Ryan Searle is well known for his heavy metal looks showcased by his long flowing hair and skull tatoos. His walk-on music is also a nod to heavy metal passion – Paranoid by Black Sabbath.
Ryan signed with Loxley darts back in 2020 before Loxley even had a product on the market. He quickly rose up the rankings from around number 50 in the world, peaking well inside the top 16 in 2023. A number of PDC floor titles as well as reaching a major TV final capped Ryans time with Loxley and his rapid rise from anonymity to global darts fame. Ryan finished his time with Loxley by hitting a famous televised 9 darter using his Gen 2 Loxley darts.
After spending much of 2023 talking with a couple of global giant brands, Ryan chose to sign with Harrows for the 2024 season and Loxley wishes him all the very best of luck.
Here follows a history of the Ryan Searle darts released by Loxley
“Heavy Metal” Ryan Searle and his signature barrels are here! We have spent a long time working with Ryan on perfecting the grip and balance of his world famous darts and are happy to announce they are ready and for sale now!
As Ryan’s nickname suggests, his playing darts come in at a mighty 32g but we also have been working with Ryan on a lighter alternative for those that like the unique Searle style but in a reduced weight. As such we will be bringing out a 26g version which stays true to the original.
Barrels = 90% Tungsten
Supplied with 100 Micron Flights
Dimensions:
32g – Length 51mm – Max Width 8mm
29g – Length 50.8mm – Max Width 7.9mm
26g – Length 51mm – Max Width 7.16mm
24g – Length 50.9mm – Max Width 7.08mm
23g – Length 50.9mm – Max Width 6.75mm
22g – Length 50.9mm – Max Width 6.7mm
Point Length = 32mm (26mm protruding)
Darts designed by Ryan Searle together with Matthew Birch & Zachary Thornton.
Ryan Searle Darts Review by Joe Reid
A review I’ve waited so long to write – introducing… the Loxley Ryan Searle 32g! A player I’ve followed for a few months on behalf of Loxley, I’ve come to learn a lot about Ryan’s unique style, as well as analysing the equipment he’s using. On that note, my review of Ryan’s Loxley shirts was published a few months ago.
Ryan’s new darts, designed by Loxley’s own Ryan Searle together with Matt Birch and Zachary Thornton, are certainly unique when compared to the darts used by the other 127 players on the professional circuit. Weighing in at 32g, Ryan’s darts truly live up to his ‘Heavy Metal’ nickname, providing a literal interpretation to an otherwise rock-music themed persona.
The darts come in a staggering 32g, yet will release in lesser weights in 2021, starting with 26g. The 32g measures at 51mm in length, with a barrel thickness of 8mmat their widest point. In contrast, the lighter 26g version will also measure in at 51mm, yet will be slightly thinner, at 7.16mm in diameter. They come supplied with a 32mm plain silver point, which compliments the striking silver barrel very well. The barrels are made from a 90% tungsten billet, in order to maximise the weight, while keeping the dart relatively thin.
Arriving in a simplistic, yet stylish plastic outer casing, the darts are secured in a matte black bar case. Already equipped are a set of short black Loxley nylon stems, reminiscent of the L-Style carbon stems that Ryan himself uses. Inside the case is a set of the new Loxley Ryan Searle dart flights, as well as a point protector in order to secure the darts in transport.
One of the first things I had to do with these darts was repoint them. After a few throws, I found the 32mm points (26mm of which protruded from the barrel) were being buried in the board, making close knit grouping near impossible for me – an issue I had a few months ago, when I reviewed the Loxley Nasir 22g darts. I swapped out the points for the 38mm Target Diamond Grip points that Ryan himself uses, in order to help the darts stand further out from the board, as well as grip the fibres better, resulting in less fall/bounce outs.
With no rings or springs supplied with the stems, they became susceptible to damage very early on, with the thicker, heavier barrel clattering into the weaker nylon stems. The same can be said for the flights, with the durable 100 micron Ryan Searle flights struggling to survive the onslaught of tungsten. While taking some damage, overall I was impressed why the durability of both the flights and stems. After a couple hours, I felt a change of setup was needed – I purchased some black stems and plain white L-Style flights, to replicate the setup Ryan uses (though now using his new L-Style flights), and set about compiling the remainder of my review.
The rear grip is a simple ring grip, with red and black painted groves. Similar to the grip on the Loxley Scarlet darts, the grip drew strong comparisons to the darts used by the late Eric Bristow. This can be used as a focus point for rear-grippers, who look to find a specific, recognisable feel along the barrel to ensure consistency in the way they hold the dart.
The central grip is unique to Ryan, with a very interesting feel – reminiscent of the knurling used on Eric Bristow’s later barrels. To describe the grip on these, I found myself watching ‘The Designer’ Zachary Thornton’s YouTube video, describing how he, with Ryan’s input, created these fantastic arrows!
If you haven’t already, check out ‘ThorntonDarts’ on YouTube! A fantastic channel, that provides a unique insight into the methods used by darts designers, as well as covering all aspects of darts with his unique style of content creation!
The darts utilise a square cut ring grip, which offers a greater level of aggression compared to a rounded cut. The ring grip is split into rings of two, with two rings grouped close together, with a wider cut separating the dual rings. A slightly rounded cut runs adjacent to the dual ring grip, enhancing the grip, as well as creating a familiar feel for Ryan – a key point in the design of the dart.
Throwing these, I was pleasantly surprised! For such a heavy dart (for context, I throw 21g barrels – these are 32g!), I found I could throw these with relative ease. With the longer points, I found grouping to no longer be an issue. The darts sat up in the board nicely, something Zachary had intended while designing the darts, to maximise Ryan’s scoring capabilities.
Final Thoughts:
Appearance: 9/10 – For me, these are the easiest set to give a rating for. In terms of visual effect, these had to be high. With the painted grooves towards the rear, as well as the intricate central grip that seems to catch the light at every possible angle – these are a true work of art! Complete with the stylish Ryan Searle flights, black Loxley stems and silver point, these will certainly turn heads at the oche!
Balance: 9/10 – From the rear, these darts have a tendency to kick to the side. From the centre, however, these fly like the bombs they are! A very direct dart, you feel as if you’re throwing a stone into a lake – very little will cause it to deviate from its intended target!
Grip: 8/10 – The primary point of grip, while not particularly aggressive (in my opinion), offers a very comfortable feel, similar to that of a knurled dart. For those looking to transfer to a ring grip from a knurled grip (with knurled darts seemingly going out of fashion in recent years), these are ideal, should you be able to handle the weight! The rear grip is a familiar feel, with the majority of players having thrown a simple ring grip dart at some point in their darting career.
Quality: 9/10 – There were two faults I found with these, yet both so minuscule I felt barely deserved to be marked down by one. The first was the central flight in the packaging – something I comment on with all Loxley darts. The flight was distorted slightly in transport, with the wings bent slightly out of shape due to the compression within the package. The second fault I found was that where ‘Loxley’ had been etched into the barrel, a second, faint line of text could be seen above, saying the same thing. Excluding this, the paintwork was near perfection, as well as every cut of the intricate grip – overall, I’m impressed!
Value for Money: 10/10 – The darts retail at £59.95, which for a dart as unique as these, I feel they are well worth splashing out on! With Ryan’s older darts selling for upwards of £100 due to their rarity, these are a must have for any darts fan – be quick, they’re selling fast! The darts are available from Loxley’s website, as well as spare flights, stems and Ryan’s own signature shirts!
Thank you to Loxley Darts for sending these amazing darts out for me to try! Loved throwing with these, a really enjoyable set to review! Keep an eye out on Darts Mad over the next few weeks, as I’ll be reporting on Loxley’s own Ryan Searle, as well as Matthew Edgar, as they both compete in the PDC World Championships! Good luck!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
Author – Joe Reid
Ryan Searle Gen 2 Darts
Barrels = 95% Tungsten
Supplied with 100 Micron Flights
Dimensions:
34g – Length 50.8mm – Max Width 7.95mm
Point Length = 35mm (29mm protruding)
Darts designed by Matthew Birch for Ryan Searle.
Ryan Searle Black Edition Darts
The new black editions Ryan Searle darts have been used by Ryan Searle on the Euro Tour in 2022 and we have brought them out in his match weight of 32 grams as well as shorter/lighter versions of 22, 23 and 24 grams.
Barrels = 90% Tungsten
Supplied with 100 Micron Flights
Dimensions:
32g – Length 51mm – Max Width 8mm
24g – Length 46mm – Max Width 7.3mm
23g – Length 46mm – Max Width 7.1mm
22g – Length 46mm – Max Width 6.9mm
Point Length = 34mm (28mm protruding)
Darts designed by Ryan Searle together with Matthew Birch & Zachary Thornton.
Heavy Metal Darts (Volumes I and II)
Exclusively Available at Premier Darts
The Heavy Metal series of darts came about when Ryan Searle visited Loxley HQ for a few days and tested dart after dart after dart. Following lots of feedback the following 2 sets of darts were born!
Barrels = 90% Tungsten
Supplied with 100 Micron Flights
Dimensions Volume I:
22g – Length 48mm – Max Width 6.35mm
24g – Length 48mm – Max Width 6.75mm
26g – Length 48.1mm – Max Width 7.1mm
28g – Length 48.2mm – Max Width 7.5mm
Point Length = 32mm (26mm protruding)
Dimensions Volume II:
23g – Length 48mm – Max Width 7mm
25g – Length 50mm – Max Width 7mm
27g – Length 50mm – Max Width 7.4mm
29g – Length 52mm – Max Width 7.5mm
Point Length = 32mm (26mm protruding)
Darts designed by Matthew Birch and Ryan Searle.
Ryan Searle Brass Darts
The Ryan Searle replica brass darts in 16g steel tip and 14g in soft tip. A real replica player dart but in brass – Ideal for kids, beginners or for recreating that Ryan Searle feeling without the Heavy Metal!
Supplied with 100 Micron Flights
Dimensions:
16g Steel Tip – Length 50.5mm – Max Width 8mm
14g Soft Tip – Length 47.5mm – Max Width 7.75mm
Point Length = 32mm (26mm protruding)
Darts designed by Ryan Searle together with Matthew Birch & Zachary Thornton.
Ryan Searle SE Darts 31g
Ryan Searle Limited Edition 31g 90% Tungsten Darts – Loxley
31g – Length 53mm – Max Width 8.0mm (100 sets made)
Point Length = 32mm protruding
The Limited edition Ryan Searle 31g barrel – an absolute beauty of a barrel! The design of these is based on the darts Ryan used in his BDO days. For all true Heavy metal fans – grab yours before they sell out!
Barrels = 90% Tungsten
Supplied with Ryan’s signature 100 Micron Flights
Exclusively Available Here:
https://dartscentre.com/products/loxley-ryan-searle-limited-edition-31g
&
https://dartsperformancecentre.com/darts/loxley/loxley-ryan-searle-special-edition-darts-set-31g
Thank you Ryan Searle! Having started together just inside the top 50 – rising to a career high top 16 and a Major TV Final it’s time for something new, a new chapter awaits. Good luck Ryan, we depart with many amazing memories! May 2024 bring you lots of succes!
Heavy Metal – Ryan Searle
Recognisable for his Heavy Metal style, Ryan Searle began his PDC career with two Challenge Tour victories in 2016 and earning himself a 2 year PDC Pro Tour card in the process.
Ryan won his first Pro Tour Tournament in February 2020, defeating Gezzy Price, Michael Barnard, Josh Payne, Michael Smith, Glenn Durrant, Jefffrey De Zwaan and then Michael Van Gerwen in the Final!
Ryan uses the heaviest weighted darts in the PDC with his barrels weighing in at a mighty 32 grams!
Who is Ryan Searle?
Ryan Searle was born on October 21 1987 in Wellington, a small market town in Somerset.
Searle’s first appearance at a major tournament was the Winmau World Masters in 2011, where he lost in the first round. He also made appearances in 2013 and 2016, where he reached the sixth and third rounds respectively.
Searle secured a PDC tour card back in 2016 after finishing second in the Challenge Tour order of merit. Searle took victories in two events (events 7 and 16) which secured his status as a PDC player.
In 2017, Searle made the fourth round of the UK Open where he lost 10-5 to Rob Cross. He also made it to the Players Championship Finals in Minehead where he was defeated 6-4 in the first round to Steve West. He ended the year ranked 85.
In 2018, Searle qualified for the Grand Slam of Darts in being one of the eight players that qualified from the Tour Card Holder qualifier in Wigan. Searle would exit in the round robin phase after losing all three group games to Dimitri Van den Bergh, Mark McGeeney and Rob Cross. His strong results on the Pro Tour (including finishing runner up at PC18) once again allowed him to make the Players Championship Finals for the second year in a row. He defeated Josh Payne 6-2 in Round 1 before losing to eventual champion Daryl Gurney 6-5, missing three match darts. Searle made his debut at the PDC World Championships in December. He scored a dream run to the fourth round after defeating the likes of Stephen Burton, Mensur Suljovic and William O’Connor before losing to Michael Smith He ended the year ranked 50, a rise of 35 places at the start of the year.
In 2019, Searle reached the fourth round of the UK Open again, losing 10-4 to Steve West. He made it to the World Championships for the second year in a row! He defeated Robbie King 3-2 and Steve West 3-0 before losing 4-3 to Gary Anderson after leading 3-1 at one stage. He dropped two places to 52nd in the world rankings.
2020 would be a year that would change Ryan Searle’s life forever as he secured his first ever PDC ranking title in Players Championship event 3. He defeated the likes of Gerwyn Price, Michael Barnard, Josh Payne, Michael Smith, Glen Durrant and Jeffrey De Zwaan before defeating the great Michael van Gerwen 8-6 to claim the first of probably many more titles to come.
Ryan Searle dart shirts:
Ryan Searle 2023 Shirts 1 & 2
Ryan Searle has two new dart shirts for 2023, code-named “Skulls” and “Reaper” with the Skulls shirt being his Major dart shirt and the Reaper shirt being worn on the PDC Pro Tour.
Ryan Searle ‘Skulls’ dart shirt:
Ryan Searle ‘Reaper’ dart shirt:
Ryan Searle dart shirt Gen 2
The new Ryan Searle dart shirt for the 2022 season.
Designed by Matthew Birch, Ryan Searle and Tom Farnell.
Ryan Searle darts shirts Gen 1
Official Ryan Searle Replica darts shirt were available in Home and Away versions.
In a lightweight, breathable material, this shirt is worn by Ryan in all PDC tournaments. In a distinctive black and red colour scheme, this dart shirt to ensures you rock it like “Heavy Metal” himself.
Designed by Matthew Birch, Ryan Searle and Luis Almeida.
Review by Joe Reid
One of the most likeable characters in the game, Ryan Searle has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years, as he hunts down a spot in the Top 16 of the PDC rankings. With new sponsor Loxley Darts by his side, he looks set to continue his pursuit, with the goal of competing in more televised tournaments firmly on his mind. With this goal in mind, he will need to look the part in front of the camera, and his new shirts produced by Loxley will help him do just that.
In the past, Ryan has worn primarily black shirts, with little or no personalisation. For the last couple of years, Ryan has donned a black shirt with lightning across the front and back, with his nickname ‘Heavy Metal’ around his upper back. Loxley have completely changed Ryan’s style, incorporating more of a personalised feel to the shirt, moulding it around his nickname and persona with a ‘Heavy Metal’ music theme.
Ryan has had two shirts manufactured for him by Loxley, with similar styles and themes, yet with alternating colours, as seen on the Matthew Edgar and Aaron Beeney shirts. Ryan has kept his preferred black style shirt, with red sleeves, collar and sides, with the Loxley logo altered so as to stand out against the black shirt, with the wording encased in a red box, to keep to the colour scheme of the shirt. His alternate shirt, not yet seen in a streamed/televised match, simply switches the red and black around, offering Ryan the choice of a brighter, more vibrant shirt.
While the shirts feature bold colours, with very little going on within the background (unlike, for instance, Aaron Beeney’s shirts, with the triangular design remaining consistent throughout), Ryan’s shirts compensate for this with stunning graphics on the front and back of the shirt. The front features, besides logos from sponsors Loxley Darts and L-Style (who manufacture the moulded flights and stems Ryan uses), an image of a skull rock-star playing the guitar, surrounded by a dartboard, paying homage to Ryan’s nickname, incorporating both the music, and darts into a unique, stunning-looking graphic.
On the back of the shirt, Ryan’s nickname takes prominence, in an interesting jagged font similar to that used on various album covers for rock bands, such as Iron Maiden or Metallica. On the black shirt, fading red lines can be seen in the background behind the text, adding depth to the shirt and helping Ryan’s nickname to stand out. This, however, is not seen on the red shirt, with the shirt simply staying plain red, with nothing fading into the background.
Towards the bottom of the shirts, a second graphic can be seen – this time of a collection of skulls piled up, with three (very well grouped, I must admit) darts sticking out of a skull on the right hand side. While a gruesome image, the design blends in well to the shirt itself, with the use of red, black and white keeping the image consistent with the rest of the shirt. Underneath the pile of skulls sits Ryan’s name in bold, white letters, dashed with red to create a bloody effect. These shirts aren’t for the faint-hearted!
These shirts felt extremely light and comfortable to wear, something I personally look for when choosing a shirt for my own matches. Made from 100% polyester, you can be sure they will remain in perfect condition, from their first use to their hundredth – perfect for Ryan, and his demanding PDC schedule. As well as this, in pressure situations Ryan can be sure he won’t feel the heat, with the shirts utilising synthetic fibres, meaning they have high water resistance should you start to sweat. One complaint I had, which I found consistent with all seven Loxley shirts I’ve reviewed to date, was that the collar felt slightly firm when first worn, and so I’d advise to wash the shirt a few times before use, in order to make the collar more supple, eradicating any unnecessary discomfort before you toe the oche for the first time.
Final Thoughts:
Appearance: 10/10 – An easy one for me to start off with – full marks! I love these shirts, and honestly believe they’re two of the best looking shirts on the market today. With their own unique style, and two contrasting colours to choose from, as a consumer you’re spoiled for choice! I really struggled to decide which I preferred… they’re both stunning!
Feel: 9/10 – As I mentioned within the review, and in my previous Loxley shirt reviews, the feel of the shirt itself is faultless. The shirts are light and comfortable, with an accurate fit. The shirts feel unrestrictive around the shoulders, allowing you to pull back and release the dart with no discomfort, allowing you to throw with confidence. The only issue I had was the aforementioned collar, and yet as I explained, it’s an issue easily remedied.
Quality: 10/10 – With such intricate designs and vivid colours, I expected one or two manufacturing errors here and there… I was pleasantly surprised! I could find no loose threads, nor colour overlap or fading. The shirts were in pristine condition, and credit must go to the quality control team at Loxley, as well as the manufacturing and design teams – a fantastic job done by all!
Value for Money: 9/10 – These shirts retail at £37.95, keeping in line with the other shirts in the Loxley range, as well as other player branded shirts manufactured by other companies. For a shirt of this quality and intricacy, the price is well justified, resulting in the highest score, in terms of ‘Value for Money’, that I’ve ever given a darts shirt before. As well as this, for true fans of Ryan Searle, Loxley also sells shirts signed by ‘Heavy Metal’ himself for just £7 extra! Perfect for framing – they’ll look amazing in any darts room!
Thank you to Loxley Darts for sending out these amazing shirts for me to try, and review! Really enjoyed taking a closer look at these amazing shirts, and can’t wait to see Ryan in action using them in the upcoming PDC Winter Series! Stay tuned, as more reviews are on the way!
Author – Joe Reid
https://joereiddartsreviews.weebly.com
Ryan Searle Grand Slam Report (December 2020)
After a gruelling week at the PDC Winter Series, Ryan will be raring to go for the PDC Grand Slam of Darts. Having narrowly missed out on an automatic qualification spot last Monday, after suffering a 5-1 defeat in the quarter-finals to Justin Pipe, Ryan had to do it the hard way. With a quarter-final and
L16 placing over the course of the PDC Winter Series, Ryan managed to sneak his way into the Grand Slam, having won Players Championship 9 pre-lockdown, finishing as the second highest ranked player on the Pro Tour Order of Merit, who wasn’t already qualified for the tournament. Confusing, I know.
A tough, yet winnable group for Ryan, as he was drawn in Group B. Sharing his group, as the top seed, was former back-to-back PDC World Champion, Gary Anderson, who qualified through being the runner-up in the 2020 PDC World Matchplay, as he fell to a 18-10 defeat to an impressive Dimitri van den Bergh. Also drawn in Ryan’s group was the Australian star Simon Whitlock, who qualified through the PDC Grand Slam qualifiers, defeating Loxley’s own Matthew Edgar in the quarter-finals to secure his place in the competition. The PDC World Youth championship finalist, Adam Gawlas, joined them in the group, as he features in his first ever televised darts competition.
It was Simon Whitlock up first for Ryan, with ‘Heavy Metal’ debuting his new Loxley darts in a televised tournament for the first time. A 140 to start, as Ryan cruised to a finish in the first leg, despite a well timed 180 from his opponent. A confident hold from Simon allowed him to hold throw to take the second leg, before punishing missed doubles from Ryan to break throw and race into a 2-1 lead. For the fourth leg in a row, Ryan opens up with a two-treble visit, with three treble-less darts from Simon allowing Ryan to break straight back, and level the match. A fantastic 96 checkout from Simon, utilising two D19’s, results in a third consecutive break of throw, before Ryan finds D5 to make it four, and level the match at 3-3. A best of 3 leg match, with Ryan having the darts should it go to a deciding leg. A fifth straight break of throw allows Simon to go within one leg of the match, with a poor last leg from ‘Heavy Metal’ allowing ‘The Wizard’ to take the points and claim a 5-3 win.
A tough clash with young star Adam Gawlas to follow, with both players knowing defeat will all-but see them knocked out of the 2020 PDC Grand Slam of Darts. Ryan dominated the opening few legs, going 7 darts deep into a 9 darter before missing the T20 with his second dart of the third visit. Racing into a 3-0 lead, averaging nearly 117, Ryan looked set to see the game out – yet things don’t always go as planned. An inspired comeback from Adam allowed him to imitate Ryan and rattle off three consecutive legs of his own, to level the match once again. The pair traded holds of throw in the next two legs, with a fantastic 100 checkout from Gawlas forcing a deciding leg in a truly nail-biting encounter. An unfortunate bounce-out denied Ryan a chance at a 156 checkout for the match, scoring just 80, and allowing Adam a shot at 107 for the match. Wiring D16, Ryan was allowed a second chance for the match, finding D20 with his last dart in hand to secure a 5-4 victory, giving him a fighting chance against Gary Anderson tomorrow, as he looks to secure his place in the knockout rounds.
A true crunch match for both players, as they looked to join Simon Whitlock in qualifying for the knockout round. Both Ryan and Gary have enjoyed a near identical PDC Grand Slam campaign, with both players suffering a defeat to Simon Whitlock, and both defeating Adam Gawlas. Ryan currently sits higher in the table, thanks to his greater leg difference, yet that will prove irrelevant as it is simply winner-takes-all in this Group B clash. Gary started the match the stronger of the two, rattling off the first two legs in quick succession, with the pair trading 180’s towards the latter stage of the second leg. Ryan got his first leg on the board in the third, before Gary held his throw to restore his two leg advantage. Two more holds took the match to 4-2, putting the Scotsman just one leg away from the knockout rounds, with Ryan knowing he must win the last three legs if he wishes to progress. An impressive hold of throw, with two 180’s from Ryan, helped him close the gap, yet Gary proved too strong, seeing out the eighth leg to seal a 5-3 win. Impressive doubling from Anderson, hitting 5 doubles from his 6 attempts. Despite averaging 102.06, there was little Ryan could do, as he unfortunately finished third in the group.
Positives to take from an impressive few days, especially off the back of a draining and challenging week at the PDC Winter Series. Time for rest and practice now, as he prepares for the upcoming PDC Players Championship finals, where he has been drawn to face current PDC World Matchplay champion Dimitri van den Bergh in the opening round.
A televised debut for Ryan’s new darts as well, which are available to purchase from the Loxley website for just £49.95, as well as the shirts Ryan wore throughout the tournament, which likewise can be purchased through the Loxley website for just £34.95, or signed for £44.95.
Author – Joe Reid
Ryan Searle World Championship Report 2020
Up first for Ryan was the US National, Danny Lauby. Danny came through the CDC Continental Cup qualifier, defeating Gary Mawson 8-2 to secure the title, and book his place in the 2021 PDC World Championship. Danny came through a tough draw, defeating 2020 BDO World Championship participant Joe Chaney in the Quarter-Finals, before then dispatching of Kiley Edmunds in the semi-final to set up a clash with Gary Mawson.
Due to London moving into Tier 3 just two days previous, Ryan was forced to play his opening game without the famous Ally-Pally crowd. Using his new Loxley darts, coupled with his recently released L-Style flights, Ryan won the bullseye, meaning he would throw first, and should the game go to 2-2 in sets, 2-2 in legs, Ryan would have the darts.
A commanding opening set from Ryan, as he faced little resistance from Danny – signs of nerves evident, with erratic darts thrown into the mix. Double trouble to start the match, after racing to a double in just 12 darts, it took him another 7 to close out the leg, finding ‘madhouse’ to lay down an early marker. The first 180 of the match would follow, as Ryan broke the Lauby throw with a clinical 96 checkout in just two darts. A quick-fire 14 dart leg saw Ryan exit the stage with the opening set under his belt, averaging 95.96 in a ruthless performance.
A great start from Lauby, with an impressive leg to put his first leg on the board. A quick-fire response from Ryan, who held his throw to level the match once again. Back-to-back holds from Lauby, finished with a stunning 121 checkout, which put him one leg away from levelling the set. A peach of a 170 setup shot allowed Ryan to level, putting the pressure on the young American to put in a strong leg to deny him the chance of going just one set away from the second round. A trio of 140’s left Ryan on 81 after just 9 darts, missing two at D12 to take the set. In what was (at the time of writing) perhaps the shot of the tournament, Danny finds a 148 checkout to take the set, levelling the match once again!
An important hold of throw in the opening leg of the third set, with Ryan finding D10 with his last dart in hand to put himself 1-0 up. A 180 followed to put the pressure back on Lauby, leaving 95 with his opponent back on 122. A solid 90 from Danny left him on 32, with Ryan knowing the 95 may be a pivotal moment in the match. Just two darts was all it took, as he neglected the bullseye route in favour of the T19, hitting it before finding the D19 to round off the leg. Starting off with yet another 140, Ryan left himself on 121, looking to pay Lauby back for the previous set. T20… T7… D20. Ryan is a set away from the match!
Lady luck was on Ryan’s side in the opening leg of the fourth set, as he was allowed a second chance at a finish, having missed single 8 off of 48 to deny himself a shot at double. Punishing misses from Lauby, Ryan found D12 to break throw, meaning just two holds will put him in the second round. A quick break back from Danny, who followed with a hold of throw to put himself 2-1 up in the penultimate set. With no real pressure applied from Lauby, Ryan had the opportunity to hold throw, which he took to level the set. A perfectly timed 177 from Searle created an opportunity at 100 to seal the deal. Two missed darts from Ryan allowed Lauby a chance at 76, with an erratic dart at D20 allowing Searle three more darts for the match. It wasn’t meant to be, as Ryan squandered his chance, and Lauby stole the leg to level the match at 2-2 in sets.
A strong hold of throw from Ryan put him 1-0 up, finding D12 with his last dart to put him two away from the match. Nervy finishing from Lauby, yet he found D2 with his last dart in hand to level the match once again. A simple setup for Ryan, leaving 40 after 12, and then finishing the leg in just 13 darts, put him just one leg away from the match – Lauby must break his throw should he wish to progress in his first appearance in the PDC World Championship. It was ultimately success from Ryan, who once again found himself chasing doubles before ending the match as he started it – with a clinical first dart at D1.
Ryan Searle – Super Series 1 and UK Open 2021
Following a successful run at the World Championship and came one leg away from reaching the quarter-final, Searle had successfully defended the £35,000 from his debut appearance two years ago.
Players Championship 1 –
In the first Players Championship event of the year, he took on John Michael in the first round. Searle came from 3-1 down to reel off five consecutive legs to win 6-3 and seal a place in the second round.
Despite averaging a below par 89 in the first round game, he improved his game in the next round where he took on Steve Beaton. Searle raced into a 4-0 lead before Beaton reduced the deficit to one leg at 4-3. However, Searle sealed a crucial 15 dart leg to go one away from winning. The next two legs were shared as he won 6-4.
In the last 32 Searle faced an in-form Gary Anderson. Anderson put his foot on the gas and was 4-1 up, winning each leg in 15 darts or less. Searle tried to mount a comeback charge but a 14 darter from the Flying Scotsman finished the game off and won 6-4, averaging 110, which was 15 points higher than Searle’s 95.
Players Championship 2 –
In a repeat of the first day of the Super Series, Searle took on John Michael. Despite winning 6-3 the day prior, he could not match that feat as this time round he lost in a last leg decider.
Players Championship 3 –
Searle got off to a great start on day three as he took on Karel Sedlacek. A very comfortable win the Devon based player as he managed to win 6-2 with a 97 average.
He then progressed through to the next round and won with the same scoreline. In all but one of the six legs that he won, Searle finished in 15 darts or less as he dismantled his opponent to progress through to the last 32 for the second time in three days and averaged a more than respect 99.
The following game, however, was a disappointment as he struggled to get off the mark and was thrashed 6-1 by Ian White and only averaged just below 82 in the process.
Players Championship 4 –
The Super Series I concluded with another run to the last 32. In two below par performances in his first and second round game, against Josh Payne and Keegan Brown and averaged 80.5 and 85 respectively, Searle progressed through with 6-4 and 6-3 victories.
Searle then bowed out to Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 despite averaging higher then the Dutchman.
UK Open –
Searle started his UK Open run in the third round, where he took on new tour card holder Jack Main. Searle recovered from 4-1 down and match darts to seal off a fantastic comeback and win in the last leg decider.
In the next game, however, Searle played one of his best games in the UK Open thus far as he defeated Adrian Lewis 10-7 with a sensational 103.5 average. Searle got out of the gates well and took a 3-1 lead before Lewis won three legs on the spin to lead 4-3. The game reached a 7-7 scoreline as Lewis hit a 14 darter to level up the tie. However, in the last three legs, Searle stepped it up a gear and won each of the last three legs with a 14, 13 and 13 darters to progress through to the fifth round of the UK Open for the first time.
In the fifth round Searle drew Luke Humphries, in what was one of the games of the tournament. Both players never let each other get away with a lead until the fifteenth leg of the match, where Humphries sustained a two leg cushion with an 11 darter. Despite losing 10-7 to Humphries, Searle hit an impressive eight 180’s and won every leg in 15 darts or less, including a remarkable 10 darter.
Ryan Searle wins 2nd senior title
Winter Gardens Debut
After just missing out on reaching the World Matchplay for the first time these last two years, 2021 was finally the year where Searle played on the Winter Gardens stage. After qualifying via the ProTour Order of Merit thanks to several successful runs on the floor, Searle came into the Matchplay as one to look out for.
He took on Michael Smith in his opening match. Though he lost 10-7 to the man from St Helens, Searle couldn’t get going and inconveniently missed a few darts at a double at a crucial moment in the game.
Second PDC Title
In the following Super Series events in the Barnsley Metrodome Searle continued his impressive form by sealing his second ProTour title. It had been a long time coming as the man from Devon breezed through to the final.
In his opening round match with Mark McGeeney, Searle cruised to victory and averaged just shy of a ton and took out 112 to win the match. He upped his game in the following game against Jim McEwan as he sealed a convincing 6-2 win and averaged a more then respectable 106.
In the last 32 and last 16 he continued his impressive form as he defeated the 5x world champion Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 and Rusty-Jake Rodriguez 6-1 to progress through to the quarter-finals. Yet again, he averaged around the ton mark and even took out the big fish while his opponent was sat waiting on a double.
He then comfortably defeated Luke Woodhouse 6-1 to progress through to the semi-finals, as he took on Martin Lukeman in what was his best performance of the day. Searle averaged a monstrous 117 and checked out every leg in 16 darts or less, with the highlight being him hitting a 10 darter. He even hit high checkouts of 156 and 120 as he progressed through.
In the final Searle faced his toughest challenge of the day as he took on the Matchplay winner Peter Wright. Searle established a 4-2 lead before Wright levelled it up at 4-4. Legs were shared until Wright sealed a 7-6 lead and came one leg away from winning the match. Despite this, Searle quickly levelled it up with an 11 darter to force the game into a last leg decider. It was nervy last leg for them both as Searle survived match darts from Wright to win his second PDC title.
“That was a scrappy final, it just didn’t feel like we were hitting anything. I’m amazed the averages were that high,” said Searle, who averaged 95 to Peter’s 103.
“I’ve been playing well for a long time and maybe just not had the luck. I believe I should be in the top 32, which is easy to say but that’s where I want to be.
“I’m delighted to get over the line and hopefully I can push on from here.”