Well, I finally took the plunge and entered a singles open (actually it was limited to my league division so not technically open) but as close to a money open as we've had in the area since I started playing. Actually there was a real open in early March but I didn't realize it as I wasn't looking to enter anything at the time.

Anyway, I get called for my first game and (of course) it's against a girl. Maybe 75 pounds soaking wet who was literally drinking A GLASS OF MILK. I'm not sure of her age. Over 21 as I've seen her in the bar a couple of times on league nights, but still, very young and a throw like Justin Pipe. Agonizingly slow. A bit like watching some kind of sea plant unfold. Definitely threw me off my rhythm, but that wasn't really the worst of it.

Long story short I was nervous (and edgy from WAY too much coffee in the morning) and lost 2-0.

The great part is how much I learned from it.

I didn't lose to her, I lost to myself. I was shaking so badly I was afraid I was going to miss the board completely. It was AWESOME! What an experience. I thought I had conquered stage fright years ago, but apparently I have a new challenge.

Lessons learned, fun had, more tournaments needed if I can find them.

Peace,

Mike

Hey great learning experience. Was she atleast good lookin?

USMC80 wrote:

Hey great learning experience. Was she atleast good lookin?

Lol. Not bad. Red head of which I definitely approve. Little young for my taste but acceptably cute other than the gloating as she accepted the trophy for 2nd in the women's division early that day. It was subtle, but it was there.

Meh. I probably gloat a little when I win too, although I try not to.

Anyway, as they say, wouldn't throw her out of bed for eating crackers. Or beating me. ;)

nice! a young redhead can beat me anytime

nerves can be a real killer. i havent played in any opens, but i have played in 4 darts ontario shoots which are pretty much the same idea. it wasn't until the fourth and last shoot that i got comfortable and actually showed up. first 3 shoots i was abysmal and was losing games i never should have, mostly due to nerves/not feeling comfortable. but on the last shoot it clicked and i made it on to the quarter finals and hit a 180 and quite a few high tons. like you, i need to find myself more tournaments to enter!

Well ya did it and thats what matters, so gain from the experience and you will no doubt be eager to do it again, lets hope next time ya beat Red Sonja!

getagrip wrote:

Well ya did it and thats what matters, so gain from the experience and you will no doubt be eager to do it again, lets hope next time ya beat Red Sonja!

HAHAHAHAHAHA! That emoticon is epic!

She won't beat me again unless I let myself get into the same physical/chemical state again before a match. And that's why this was such a great learning experience for me. I lost, but at least I know exactly WHY I lost and each piece of it is something I can do something about.

1. No full pots of coffee before a match.

2. Practice playing against total strangers so that playing an opponent of unknown skill doesn't matter to your mental approach.

3. Until I get better at dealing with the pressure of #2 by having entered more comps, feel free to have a pint or two to help the nerves (but not too much and not as a permanent solution).

4. Don't change from standard shafts to spinners the day before a tourney and destroy your confidence in where your darts are going to land.

5. practice, practice, practice.

Oh yeah, 6. Play more cute redheads. Not really a strategy but could make me enjoy #'s 1 through 5 more.

Or maybe I should just drink milk... hmmmm....

Great experience chalk ! Just keep playing and your nerves will improve trust me.

Great experience Chalk. I may be experience that last week too but the difference is my opponent is a man hahah

SilverSaber wrote:

trust me.

You will never fully understand how much I do trust you Larry. I could try to explain but I'd just screw it up. Let's just say my current dart set up, grip and throw, practice routines and mental workouts are mainly due to your influence. Not to mention flight school which I joined because of you and which has been invaluable to me.

So let me just say thank you and leave it at that.

-Mike

madzkymadz wrote:

Great experience Chalk. I may be experience that last week too but the difference is my opponent is a man hahah

Was he at least good lookin?

lol.

A loss is a loss. If you learn from it you win, even though you lost. Man, woman, wombat or unicorn, if you get better because of it, you actually won.

At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Go get 'em madzkymadz!

CanadianBacon wrote:

nerves can be a real killer. i havent played in any opens, but i have played in 4 darts ontario shoots which are pretty much the same idea. it wasn't until the fourth and last shoot that i got comfortable and actually showed up. first 3 shoots i was abysmal and was losing games i never should have, mostly due to nerves/not feeling comfortable. but on the last shoot it clicked and i made it on to the quarter finals and hit a 180 and quite a few high tons. like you, i need to find myself more tournaments to enter!

Wow, bacon! That must have been like 10 times the pressure I felt. Dallas is a city of several million but there can't be more than a few hundred serious dart players in that whole group. And I only played a small subset of those.

As in 24 total in the tourney I entered. I knew only two of them from league so still a really weird thing for me, but I imagine Ontario (I assume you mean the whole province) must have a HUGE number of entrants by comparison.

That's a hell of a lot different. Well done mate.

Well done Mike, you've taken the 1st step and that's what matters. I think everyone's nervous on their 1st League match, Tourney, etc. but it's that 1st step that counts.

Build on the experience now and good luck for your next Tourney.

Well done Thats the first step of competive darts Now it will just get easier, now you know what to expect next time you play and some of the nerves will go away, (not all maybe).

I think that next time you play you will win the first round at least And maybe even more
But its great that you took the plunge in to it


Cheers and Good luck from me

Chalk Is Cheap wrote:

Well, I finally took the plunge and entered a singles open (actually it was limited to my league division so not technically open) but as close to a money open as we've had in the area since I started playing. Actually there was a real open in early March but I didn't realize it as I wasn't looking to enter anything at the time.

Anyway, I get called for my first game and (of course) it's against a girl. Maybe 75 pounds soaking wet who was literally drinking A GLASS OF MILK. I'm not sure of her age. Over 21 as I've seen her in the bar a couple of times on league nights, but still, very young and a throw like Justin Pipe. Agonizingly slow. A bit like watching some kind of sea plant unfold. Definitely threw me off my rhythm, but that wasn't really the worst of it.

Long story short I was nervous (and edgy from WAY too much coffee in the morning) and lost 2-0.

The great part is how much I learned from it.

I didn't lose to her, I lost to myself. I was shaking so badly I was afraid I was going to miss the board completely. It was AWESOME! What an experience. I thought I had conquered stage fright years ago, but apparently I have a new challenge.

Lessons learned, fun had, more tournaments needed if I can find them.

Peace,

Mike

Not first loss, but first lesson probably.
Nobody ever gets beat at darts they only lose!!!

You are apes all !I am really happy for you I never will take guts to play with my latvian noobish darts players . I only would only play against Kong in Latvian open , and will lost without dishounor