A talented darts player who has previously featured at the World Championship will lose his PDC Tour Card in the coming weeks following a difficult year that included switching throwing hands.
Jules Van Dongen, whose nickname is "The Dutch Dragon", has switched to throwing with his weaker left hand over the past 12 months after dropping to 151st in the world rankings.
The 35-year-old has suffered from a physical issue in his throwing hand in recent years, a problem he has previously described as debilitating.
In fact, Van Dongen has compared it to being a naturally right-footed footballer who is suddenly only allowed to kick the ball with his left foot. "You have to think about every move," he added.
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The Dutchman previously said that it feels like he has spaghetti in his hand when playing. "I can’t get a proper grip on the dart," he said. "My hand just does strange things and I can’t control it.”
Despite the setback, Van Dongen regained his PDC Tour Card for another two years in 2024 after sitting second in the European Qualifying School Order of Merit, while also posting averages of 94 and 95.
But the problems persisted with his natural throwing hand. Speaking in December last year, he opened up on his struggles.
"I've tried working with a sports psychologist. I've done acupuncture for a while. I do meditation. While I think it's also a bit of muscle memory of my old throw, it is probably 100% mental, but it doesn't change the fact that I can't roll my thumb, I can't roll it in my thumb," he said on Facebook.
"Even in my basement, I can't do it. I can't do it anywhere. So I don't know, I've tried a lot of things. One of the things that I'm about to try in the next couple of weeks is hypnotherapy.
"That's something that works. There have been players in the past who have got over dartitis that way. But yeah, for me, it's not really the normal dartitis where it's the release that goes wrong.
"I can't release the dart. I simply cannot hold it anymore. And over the last year, it's just gotten worse."
Van Dongen participated in the World Cup of Darts alongside America's Danny Lauby in June but they failed to reach the knockout stages, with Van Dongen posting a disappointing 62.43 average.
“After the World Cup my confidence and joy in the game was at an all-time low. I decided to fully commit to the left hand,” he wrote on Facebook.
“In July I was convinced my darting days were over, now I’m optimistic and hopeful.”
He added: “I now have enough confidence and joy in playing darts that I’m actually looking forward to going to England and playing on the Pro Tour one more time."
He will now lose his PDC Tour Card after a challenging couple of years, but Van Dongen has a longer-term strategy in place ahead of 2026.
“Four years of Pro Tour is coming to an end in a few months," he said earlier this year.
"Q School is too early for me in January, but as I (hopefully) become more competitive left-handed I will pick tournaments on the WDF circuit to start building again. My goal is Q School 2027.”
Topics: Darts, United States, Netherlands
Jack Kenmare