finnan and Paddy Meaney!

Practice

In the last blog, I posted a picture of my brand new home set up, a lovely new Blade 4 with tyre and all. Now that I have moved from the stand on to the wall, I have noticed a huge difference in my game. Consistency rates are good, doubles are improving dramatically and overall I am relatively happy with my game.

A huge problem I have been suffering was the relentless altering of something in my throw. I was spinning the dart, and then I wasn’t. I had a four finger grip, then a three finger grip, then an appalling two finger grip before settling on the three. I was leaning forward, and then my back would get sore so I started standing straight. Catch my drift??

The problem was I couldn’t develop unless I was consistent. If the routine was changing all the time, how am I meant to get better? For the last few weeks, everything has been the same. I haven’t changed a thing! My head is in a good place too, I am not over thinking the game. Keep my routine solid and just repeat my little mantra before I throw:

'Relax… This is going in.'

Missed out by one leg!

I played in a tournament last week with 32 players. A very good standard of darts were on show in the club, with seven boards up. My board had five players, you played the best of three legs against four players, and the top two from each board who accumulated the most legs progressed to the last 16.

I was covering a match for the Kildare Nationalist and ended up rushing to the venue, leaving myself no time to warm up – I literally walked in the door and on to the oche. I lost 3-0 in my first outing, and while my opponent was decent, I should have done better. My hands were cold, I was rushing and hungry! Missed 12 darts at doubles in the first leg, 5 in the second and my head was completely shattered by the third.

On to my second opponent and I had assigned myself to defeat before a dart had been thrown, which is not good. He was wearing a Unicorn shirt, and that had me nervous! I know, stupid! And I went and took the first leg in 18 darts, before he stormed home with 16 and 13 dart legs to beat me 2-1.

Winning my third game 2-1, I was left with a slimmer of a chance of qualifying for the last 16. I needed to beat my opponent 3-0, something no one else had done in the group. At this stage, I was very confident, and walked up to the oche full sure that I was winning this match. AND I DID… 3-0!

Brimming

At this point, qualifying didn’t matter to me. Well… it did, but I was a happy man. I had won two matches, with ample opportunities to have taken more from the other two. This is development. Although I missed out on getting to the last 16 by one leg, I had a very encouraging night.

I learned that no matter what, the warm up is crucial. You can’t expect to hop on the oche and throw well. In my opinion, you need between 45 minutes to an hour just to give the arm a chance to warm up. It’s only then will you start to see some consistent results.

Had a practice during the week, with six legs against the Computer. In those six legs; 6x100s, 3x140s and 1x180. I’m getting there!

Cheers,

A

Twitter: @A_Farrelly

Email: throwlikeaprodarts@gmail.com

The Perfect Darting Storm

Since my last post, a lot has changed. I have changed darts, stems, flights, pre-throw routine, grip of the darts, release point of the dart, stance on the oche. In other words... EVERYTHING. This was a makeover Gok Wan himself would have been proud of.

And only now can I truly understand why. See, I have spent the last three weeks really struggling with this game, and the complexity of it all. I lost all trust in my throw, I had no faith in myself; and all that was going through my mind was that if I change this, it might make my darts perfect.

Yes - I changed everything about my throw for one reason... to find that perfect dart. I have been so caught up in reaching a certain standard of throwing, that I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a leg of darts. I was getting frustrated when I missed a fat 20, and the only thing that I could think was to change in order for this not to happen again.

Time

If this journey is to be a true success, there are a couple of limitations that I need to come to terms with now if my stress levels are to be managed. No one just suddenly becomes a brilliant darts thrower, did they?

Over the last few days, I have really peeled back the layers and began to refocus. Changing everything did bring about some positives; I am back to the dart I started out with; it is still the shape and weight of the barrel that proves more fruitful than any others. And more importantly, it feels right. The commitment I need to make now is to stick with this dart for the next 6 months. REGARDLESS if I don’t hit one treble in that time.

Standards

I am speaking as if my darts are terrible at the minute, and in truth they aren’t. I have taken part in a couple of tournaments, and won some matches. The major flaw is simple; when I am throwing badly, I immediately change my throw. I have spoken before about the importance of mental strength in this game, and by god have I learned this the hard way lately.

The Darts Performance Centre has once again been crucially important in this process. Having someone to talk to about my struggles was imperative, as Paul was able to bring me back down to earth. As far as they are concerned, there are certain parts of a throw that are vital, and need to stay consistent if you are to improve.

So What Now?

I have made some realisations recently, and just incorporating these in to my approach are already helping my game.

1.      Pressure: It’s just for tyres. I have to take the pressure off my throw; I won’t win every leg, I won’t score 100 or even 60 every throw. And for now, that’s OK!

2.      Trust the Process: I have now found a throw that is working. I have scored many 140’s in my last couple of training sessions, and taken out some shots like 106, 111 and 124, so the routine I have now is working. It’s all about the fine tuning, so when I throw 26, 45 or even the odd 7, that’s OK! I just need to remind myself that this throw has worked before, and will work again.

3.      Give Every Dart A Chance: My third dart has more often than not landed where I want it, even if my first and second stray from the target. The ability to stay positive, even if the first dart lands in the 5 is vital from now on.

So that is where I am at right now. Everyone that I have been talking to lately tells me these mental slumps happen, and to embrace it rather than hide from it. I am the other side of it now, and ready to start winning some matches again.

Can’t wait for the World’s to start, but they won’t distract me from my own practice! Thanks for reading, and as always feel free to get in touch with your comments / advice.

Cheers,

A

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 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

Patience, you are a virtue...

I feel like I have been talking about playing against Barney for way too long now, and in a matter of days I finally take to the stage against the one and only. I have spoken before about what I want from this encounter. To win would be nice, very nice. But that’s not the objective. For this game, this is just a stepping stone on my path to becoming a pro. Hopefully it will give me a little taster of what professional darts is all about.

So how have I been preparing?

Sports Editor of the Kildare Nationalist newspaper, Brendan Coffey, came down to the club last Friday to play a few legs. On a usual club night, it’s a winner stays on format for the night. And as I am not too used to winning, I tend to be up and off the board fairly soon. Last Friday night however, the club opened up their league campaign with an away trip, so I took full advantage by claiming the board.

I knew it would just be the two of us throwing, and from what Brendan had told me, he plays a little, but not a lot. So first things first; emotionally prepare for the game. I was energised, a little tired after a long week in work but I felt confident I could win. We also had a photographer, Paul Mulreid (http://www.flickr.com/people/paulmulreid/) down to take a couple of snaps for a preview of the Barney match.

                                                   Paul Mulreid Photography 089-4186574

The Opening Exchanges

So we both shared a few at the board before setting off on 501 flying start. My confidence was high, and I began at a canter. The pre-throw routine was paying early dividends;

1)      Step up to the board whilst aligning my throwing shoulder at the 20. Check

2)      Raise the left arm to fully extend and lock to the elbow. Check

3)      Draw back my arm from the elbow only, before releasing with a straight

follow through. Check

The only concern I had was my opponent was reaching the 100’s quicker than me, although I did tend to pull out a decent score when it mattered. My double’s were impressive, and found myself 6-2 up in legs.

C.O.N.C.E.N.T.R.A.T.E

I would be lying if I didn’t think I was coasting to my first win in such a long format, and my opponent was dead and buried. This is what cost me dearly. I quickly lost my rhythm, the pre-throw routine was thrown out the window and self-belief had suddenly turned to cockiness. I couldn’t find a treble in at least three legs in a row, and I found myself 8-6 behind, losing six in succession.

I was fuming. Everything was going wrong, and on two occasions I flung my third dart at the board out of utter frustration. Then a thought came into my head; get away from the board. Have a cigarette; get a drink, ANYTHING to take a break this despicable run of form.

                                                                   Paul Mulreid Photography 089-4186574

Treble 16... And I meant it!

The break seemed to work; I had a little chat with myself and re-focused on the final few legs. I needed to bring my throw back to basics, and find my routine once more. Ok so I managed to bring the game back to 9-9. This is a scenario I have never experienced before. We have been throwing for over two hours at this stage, and the arm is getting sore.   

We are both down to under a tonne, and I am left with 68. I talk myself through the process; visualise the dart nestling in the treble 16, complete my pre-throw routine and succeed. The first dart is straight in the treble, leaving double 10. Of course I don’t make things easy for myself, and nearly block the bed with my first shot.

Big deep breath... Yes! My final dart rests in the double 10, and I win the match 10-9. This was gruelling, long and a real test ahead of my next night in the club. I learned alot about my emotional strength during this match. I got too confident and lost myself. But I managed to refocus and prevail in the end.

I am going to add a few entries this week in the build up and review of my game against Barney, so keep checking for updates. As always, thanks for reading, and to those offering support it is always appreciated. Big few days coming up...

Cheers,

A

What a bunch of ... Darts

“They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness. In fact, in this game, it is the first sign of genius.”

Last week laid bare my frustration in a severe lack of consistency in my game. But it wasn’t just a lack of consistency in my throw, but also my approach, my stance, and in my whole pre-throw routine.

This was my focus for the week, and in just a few days the difference has been immense. I have spoken about it before, and the manner in which I approach the oche, raise my arm, lock my elbow and release the dart has all become regimented.

It doesn’t work every time, and I am still watching my third darts curl in to the Triple 1. But it’s the basics that count, and I am really encouraged with how my basic game play is improving. Practising at home is still where I throw most, although the more I go down to the club, the more I realise how important feeling the pressure on my throw counts.

Double dilemma

My second night in the club was a polar opposite to my first; it couldn’t have gone any better. My first leg of the night was, if I say so myself, a little remarkable. Bearing in mind 7 days previous, I couldn’t get a decent score on the board, having a dart at a double on a 14 dart leg isn’t too shabby.

To be honest, I barely had the time to take off my coat, never mind warm up but began bunching the darts fairly well. I stepped up to the board with 148 remaining. Ok Aidan, let’s start visualising the first treble going in. And it did. It made room in the bed for a second within seconds. If my maths are right, I have left Double 14.

Silence has fallen, the other players giving me the respect as I throw. Ok, see it going in. Yeah right. I lost my nerve and tickled the no. 9. But that’s not what matters. I had the dart at the double. And over the next few legs, I had more darts at more doubles, and while I missed some, I took out others.

I won 5 or 6 legs in total, although I could have scalped a couple more. In one, both of us must have had at least 18 shots each to take out our respective double, with my competitor finally sticking it in Double 2.

Where’s your head at?

I walked away that night very happy with my game. A few 100’s, countless 85’s, and more 60’s really had me encouraged with the week ahead. Balancing work, family and various other pieces of life’s jigsaw are certainly doing their best to challenge my time spent on the oche but the nerves are gone.

My head is in the right place. Before, if I went a couple of days without throwing I would be afraid I’d have forgotten my individual routine. Now, I walk to the board confident of a consistent throw. Before I was shocked if I hit a tonne, now I am shocked if I hit a 45.

They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness. In fact, in this game, it is the first sign of genius. Instead of allowing the inner demons tell me I am going to miss that Double Top, I tell myself this dart is heading straight for the red bit. Having thrown 1 and 5 with my first two darts, having the ability to stick the third in the Treble 20 is imperative, and can only be done with concentration, focus and self-belief.

Barney is so close I can nearly smell him!

Just under two weeks left until I take to the oche against one of the greats. I have been looking at some of the preparation tips offered by http://www.dartsperformancecentre.com/ and hopefully they will come in to great use as the nerves heighten closer to the date. I have been told the format will be a 701 flying start. In other words, I don’t stand a chance J

I cannot wait. We have picked our entrance music, the cameraman is booked and final preparations are in place to host over 200 people cheering the Dutchman on. Or maybe they will cheer us on?

Would appreciate any comments you might have in the run up to this matchup, and as always your feedback on this week’s blog is greatly appreciated.

Cheers

A