Nathan Aspinall has lifted the lid on his pre-match superstition, revealing he gives himself a motivational pep talk in the mirror before stepping onto the stage. The current World Number 14, speaking on the Double Tops Podcast, explained that the ritual helps him generate the adrenaline he needs to start matches fully focused from the very first dart.
“It’s like motivational speaking to myself in the mirror. Like jeeing myself up, pep talk. It’s more, you know, just trying to get… I need adrenaline,” Aspinall said. He stressed that his routine is nowhere near as extreme as some methods used in other sports, referencing boxer Daniel Dubois, who was recently slapped in the face by his coach before a fight. “No, I’m not slapping myself or anything, but I am talking to myself in the mirror. Come on, Nath, come on, 10 minutes. Because obviously the games are so quick.”
Aspinall also uses the ritual to remind himself of the financial stakes. “So, before I go on, I’ll look in the mirror and go, come on, Nath, 20 grand, come on, you know, that type of thing. Then if I walk off and win, I’ll go, well done.” The Stockport ace has battled wrist injury and dartitis issues but appears to be through them now, having won the German Darts Grand Prix earlier this season.
Beyond his personal routine, Aspinall spoke about the evolution of darts from a pub sport to a professional enterprise. He noted the rise of academies, including one he helps run in Stockport, which has a waiting list of about 40 kids. “We’ve got like a waiting list of about 40 kids because you just physically can’t get the staff,” he said. He also highlighted an initiative launched by Luke Littler in St Helens, adding, “I know there is ones with 300 kids in it, Littler’s got one in St. Helens, and they’re all over the place. So now it’s not a pub sport anymore. People still say it and it grates on me. It’s becoming like football.”
Aspinall also warned about the challenges of social media for the next generation. “It’s just figuring now we’ve got to get to that next step where we train these kids for media, because social media is a vile place. These kids coming through, they need to learn about this like they do at football. I think it’s in that position now.”
