The Big Interview With Colin Lloyd Unicorn Darts prize winners: Prize winning questions from Miles Biddell, A. Dev and Brownie. All win their choice of Unicorn Darts.

FrJim Macdonald from Nova Scotia Canada asks : Can you remember back when you first started playing darts, Do you remember having to go through the stages of having to practice to be good at it or did it become a natural thing --and how long did it take for you to have enough confidence in yourself to compete on a high level?

LLOYD : I started as an 11 year old, much ot the dismay of my parents (I think). It was always – thud,thud,thud at the dartboard. I took the step of joining the Men’s Colchester Superleague team at 13 years old. It didn’t take me long to progress, even though I wasn’t exceptionally good. I realised even at that age that you have to play competitive matches in order to get good.

Caroline Sams asks : Colin - How important is it to have the total backing of both Deta and Rod to your Darts Career? Do they inspire you and how?

LLOYD : Of course, they both inspire me. Both have been champions and Rod has won World titles. Both ensure that I am positive and work on the positives and don’t dwell on any negative thoughts. Rod takes all the pressure outside of darts away from me by organising hotels, flights and all other arrangements.

Woolfy asks : Colin, It is well known that Rod Harrington is you manager and mentor,
What has he worked on with you to help you raise yourself to Worlds No.1 and win world titles? Also, has he explained the importance of switching to the 19's as soon as any part of the treble 20 is obscured, the way he kept telling us whilst commentating!!

LLOYD : We haven’t really worked on anything. Rod has instilled in me that I have the potential and its just a matter of whether you want it or not. And really he has just tried to help me be a bit more professional with my game.
If you watch me you’ll see I’m not a 19s player and will never play on 19s. If the 20s are blocked, I’ll go for 18s always. You only have to adjust your eyeline marginally, so I’ll always cover on 18s.

Tong 80 asks Do you practice at all with Deta Hedman and if yes, how often does she beat you?

LLOYD : No we don’t practice together. I don’t practice as such. Deta has her own way of practising and I keep score for her with a pad and paper.

Harry H asks : Colin, I’ve read the book PLANET DARTS it gives a great review on your career and the ups/downs of a pro-player. What I wanted to know is have you thought about putting out a new updated book now your world no 1 and now that you've won world titles. I must admit I've read every dart book ever written and planet darts is by far the best, I think a lot of people would enjoy an updated book.

LLOYD : I’ve been asked that a few times actually. I’m meeting up with Niall (Planet Darts author) over Christmas and we’ll have a chat, so you never know.

Dave Whitcombe asks: Colin, you can do no better than be the world No1 and your achievements in all tournaments has lead to this ranking. However, Phil Taylor is still regarded by many as the true No1 as I suspect Ray Barneveld is in the BDO even though the rankings say different. In reality this is of no consequence because you are the REAL No1 until someone gets more points. It would not bother me one iota what other people think, but my question is: How do YOU feel about this and can this play on YOUR mind when you play Phil?

LLOYD : I can say no, but it does play on your mind subconsciously. Perhaps when I play Phil I try that extra little bit harder and I shouldn’t do.

I do get annoyed though when people think I have a problem with being the world ranked number 1 over Phil. I have never said that I’m the best player and I’d look pretty stupid if I did say that. However I am the world ranked number 1 and that is a fact. I play in far more tournaments than Phil.

Bully asks : Have you though about asking John Part for any advice on how he manages to beat Taylor?! I think everyone knows if you're on top of your game you'd have a very good chance of beating Taylor but unfortunately we've yet to see you produce your best V Taylor, is it a mental thing?

LLOYD : I don’t think I could ever ask a fellow professional who is playing on the circuit for advice – that’s a sign of weakness and they could exploit that when playing you. You just have to go about it your own way when playing different players.

Miles "Bim" Liddell from Canada asks : Do you feel that everytime you enter a tournament where Phil Taylor is registered to play, that you and the other top contenders are playing for second place, somewhat like in Professional Gold when Tiger Woods was hot topic? Many players commented that they always seemed to be playing for the second prize.

LLOYD : No. If we think like that we’d all stop travelling to the tournaments. I play to win. And I mean everytime not just in the big tournaments. Every time I play on a dartboard, I play to win.

SkydiverJJ from the USA asks : Colin, Have you ever beaten Phil Taylor in a major tournament? Also do you feel you need to beat Phil in a major to earn the number 1 spot or do you think you will always be in his shadow if you do not?

LLOYD : I have beaten him on the floor in open tournaments but not on TV in a major. I think we’ve only played in major competitions three times and all those in the past year. If you look at when I have played against Phil, he has been averaging 35 or 36 per dart against me. His averages have been that high against me and his double checkouts have been superb.

No. It would be nice to beat him in a major obviously but it does not play on my mind at all.

Ben Roberts asks : I have only been playing darts for about two years now. I play for the local pub team and I have suffered some big losses. I find that the next game after a big loss I tend to get nervous and start thinking about the last game. You lost to Phil Taylor at the Skybet Grand Prix earlier this year and I was wondering how you get over losses? Any tips on how to deal with the nerves?

LLOYD : It’s very hard to say without seeing you personally. My attitude is when something has gone – it has gone. Forget about it, you can’t get it back and play over again. Try and stay focussed and stay hungry. However don’t put pressure on yourself, just keep plugging away. Darts is an individual sport so you have to be a bit selfish. Try and find the right balance between being relaxed and staying focussed. If you keep plugging away, you will start to win. It might be lose, lose , lose, win, lose. But with the right attitude it could then be win, lose, win, win, lose and improve from there.

Stephen Bunting asks : Do you feel there is more pressure on you as the number 1 in the world. the reason being you have to keep doing well to stay in that position?

LLOYD : At first there was yes. However I have been number 1 for almost a year now and I’m still winning tournaments. I have chatted about this to Rod and he has said, “Even if you lose the number 1 slot now, you can always say that you have been there as world number 1.”

John Marcelli from Casper, Wyoming in the USA asks : What keeps you focused, day in and day out, to compete at such a high level for such a long period or time?

LLOYD : Hunger. I still have the hunger to win and I think I have a lot more to offer yet. I have come a long way from that 11 year old who took up darts and I still want to be World Champion.

Wils asks : Which is your favourite non televised venue and why?

LLOYD : Probably Montreal. Some fantastic girls that run the competition and it’s a great city to go and visit.

Lisa W asks : Hi Colin what is your favourite televised venue and why do you like that particular place ?

LLOYD : It has to be Blackpool. Everything about the place in fantastic – the atmosphere, the crowd, the historic venue - everything. Also everyone there is on holiday and having a good time and that comes through.

A. Dev asks : Even though Darts has now been recognised as a sport, it is still not included on the Olympic Programme. Do you think changes need to be made within the sport in order for it to gain inclusion and what would it mean to you to line up in a British vest with fellow athletes as an Olympian ?

LLOYD : Obviously it would be brilliant if Darts could be an Olympic sport. But I can’t see it myself. It’s all about hand to eye co-ordination though and if we were fortunate enough to become an Olympic sport it would be unbelievable for Darts and it would be an honour to be an Olympian.

Jason Estrada from the Philippines asks : I have been playing darts for almost 10 years now and I could say I am not satisfied with the way my game has progressed throughout the years. I have seen my game go up and down and this is why I am emailing you to ask on your practices, mental conditioning and other important aspect to make me better. I have always liked your throwing style because it looks simple and effective and your release is always smooth and clean. Please give me some tips on how to improve my game especially my release because I feel I am not throwing the dart properly.

LLOYD : It’s very hard to give advice without seeing you. It’s about balance and being comfortable and trying to stay relaxed and focussed. Try practising with those things in mind.

Graham - In the couple of weeks prior to a major tournament, what is your normal daily practice routine - i.e. how many hours, what do you play, by yourself or with someone else etc?

LLOYD : I don’t have any specific practice and don’t do anything special for a particular tournament. I throw for about an hour a day mainly just to keep my arm loose. I used to practice with Rod but I found that by the time I came to a tournament I was burnt out and had left my best darts on the practice board. So now literally I throw just enough to keep relaxed and keep my arm loose.

Jan Knuth from Gihorn, Germany asks : Do you also play Soft tip darts? If yes how may grams do you use? Also have you ever played a competition in Germany and will you play 2006 in Germany?

LLOYD : I’ve played it once and used an 18 gram dart. It’s a nice game but I found that when I was pulling my darts out of the board, I would cut my hands to ribbons!
I have not had the privilege of playing in Germany yet. The PDC are trying to get to get organised to run an even in Germany and if the opportunity arises I would love to play there.

Bob Lozon asks : Do you use off the shelf Unicorn Darts or are they special made? Secondly do you use anything on your hands for better dart control? I often see Taylor putting his right hand in his pants pocket during a match and I assume he using something to improve his grip.

LLOYD : The darts I use are Colin Lloyd Maestro darts pretty much as you can buy them but I use a very short barrel. The ones you can buy have a slightly longer barrel because short barrels are not popular from a sales point of view.
No, I don’t use anything on my hands.

Ted Menges - Colin how did you determine the design of your darts? What kind of testing has been implemented to maximize efficiency? i.e have you utilized wind tunnel testing or other techniques to test the flight pattern? Lastly, what is your opinion on spinning the dart?

LLOYD : See above - Nothing, no and none (laughs). There is nothing technical about my darts or throw. Arm up – set – bang! Arm up – set – bang! Every time.

TerraRising asks : I have a few of questions from the other side of the pond: Your Unicorn Darts have a very unique grip on the barrels. What was the process that led to that particular choice? Also there is a planned "World Series of Darts" event in the US next year. If asked, will you attend and how do you think the Americans will fare against the PDC's top darters?

LLOYD : I used to use a set of Copper Tungsten Darts and they were all different weight around 15 grams. They got too smooth and I had a spare set of darts in the drawer probably for a couple of years – no idea what they were. I began throwing with them and then gave them to Unicorn and they became my darts! They were 17 or 18 gram darts.
I’ll be there. The Americans will fare well I think but maybe not in the higher order of things. Some great players – John Kuczynski, Ray Carver and Darin Young all great guys and I’ll give them and other Americans the respect they deserve. However once I get on the dartboard, I’ll want to rip their heads off.

Christopher Cansana from the Phillipines asks : I have always known and seen you as a Professional Dart player, but I am curious, what do you do when you are not playing Darts? What are your interests aside from Darts?

LLOYD : I like a round of Golf. I enjoy getting a sports massage to keep my limbs loose. A bit of TV. And when I get time, catching up people and friends.

Brownie asks : Can you recall a defining moment where you decided to really go for gold in darts, perhaps a particular win, or even a defeat? Also Most of us dart followers/players do so after work, or during holidays for the more devoted as indeed you once did yourself. I recently enjoyed reading a book about your early days as a top ten player and the financial burdens that you had to contend with. Having made such a huge impression and become one of the worlds best can you put into words what it is like to devote your whole life to something you love doing and what being a professional means to you now?

LLOYD : I was very close to packing up Darts in 1998 after the Essex Open and I was unemployed at the time. However I entered the following Eastbourne tournament and won it and the prize money of £1,500. Rod asked me what I would do with it and he told me about the Golden Harvest tournament in Saskatoon and he said why don’t you use the money for that. So I did and then Dick Allix contacted me and said that I was to be invited to the World Matchplay tournament and it has really gone on from there.

About your second question – it means everything. I’m 32 years old now and I’m just starting to reap the rewards of 20 years of playing Darts. Darts is becoming a big game and I absolutely love my job. I’m not too proud though, to say that if it all goes wrong – I’ve still got a pair of workboots in the shed and out they’ll come. I’m still fairly new as a full time professional player just in my second year. As I said I have no fear if it all goes wrong – I know where the workboots are. But I’m enjoying it and long may it last.

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