Fallon Sherrock has spent most of this year playing on the World Series of Darts but not having her prior success on the big stage and admits it has been the toughest year of her career so far in combatting that.
"You can't buy that experience and I'm really happy I got the privilege of going over there and seeing the other side of the world while playing darts," said Sherrock to Online Darts.
"There's a bit more pressure this time round and I feel so tired this time around but I'm happy now because everything's kind of starting again from scratch. It's nearly Christmas, it's nearly the Grand Slam, obviously I still need to qualify for Ally Pally but it's starting again, stop and regroup and forget about everything this year."
Part of that by her own admission though has been the lack of match practice brought on by being the in-demand player for exhibitions and Sherrock admits more focus needs to be pinned on honing her craft.
"I do like the exhibitions which is like playing on the stage but I still need the match practice playing my local leagues, I still need to go and play in regular competitions."
Women's Series
This led to Sherrock also losing ground in the race to the World Championship off the Women's Series and led to Beau Greaves emerging to attempt to take the second spot.
"I actually did feel like I should have been there. I feel like Beau's incredible but the averages that everyone else was hitting there was really no one that was going to come up against her that weekend. I'm going into October and see what happens, if I can hit the averages that everyone else can if not better hopefully I will come back with a few titles and get to Ally Pally."
Which also saw Sherrock contemplate even playing on the World Series with the repercussions of not playing Women's Series.
"I did speak to my manager and did question mark that, but at the end of the day it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm going to take the World Series as everyone would just bite their hands off anyway to get that opportunity. If it's meant to happen, I'm meant to get there and if not I'll just go next year."
But now Greaves has emerged, the Milton Keynes ace believes the pressure has been taken off slightly.
"Hopefully it will encourage other women to be like I want to be part of that but yeah I feel like the pressures off me a little bit now because everyone expects her (Beau) to win stuff now. I can kind of go under the radar now."