A Darts Player's Worst Nightmare
What do Eric Bristow, Rod Harrington and Mervyn King all have in common?
It is that as well as all being fantastic darts players, they have also all suffered from Dartitis. Dartitis can affect any darts player whether they are old, young, pub level or world champion and it is believed that thousands of darts players suffer from Dartitis around the world. Some players have proven that Dartitis can be overcome including Eric Bristow, Mark Walsh and Mervyn King but no darts player has ever really got back to their best after suffering from Dartitis.
The definition of Dartitis is "nervous twitching or tension that destroys concentration and spoils performance". In most cases players lose control of the dart they are throwing and in more severe cases players are unable to let go of the dart and it is a similar condition to the "Yips" in golf. Generally it is believed that Dartitis is a psychological problem with a player's technique and the release of their darts. Dartitis can just suddenly occur in a player's game and there is often no explanation into why it has suddenly happened but many experts believe it happens because of the fear of missing. It is truly the darts player's worst nightmare as it can destroy your career. 5 time World Champion Eric Bristow said of his experience with Dartitis that "the game you love doing, all of a sudden you can't do anymore"
However, I personally have a slightly different view on why Dartitis might occur. I myself have been lucky enough to never suffer from Dartitis and therefore my views are based on second hand knowledge and different sources. I don't believe that Dartitis does stem from a fear of missing. I find it unbelievable that such great darts players can suddenly lose their mental ability overnight. Eric Bristow, 5 time world champion, known for his charisma and perhaps arrogance, surely couldn't have just 'lost his bottle'. I believe that there must me some other explanation for Dartitis. I think that one explanation is that overthinking the throw could contribute to this condition. Sometimes even when I am practising, I forget when to release the dart temporarily and Dartitis might be similar to this in a more severe form. Or maybe it is down to practising too often and repetitive muscle use? Will we ever know for sure what causes Dartitis?
Another key question often asked about Dartitis is whether it can be cured. The answer again is inconclusive. There is no definitive answer or drug that can cure Dartitis but there are many methods that some players believe to be successful. Some players have successfully learnt to throw the dart with the opposing hand, others have changed their darts to lighter or heavier darts and others have slow down their throw. I don't think there will ever be a conclusive cure for Dartitis and the best method will always depend on the individual.
To conclude, I think that Dartitis will continue as long as the game of darts is played but I honestly believe and hope that one day, a player who has suffered from Dartitis can come back to be a World Champion.
Follow this link to watch Eric Bristow talk about his experiences of Dartitis - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXqtzFvZzmI
Hello Jamie Barron.
ReplyDeleteI read your blog with interest and I must say that it was quite refreshing to hear a different slant on the cause. The psychological retort is a load of guano! You say that "I honestly believe and hope that one day, a player who has suffered from Dartitis can come back to be a World Champion", but you already have! The name of this player is Phil Taylor. He had Dartitis before he became a household name.
Insomuch as it matters the cause of Dartitis and therefore the remedy was discovered c.10 years ago by yours truly, who was then banned from nearly every dart site he was a member of. Incidentally Dartitis or the yips are not illnesses either physical or psychological so therefore can not be cured. However they are all remedied by the same doctrine. I do take a minor exception to your presumption that only the so called pro's are the cream of the bunch. I've seen players all over the world that could annihilate them and make them look like buffoons.
You also make a small list of sufferers, but omitted the likes of Priestly, Evans, Wilson, Tony Brown, Fordham, Angus Ross (Brilliant Player) there are absolute droves of them even Leighton Rees succumbed in the end. A few of today's players who suffer include Klaasen, RVB, Pipe and Chisnall these have all altered there throw, they still play above the norm but crave for their old and correct throw! Pro's are also very prone to romancing, for instance Mr Bristow admits to getting the bug in 1987 1983, I saw it in 1980 and again in 1983.
Regards Bo-Jangles