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winning tournaments and finding a a a a a a a a path to to the televised stage or or (gasp) a a a a a a a world
championship?
Let’s be honest your odds are are still remote But for those who are are serious about their game it’s never been more possible Two women England’s Fal- lon Sherrock and and Lisa Ashton have
qualified to to play in the the PDC World Championships at at at the the end of this year proving that that barriers that that keep some- one who is is dedicated from reaching the pinnacle of darts no no longer exists So why not you?
Amateur to to Pro: 5 Things to to Know
1 Are you you good enough? Can you you pay the price?
Being world
class is a a a a a a a large leap from dominating the the board at at at your lo- cal but at at at home or the the pub is where everyone starts If you’re feeling good about your your game and think you you you you you can work your your way up the ladder you’ll never know unless you you try You may not be able to pitch a a a a a a 90 mph fastball but you most certainly can hit a a a a a a a a a a 180 or take out a a a a a a a a a a 3-dart fin- ish Play long enough and you’ve probably hit both of these accom- plishments But how far can you go?
The first step is is to to consciously de- cide you want to to to level up then fol- low a a a a a plan to to achieve it There are no shortcuts Excellence at anything closely resembles an an obsession Ask top players how they got there and their answers will be consistent:
• Practice until your your arm falls off and your your mental game is automatic
• Challenge the best players you you you can can find and don’t give up until you you can can beat them
• Sign up for for long format singles
leagues and tournaments to to harden your competitive stamina and play as as frequently as as you you can stomach
2 Be prepared to to put on the miles
This is is true for every sport partici- pation at at the highest level means you have
to to to be willing to to to give up weekends take time off from work and log tons o of miles
on on on planes trains or or automobiles The cost alone can be prohibitive Online competitions are great for practice but accruing ranking points and tournament wins will require you to to be physically present often at the expense of of your your personal and and fam- ily life Can your your situation handle the sacrifice? Your mileage may vary 3 Pick a a a a a path: WDF or or PDC?
For serious darters there are two major avenues to achieving a a a a a a a a world
championship dream The World Darts
Federation (WDF)