"Played in pain for months and ended up in downward spiral as a result" - Jelle Klaasen looks back on 2017 Premier League campaign

Jelle Klaasen returned to the Pro Tour this year after a two-year absence. A Premier League entry is currently far away, but he was there in 2017.

Klaasen, on'Double Top' podcast, looked back on his Premier League participation in 2017. "That did me more harm than good," he said. "I was down with tendonitis then and threw every game in particular pain."

"Regularly I was on stage with tears in my eyes, the least I moved my arm or wrist hurt tremendously. Actually I knew beforehand that it was not a good choice to participate in the Premier League Darts, but when you are invited it is also a choice between playing or in the future maybe never being invited again."

"In addition, of course, the financial aspect also plays a big role. So you hope for the best, but deep down I actually knew it wasn't going to be anything."

Klaasen eventually finished ninth in that edition of Premier League Darts. "A year earlier, however, I could have gone really far, then I was in top form. Now it was a very frustrating experience. I still tried to throw with a tape around my wrist, but that didn't make it better."

Backward spiral

"That same year I got another cortisone shot in my wrist, but the pain only got worse. Afterwards, I went into a downward spiral. I then had surgery, but after that I played in pain for months. I lost all my confidence and even lost at local tournaments to players I normally always win from."

Meanwhile, Klaasen can play again virtually pain-free. "The tendonitis is chronic, so it can always come back in principle. But where I used to spend eight hours a day at the practice board, it's now a maximum of two hours. I always suffer from something because I have too short muscles, but I can deal with that pretty well."