Coaching Clinic 29

Ted Hankey is our inspiration for our discussion on "clever" darts players!
Some time ago Ted Hankey pulled off a remarkable victory against Simon Whitlock at the Grand Slam. He was written off by the bookies due to his poor form and at 6:1 down the bookmakers looked like they were right as per usual. Then a transformation took place. The theatrics of Hankey started to pay dividends, Whitlock lost focus and The Count ended up winning 10:9.

We wrote a blog about it at the time and a number of people responded berating Ted for his gamesmanship and asking whether we want the youngsters coming through to copy Hankey? I find this issue of gamesmanship very interesting. In a way darts is miles behind other professional sports when it comes to gamesmanship (which is good in a lot of ways) and its older brother, cheating! You only have to watch a Premier League football game for example to realise Ted's antics are nothing compared to what goes on in an average football match.

I am reading an excellent book at the moment and it can help us unravel how Hankey pulled off what was billed as the impossible. The book, The Success Equation, explains the role luck has in sport. One section of the book deals with underdogs and their best strategy for upsetting the odds. If you watched or heard about this game you should see some similarities!

The author uses the story of David and Goliath as the example. David, the small shepherd boy took on the giant Goliath and also upset the odds by slaying his opponent. How did he do it? He won because he refused to fight Goliath on his terms. David knew that if he engaged in armed combat he would stand no chance. Instead he moved the odds in his favour by taking along stones and a sling shot. The tactic worked and the first stone he fired struck Goliath on the forehead and killed him.

The author explains there are two simple rules when the odds are either in your favour or against you. If you are the favourite, simplify the game. We have all seen The Power schmoozle his opponent, mates together having a game of darts, then he buries them! Phil also has got his tactics spot on.

If you are the underdog, make it more complicated, do whatever you need to do to try to shift the odds in your favour. So in darts you could slow the game down, speed it up, bash your hand on your head, get in your opponent's face whilst celebrating a 180 or leg win and wind the crowd up then get them on your side. That is what Ted did!

Darts fans can be quite precious about the "code of conduct" of darts. I understand and appreciate the reasons for this but Ted didn't break the rules. Yes, he bent them but he needed to win the match. He's a Pro dart player, his job is to win darts matches. He realised that, like David, he had to get the odds in his favour.

So back to the question of whether we want youngsters (or anyone else) copying Ted. If it means that a dart player is capable of thinking on their feet, changing strategy and picking the right tactics that are within the laws or rules of darts in order to win then possibly you may consider we do. On the other hand players that prepare practice properly and have as sound technique can still be good strategists and tacticians without resorting to gamesmanship.









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