Damon Heta has explained the method behind the madness after delighting darts fans with his whacky walk-ons.
The Australian has become renowned on the PDC European Tour this year for a string of hilarious pre-match skits. His walk-ons have featured him wearing quirky headwear, skis and a ski mask, plus a retro Dutch football tracksuit. He has also walked a lawnmower and played bongo drums en route to the stage, not at the same time it’s worth adding.
Heta’s transformation from one of the more serious-looking players on the tour to one of the most outlandish has caught many fans by surprise. But it’s all for a good reason. Heta isn’t just doing it to entertain the fans – although that is an added bonus – but to help his own game, which had been consumed by nervous energy at key moments.
READ MORE: Darts ace Damon Heta's latest walk-on stunt sees him jig to oche playing bongo drums
“I happened even before Munich [where he worn a Bavarian-style hat and danced to the stage], where I was doing little dance moves and stuff like that. One thing led to another and I really enjoyed it,” he tells Daily Star Sport.
“I noticed, when I got up there, I wasn’t putting everything into it, not trying too hard from the start. I feel that was a weakness last year because, when it came to the big games, it felt like life or death. I felt I had to win games, I had to do this, I had to do that.
“Now I’m getting up there and just enjoying it from the start to the end. It doesn’t come into my head now that I always have to win and that each dart matters. It just relieves the tension straight away. I’m just really enjoying.”
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Heta accepts it will become challenging to come up with new walk-on routines and he says his Amazon account has been well used as he sources the attire he needs.
“I’ve been racking up the Amazon,” he jokes. “And if I really need something, I’ve got a few mates around who are willing to help. It hasn’t been too difficult but I’m sure, as tournaments go on, it will get a bit harder as I try to think of something new.”
The acid test of his new approach will come during the run of majors over the second half of the year. While Heta has impressed on the Pro and European Tours over the last couple of years, he has often fallen short on the big stage. Therefore, the crazy walk-ons are set to remain part of his pre-match routine.
“If I don’t do it for the majors, I’ll contradict myself,” he accepts. “Doing these European Tour events is a way of learning and trying new things and figuring yourself out. So it would be a bit silly if I didn’t do something [at the majors], otherwise it will just go back to the way it was and me trying too hard.
“I think I’ll keep this rolling until something changes. If I’m feeling confident, feeling happy, there’s no reason I should stop.”
Before then, there is the not-so-small matter of defending the World Cup of Darts trophy he brilliantly won with Simon Whitlock last year.
His walk-ons on Germany late this month won’t feature anything as random as a lawnmower or bongo drums, but he does have something in mind, although he's keeping his plans under wraps for now.
“The World Cup will be a bit more subtle because I think it’s going to be dual walk-ons,” he says. “There’ll be a little bit of something, don’t worry about that, but I’m not going to let it out. It keeps people interested.”
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