Getting shaky hands playing darts is way more common than you'd think, even pros deal with it. DARTSLIVE ran an official survey of about 250 JAPAN tour pros and asked them directly whether their mental game changed after turning pro. The answers weren't all "yes, I got calmer." This rounds up the results, and if you're a nervous beginner: you're not the exception.
What DARTSLIVE actually asked
This survey came from DARTSLIVE itself, not something AI DARTS put together. The core question: "Has your mental game changed since you turned pro?" The answers split into three groups.
68% got stronger, 7% got weaker, 25% felt no change
- 68% of pros said their mental game got stronger after turning pro
- 7% said it actually got weaker
- The remaining 25% felt no real change
So more than two-thirds improved, but a real chunk didn't. Even at the pro level, more reps doesn't automatically mean more calm.
3 reasons the mental game got weaker
- Title pressure: carrying the word "pro" adds a layer of pressure to protect your reputation
- The weight of one throw: a single dart in a real match carries a different weight than the same throw in practice
- The performance gap: nailing it in practice, then missing that level on stage, the gap itself wears on your mental game
The turning points behind getting stronger
The survey also grouped the common turning points pros who got stronger mentioned:
- A mindset shift: from "what if I miss" to "I'm hitting this," moving from fear of failure to focus on the target
- The body catching up: hands stop shaking, heart rate settles, physical symptoms improve alongside the mindset
- Watching yourself, not your opponent: with more match experience, players stop tracking how the other player is doing and settle into their own rhythm
Shaky hands don't mean darts isn't for you
There's a common idea that strong players are always calm on stage, like shaking hands means you're "not good enough." But even among pros, 7% got mentally weaker and 25% felt nothing change. Staying calm isn't the entry ticket to playing darts. Plenty of first-timers at AI DARTS have shaky hands the moment they step up to the line, that's completely normal, don't let it stop you from throwing. Count-Up mode is the easiest way to get a feel for the board first. For the throwing motion itself, see our how to throw darts guide, and for the other installment of this same survey on practice methods, check out 250 pros surveyed. Menu's here.