Dartowiec Jules van Dongen returns to the tour after a crisis: now he plays with his left hand.

Jules Van Dongen returns to darts

According to The Sun: Jules Van Dongen, a 35-year-old player from the Netherlands, is preparing to return to the professional tour after a long break due to difficulties with form and self-esteem. He announced this just a few weeks after he thought his career was over.

A new approach to the game

In his Facebook post, he wrote:

“After the World Championships my confidence and joy of playing were at the lowest level.”

“I decided to completely switch to my left hand. In July, I was confident that my days in darts were over, now I am optimistic and full of hope.”

Van Dongen, known as “The Dutch Dragon,” now throws darts with his left hand, as his world ranking has fallen to 151. He has not won any matches in 2025 and has a streak of 13 losses, starting from last November.

During this streak, he had quite poor scores – his average was 57.23, and he lost 0:6 or 1:6 five times, including in a match against Luke Little in the World Series.

Plan for the future

His last tournament appearance was at the North American Championships, where he lost to Stowe Bantam. On platform X, he informed:

“I decided to register for the last pro tours and the Grand Slam qualifiers at the end of next month. Of course, I am throwing with my left hand [emoji with crossed fingers for luck].”

Van Dongen will participate in the Players Championship finals and the Grand Slam qualifiers in darts.

He adds:

“Now I have enough confidence and joy in playing darts that allows me to wait for the moment when I can go to England again to play on the Pro Tour once more.”

“Four years of professional touring end in a few months. Q School is too early for me in January, but I hope to become more competitive with my left hand, so I will choose tournaments on the WDF circuit to rebuild my career. My goal is Q School 2027.”

He concluded:

“Never give up, never concede.”

Van Dongen, who lives in America but was born in the Netherlands, has struggled with personal difficulties due to his parents' illness and suffers from dartitis. These issues prompted him to switch hands during throws and take a break from competitions.

Earlier this year he noted:

“When this period is over, darts will return to the suitcase. Time for a complete reset.”

He adds:

“One day I say I’m not playing anymore, the next I’m back again. But for now, I will be on stage.”

“Expectations are now lower and that really helps. At the UK Open, not everyone realized how badly they were doing things. Now it’s quite obvious.”

“I just want to give myself one more proper chance. No pressure, no expectations, just me, my family, and the stage at The Garden.”

Jules Van Dongen, determined to return to darts, emphasizes that the new approach, including the switch of hand for throws, opens new possibilities. His optimism reflects a strong desire to return to a level he would like to achieve despite all the difficulties.

Moreover, his decision to participate in qualifying competitions shows his drive to rebuild his career. Jules is truly ready for a new stage and eagerly awaits the moment when he can step back on stage and show everything he is capable of.