"You can whistle all you want": Tommy Morris won't get affected by the crowd for specific reason as life with tinnitus discussed after Grand Slam of Darts debut
PDC
Tommy Morris has spoken candidly about the hearing problems he has been dealing with for several years following his surprise victory over Josh Rock at the Grand Slam of Darts.
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The Englishman defeated the Northern Irishman 5-2 on Saturday afternoon but revealed afterwards that he wears special earplugs during his matches. They not only help him manage the tinnitus he suffers from but, according to Morris, also allow him to concentrate better on the dartboard.
Morris made an immediate impact on his Grand Slam debut by defeating the highly rated Rock. He impressed on the Wolverhampton stage with an average of 100.33. Afterwards, the subject of his use of hearing protection while playing was raised.
He revealed that he developed tinnitus around three years ago. The condition causes ringing or buzzing in the ears, such as a persistent high-pitched whistling or ringing sound.
"It's not very long, about three years," said Morris during his post match press conference. "I use chainsaws. I've knocked all the work on the head for me now."
Special earplugs help Morris on stage
To better manage his hearing problems, Morris decided to look for a solution that he could also use during matches. He subsequently contacted the PDC to ask for permission to wear special earplugs while competing. "So when it comes to me approaching the dartboard, approaching players, I spoke to the PDC and asked if I can wear them. They're basically just like really good earbuds."
The Englishman uses Loop earplugs, which reduce surrounding noise. According to Morris, they help prevent him from being distracted by sounds coming from the crowd and are usually used by people also who attend concerts wanting to protect their hearing.
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"It blocks a lot of sound out and they've helped my game. So yeah, I'm just, like I said, take every game as it comes and continue doing what I'm doing and don't change nothing."
'You can whistle all you want'
While other darts players can sometimes become distracted by spectators whistling, Morris claims he is hardly affected by it. The earplugs help him completely shut out his surroundings.
"So it was like a ringing in my ear, so I've got to show you quickly. So these are like loops. They're just earbuds. So for me to focus, they help. Everyone has a different approach to the board."
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Morris now even sees this as an advantage over opponents who are more sensitive to noises coming from the arena. "Some people are whistling, it really bugs them. "I zone out, you can whistle all you want, you're not going to hear me. So I use that as an advantage in my head and I'm just really focused when I've got them in."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
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.
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