Do you drink when you play darts and how does it effect your game?

Kingp35

Seems as if a lot of people in Olympics thread are convinced that all us players are fat and beered up everytime we play. Just wondering do you lads drink when you play, how much do you drink and how does it effect your game?

Personally my game gets progressively worse the more I drink. I honestly can't drink pints and play good darts. I suppose it comes from the fact that I am almost always stone cold sober when practicing so I used to playing sober. Even after one pint I start to play slightly worse. Obviously I have no problem heading to the pub for a few pints and a game but i wouldn't play as good as i would if I was sober.

So how does effect you lads?

dionsiseire

I am completely tee total, dont drink at all

i think my darts probably doesnt benefit from it because the nerves can get to me a bit more but i'll get over that in time.

ratinakeg

Good Question!
I practice sober 90% of the time, sometimes in the evenings when a few of me mates call around I will have a few cold ones.
I find that I play better after after 2-3 pints/cans but anything more I can forget about it!
I've a bit of a beer belly (money well spent)but I'm not unfit as I go for a walk at least once a day!

death1234567

I can have two pints without too much affect but after that my game gets worse exponentially after each pint. I always practice sober. If I was in a competition I'd defo not be on the beer.

Pool/Snooker on the other hand is the opposite, The more I drink the better I get .

Rented Mule

I always have one pint befre I throw and try and relax as much as possible. I'll sip at a few pints while the night is going on, and save the serious drinking until the night is over.

HITMANHEALY

I dont drink at all at matches, seemly when i drink i play crap, so no drinking good darts

swalsh

For most people it will depend on how they practice. If its all down at the pub then they probably will have a few pints. Personally I can have 2-3 pints before it all goes pear shaped but often throw sober.
For most the drink can be a confidence issue.

Carrickman

I take a good few pints when throwing just a habit I got into because of rounds between team mates, can't throw in league or tournment without 4 or 5 pints of Guinness a least I've tried but no good nerves get the better of me. I've been doing this for the past 16 years so won't be changing now!

MBC

Im trying to get out off that stage in me darts career where i couldnt really give a toss weather i won or not........so didnt really get nerves..........but now I can feel my game coming back Im getting the nerves again which is good.

To answer the question yeah I like to have a few bevs before a match.............would always try not to have more than 5 pints though........but if I feel nervous i drink quicker which results in more :rolleyes:

Always practice sober and dont notice any difference.

shiibata

Def drink at a darts tourney, dont practice, wont even play warm up games before tournies, just go straight into battle, only drink halves mixed with coke, would have 5-6 at least:o before tourney starts and improve the more the night goes on, will take an odd pint of water in between rounds if i know there gonna be a long wait between games.

Evolution Enter

I think I'd go along with with what alot of the lads are saying, if I was playing in a league match where I only play one match, I'd usually time it so that the game starts on my second pint and I'd have had no more than three by the time the game is over. Seems the best range.

Can't hit a moving target! If it's a tournament, I'd have one pint that I'd take my time on, too long a day to try and drink and play. Once you go out though all bets are off

Bluezar

Played James Wade last year in an exhibition..Had a few bottles before the game and threw 123 and 121 with first two throws....
Think the bottles helped:D

Whiskey Devil

2 or 3 pints before the game starts to steady the and and 2 or 3 whilst playing.. Play well when I'm relaxed.

ratinakeg

Whiskey Devil wrote: »

2 or 3 pints before the game starts to steady the and and 2 or 3 whilst playing.. Play well when I'm relaxed.

I thought you would have a few shots of whiskey Mr Devil!:)

Whiskey Devil

ratinakeg wrote: »

I thought you would have a few shots of whiskey Mr Devil!:)

Nah leave that 'til after.. Darts are dangerous weapons with a neck full of piskey!! :pac:

Evolution Enter

From talking with some pro's at exhibitions, I got an insight into the pro's drinking.

Apparently Wade has to be locked to throw. Lewis had to carry him up to the stage at one event in Europe. Triple vodkas. And Lewis himself seems to steady his nerves with planty of vodka too.

And despite what Waddell is saying, a few players have told me that Taylor usually knocks back a couple of Vodka orange juices before a match, although no where near what some of the younger players are doing.

If alcohol was banned at PDC events, their top ten would look completely different

Ronan|Raven

I practice at home sober. However if in my local or any other pub throwing I find I play best with around four pints in me for some reason.

Evolution Enter

Well nobody ever gets nervous at home. In front of a crowd, especially during competition, nerves kick in.

What I find kills my game is smoking before a match. I'd have my last cigarette maybe a half hour before a match, and then won't smoke until I'm finished my match.

MBC

Evolution Enter wrote: »

From talking with some pro's at exhibitions, I got an insight into the pro's drinking.

Apparently Wade has to be locked to throw. Lewis had to carry him up to the stage at one event in Europe. Triple vodkas. And Lewis himself seems to steady his nerves with planty of vodka too.

And despite what Waddell is saying, a few players have told me that Taylor usually knocks back a couple of Vodka orange juices before a match, although no where near what some of the younger players are doing.

If alcohol was banned at PDC events, their top ten would look completely different

Defo sometimes his eyes are glazed..........to me anyho he does look like he has a few before a game.

Well the exhibition we staged last year with Anderson and Robson .........they defo take a drinky poo before a game........sure they are sponsored by some mad russian vodka company.......they threw a few tasters to us.......nice stuff aswell.

Id say Mervin King doesnt have a drink before a game........not sure about barney.......the rest Id say have a few before going on stage.

Evolution Enter

More than likely they all. No harm unless you take it to the Fordham level.

Anyone else finds that a cig right before a game messes them up??

scunner

I would normally have a few pints before a game to settle the nerves.
Evolution I have the same prob with smoking. It seems if i go outside for a fag and come back in and throw, my darts are all over the place for a while!
Sure it has something to do with fresh air. Do you be light headed for a while?

shiibata

Evolution Enter wrote: »

. a few players have told me that Taylor usually knocks back a couple of Vodka orange juices before a match, although no where near what some of the younger players are doing.
.

vodka and orange for me from now on:D

I have always wondered do some of the lads go to PDC knowing they can get out for a drink every set, where as on BBC you dont get away for a quick one unless its jugs of vodka they have up on the stage:P

Evolution Enter

Yeah, start hitting alot of 26's 30's maybe even outside the board. Could take me a full leg before my head clears.

I used to rush out for a fag when I knew I was up next in a league game or tournament and really noticed it then. And when I'm on the board and winning in the bar, it's when I take a break for a fag then I get knocked off quicker.

Colin Osbourne said during the World Championship he felt quitting the fags had helped his game

whaaames

Jesus i dunno how they do it, if james wade has to be locked to play, and then throws like he did when winning 3 tv touurnaments, i wonder how he throws when he's practicing sober, or if he even practices sober..?
How can someone get locked and still throw like that averaging near 100..?

If i ever have a few bevs with the mates, i'm grand with the first 2, in fact i play better (probley coz i'm more relaxed and into a rhythm) but after that i may pack it in, although i'm not a heavy drinker anyway. I'd say best off paying as close as you can to the way you prectice,...

Evolution Enter

Well tonight settled it for me, my team were 4-3 up, I had to play last and by the time I played last I'd had seven or eight pints.

A guy beat me 3-0 that wouldn't get anywhere near me otherwise

Gonna have to discipline myself to not drink at a league match or tournament from now on

Rented Mule

Evolution Enter wrote: »

From talking with some pro's at exhibitions, I got an insight into the pro's drinking.

Apparently Wade has to be locked to throw. Lewis had to carry him up to the stage at one event in Europe. Triple vodkas. And Lewis himself seems to steady his nerves with planty of vodka too.

And despite what Waddell is saying, a few players have told me that Taylor usually knocks back a couple of Vodka orange juices before a match, although no where near what some of the younger players are doing.

If alcohol was banned at PDC events, their top ten would look completely different

I threw doubles at a tournament with one of the top American women (at the time) back in 2000 who was dating one of the PDC guys at the time. She told us that it was her job to 'smuggle' bottles of vodka backstage before they went on.

The PDC did try to clean up the image of the 'professional darter' by banning drinking/smoking onstage, alothough it doesn't seem like these guys have ever had a hard time finding drink when they wanted it.

greatgoal

4-5 pints are great for my game but any more than that..forget about it.

clivebaby

If you take the game serious then dont drink.If you are out for a laugh get p#ssed.Sometimes a few pints can calm the nerves.There is very few that can throw legless.

death1234567

Evolution Enter wrote: »

Anyone else finds that a cig right before a game messes them up??

My Brother is the same as that, cant have a cig and then throw properly straight after.

Carrickman

Chris Mason dosen't need a few drinks before going on stage:eek:;)

Rented Mule

death1234567 wrote: »

My Brother is the same as that, cant have a cig and then throw properly straight after.

I've thrown with people who couldn't throw without one hanging from their lips.

Don't know what they do now that the smoking ban is basically everywhere.

dionsiseire

clivebaby wrote: »

If you take the game serious then dont drink.If you are out for a laugh get p#ssed.Sometimes a few pints can calm the nerves.There is very few that can throw legless.

Not to mention the height disadvantage

dionsiseire

Carrickman wrote: »

Chris Mason dosen't need a few drinks before going on stage:eek:;)

Nope but he likes mates with a hammer

Ronan|Raven

dionsiseire wrote: »

Nope but he likes mates with a hammer

Degag

Kirk Sheppard was bananas on stage in the world championship final last year... i thought he was going to fall over on a few occasions.

We'd usually play on a friday night, by the time the final comes along we could have 8 pints. I tend to play best after 6 pints... i've reached averages that i couldn't even dream about in practice. It nice to do but pretty demoralising the next day when i'm back throwing 21s, 26s and 41s.

califano

I kind of knew a lot of players would have drink on them as they played but i was really surprised to actually see Daryll Fitton chugging a bottle of bud during the break in the background live on BBC as they interviewed Tony O'Shea.