"I’ve had a tough few years but my natural talent is still there" - Jeffrey de Zwaan fighting back after nightmare spell

Jeffrey de Zwaan lost his PDC Tour Card at the end of last year and was unable to reclaim it at Q-School. After several months out of the spotlight, he returned to action yesterday at the Dutch Darts Championship in Rosmalen.

De Zwaan secured his spot through the Dutch qualifier but narrowly lost 6-5 to Ryan Joyce in a tense opening-round clash. “I thought I had him, but then I missed three darts,” he said. “I was nervous too — mainly because I’m not really putting in the effort anymore.”

“I don’t even train at the moment,” he admitted. “Honestly, I was just happy to qualify. But once you're here, of course you want to perform. Losing in front of a home crowd stings a little. I actually told myself I wouldn’t focus on darts at all this year. I’ll still play a few tournaments here and there, but I’ve had a tough few years — mentally and physically. Now, you can see that my natural talent is still there.”

Currently, De Zwaan is working full-time, another reason darts has taken a bit of a backseat for the Dutchman. The plan is still to return to the PDC Pro Tour if possible. “In August, I’ll start training again with Q-School in mind. After that, we’ll see where things go,” he said.

Shoulder problems plagued him in recent years, but the pain has now subsided. “That’s probably because I’ve stopped putting strain on it. I don’t train anymore, and working full-time helps ease the pressure too.”

“For now, the focus is on work and enjoying life a bit — because that’s what really matters,” he added. “I don’t have any darts-related goals at the moment. First, I want to get myself back on track mentally. Once I’m in a stronger place, I’ll figure out what’s next.”