"I feel like I'm really equipped to go on and win a major now" - Ryan Searle with clear goal for 2024

Ryan Searle has worked his way up to a stable top-32 player in recent years. However, 'Heavy Metal' is eager to continue progressing into the true elite of the sport.

Searle is a rarity in the darting world with his 32-gram arrows. "It started as a gimmick. I used to use 22g Andy Fordham darts," Searle explains in conversation with his new supplier, Harrows Darts. "I just found that I was more consistent with the heavy dart so it just stuck from there."

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'Heavy Metal' has been Searle's nickname for many years. "I've always liked heavy metal music since I was 12 or 13 probably. It's something I've always listened to. The like of skulls comes from my dad more than anything else. He's always had a skull tattoo around his wrist and that's why I've got skulls around my wrist as well."

Searle has been a consistent threat at major tournaments in recent years. "I think I prefer the bigger crowds," he says. "I went to watch the Premier League down in Exeter with my girlfriend and I was just jokingly saying I'm going to be up there one day. I've not quite reached the Premier League yet but I've played on a lot of really big stages."

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Major victory

In 2021, Searle lost the final of the Players Championship Finals. "I was really nervous in that final and I feel like if I get there again, the nerves won't be quite as bad. This game is all about learning from losing basically. You don't lose, you learn and I feel like I'm really equipped to go on and win a major now."