“I think I’ve just been lazy” - Josh Rock admits practice drop-off as World Series run sparks return of his darting buzz

Josh Rock believes he is finally beginning to rediscover his best darts after booking his place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals with a 10-7 win over Ryan Searle in Amsterdam.

The Northern Irishman came through a tightly contested second-round battle on Saturday, with little separating the pair through the opening 12 legs before Rock found the decisive burst.

At 6-6, Rock produced a superb 146 checkout to edge back in front, then broke Searle in the following leg before eventually closing out the contest on double 16.

Afterwards, Rock admitted the biggest change may have come away from the stage rather than on it. “I think I’ve just been lazy, obviously not practising and stuff, which is always my own fault, obviously being back at home,” Rock said. “But I’m just starting to get the love for it again and starting to get the buzz for it again, and I have the last two times I’ve played.”

Rock has spent recent months tinkering with his setup, but the 25-year-old has now returned to familiar equipment and feels the difference is beginning to show.

“I’m feeling fantastic,” he said. “I’m certainly getting back to the way I know I can play darts. I’ve been tampering with my setup lately and I’ve just gone back to what I know, and it seems to be working at the moment. So yeah, I’m happy.”

The timing is useful, with the busiest and most important part of the PDC season still to come. Rock admitted he had struggled to understand why his game had not quite clicked over the previous few months, despite continuing to go deep in major tournaments.

“Darts is a funny old game,” he said. “I don’t know what’s been happening the last couple of months. Playing European Tours, playing World Series is just helping me play my best and, for some reason, I’ve started to click this week. So it’s starting to work again.”

His results this year have hardly represented a collapse in form. Rock pointed to a series of major runs ending against the eventual champion, including quarter-final and semi-final appearances.

“If you look at every major tournament I’ve played, I’ve gone quarter-final, semi-final, quarter-final, but I’ve played the winner,” he said. “So, you know, when you’re playing the world number one, that’s very hard. Obviously just to get over the line, as I was, it’s difficult for anybody. But I’m not playing bad this year. I know that for a fact. I just maybe haven’t been up to scratch as well as the year before.”

Rock also pointed to a major physical change over the last year as another factor he has been adjusting to. The Northern Irishman revealed he has lost four stone and admitted that the change has altered the balance he had previously been accustomed to at the oche.

“As you know yourself, I’ve lost a lot of weight. I’ve lost four stone, so I’m just obviously getting used to the new balance,” he said. “But I like myself now more than I did last year.”

Rock said the benefits have gone well beyond results on stage, even if the process of adapting his throw and balance is still ongoing. “Behind the scenes, yeah,” he said when asked whether he was seeing the benefits of the work. “Mostly I’ve allowed myself more than I did last year, but obviously getting used to the new balance is just a new thing to get used to. I’m doing okay. I just obviously want to do better, but it’s a small process.”

Rock has no intention of settling for simply getting back to his previous level. His target for the remainder of 2026 is clear: break into the world’s top four.

“I want to be top four,” he said. “Top four is my main goal this year and I’m obviously in a decent position to do that. So I just need to give myself a kick up the backside and get on the practice board and get there.”

Rock also believes there is still enough ranking money available in the remaining majors for that ambition to remain realistic, particularly with the World Championship still to come.

“No, it’s achievable,” he said. “If you get to the final of the World Championship, it’s nearly the exact same as what you won a couple of years ago. But I’m not here for the money, I’m here for the trophies.”

After finding the extra gear to pull clear of Searle from 6-6 in Amsterdam, Rock now moves into the quarter-finals with both his confidence and ambition heading in the right direction.