Darts star Stephen Bunting has confessed how he almost quit the game after feeling people were “laughing” at him.
The current Masters Champion told William Hill’s new YouTube show, Club 501, that he almost gave up on darts completely during a winless spell at the World Darts Championship that lasted three years. Bunting also said that it was his decision to see a sports psychologist that was the main reason behind his recent resurgence.
The Liverpool-born fan-favourite, speaking on the YouTube show which is hosted by pundit and commentator Wayne Mardle, said: “Five or six years ago I was thinking about just walking away from darts.” The former BDO World Masters champ also lifted the lid about how he felt people were mocking him when he was at the oche and that he no longer wanted to be there.
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“I was walking into venues feeling like people were laughing at me and I just didn’t want to be there anymore,” Bunting said. He also added that his mental state was not just affecting his form in front of the board but was also having an impact on his family, adding: “My form was so bad and I was going home and taking it out on my family. I needed to do something.”
Bunting, known as ‘The Bullet’, knew he had to address his issues and revealed that he sought professional help. “I went to see a sports psychologist and he trained my brain to think about the positives, because every time I was playing darts it was all negative,” the former BDO title holder revealed.
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Bunting also noted that since seeking help from the sports psychologist, his game has gone from strength to strength. “That was a massive help. I have progressed since then and I’m now seeing a hypnotherapist as well which is really helping and it’s taken my game to another level.”
It’s been a solid year for Bunting so far. At the 2024 World Championship, he reached the fourth round, where he beat both Ryan Joyce and Florian Hempel with ease before losing in a 4–0 sets whitewash to Michael van Gerwen. However, his finest moment was when the 39-year-old reached his first PDC major final.
Bunting defeated Ross Smith 6–5 in the first round, reigning world champion Luke Humphries 10–7 in the second round and Peter Wright 10–2 in the quarter final. He then dispatched Nathan Aspinal in the semi-final and went on to win the Masters final, defeating Michael van Gerwen 11–7.