What is dartitis and what causes it?

Dartitis is a psychological condition which affects darts players and prohibits them from releasing a dart at the end of their throw.

The Collins English Dictionary defines it as a nervous twitching or tension that destroys concentration and spoils performance.

The mental condition can affect players at all levels, from world champions to local pub players and anyone in between.

A number of professionals have struggled with dartitis; including current world number 15 Nathan Aspinall, five-time world champion Eric Bristow and 2004 world runner-up Kevin Painter.

Current women's world number one Beau Greaves has also suffered with it in the past.

It can develop when a player is low on confidence, feeling under pressure or fearful that they are going to miss their intended target.

The condition is similar to getting the yips in other sports such as snooker, cricket, baseball and golf.

The effects of dartitis have led to some players noticing a significant drop off in performance and it can even cause those affected to retire.

"You're in shock, I stood there for ages. I just couldn't get my arm up to let go of the dart," Painter told BBC News in 2024.

"I was just hoping I was going to hit stuff. I honestly thought I was going to miss the board," Greaves told the Evening Standard.

Doctor Linda Duffy, who was previously the women's world number one between 1982 and 1987, is now a professor of psychology at Middlesex University having also suffered with Dartitis during her career.

"[Dartitis is] in the absence of any physical trauma, it's purely psychological," said Duffy.

"A lack of confidence is a pre-disposition to developing dartitis."

Players cope with dartitis in various ways, either through doing extra practice, or learning to play through the condition. Others also take breaks when it prevents them from releasing the dart.

Duffy explains that the condition is a "cognitive disorder" and recommends cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help players through the condition, while Painter has also undergone hypnotherapy to help ease dartitis.

"I used to combat it with extra practice. It was heard of back in the day, but not many people spoke about it," said Duffy.

"I don't think it is the end if you get dartitis, I just think it makes things very difficult," she added.

While there may not necessarily be a cure, a number of professionals have developed methods to learn to play with dartitis.

Twenty-one-year-old Greaves, who is appearing in her second World Darts Championship, has managed to overcome the condition but still thinks her condition will never go away.

"It is something I had to accept when I first got it," she told Darts Now in 2024.

"It's hard to accept, but I think once you get over that, then that is the first road to recovery.

"The more than you throw with it, it comes and goes. Don't let it stop you playing, then it has beat you," she added.

BBC Sport reader James said he found his fix by having a looser grip. He said: "Throw loose and comfortable even if you hit nothing good, it will come back."

Thanks to James in Bolton for the question.

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