STEPHEN BUNTING CREDITS SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST WITH SAVING HIS DARTS CAREER “FELT LIKE PEOPLE WERE LAUGHING AT ME”
Stephen Bunting Almost Quit Darts Before Major Comeback
The current Masters champion Stephen Bunting has opened his heart out and shared that he nearly walked away and wanted to leave darts after three years of early exits at the World Darts Championship. He says that for his overall good performance and his good mental healths credits goes to a sports psychologist for his recent positive turnaround.
Bunting opened up and shared on the new darts show Club 501 recently which is hosted by former player and analyst Wayne Mardle on William Hill’s YouTube channel. he added that around “Five or six years ago, I was to call it off and quit darts forever. because I felt like people were laughing at me and that annoyed me a lot to my core, and I didn’t want to be there anymore because of this mental negativity. My sports form was terrible, and it was affecting my family life as well. I knew I had to make a change if i want to sustain in the arena of darts,” Bunting remembered.
Back in Hildesheim 🇩🇪 for Players Championships 11&12. 🤞🏼for 2 good days.#LetsGoBuntingMental #LGBM@Inglenook_Inns @ST_Accountancy @Pyjamasdotcom @theruddgroup @TargetDarts
— Stephen Bunting (@sbunting180) June 11, 2024
Play will commence at 1300 local time (1200 GMT) on each day, and coverage from four boards in… pic.twitter.com/ET7apHsIpM
Turning Things Around with a Sports Psychologist
Stephen was desperate for a change in his personal and sports life, Bunting decided to see a sports psychologist. Bunting says “The psychologist helped me to focus on the positive side of my life.
Before, I was always thinking always negatively when playing darts in world stage. It made a positive and big difference for me. I’ve positively improved a lot since then and now I’m also seeing a special hypnotherapist, which has taken my game to another level,” he said.
Masters Triumph and Premier League Aspirations
Bunting’s hard work really paid off when he secured the Masters in Milton Keynes in early weeks of February 2024, he defeated Michael van Gerwen in the finals. This marked his first PDC major win ever. Few impacts on his journey, the 39-year-old Englishman thoroughly believes he’s playing better game now than when he won the Lakeside title in 2014.
“I think I’m a better player now than I was ten years ago,” Bunting stated. “My form is very consistent, which is crucial for winning titles. Beating Michael van Gerwen in the Masters final was a special moment for me.”
Looking ahead, Bunting is confident about his future in darts sports. He says that “I believe there’s a lot more to come from me. I feel more confident inside now than I’ve ever been in my life. . I’m aiming to get back into the Premier League, and I feel my game is only getting better,” he concluded.
