Pre-Match Rituals: How the Pros Prepare

Even we darts fans have our little lucky dos and don’ts before heading off to watch our heroes in action. But darts players and fans aren’t the only ones with odd beliefs on fate though. The world is full of odd superstitions, some of which are bordering on the bizarre. But let’s leave those unusual rituals for now and look at how some of the sport’s biggest stars get ready for a match.

For Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, their pre-match rituals for the 2013 World Darts Championship final were anything but interesting. Taylor spoke of keeping his arms loose and practicing in a solid routine. He also said that he keeps to himself to get his mind in the right place. Van Gerwen said that he would have dinner with his girlfriend and have “a little party.” Other than their choice of walk-on music, these guys have a routine comparable to that of a man getting ready for work. Exciting? Not quite, but it has worked out quite well for them.

Nerves and tension can wreak havoc on your preparation for anything, and for Gary Anderson, the only way he can settle the butterflies in his stomach is by not eating. He says he spends a lot of time on the board practicing while only drinking coffee and water. Simon Whitlock feels the same way and avoids eating before a match. Indeed, he never eats in the seven or eight hours before and spends a good three hours on the board. We’re not sure how anyone could focus the way that these guys do on such empty stomachs.

But perhaps the only wacky and “out there” ritual that any darts player has is that of Peter Wright. The man we know as Snakebite shuns the common practice and warm-up ritual and doesn’t bother watching his diet at all. Wright’s pre-match ritual involves spending the best part of two or three hours in the makeup chair as his wife perfects his trademark Mohawk and paints the side of his head. Wright likens his head murals to war paint and says it gets him in the right frame of mind before a match. Wright’s wacky pre-match ritual has cost him a pretty penny throughout his career. The makeup and styling gear he and his wife take with them when he plays abroad fills an entire suitcase. On one recent trip to New Zealand, they had to fork out £1,700 in excess luggage fees while another trip to Vegas saw him pay £600. As far as pre-match rituals go, that must be one of the most expensive and time-consuming of all time. Hopefully, this wasn’t the reason he last month. As strange as it may seem, the world of pro darts isn’t quite as unusual as you would imagine. There are few tales of strange pre-match rituals or dressing-room demands from the boys on the circuit. Indeed, if anything, these rituals that we uncovered only go to prove that pro-darts players are ordinary guys who do an extraordinary job. No bowls of Skittles with all the yellow ones taken out or ridiculous requests for gourmet meals in the dressing room. It’s all disappointing. Having said that, darts players are now a far more professional bunch than they were back in the days of the late great Jocky Wilson and the legendary Eric Bristow. They take their craft seriously, and if these pre-match rituals are anything to go by, they’re not what you would call a superstitious bunch.