COOL customer Scott Mitchell hopes the sweet dreams bestowed upon him by mind guru Stephen McKibben can help him recreate his greatest night in darts.

Bransgore thrower Mitchell will tomorrow kick off his bid to regain the BDO World Championship he won two years ago thanks in part to the help of McKibben.

And 'Scotty Dog', the number-two seed for the Frimley Green tournament, has again enlisted the help of the Belfast-based hypnotherapist to aid his title drive.

Reflecting on the impact of McKibben upon his arrows career, Mitchell told the Daily Echo: "People said it was a waste of money getting a mind coach but Stephen has been a big turning point for me.

"He just makes me feel at ease about what I'm doing. He stops me being too harsh on myself and gives me confidence.

"I don't think it's any mistake that in the past 18 months Glen Durrant has gone to see him as well, and look what he's done.

"I've started doing it again in the past four or five weeks. He sends me a 20-minute MP3 and I tend to listen to it as I go to sleep at night and take it in through my subconscious. For me, that works.

"You can struggle to sleep the night before a game. There is nothing bigger than the world championships, it's on TV and it's our showpiece.

"So there are nights when you struggle to sleep but he makes that happen as well, so it's brilliant for me and the results show that.

"As a dart player you hide all your emotions. You have to tell people you are playing great when you are not.

"But you have to be so open with him about what your hang-ups are, where your problems are and why it isn't working for you and then he can sort you out."

Mitchell is set to make his eighth trip to the BDO World Championship as a player off the back of a year in which he won the Isle of Man Classic, the Welsh Open and the Six Nations singles.

The 46-year-old will not possess the reigning champion tag at Lakeside Country Club this time round and says he is relaxed mood ahead of the Channel Four and BT Sport-televised event.

Mitchell added: "I'm probably not not as on edge as I usually am heading into it, which is a good thing. I suppose I'm starting to get used to it and am feeling like part of the furniture.

"Returning to Lakeside as world champion and playing Craig Caldwell was the hardest game of darts I've had to play in my life. But there is definitely a different feeling going into it this year.

"I'm ready to win it again. I made the semi-finals in the past two TV tournaments, although I'm not feeling overconfident because that's when it bites you on the backside.

"A few weeks ago I was not far from being in a good place so with the extra practice, I've got to hope I am even closer to winning it."