Some players have found their way to the top of darts by putting in a lot of training hours, while others put in slightly less hours in and can also lean on their natural talent.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a video for William Hill, Wayne Mardle lists the players he believes are the greatest natural talents.
"There's been talk of natural dart players like Gary Anderson. We know that he just flows, Adrian Lewis just flows, Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld (as well)," he said to William Hill.
"But there are a few others as well. Dimitri van den Bergh has got a really nice natural throw. Ryan Searle is another one, but Michael Smith absolutely takes the biscuit for me. The speed of the man, Ricky Evans as well when we talk about rapid and speed, but just a natural way of throwing.
"You can imagine Michael Smith as a five-year-old picking up a dart and just lobbing it, just throwing it like he does now or similar to what he does now. And it works. And what I love about these natural players is there's no thinking time. They just get on with it and that's the way the game should be played."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.