It was long rumoured that he had problems with his grip, but the two-time major champion has now confirmed suspicions in the Sky documentary "Game of Throws". He has dartitis.
Aspinall's suffering began during the 2023 Premier League, when he was suddenly unable to let go of his darts in a match against Scotland's Peter Wright. After leading 4-0, he eventually lost 6-5.
"I suddenly couldn't throw my f***ing dart. I just couldn't let it go. It got worse and worse and worse until I ended up crying. Because I knew what it was. The dreaded D-word that no dart player ever wants to hear or get. It's called dartitis," The Asp told Sky.
Emotions ranging from sadness to anger followed: "I lost the game 6-5, went upstairs after the game, went to the toilet and hit the hand dryer ten times. I lost my head."
Mental illness not uncommon
Dartitis is a mental illness, similar to 'the yips', in which those affected simply cannot let go of the dart.
Aspinall is not the first professional to fall victim to the disease. Five-time BDO World Champion Eric Bristow made his illness public in 1986, but was able to recover from it and later topped the world rankings once again.
Mark Webster, BDO World Champion 2008, Austria's Mensur Suljovic and Berry van Peer have also suffered from dartitis.
The illness does not mean a end of a career, as Aspinall has also showed.
After it starting in April 2023, the Englishman won the World Matchplay (2023), reached the final of the World Series of Darts Finals (2023) and reached the Masters semi-finals this year.