“Absolute disaster” – Gabriel Clemens hits out at the new PDC dartboards

At the start of the 2026 season, the PDC, together with equipment partner Winmau, introduced a new generation of boards. Since then, the Winmau Blade 360 has been used at floor events and the Winmau Blade X at televised tournaments. But instead of enthusiasm, the switch has increasingly drawn criticism—from fans and pros alike.

On social media, many viewers mainly complain about the durability of the new boards. On tour, the criticism focuses primarily on how they play, especially the Blade X. Pros repeatedly report an unusually hard surface. The bullseye has been in the spotlight in particular, as the opening weeks of the season saw a striking number of bounce-outs—most recently at the UK Open 2026, when Jimmy van Schie missed a 130 finish because his dart sprang out of the bull.

Gabriel Clemens also spoke candidly about the situation in the latest episode of the Darts auf die 1 podcast—and didn’t mince words. “An absolute disaster,” said the “German Giant” when co-host Marcel Althaus asked him about the new boards. Clemens had previously hinted several times that he is no fan of the new generation.

For Clemens, one issue stands out above all: the high number of bounce-outs. “You still got the odd bouncer now and then. Overall, I thought: A lot of bouncers this weekend,” he said, looking back at the UK Open.

The podcast also covered the incident involving Jimmy van Schie, whose missed bull finish drew attention. Clemens picked up the example directly: “Jimmy van Schie could sing you a song about that. I was just walking into the hall when he came storming out.”

Other pros are apparently struggling with the new boards as well. Clemens pointed to Dave Chisnall: “Chizzy is also a huge fan, by the way. I saw that match—every dart of his just drooped.”

Yet Clemens actually looked in fine fettle in Minehead, underlining his positive start to the season. With a spectacular 145 checkout to win the match against Richard Veenstra, he moved into the fifth round.

That was where his run ended, though: Clemens was well beaten 2-10 by James Wade. On the podcast, he reflected openly on the match. “At some point I just got annoyed, I have to say,” he explained. “With myself, with the stage, with pretty much everything. I was unhappy with the overall situation. The stage was wobbling... it wasn’t nice anymore—everything on that thing was shaking.”

Beyond the boards, Clemens addressed the external conditions. The side area with boards 3 to 8 at Butlins Minehead particularly puzzled him. “In fact, stages 3 to 8 are now in a different hall—and judging by the smell, that’s usually where ponies walk around,” he said with a laugh.

He described the lighting as problematic. “Some overhead lighting wouldn’t have hurt. I found it really very dark, and every player I spoke to also thought it was very dark.”