"He went from throwing like a dream to throwing like a drain in a matter of days": Rod Studd critical of Van Gerwen's inconsistent form peaks and troughs

Michael van Gerwen remains one of the most talked-about names in the darts world, but according to Sky Sports commentator Rod Studd, it is precisely the Dutchman’s inconsistency that is currently his biggest problem. The analyst did not hold back on the three-time world champion after another disappointing spell in major televised tournaments.

Van Gerwen is going through a difficult season in ranking events. His last major televised title dates back to 2022, and this year “Mighty Mike” has yet to reach a quarter-final at a major. In addition, the Dutchman is set to defend £419,500 in prize money towards the end of the season, meaning a significant drop on the world rankings is looming. At present, Van Gerwen could even slip towards around 20th in the world after Alexandra Palace.

Studd still sees the Dutchman’s enormous potential, but stresses that the gap between his best and worst performances is currently simply too large.

“He went from throwing like a dream to throwing like a drain in a matter of days," said Studd to Weekly Dartscast. "It’s inexplicable really, isn’t it? But I suppose it’s not inexplicable because it’s what Michael has been doing."

According to the commentator, that is where the biggest danger for Van Gerwen lies. “He’s been throwing in a shocker perhaps once in every five or six games.

“In tournaments, when you’re trying to win a tournament like the [World] Matchplay, you’ve got to win five games. It’s tough if you’re going to throw in a shocker in one of those five."

That inconsistency, Studd argues, is preventing Van Gerwen from being a regular contender for the biggest titles. "So, it’s tough for Michael to win tournaments throwing so poorly once every five or six games."

However, the commentator is not yet ready to write the Dutchman off, precisely because Van Gerwen still produces moments where he looks almost untouchable.

Studd pointed to Players Championship 15, which Van Gerwen recently won. In the semi-final, the Dutchman produced a sensational average of over 122 in a 7–0 win over Martin Schindler.

“But I don’t care who you are, if you’re on the wrong end of what he produced in that semi-final in Leicester. Luke Humphries, [Gerwyn] Price, [Wessel] Nijman, they’d be in trouble."

That leaves one key question surrounding the former world number one: why can’t he maintain that level consistently? “There’s no question about it. So, it’s the consistency that Michael’s lacking. And if he knew why it was happening, well, I’m sure he’d fix it.”