WILLIAMS OPENS UP ON SPORTS ANXIETY STRUGGLE
09/03/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
SCOTT WILLIAMS admits a psychologist might attribute his recent battle with “sports anxiety” to last year’s drop down the rankings.
‘Shaggy’s’ struggle with the condition was laid bare during a Players Championship defeat to Ryan Joyce in October, when footage showed him struggling to release the dart.
World No.44 Williams described the problem as a form of performance anxiety that can take over at the oche.
Williams explained how the issue would strike just as he tried to begin his throwing motion.
He told the Jaackmaate podcast: “It’s a state of mind where you can’t release a dart properly. It’s like a sports anxiety, performance anxiety.
“In your head you feel like you’re not good enough or you are not playing well enough, and then that portrays onto your body.
“So, there was a video going on about me a while ago, and I struggled to release the dart. It was legit and not me messing about.
“But then it was one of them things that would all of a sudden disappear. I have been fine this week and was fine last week.
“I have a little yip here and there. Other than that, it is fine.
“Just before I would bring my arm back to propel the dart forward, it wouldn’t let me.
“So I could feel my body and shoulder going before my arm. As I did, you release it really late, so it drops and then it looks awful.
“And it feels horrible. At the end of last year, I had a lot of money coming off my rankings.
“Even in my head, I will tell you that is not the reason it happened. But a psychologist will tell me otherwise.”
Williams returned to action last week but was knocked out in the third round of the UK Open, falling 6-4 to Benjamin Pratnemer.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
