Vincent van der Voort open on cynicism while playing darts: 'Once it’s ingrained, it’s incredibly hard to shake'

The Dutch darts podcast Darts Draait Door is known for its outspoken critiques of player behavior on and off the oche. But in a recent episode, presenter Damian Vlottes and former professional Vincent van der Voort turned the spotlight on themselves—confessing to the very actions they regularly denounce.

The revelation came during a discussion about a recent trip to the Development Tour, the PDC's circuit for emerging young talent. There, Vlottes made his competitive debut and quickly found himself breaking his own golden rules of darting etiquette.

In one match, Vlottes produced an impressive 124 checkout while his opponent was still on 40. What followed was a flurry of gestures—apologetic glances, a handshake, a consoling pat on the back—that he admits he would normally mock from the comfort of his sofa.

“I felt so awkward,” Vlottes recalled. “I shook his hand, gave him a pat on the back, and even apologized. It’s the sort of thing I hate seeing on TV—and now I was doing it myself. You can analyze darts for years, but the moment you're up there, you're no different than anyone else.”

Van der Voort, who has years of experience both on the professional circuit and behind the microphone, could only nod in recognition. Even with all his insights, he admits it’s difficult to practice what you preach when emotions run high.

“Take negativity during and after matches,” he said. “You know it looks bad. You know it doesn’t help. But still, you find yourself slipping into that mindset.”

He recounted a personal moment from a Pro Tour he entered alongside his son Kevin. “We had committed to giving it our all,” he said. “But then I miss the bull, and by the second leg I was already thinking, ‘What am I even doing here?’”

According to Van der Voort, old habits die hard. “I was pulling faces again, thinking it was unbelievable what my opponent was doing. We’d talked about it at length beforehand. But once it’s ingrained, it’s incredibly hard to shake.”

Vlottes admitted to falling into another classic trap—persistently aiming at the treble 20 even when his previous darts were clearly blocking the target, a tactic he’s long criticized in players like Peter Wright and James Wade.

“I always have an opinion about that,” he said. “But there I was, doing the exact same thing.”

Van der Voort chuckled in agreement: “It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and say, ‘Don’t do that.’ But when you’re at the oche and it feels right, you just do it.”

The episode served as a rare moment of self-awareness from two prominent voices in Dutch darts—and a reminder that even the most seasoned analysts aren’t immune to the pressures of the game.