"Everyone can play well at home, but you need to play matches" - Danny Noppert's advice to darting stars of the future

One of the most consistent darters in recent years, Danny Noppert has more than lived up to his nickname, The Freeze. The 34-year-old Dutchman, winner of the UK Open in 2022 and a firm presence in the top 16 of the world, keeps both feet on the ground. In an interview with northerner.com, he talks about his preparation, the growth of darts and his advice to young talents.

After nearly eight years as a professional, Noppert feels increasingly confident on stage. "Most of the time, I’m really calm, but I’ve been a professional now for seven years, eight years almost. So I’m not really nervous anymore. But at the beginning of course I was more nervous than I am now. They’re all top players!" he explained. The experience helps him stay calm under pressure.

His match preparation is tightly planned. "I play with friends like Gian Van Veen. I practice with him before my game if he is in the same sessions that I am. We do finishing games and scoring games, and rest in between. Most of the time, I am there three and a half hours before a match, so I have the time to prepare. Sometimes my manager makes finishing games for me," he says.

The circuit is rapidly expanding and Noppert is noticing that. "Darts is really popular at the moment, over here, in the Netherlands and Belgium. I saw the schedule for the European tours next year, we're going to Poland and more tournaments in the Netherlands and Bratislava, so we're going everywhere now!"

His biggest success to date remains the UK Open victory in 2022. "It’s been a long time already, time goes quickly! It was really special for me, not everyone can say they've won a major tournament, so it was a really proud moment. Hopefully, in the future, I can lift more titles."

Even a top player keeps tinkering with his game. "Depends on the day! Some days I feel I need to have more time on my doubles. If I lose a game on doubles, I'm more proactive on that. And the same story on scoring."

Noppert knows better than anyone how important it is to gain match rhythm. "What I did was firstly play local tournaments in nearby pubs. If it goes well, then you can go to higher levels and step by step, not too quickly, play as many tournaments as you can. Not only is practising good for you, but you also need to have your own belief, and that's what darts is about. I always hear that everyone can play well at home, but you need to play matches."

With a young family, Noppert plans his practice hours carefully. "I always practice in the evening when the children are in bed. I start at 7 to 9, so 2 hours a day. I have an electronic scoring system so I can play with other people and colleagues. I can play with players around the world on the system, it's great."

With the full playing schedule, physical fitness is more important than ever. "I think it's really important, there are more tournaments every year, so we have to be fit. Like now I'm only home for a day and another tournament tomorrow, and then I'll go away again. So it's really important, I think, more important than years ago," Noppert concluded.