The Premier League Finals 2015

Image from: http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/1sir94oydxgtizr6bpel901fs/title/betway-premier-league-play-offs

After 16 weeks of competition this season's Premier League has finally reached its conclusion. Tonight the O2 awaits one of the highlights of the darting calendar as the four best players this year go head to head. Incredibly, this year's finals line up contains the same nationalities as 12 months ago. With Dutchmen Michael Van Gerwen and Raymond Van Barneveld retaining their places alongside Scotsman Gary Anderson. The newbie at the O2 is Dave Chisnall replacing fellow Englishman Phil Taylor from last years line up.

In my previous post, there was 3 weeks to go until the Top 4 were decided and it looked to be an incredible race to the finish between Phil Taylor, Raymond Van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis. However in a slightly underwhelming finish to the league phase, Van Barneveld secured his place with a week to spare.

My Premier League predictions have never been very good over the last 2 years but this time I was pleased to see Van Barneveld evade my jinx and make the Top 4. It wasn't just me who succeeded in this prediction game however with more votes cast for Van Barneveld to reach the Finals than any other player in my side poll. It was incredible to see the legend that is Mr Taylor miss out on the Premier League Finals for the first time ever and are we realistically now seeing his reign of dominance come to an end? He may have won the 9th Players Championship the weekend after missing out but the real test will be at the World Matchplay in July to see whether over the longer format, he can still win the major trophies.

Despite this aforementioned underwhelming finish to the league phase, again the entertainment, quality and drama of the Premier League has been incredible. I believe it is unrivalled for Thursday night entertainment and I am delighted to note I have the opportunity to put my feet up and watch the finals tonight with no other distractions. Again however, for the 3rd year running there has not been a 9 darter in the Premier League! It is literally mystifying with the quality being so high but when anyone reaches the D12 this year it appears like a magnet repelling the darts away. I'm not going to predict there will be a 9 darter tonight so let's just forget about it...maybe then it will happen?

What will definitely happen tonight is that our Premier League Champion 2015 will be crowned and I now believe that, excluding the World Championships, it is the most challenging tournament to win in world darts. It relies on players performing consistently week in week out testing both ability and equally mental strength. The travelling for the players is one thing but to play the best players in the world every week is a huge challenge. I believe that the right four players have made it to the O2 however, with the World Number 1, World Champion and Reigning Premier League Champion all involved. Most darts fans will agree that Dave Chisnall has certainly been this year's surprise package but with his majestic scoring and form, who says he can't upset the apple cart and steal the crown himself?

This year I am not going to make the same mistake as last year however, I think that Raymond Van Barneveld will become the only man besides Phil Taylor to successfully defend his Premier League crown. When Van Barneveld is confident, he can seem unbeatable and if he gets off to a good start I would not like to back against him. That's just my opinion though...I have added a new poll down the right hand column and I want you to tell me who will win this years Premier League.

So the line up is decided, the predictions are done and the O2 is set. Get your drinks poured, your feet on the sofa and prepare for a night of incredible darts. There's only one thing left to say...Let's Play Darts!

The Race for the O2

Image from: http://theatretrain.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/O2.jpeg

It may be the London Marathon tomorrow but the only race we're interested in is the race to the O2. After another incredible Premier League campaign, we are heading into the final 3 weeks with all 8 players still mathematically in with a chance of making the finals. You may remember that when the Premier League line up was announced I was critical of the decision to include Dave Chisnall and Kim Huybrechts in particularly. Despite this initial uncertainty, it has undoubtedly been one of the best Premier League's we have ever seen. Chisnall has proved me and many doubters wrong, currently holding second place in the League and even though Huybrechts was eliminated, he was no doubt a worthy competitor.

Once I got over the disappointment of Peter Wright being eliminated in Manchester, I decided I just wanted to appreciate the quality of the darts for the rest of the tournament. You can't help but admire the quality of this year's darts. It is simply breathtaking. Already in this tournament there have been 50 ton plus averages, five 110+ averages and 345 180's! Every single player who has taken part in this year's Premier League has achieved a 100+ average in at least one match. The entertainment has been rich and the drama intense. So much so I am craving another trip to one of our major tournaments. If the serious drama wasn't enough, I would also recommend these fantastic clips of the Betway Trick Shot League, in which all of the Premier League players participate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5E2H9MkQDM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJnQr7rHmHo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFUdVfl3YTE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEiXrPbcFWc


The only thing we've missed so far in this years competition is a 9 darter and I'm beginning to think there is a Premier League jinx! It is now 3 years since our last Premier League 9 darter and I couldn't believe Michael Van Gerwen didn't achieve the feat in his 7:0 whitewash of James Wade on Thursday. If he is able to average 116.90, surely he can stick them last two darts in the Treble 19 and Double 12! Thursday night summed up the madness of this year's Premier League in all honesty. After Gary Anderson lost to Stephen Bunting 7:1, and Van Gerwen had whitewashed Wade 7:0; who would have predicted an Anderson victory over Van Gerwen in the last match of the night?

It now seems a lifetime ago when we began the Premier League but that was the basis of my last poll. The results of this poll showed that your were torn with 50% of you agreeing with me that you were unhappy with the Premier League lineup. There is now a new poll on the right hand side and I want to know who you think will make the O2. Michael Van Gerwen has already qualified and barring a major turnaround, Dave Chisnall and Gary Anderson should also be there. The current table below also shows James Wade and Stephen Bunting probably only have a very slim chance of qualification and this leaves it to the 3 big guns. Phil Taylor, Raymond Van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis look the main challengers for that 4th spot but who do you think will make it?

Image from: http://www1.skysports.com/darts/rankings/

Throughout this year's Premier League, Phil Taylor has remained pretty consistent in the middle of the table. Whenever Taylor appears to be finding form and showing glimpses of his true ability, he seems to take a step backwards. He no longer appears to be able to graft out the wins and even when he averaged over 115 in Week 7, he still lost to Raymond Van Barneveld. Despite this, he still currently sits in the Top 4 spots but with Van Gerwen, Anderson and Wade still to play it's going to be a tough task for Taylor. Is it unthinkable that the legend of our game will miss out on the Premier League finals for the first time?

Image from: http://www.sportinglife.com/darts/news/article/10310/9699427/premier-league-darts-2015-dates-venues-schedule-fixtures-results

Raymond Van Barneveld has a very similar record to Taylor in this year's Premier League with both players losing as many matches as they have won. However, the key difference between the 2 players is that Van Barneveld has an extra game on Taylor and he is hitting form just at the right time. With 3 wins in a row against Taylor, Van Gerwen and Chisnall respectively, he is in an excellent position to pinch the fourth spot. A feat none of us would have predicted only weeks ago when he narrowly avoided relegation. Van Barneveld has Anderson, Lewis, Wade and Bunting to play and if he can get 5 points from those games, I think he will make the O2.

Image from: http://www.pdc.tv/premier-league-darts/article/4qayzt8p7h911epe9xtt346z0/title/every-games-a-final---barney

Thirdly, Adrian Lewis has also given himself a chance of making the final 4 despite a relatively inconsistent campaign. Similarly to Van Barneveld, he was also in the relegation dogfight earlier in the year but he has come through that to mount a serious challenge. After 3 wins and a draw in his last 4 games, he is also in a similar position to Van Barneveld. Their clash next week looks very tasty but with Chisnall, Van Gerwen and Anderson all still to play, has Lewis left himself with too much to do?

Image from: http://www1.skysports.com/darts/news/12040/9816047/phil-taylor-takes-on-adrian-lewis-in-key-premier-league-night-in-cardiff

All in all, I find it very difficult to predict who will make the O2. Darts is now so unpredictable it is almost putting tipsters out of business! However, cast your minds back 12 months and I discounted Van Barneveld even when he made the finals and went on to become the Premier League champion. I am sensing deja vu. After another late push towards the top, I simply can't back against Van Barneveld after his recent winning run. Raymond Van Barneveld is my outside bet to become the only man other than Phil Taylor to retain his Premier League crown.

Image from: http://www.sportinglife.com/darts/news/article/10310/9543068/premier-league-darts-2015-dates-venues-and-schedule
Can Van Barneveld retain his trophy? 

The Definitive Darts Coaching Manual

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Definitive-Darts-Coaching-Manual/dp/1907540547
http://www.dkdarts.co.uk

After reading Jamie Caven's excellent autobiography which was co-written by David Kirby, I decided it was time to read another of his books. Again after reading one of David's publications, I felt much more knowledgable about a sport I already thought I knew a lot about!

If you have read any of David's books before you will know that he writes in a professional style but with informal features which appeals directly to the reader. David's tips and advice will be able to benefit any darts player of varying ability across the world. Although it is a short book of only 70 pages, this allows you to quickly take in the key information which is communicated in an effective and concise way with key points emphasised throughout.

Let me tell you a little bit more about David Kirby. David is an author and playwright but his passion for coaching has undoubtedly played a major role in his life. For many years, David took part in coaching athletics and martial arts. He chose to write a darts coaching manual as he wanted to bring coaching discipline used within these sports to darts and benefit darts players worldwide. David has obviously implemented this discipline into his own game as he has himself played in and managed a successful county darts Super League team.

This book really is suitable for anyone with the slightest interest in darts either through personal improvement or through coaching others. I am a strong believer that in any sport, the mental side of the game is as crucial to success as ability and David reflects this by studying both the physiology and psychology involved in being the best darts player possible. I, like many sportsmen, believe in the 4 C's which are vital to ensure you have the mental strength to succeed. Concentration, Confidence, Control, Commitment. Without any one of these your chances of success are substantially reduced.

Onto the content of David's book which covers every aspect of the game. From practice routines, to warm ups and to finishing, David's got it covered! The main message I took from the book along with all the knowledge I gained was that it really isn't impossible to become a darts player. Through hard work and structure, anyone with the right commitment can improve their game. As David states throughout, there are many tips as to how to focus during games, keep a high level of concentration and maintain those nerves as well as how to improve your technical ability. But he recognises that everyone is different and some people prefer to practice and perform in different ways. Spend time on darts, perfect your routine and find your mantra and you are undoubtedly on the way to success.

My advice for darts fans and players reading this book is to thoroughly read the whole publication first. Take in what you can and focus on the key areas in which you think your own game can improve. However, this is not just a book you can read and then place on the bookshelf never to be touched again. It is an excellent reference tool for when you are planning your weekly routine, practice routine or playing the game itself. Some key areas of the book are the chapters on finishing and record sheets which can physically be used to help you calculate the best way to finish and to record your practice routines.

To finish with, I wanted to end by explaining the impact this book has had on me. I have played darts leisurely for around 8 years now without making huge progress. Especially in the last year where I have focused more time on the dart board, my game hasn't hugely improved. I roughly have a 3 dart average of between 40 and 45 and although I am capable of hitting 20-25 dart legs, I only consistently finish legs in around 45 darts or less. Whether this is due to sliding into the 1's or being stuck on a double, it varies every time. By reading David's book, I was able to identify weaknesses in my approach and aim to improve them. I realised that although I couldn't vastly changed the amount of time I spent at the dart board, I could focus my sessions more. Therefore, based around David's ideas, I have created my own practice routines and created scoresheets to pin next to my dart board and record my improvements. So far I am pleased with the results and enjoy the sessions much more as they replicate the competitiveness of a match; always wanting to beat my previous best. I hit my first 180 in over 6 months last week and I hope I can transfer this form to my matches on Webcam Darts and in darts leagues in the future. One thing's for sure, if you want to improve your game in any way, The Definitive Darts Coaching Manual will help you succeed.

My Recent 180