"You are never mentally the same again, never" - Concerns over Michael van Gerwen are growing

Michael van Gerwen faces a pivotal year in his illustrious darts career. The 36-year-old Dutchman, a three-time world champion and for years the dominant force in global darts, sees his spot at the top of the world increasingly under pressure. According to former professional Matt Edgar, a drop out of the world’s top ten is even “inevitable,” partly due to the lingering effects of an injury that has dogged Van Gerwen for several years.

In 2022, Van Gerwen underwent surgery on his right arm to address carpal tunnel syndrome. The procedure had major consequences. The injury not only forced a temporary break, but also a drastic change to his throwing action — something that often proves disastrous in darts. Since then, ‘Mighty Mike’ has not been the player who smashed records and racked up titles for years.

The numbers are telling. Van Gerwen has now gone three years without winning a ranking major. He has also recently fallen out of the world’s top three for the first time since 2012. For a player who long seemed untouchable, those are unprecedented statistics.

Matt Edgar, himself a former pro and now an analyst, has weighed in on Van Gerwen’s situation. He compares the injury to his own experiences with nerve damage and wrist issues and draws a stark conclusion: a full return to his old level is virtually impossible.

“Phil Taylor never went through a carpal tunnel operation like Michael van Gerwen has," he said. "As somebody who has struggled with wrist problems and nerve damage in my arm, you are never mentally the same again. Never."

According to Edgar, there isn’t a single darter who has fully returned to their previous level after a serious injury. "And you tell me one darts player who’s suffered from any form of injury and bounced back — you’re never the same."

Van Gerwen himself has previously admitted he can no longer rotate his wrist the way he used to. As a result, his throwing action had to be adjusted. Where his throw once relied heavily on the wrist, he is now forced to throw much more from the shoulder. The way the dart sits in his hand has also changed.

“I don’t believe Michael and his action are the same. He’s spoken about the fact he can’t turn the wrist away like he used to, so his action has had to change.

“The fact the dart now sits down in the hand means he has to throw using the shoulder a lot more. Yes, he’s adapting and he can still play a good level of darts, but it’s not him.

Although Van Gerwen is still capable of reaching finals and beating big names, the sustained dominance that once made him so feared is missing. Edgar predicts the coming months will be particularly tough for the Dutchman, not least because he has a lot of prize money to defend.“He’s got a big year this year and he’s defending a lot of prize money. I reckon he’s going to be around world No12 by the end of the year.”

Van Gerwen returns to action this week at the Bahrain Darts Masters in Sakhir, where he plays his first match on Thursday. This World Series of Darts event is immediately a key barometer. In his only previous appearance in 2024, he reached the final, losing 8-5 to then 17-year-old sensation Luke Littler.