A chance encounter with darts star Devon Peterson, who is Africa's highest-ranked player, has provided a rare insight into how the Mitchells Plain-born player has been able to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Petersen is the highest-ever ranked African darts player. He was in South Africa recently, where this writer bumped into him while attending the Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Sitting down with Peterson, he spoke about the sport he has thrived in and his journey to the top, how he climbed to the level of a World Championship contender.
The 38-year-old known as “The African Warrior” reached a career-high number 32 in the world and qualified for the PDC World Championship seven times, reaching the final 16 three times.
“People are so intimidated by the stage, but it is all here (pointing to his head), all we work within is a two-and-a-half metre space. If I can coach you to be fully focused in that space, you’ll be a champion.”
Petersen discussed how important it is for professional darts players to find the flow state and stay in it to perform on the biggest stages. The flow state refers to a level of peak focus, clarity and rhythm in the action you are performing.
“I meditate on a big scale. From a meditation perspective, there is an understanding of how to create the flow state with a switch button.
“You have to understand the brain workings and how all of that is triggered. I have dived so deep into that. I understand how to switch on the flow state.”
Petersen went on to explain why talent alone is not what creates elite darts players.
“When I was three, my neck wobbled like every other child’s does. I didn’t stand up straight. I had to learn how to walk. You are not born as a darts player. It is a technique taught.
“It is lazy research to say you are born with talent. You are not born with talent, talent is coached. You might have the basics, but if you can walk, you can run, if you can run, you can run faster. It is all based on technique.”
The 38-year-old from Mitchells Plain has settled in Bradford, however, the distance between him and South Africa has not stopped him from pursuing his passion for coaching and education.
Petersen is currently developing an autonomous coaching app to create professional African darts players.
“Predominantly what we do is we teach the basics. When you get to a 501 level you graduate to an academy level where you get the one-on-one coaching. Then I can teach you all of the other elements, but we have to make sure the basics are right.
"I can’t give you a fighter plane when you can’t fly a normal plane. Once you get to that level I can take you to the next level.
“I come from Mitchells Plain. Nobody expected me to be a top darts player, let alone a global champion. How did I get there? I was not born with that. It is all about understanding.
"From the autonomous coaching app, we have one for the student and one for the coach, because I am going to teach the coach how to be a coach. We will create better players, better coaches, and we will create a different way of how Africa is exposed to the world.”
Petersen is launching the Dartboard Maths project aimed at getting children to the world champion level in the classroom by building math skills through darts.
“I am launching my Dartboard Maths interactive app as an education resource to teach kids how to do maths utilising a dartboard and the techniques that darts players use. I am able to deliver that to a classroom from the age of seven to 99.”
Virtually anyone can become a good darts player. All it takes is focus and dedication. Petersen is proof of this as he now looks to prove it in others through his coaching and his educational project.