“The fact that he is still performing — it has got to be psychological” – Josh Rock challenged to overcome mental block amid turbulent Premier League debut

The difficult start for Josh Rock in the Premier League Darts has nothing to do with ability and everything to do with mindset, according to former pro Matthew Edgar. The Englishman believes the Northern Irishman is mainly struggling mentally with the weekly stage, while his level outside the Premier League is actually fine.

After seven nights, Rock is still bottom of the table without a point. In Dublin he suffered a heavy defeat against Gerwyn Price, who won 6-0. The Northern Irishman managed only an 84.21 average in that match and looked powerless.

Edgar, however, says that says little about his true level. “He is Premier League quality. This isn’t a player who has been put into an event that he is not capable of performing in,” he told OLBG.

The analyst points out that Rock is performing well in other tournaments and that the issue is largely confined to the Premier League. “Is he out of form? No. He’s playing well when he is playing everywhere else. It is just the Premier League.”

Edgar thinks the pressure Rock puts on himself plays a key role. The Northern Irishman has previously stated that he only truly considers himself among the elite since making the Premier League, and according to Edgar that can work against him.

“Is this a case of Josh Rock, where he has wanted it for so long? He did an interview last year where he said he is never considering himself an elite player until he is in the Premier League. Is this a case of him now having to try and prove himself at a new level? This surely is psychological."

According to Edgar, there is no question that Rock has enough talent to compete at the highest level. “It’s not ability because he has got that. His bottle has been tested over the years. He has answered every question he’s ever had in his career and exceeded expectations."

That is precisely why Edgar sees only one explanation for the current results. “The fact that he is still performing — it has got to be psychological. There is no other reason.”

Rock gets another chance to claim his first win on Thursday in Berlin. During Night 8 of the Premier League Darts he faces Jonny Clayton in the quarterfinals.