dartitis
{{short description|Motor condition that affects darts players}}
Dartitis ({{IPAc-en|d|ɑːr||ˈ|t|aɪ|t|ɪ|s}}) is a condition that can affect darts players and severely damage their performance. It can be compared to 'the yips', an expression used to describe apparent loss of fine motor skills without any explanation. The term is used in reference to players who struggle with some kind of psychological problem affecting their ability to release their darts.
Etymology
Dartitis is a portmanteau of the sport's name and "-itis", a suffix that relates to a medical condition.{{Cite CD.com|-itis|accessdate=6 April 2018}} It is described by the Collins English Dictionary as "(in darts) nervous twitching or tension that destroys the concentration and spoils performance".{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dartitis|title=dartitis|publisher=www.collinsdictionary.com|accessdate=6 April 2018}} The word was first used in the magazine Darts World by editor Robbie Dyson in 1981.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KhZzCgAAQBAJ&q=dartitis+1981&pg=PT133|title=Darts: Skills – Tactics – Techniques|last=Chaplin|first=Patrick|publisher=The Crowood Press|date=31 August 2015|isbn=978-1-78500-006-5|location=Marlborough, Wiltshire|access-date=24 January 2020}}
Condition
Dartitis is believed to be a form of dystonia,{{cite news|url=https://metro.co.uk/2017/11/13/what-is-dartitis-affliction-explained-after-berry-van-peers-grand-slam-of-darts-trauma-7074642/|title=What is dartitis? Affliction explained after Berry van Peer's Grand Slam of Darts trauma|first=Phil|last=Haigh|newspaper=Metro|date=13 December 2019}} which is described by the UK NHS as:
A medical term for a range of movement disorders that cause muscle spasms and contractions. The spasms and contractions may either be sustained or may come and go. Movements are often repetitive and cause unusual, awkward and sometimes painful postures. Tremor (shaking) can also be a characteristic of some types of dystonia. Dystonia is thought to be a neurological condition (caused by underlying problems with the brain and nervous system). However, in most cases, brain functions such as intelligence, memory and language remain unaffected.
Notable cases
=Eric Bristow=
In the late 1980s, five-time world champion Eric Bristow began experiencing dartitis.{{cite web |last=Honeyball |first=Lee |date=18 January 2004 |title=First and Last|url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1123146,00.html|work=The Observer}} At the 1987 Swedish Open, he found himself unable to let go of his dart properly.{{cite web |author=Gareth A Davies |date=18 December 2007 |title=My Sport: Eric Bristow |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/2328859/My-Sport-Eric-Bristow.html |website=The Telegraph |access-date=5 June 2025}}{{cite web |last=Gibson |first=John |date=17 February 2015 |title=Eric Bristow reveals how he dealt his yips - something all sports stars dread |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/other-sport/eric-bristow-reveals-how-dealt-8657585 |website=Chronicle Live |access-date=5 June 2025}} Although he still reached further world finals{{cite web |last=Murray |first=Scott |date=13 January 2012 |title=The Joy of Six: darts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/jan/13/joy-of-six-darts |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 June 2025}} and even managed to regain the number one position in the world rankings in 1990, his career largely declined as a result. It was around this time he started mentoring 16-time world champion Phil Taylor, who he practiced with as a way of treating his condition.{{cite web |last=Ingle |first=Sean |date=6 April 2018 |title=Brilliant, arrogant, loved and loathed – Eric Bristow ruled darts’ golden age |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/apr/06/eric-bristow-personified-darts-golden-age |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 June 2025}}
=Berry van Peer=
At the 2017 Grand Slam of Darts, then-21-year-old Dutch player Berry van Peer struggled greatly with dartitis. After winning his opening group stage match against Simon Whitlock, Van Peer found it increasingly difficult to let go of his darts in his second match against Gary Anderson, attempting to throw several times before finally releasing and throwing the subsequent darts.{{cite web |last=Dean |first=Sam |date=12 December 2017 |title=Dartitis: The affliction all darts players fear ahead of World Championships |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/darts/2017/12/12/dartitis-affliction-darts-players-fear-ahead-world-championships/ |website=The Telegraph |access-date=5 June 2025}} This resulted in a 5–1 loss where he only recorded a three-dart average of 68.8. Despite his issues and calls from tournament organisers to withdraw from the event, a tearful Van Peer defeated Cameron Menzies 5–4 in his final group match and qualified for the knockout stages.{{cite web |date=14 November 2017 |title=Grand Slam of Darts: Berry van Peer defies dartitis as Peter Wright survives a scare |url=https://www.sportinglife.com/darts/news/van-peer-defies-dartitis-to-win/123830 |website=Sporting Life |access-date=5 June 2025}}{{cite web |last=Allen |first=Dave |date=13 November 2017 |title=2017 bwin Grand Slam of Darts Day Three |url=https://www.pdc.tv/news/2017/11/13/2017-bwin-grand-slam-darts-day-three |website=Professional Darts Corporation |access-date=5 June 2025}}
=Nathan Aspinall=
Nathan Aspinall started noticing his dartitis on night 11 of the 2023 Premier League, where he lost his first-round match 6–5 to Peter Wright. Aspinall recounted the experience during the Sky Sports documentary Game of Throws: "I lost the game 6–5, I went upstairs after the game and I was in the toilet and I was absolutely smashing ten lumps of shit out of the hand dryer. I lost my head."{{cite web |last=Ostlere |first=Lawrence |date=19 December 2024 |title=What is ‘dartitis’? The condition that can throw the world’s best players off their game |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/darts/dartitis-darts-conditions-explained-why-b2667172.html |website=The Independent |access-date=5 June 2025}} He typically pauses before throwing or ends up abandoning his throw altogether to allow himself to regroup.{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Jeremy |date=2 January 2025 |title=Nathan Aspinall suffered from ‘dartitis’ against Luke Littler – this is how it affects players |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/darts/2025/01/02/luke-littler-aspinall-dartitis-world-darts-championship/ |website=The Telegraph |access-date=5 June 2025}}
=Other cases=
Former World Champion Mark Webster and three-time women's world champion Beau Greaves have also had dartitis.{{cite web|title=World Darts Championship: Mensur Suljovic and Daryl Gurney in Monday action|url=https://news.sky.com/story/world-darts-championship-mensur-suljovic-and-daryl-gurney-in-monday-action-11175037|website=Sky News|accessdate=23 December 2017}}{{Cite web |date=2022-03-30 |title=Greaves on previous struggles with dartitis ahead of Lakeside: "I think I've only just came out of it, it's been hard" |url=https://dartsnews.com/wdf/greaves-on-previous-struggles-with-dartitis-ahead-of-lakeside-i-think-ive-only-just-came-out-of-it-its-been-hard |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=Dartsnews.com |language=en}}