RISING darts star Chris Aubrey is hoping a new practice routine will pay dividends when he once again travels to Wigan for the latest round of Challenge Tour events.

The youngster has been busy over the last two months as he competes on both the senior and Challenge tours, and for a fifth weekend in a row he will travel to Wigan in a bid to move up the Order of Merit.

Instead of racking up the hours at home on the practice board, Aubrey has taken to throwing for short bursts here and there before going through an intensive warm-up routine in the hours leading up to tournaments.

Aubrey also plays league darts in and around Swindon throughout the week, and believes match practice instead of time alone with the board is going to help him in the long run.

“I’m enjoying my darts again and I want to continue my good form because I have been picking up some good results,” he said.

“I have been practising a lot more and doing all my work while I have been away, instead of practising so much at home, and that is all starting to pay off for me now,” he said.

“I was struggling to practise at home and then when I went away it wasn’t happening, so I thought if I could give it a break at home and then do my practice from when I walk through the door at events before it starts at 12, it might benefit me.

“I still practise at home but not as much as I was, and because I play league darts throughout the week, half an hour practice and then matches in the evening is better for me than practising on my own for two hours.

“You can’t beat match practice, even if it’s against someone who can’t hit the board, because you are in a position for yourself where you want to win.”

Last time out in the Challenge Tour, Aubrey made it to the final before losing to Jamie Lewis, and is hoping for more of the same this weekend.

“I played really well all day to make it to the final, but then when I got there I maybe should have beaten Jamie to take the title because I had my chances and didn’t take them,” he said.

“My confidence is high, and I am looking to take that into this weekend and hopefully I will come out with the same result.

“Playing every weekend is good, although I am looking forward to seeing the back of Wigan, and it is helping me get in a good run.”

“He pushed Michael all the way, and to do that at the moment is some achievement.”

Aubrey was also full of praise for Swindon player Dennis Smith, who made the semi-final of the Players Championship last weekend before losing to Michael van Gerwen.

“Dennis played really well last weekend, and we watched a few of his games, and he was in great form to get all the way to the semi-final,” he said.

Meanwhile, the draw has been made for the first two rounds of the UK Open in Bolton.

Aubrey enters the competition in the preliminary round against Steve Farmer, with the winner taking on Gaz Cousins in round one.

Johnny Haines has been drawn against Nigel Daniels in the first round proper, where qualifier Darrell Townsend takes on Matthew Dennant.

Mark Cox will face Alex Roy having earned enough in qualifying to begin in round two, but Smith won’t know his opponent until the first two stages are completed.