Cross Aims for Aguero Analysis to Make him World No 1
RED-HOT Rob Cross is aiming to become World No 1, thanks to biometric analysis technology.
The World Champion has joined forces with SAP who already work with Manchester City, Bayern Munich and McLaren on producing performance data.
This will mean that Voltage will become the first darts player in history to undergo rigorous testing for his stamina, concentration and ability to deal with stress and pressure.
Cross, who plays Daryl Gurney in the Belfast Premier League round tomorrow (Thurs), revealed: “This is something I’ve wanted for a long time and I’m excited that it’s going to happen.
“In other sports there’s so much analysis of performance in football, how much a player has run or makes good passes.
“I think these days in darts it’s just as important. We play so many matches and the margins between winning and losing are so narrow. I want to know why I’ve not played as well from one week to the next.
“It frustrates me and makes me wonder all the time. SAP are bringing to the table the best possible performance analysis I could get.
“SAP will tell me about my stress levels at different matches, angle of flight, speed I throw, how I let go of the dart and even my stance.
“Put it this way, if it works for Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City, then I’m sure it can work for Rob Cross.
“SAP do this for all sorts of sports including football, skiing, the Volvo Ocean Race sailing and tennis. They will now spend months collecting data of how I perform and then tell me what I need to do to improve, to the most intricate detail.
“Consistency is massive in any sport but especially darts right now. You just cannot afford to switch off for two minutes, that can lose you a match. So this is huge for me because I want to be World No 1.”
Cross has now won five successive Premier League matches and is third in the table despite a woeful start to the campaign.
Now he faces Superchin on his home soil but that doesn’t concern the Hastings ace. He added: “The crowd do have a massive impact in the games in the Premier League but only if you let them.
“Daryl will have a lot of support no doubt but I just like to get on with my own game and stay in my own zone.
“Last week in Glasgow Gerwyn Price got a bit involved with the crowd. I didn’t see it but I could hear it. I think that affected his game maybe because he didn’t play as well as he could after.
“I’m happy now in the Premier League. I feel settled, I’m in a rhythm and enjoying it. Now it’s just about securing my place in the top four.”