First you have to find the right weight for you! Try to borrow your mates darts for this part. I would advise a setup of a standard flight and medium stem, throw your dart at your natural pace at the bull, don't try and hit or force the dart in the target, you are looking at letting the dart get there from your natural stroke. See if the dart is landing above or below the Bull, If the dart is too low then use a heavier dart if the dart is too high then use a lighter dart, It wont take long to find out your preferred weight give or take a gram or two. When you have found the weight use it for a while in a game situation or in practice and take note of where the dart land the majority of the time, meaning high or low of the target then adjust weight accordingly.
Now here comes the hard part. We have to find out the right barrel shape for an individuals throw, dart barrel shapes are designed to correct the throwers mistakes. There are three main barrel shapes, which for argument sake I will refer to them as front loaded (bulky at the front), straight barrel (speaks for its self) and rear weighted (less weight at the front) here are some examples.
**Straight barrel**
**Front loaded**
**Rear loaded** (some will say that the above dart is center balanced but to me less meat at the front = rear loaded)
We are looking to get the dart relatively flat in the board for stacking of other darts on top of first and second dart and not blocking targets with an extreme tail pointing upwards dart. That's my method anyway, if you like more angle then simply adjust accordingly. Now this technique seems to work with the majority of throwers but not all. It depends on how much kick you have in your throw due to the release of the dart being slightly tip up or tip down, slightly up is perfect but slightly down will give the dart some kick but is something you may have to live with because its more important to throw natural rather than force yourself to correct it (the barrel shape will do this for you).
We will start with a straight barrel design medium stem and a standard flight setup and in the same way as you found out your correct weight in step 1, throw your dart at the bull and take note of the angle it lands in the board e.g. tail up or tail down. If your dart lands relatively flat then this is the correct setup for you. If your dart lands tail up then you may want to try a smaller flight and shorter stem or a rear loaded dart with a longer stem and standard flight.
If your dart lands tail down then a front loaded dart will be the barrel you are looking for which is a good thing as a front loaded dart with a longer stem and standard flight is the most forgiving setup of them all but you will have to live with a fatter barrel diameter.
By fine tuning I mean flight and stem setup.
Learn to live with it. Its more important to use your natural throw than to throw unnatural. Flights size and stem length will change the timing of a kicking dart as to when it hits the board at a flat angle e.g. slow the kick down with a long stem or big flight or speed it up with a short stem or small flight, and as I said before a small or large flight will speedup or slowdown your dart so you can get it to the board at the right time for it to land flatter.
Standard flights will give you the most control and are more forgiving but tend to wash off some speed forcing the dart to lose momentum and land tail up in the board if you are a soft thrower, if this is happening then a smaller flight will get to the board faster and the dart should land flatter. Or if your dart kicks allot through the air try and find the flight that will get to the board at the right time for it to land flat be it a large or small flight.
Longer stems are more forgiving than shorter and I find that shorter stems seem to flatten the dart out a bit. Then there is the weight factor as a weighted stem will flatten most darters throw but is unforgiving if released wrong. If your dart kicks allot through the air try and find the right stem length to get it to the board at the right time for it to land flat.
Now that you are some ware in the ballpark its all about finding the right combo that works for you be it if you like your darts to stand up or sit flat, there will be a recipe of barrel, stem and flight that will achieve this. You will only find this combo over time and through experimentation with many barrels, grips, flights and stems until you find "The one" set and setup that works best, then lash out on the Ferrari and stick with them, until then why throw away your hard earned cash on big named brands when there are cheaper quality alternatives out there for a fraction of the price of the big namers with pretty holes or blue paint on it. Then you can sell or lend your cheap dart collection to your mates or use them to analyse there throw so they don't have to spend the Bugs Bunny.
Once you have found what you are looking for then by all means lash out on a set of top shelf arrows.
I thought it was time to make a detailed guide on set up shots. I've seen out charts and other setup charts scattered all across the internet but they're usually just a bunch of numbers with no explanation of "why" you go a certain way. Plus, after being on this forum for a year or so I'm always amazed to see the odd ways people go about taking out certain shots or setting up different shots. I suspect people do the things they do because "it works for them". They might be top players in their local leagues and are used to smashing everyone week after week. They can do no wrong. Whatever they do, they're going to win. Just doesn't matter.
But along came the innovation of online darts... All of a sudden these same players that are used to winning all the time are getting REKT. The things that they do wrong are now being exposed. The shots that have ALWAYS worked in their local area are now being exposed by better players. They're being punished by their simple mistakes. It's frustrating and they might not be aware of what's wrong because like I said above, they always win. And why change things if you always win right?
So I thought I'd piece together this guide to help player's of all skill levels be aware of the shots they make. Some of the stuff is advanced and some of it is simple. Just be aware that these combo's aren't for everyone as we all play at different levels. But as you improve, you might want to remember some of this stuff.
And remember, this isn't an out chart. That is something completely different. This is more about setting up and giving you, the player, the best chances of winning possible.
Let's start...
315 - If you hit 6 20's a 7th 20 will do you no good. You'll be stuck on 175. Go bull last dart for the chance at 170.
312 - A 140 here won't help matters. Have a look at the bull after 2 treble 20's to leave 167 or 142.
309 left - Start on 19's. If you hit a single, go back to 20's. If you hit a treble 19 with the 1st dart stay there. Another treble will leave 195. Look at the bull last dart. Basically you're trying to hit 139 to leave 170. Keep in mind, this is for the advanced/pro player that wants to leave every possibility open.
308 - Starting with 18's? Meh. No advantage really. If you hit a treble with the first dart you're kinda screwed. You'll need 2 more trebles to leave a finish. Might as well start 20's here.
307 - Start with 20's. If you hit a treble 20 stay there. Might as well go for the 140 to leave 167. Although a cover shot on the 19's would leave an easier out of 170 it's still a huge ask. Do whatever you feel is "right".
306 - 19's to start on this one. 4 19's will leave 230. Last dart at the 20 in hopes of leaving 170. 6 19's will leave 192. Go at the bull here to leave 167.
305 - 20's. If you happen to hit 6 of them have a look at the 15 or bull for the 170 or 160 finish. Avoid the 140. You have to switch.
304 - 20's all the way with hopes of leaving 164 or 124. If the 1st dart is in the single 20 and blocks the treble have a look at 6 19's for the 170.
303 - 19's on this one. A nice 7 mark round will leave 170. If the 1st dart is laying weird in the single 19 segment go up to 20's. A 6 mark on 20's would still leave an out.
302 - You could start 18's here and look to hit 4 of them before switching back to 20's for the score of 132 and leave of 170.
301 - 20's all the way here. A 140 leaves a nice look at 161. A 180 leaves 121.
293 - Although not popular among the pro's you could look at 19's here. A 133 is much better than a 140 here.
Again, these are advanced options only . If you just started playing then don't worry about shots like this. But make sure you know them as you improve
271 - 19's here no question. 4 19's and a 25 leave 170. An easy shot compared to going 20's and needing a minimum of a 140 (7 marks) to get to an out.
266 - Start on 20's but if you hit a single drop down to 19's for the cover shot. 4 19's leave you with 170. Phil Taylor refuses to listen to this. He's ALWAYS leaving 166.
265 - 5 19's leave 170. A 133 leaves 132 and a 171 leaves 94. Can't go wrong with any of those combo's.
262 - Start on 20 but if you hit a single move over to the 18's and try to leave 170.
235 - If you hit 2 single 20's think about the bull last dart to leave 170 or 145.
234 - If you start with a single 20 and stay there there's a chance of ending up on 174. You can go for the cover shot on 19's then a last dart 25 will leave 170.
229, 228, 226, 225, 223 and 222 - Be aware that after 2 single 20's you will need to switch to leave an outshot.
221 - If you hit 4 20's from 221 be aware of the bullseye option with your last dart. By hitting a 25 with your last dart you are now in a MUCH better position to finish the leg. 116 is WAY better than 121 as you will possibly get a last dart at a large double instead of the bullseye.
219, 218, 213 - If you hit 2 single 20's be aware of what you do with your last dart. Try not to leave 159, 158 or 153 as they are rather difficult or impossible outs.
205, 203, 202, 201 - If you hit 4 20's use the bullseye with the last dart to get you under 100 on your next turn. Not advisable from 204 as it will leave 99.
199, 198 - Avoid the straight ton here. Why leave 99 or 98 when you can leave 100 just as easily? Play smart here. Don't make things harder for yourself.
**ALL of the above shots should be learned by the intermediate to advanced player. The idea behind these shots is to give you more chances at winning using the SAME amount of skill. Some of these shots put extra darts in your hand without taking any more or less skill to hit them. Example... by leaving 100 instead of 105 puts EXTRA darts in your hand. It takes 3 darts to take out 105 no matter how good you are. It takes 2 darts to finish 100 but better yet, you can leave 40 with 3 fat singles. It's harder to leave a 1 dart finish from 105. **
195 - Be aware of what you're leaving after the 1st 2 darts. If you hit 4 20's don't screw yourself by leaving 95 when you don't have to. Go for the cover shot on 19's or 18's and leave 96 or 97. Much more desirable then leaving 95.
185, 184, 183, 182 and 181 - These are ones to pay attention to if you're under extreme pressure. If you happen to hit 4 20's with the 1st 2 darts look at the bullseye with your last dart. The idea here is to get to or below 80. That way you'll more than likely get a look at a normal sized double instead of the bull on your last dart. Example... 181 left and you hit a 100. Or 181 left and you hit a 105. 76 left v 81 left. Which out is better under pressure? 76 by miles.
Also, keep the bullseye in mind if you hit 2 single 20's from anything between 181 and 185. The idea is anything 120 or below is much better than 121+. The major difference is your last dart IF you get a possible look at an out. Would you rather look at the bull, the smallest target on the board, or any of the regular doubles? Although just 1 point difference, 120 is a MUCH better out to go for than 121.
164 & 161 - With 164 left you should start on 19's as MvG does. Reason being is he's looking for 57-57-bullseye. But the bigger reason for going 19's is it's easier to set up the next shot if you hit a single 19. How many times have we seen MvG go 19-20-25 to leave 100? Compare that to other players who start on the 20's and leave 104 after hitting 60. 104 v 100? Easy pick there.
Also pay attention with 161 left. If you hit 2 single 20 don't be afraid of going at the bullseye with the last dart. 96 is a MUCH better out than 101. The idea with both of these is to leave a possible 2 dart finish compared to a 3 dart out.
163, 162 - Same as above. If you hit 4 20's with the 1st 2 darts look at the bull on the last dart. If you get yourself to 58 or 57 you improve your chances to win by 50% compared to leaving 63 or 62. Extra darts in your hands folks, extra darts!
159, 158 - Be aware here. Kinda stupid to be left with this finish anyway so now's the time to make up for it. If you hit 2 single 20's DON'T go 20's with your last dart! There's no reason in the world to leave 99 or 98 when you don't have to. Go for the cover shot and leave a tidy 100. This gives you easier options for a finish.
155 - Be aware of just pounding 20's here. Hit a 60 and leaving 95 isn't desirable. Go for a cover shot on 19's to leave 96 instead. Or if you're feeling it have a look at the bull to leave 90. But that shot carries some risk at this point. In fact, ignore the "feeling it" comment. When players think they are "feeling it" that usually means risk is involved. Combine that with pressure and the results can be costly. Play safe here and leave 96.
150, 148, 146, 142 - These are outshots where great local, pub level players tend to switch to different targets "just because". If you throw a perfect treble 20 right down the middle don't switch! Stay on the 60 bit and plug it with your second dart. You just threw a perfect 60 so why would you move? I know common sense dictates that from 150 you would go 60, 54, 36 out. Or 146 you would go 60, 54, 32 out. But throw that out the window if the 1st dart is perfectly in the 60. I've also seen great players mess around with 142. They throw a perfect treble 20 only to switch to the smallest target on the board, the bull. That might be a great choice if the opponent is back on 346 but in a tight match, stay on 20's or at least go treble 14. No bull on the 2nd dart whatever you do!
141 - Be aware of what you do with your last dart here. 2 single 20's leaves 101. If you follow it with a 3rd 20 you left yourself 81. If you hit a single 20 followed by a treble you're now sitting on 61 with one dart left. The best option in both cases is to look at the bull with your last dart. Instead of 81 you can leave 76. And instead of hitting any preferred single on the board from 61 you can hit a 25 or 50 and leave yourself 2 darts at a double next turn.
140 - Under NO circumstance should your 3rd dart be anywhere near the treble if you already scored 80 points. Aim high. Preferably near the double. I've busted 140 more than my fair share of times in my life. I learned from my mistakes though. * For the advanced player you can consider going 60, tops, tops if the mood strikes.
138 - You don't have to go 19's here but IMO it's the better choice. 2 trebles leaves a nice 24. 2 singles and you go back up for cover on the 20's to leave 80 or 40. Totally up to the individual here. Just try not to leave yourself 38 in a tight match. That would be making things harder than they need to be. Your goal as a dart player is to make things as easy as possible. So the only way to avoid leaving 38 is by going 19's.
137, 134, 131 - For the advanced level player there is nothing wrong with the option of leaving tops, tops finish. Treble 19, 18 or 17 to start. Under pressure with the match hanging in the balance it's something to consider. For intermediate level players thinking "that's an impossible shot" it's actually an easier shot than it sounds.
135 & 132 - This is one of those outs that does my head in. I see INCREDIBLE players going for the bull when they are miles in front. Even if the opponent is breathing down your neck think about setting it up instead of going for the hero finish. Think strongly about it. Leave a nice 40 from 135 or a beautiful 32 from 132. That puts a load of pressure on the opponent to make a big shot. I can't tell you how many times I've seen great players fluff their lines up from 135 and 132 trying to play the hero. Again, avoid the bull unless you are forced to go that route with the opponent on an easy finish.
133, 131, 129 - Seems like we're always ending up on these bogey numbers. Best thing I can recommend is try not to leave them in the 1st place. Always be aware of what your last dart is going to leave. Nobody wants to be left on these 3 numbers. Although 129 is the best of the bunch, I'd personally rather have 130 left. Nothing worse than leaving 129 and hitting treble 19 with the 1st dart. Always makes a mess of things. Now you have to hit another treble making your 129 equally as hard as a 136-160 finish.
128, 126, 125, 123, 122, 119 - Don't start on 20's! A single 20 will mean you cannot possibly finish the leg and your turn is all but over.
125 - You'll see pro's start on the bull. A perfect option. However, for the intermediate player you might want to consider 15's. It's much easier to hit a single 15 then a bull. A single 15 leaves 110. A treble 15 leaves 80 which could be 2 tops. Again, it's an easier shot than it sounds. Going bull and missing completely pretty much ends all hopes unless the dart hits a single 18 or 15.
121 - Okay, the match hangs in the balance and you've just pegged the treble 20 first dart. Don't, I repeat, DON'T be a greedy dart player and go for for a treble 11 or 25. If the opponent is on a 1 dart out you're only going to get one shot to win anyway. Play safe and go for a fat 11 to leave bull. The point here is to at least give yourself a chance. If you miss the bull and go on to lose deal with it. You had your chance. But it's a lot easier to deal with that loss if you at least had a dart to win. Imagine going high or low on the 2nd dart at treble 11 and missing completely leaving no out. Or going at the 25 and missing completely or being too accurate and hitting a bull. I've done it before and losing like that hurts MUCH worse than having your chance and losing.
120 - A simple one right? Of course. But I've seen a few players make a mistake with 120. Starting on 20's is a no brainer. Follow it with another single leaves 80. This is where I've seen players go 16's with the last dart. Basically they just tossed a free dart right out the window. Here's why. They went at 16's with the last dart in hopes of leaving 32. Sounds like a smart thing to do until you hit a single 16. Now you've just left 64. You could have stayed on the 20's and left 60. Guess what 60 gives you? 2 darts at a double that's what. Or 50% darts at a double more than leaving 64. Don't go 16's with the last dart!
118 - I've seen temptation to go 18's here. Don't do it. A treble leaves 64. Which then leaves 14 for the bull. If you're under pressure and the match is on the line go 20's. It takes the same EXACT talent/ skill to hit treble 20 and a single 18 to leaves tops. The major difference is the size of the last double. Bull v tops. Again, and I can't stress this enough, don't make things harder than they need to be.
116 - Much debate here. Do I go 20's or 19's? Does it matter? I say yes and here's why. The opponent is sitting on 32. You have 116. You go 20's. A single 20 to start followed by a treble. "Yes!" you say to yourself. Only to bottle it and throw the last dart inside of the double 18 to leave 18. The opponent steps to the line and misses 3 clear giving you another turn. THIS is where the 20's choice matters! You now have 18 left. Your 1st dart goes inside leaving 9. A simple single 1 fixes things leaving 1 dart at double 4. Now hold on a minute!! Let's back this up.
116 and you go 19's. Using the same exact scenario as above you miss low with your last dart leaving 20. The opponent misses. You get another turn. Ask yourself, is 20 a better out than 18? If you come inside on double 10 you still have 2 darts left in hand for a double. Not the case with 18 left. The difference is minor. Does it matter? Possibly.
115 - Uhhggg. I hate this one. 20's are no fun as a single leaves 95. A miss wide left still leaves an out though. Sometimes I'll go bull but not when an opponent is on a very easy out.
For the rest of these outs there is much debate from forum to forum. I'm not going to step in and say this is the way you HAVE to go. But what I'm going to type is the best way to go with the least amount of risk involved in case you miss with the 1st dart. Just a reminder to what I typed to start this thread. You might be successful in your local leagues and do well in local luck of the draws playing the way you play. You have no incentive to play at a higher level because you always win. So playing correctly really doesn't matter. But if you intend to take that game online or branch out and play high level tournaments then you better rethink the way you go about doing things. That being said, let's continue...
114 - Going 19's is the only way to ensure a safe shot if you miss wide left. Problem is it leaves 95. 18's is another option. A treble leaves 60 and a miss low into the 4 keeps you alive. Best thing I can say about 114 is go 20's and don't miss with the 1st dart. Easier typed than done though. It's a totally debatable number on which way to go. No clear right or wrong here.
113 - 20's all the way. If you hit any treble next to the 20 you still have an out.
112, 111, 110 - 20's here to start
109 - 20's is the preferred shot if you miss to the left. It's really the only safety shot in case of a miss.
108 - Many pro's go 19 here. 4 19's leave 32. Also a miss wide left keeps you alive. 18's would be the ultimate safety shot. A miss high or low keeps you alive. If I was in the biggest match of my life and nerves were an issue I'd go 18's and hope for the best. Caution on treble 1 though. Ruins the fun.
107 - 19's provide a safety net to the left and right in case of a miss. Avoid 20's here as a miss into the 5 or 1 will end your turn.
106 - 20's is the place to start
105 - 20's here also. A miss on either side and you're still alive. Just stay out of the treble 1. Also, don't be afraid to go at the bullseye with the last dart if you hit 2 single 20's. A 25 will leave 40 and a bullseye will leave 15.
104 - 19's or 16's to start. The reason being is a miss in any direction still leaves hope. Avoid 20's at all cost if the match hangs in the balance. A 5 or 1 will ruin your day.
103 - Safest bet is 19's as a miss to the right or left keeps you alive.
102 - 20's here. But here's what you DON'T do with the 2nd dart. Don't go bull to leave 32. If the opponent is on an easy out go for treble 14. It's a MUCH bigger target. I've also started a 102 outshot with treble 1. Nothing ruins your day more than that. Be aware of it.
101 - There's many safety shots here. Both sides of the 20 and 19 are safe. Do whatever the voice in the back of your head tells you to do here.
The rest of the outs are fairly simple to learn and I want to avoid talking about "how do you go on this out" or "how do you take out (insert number here)". Instead I want to focus on something else. Something that's not talked about very much. But it's knowing when to go for an out and when to setup the shot. The difference it can make to your overall game is massive. Here goes...
For matter of reference let's pretend your favorite professional player is sitting on 153. You're sitting on 84 and have the throw. 1st dart everyone would mostly agree you start on 20's. If you hit a treble then all is good. 2 darts for 24 right? But this is where my way of playing has changed. And it's changed for the better. Much better. If I hit a single 20 from 84 I'm left with 64 and 2 darts in my hand. Common sense would tell you to go 14 to leave a shot on bull right? Well hold on just a minute. Stop right there. THIS, this is where I've completely changed the way I play with great success. I will STILL try and take out the 64 but I'll go 16's. If I hit a single I'll go 16/8 pie to leave a solid 1 dart out. I've set myself up.
Basically I'm doing a couple things here. Firstly I'm trying my best to win. Secondly I'm firmly telling the opponent "you can't hit 153 and you won't hit 153". Which in all reality they won't hit. I don't care how good the player is, you simply ain't hitting a 153 on me after I passed on the bull. Let's face it, one example from 1983 where Bristow passed on the bull isn't going to change things. In fact I can only think of 2 other examples in the last 30 years where a player passed on the bull and was made to pay. And these are the very top, top professionals.
So what if I pass on the bull, what makes you think Joe Smoe from local league is going to smash home a 153? What about a 50 avg player on WDA or Prodarter? They don't stand a chance. Sounds a bit harsh right? But the odds are with you, they simply won't finish from 153. They wont, I won't. I promise.
So if they absolutely won't finish, why on earth are you going the bull route from 84 when you will get another turn 99.99% of the time? It's in your favor to just set yourself up. Give yourself 3 clear darts at your favorite double on the next turn. You might even still finish the leg while setting up. A treble 16 would leave 16. You might even set yourself up perfectly only to miss all 3 darts on your next turn and lose the leg. It happens. But the point is, you gave yourself the most darts possible at a double.
When I first started playing online I would ALWAYS go for the finish! Always! Didn't matter if the opponent was on 32, 147 or back on 346. What I discovered is more times then not I would leave 25 or miss the 25/bull completely. I'm a fairly handy player at times but it dawned on me one day when I stepped to the oche with 25 left and the opponent just missed wildly from a huge out, "why on earth am I making things harder on myself?" From that point on I started testing the waters and setting myself up all the time.
I discovered a few things....
Nobody ever, not once, made me pay by taking out a huge finish. Sure, players have smoked huge outs on me all the time. But NEVER ONCE when I passed on the bull route. I repeat, never once was I made to pay and I'm talking about nearly 1000 matches.
There was MUCH less pressure on me when I stepped to the line looking at my preferred double vs 25 or some other random number.
This ones a bit hard to explain but... When I won legs because of setting up on a preferred double it developed rhythm and confidence that carried over into the next leg. String a few of those legs together and you feel like you can't miss.
Some opponents will be thrown completely off by this. Basically you're telling them they won't hit the big outshot. But guess what? You're just being truthful. I don't care how good someone is, nobody can hit big shots on command.
Some things to keep in mind regarding this sort of play. If something major hangs in the balance, like a World Championship final, it's best you go the bull route. Or if it's the final leg of a huge league match and you need the win for your team. Ya better go for the bull. It would be awfully hard to live it down in the exceedingly rare cases where someone might hit a big finish when you passed on the bull. But in 99.99% of all scenario's it's a safe bet to just set yourself up. This is all part of knowing when to take your chances and when to play safe. Forget the opponents feelings, you're trying to win right? Let the odds work FOR you, not against you.
There are two general reasons why anyone would want to practice throwing darts. The first reason is somewhat obvious. We all want to increase our ability for upcoming competitive situations and simply get better. It is commonly held in virtually every sport that competitors must practice or train to increase performance levels. It is also believed that that the quantity and quality of practice coincides directly with an increase in ability. It does. The second reason to practice is for the sheer enjoyment. Throwing darts can be very enjoyable in a completely non-competitive way. It can be relaxing or it can be stimulating.
There is a mysterious enchantment we feel as we attempt to propel our dart through the air towards a seemingly ever elusive target. Nothing matches the feeling of satisfaction from a successful strike. The throwing of darts can approach a state of meditation. After all, we know that state of mind is a major factor in success at the dart board. The addiction of the game stems from the constant craving to come closer and closer to perfection. There is also the thrill when your game comes together. Is there not pure joy when anyone hits their first 180? It is an ethereal elation to become World Champion. Every dart player and fan has an obsession with the 9-dart game. Why? It is the symbolic attainment of being one with the game, if only for a fleeting moment. Phil Taylor continues to fascinate dart fans around the world. Is it because he wins such a high percentage of the time? Certainly winning is admired in any form of competition, but I think it is how he wins that mesmerizes us.I'm not referring to the lopsided match scores. It is the averages that amaze even the best of the rest of the pros. We've all had good matches, but Phil seems to have 100 or better 3-dart average every time he plays. No one else has equaled his standard. So how did he reach this level of play? Practice. It is the only way. No other player had the capability to force him to play THAT well. Phil is a pioneer of sorts. He knew he could play better and he worked through practice to push himself further. Why? The answer is that he is no different than any of us, pub players and pros alike. He loves the game and he yearns to master the game and himself. I believe that I can work hard and get my averages to continue increasing and so should all players. In 1987 I got a board and darts after watching the game on television a couple of times. During the first two years I played all I did was teach myself and practice. The hour or two that I practiced each day was entirely enjoyable and relaxing. I eagerly worked and increased my skill level, never accepting that I couldn't be better. It was an exercise for it's own sake. Today I have been through every level of the game and I still look forward to those couple of hours a day when the world is just me, my darts and my dreams of mastering the art of dart throwing. Enjoy your practice.
Practice is a great way to enjoy a session of dart throwing, but if you really want to improve there is an important first step. You must construct your dart throw. That is to say that you must decide on the mechanics that suit you, and identify any bad habits you may already have.If you don't take the time to decide what is right and wrong for you, you run the risk of reinforcing bad habits that will only hold you back from achieving your goals. There definitely is such a thing as bad practice and it will result in bad darts.
Step number one is to try and educate(or re-educate) yourself about good dart mechanics. If you have access to video of pro-darts then try to identify the things that all pro-dart strokes have in common. There will always be exceptions, so make sure that you watch several players before drawing any conclusions.For instance, don't just analyze Phil Taylor and then copy him. The chances are that some aspects of his throw are unique to him and are suited to his physique. He may even have some bad habits. If you see a half dozen players all doing one thing the same way, then odds are that it will work for you.Reference sources such as books and instructional videos can also be helpful but once again, try to consult several sources and identify the constants.
I feel it is important for players to make their own observations but now I will share my views on the common threads of a good solid throw.
First of all find a comfortable, well balanced stance - not leaning over too far . The orientation of the feet to the oche is not important as long as you are consistent. Your stance should be erect and the only movement should be in your forearm and hand.
Simplicity is best, so that you can more readily develop consistency in your throw. The elbow should be extended fully towards the target. Really extend and stretch the elbow out. It may feel unnatural at first, but it is an excellent habit to develop. When the elbow is fully extended, the shoulder is by default, pulled in under the chin. Now the dart should be brought back to the dominant eye (or between the eyes). At this point your arm has effectively become a catapult and all that remains is to move your arm forward and release the dart.
At the completion of your throw, your arm should be fully extended as though you were pointing at the board. This is called following through. Following through is very important for helping you to establish a consistent release point.
If you really want to concentrate on your mechanics, try throwing with your opposite hand. This will teach you to be much more aware of your mechanics. At this point you may be asking how to hold the dart? I believe that the grip should be natural and feel comfortable. The grip is in part determined by the equipment that is used. A good grip for a short fat dart is not going to be a good grip for a long skinny dart. Normally when you purchase darts you throw them a few times to see if they feel comfortable. This is the beginning of the development of your grip. My advice is to concentrate on the mechanics of your arm, ensuring that the arm goes straight over top of the elbow and through to full extension and let the grip develop itself.
One last bit of advice on the throw may seem obvious. Your eyes should be locked on your target. Never aim high or low to compensate for your throw. That is a bad habit. Just work hard until the darts go where you aim them.
Remember, the early days of practice are about developing good mechanics, so don't stress yourself out if your scoring isn't where you want it.
Your first goal should be to establish good fundamentals and your results down the road will be much better. Good mechanics allow you to continue to throw accurately when you are really nervous. When you start making successful shots under duress, the nerves will dissipate, and your confidence will soar.
You have your darts and your board so you are ready to play darts. Now what? You need to establish some guidelines to maximize the benefits of practice and to keep yourself interested enough to keep at it. If you were to just start throwing at the board without a game plan there would be no focus or concentration. You need to have goals to work towards, both short and long term.These goals can be entirely related to your practice as you learn to measure yourself against the board. This will help you greatly when you are in a real match against a tough opponent and the old darts cliche comes into effect: play the board, not your opponent.
There are three key points when developing your practice regime:
This seems obvious, but it might be the most difficult aspect of your practice session.Once you have an idea of how long you wish to practice, you then must decide when to practice. Some people have more options than others, but the goal should be to pick a time when you are least likely to be called away, or a time when you can turn your telephone off.
Let the people around you know that you do not wish to be disturbed(for what it's worth). Play some music that you enjoy in order to mask any other sounds that might otherwise distract you, such as children or noisy neighbors.Don't start practicing if something else needs to be done that will preoccupy your thoughts. A half hour of dedicated practice is far more effective than a hours worth of distracted throwing.
Once you decide how long your routine is going to last you then need to structure it. This structure should be based on the minimum amount of time you are likely to have to practice. This way you will repeat the same routine every time you practice, which is very helpful in determining if you are improving or not. If you find yourself with extra time in a given session you can repeat the session or just do some supplementary drills(see future articles). The first part of your routine should be a warm-up drill. You will want to loosen your arm, align your mechanics, and gain your focus. The first thing to do is to go around the board on the big single segments (from 1 to 20), then the small single segments (between the treble and the bull) and then the 25 segment. By then your arm will be nice and loose and you can move on to the doubles, the bull, and finally the trebles.After hitting all those doubles and trebles you're ready to test yourself seriously. The second and main portion of the routine should challenge your limits. This will maintain your interest in practicing.
I try to simulate potential match conditions. For instance, if my next competition is double-in 501, that is what I play. If the format is best of 3 or 5 legs per set, that is what I play. I play against an imaginary opponent who is very consistent (30 points per dart). If I have the start I know I have 18 darts in which to win the leg, or I lose. Against the throw I have only 15 darts. You can tailor these numbers to your skill level, but if you are winning more than you are losing you should make it more difficult. A good method of simulating throwing for the bull is to designate a 50 as a win, a 25 as a tie, and anything else as a loss.
The only way to rate your performance is to chart your progress. I always use pen and paper to keep my scores while practicing. If you play 20 legs of 501, multiply 501 x 20 and then subtract any remaining scores. Then add up how many darts you threw and divide it into your point total. This will give you your points per dart (p.p.d) average. Divide the number of games you won by the total you played and multiply by 100. This will give you your win percentage.
For practice purposes the p.p.d. average is more important than the win percentage, but they are both good measuring sticks. At the end of your session enter the date and your averages into a practice log. If your average does not gradually increase you will be alerted that there is a problem. In most cases, I think you will be very pleased with the results.
John Part gives some handy hints on how to make sure your practice routine doesn't stagnate and to help you add a little 'match pressure' to your sessions.
The most common complaint I hear regarding practice is that it is boring. More specifically, that people have a hard time maintaining interest over any length of time. A disinterested effort is probably of little or no value. Part of the job of practice is to maintain your interest level. A practice routine, as I outlined in installment three, is just that. It is a routine. While there are tremendous benefits from having and maintaining a routine, there is always the danger of complacency.
The solution is to have a reserve of practice games available. In most cases these are games that you would only play in practice, but some of them are enjoyable with friends at your local. In any case, your goal should be to create a challenge that you enjoy trying to meet.
The clock is a tool that you can use to create challenges for yourself. By no means should you rush or hurry your throw when using timing as a tool. The idea is to set a standard and then try and improve on it, based on performance, not speed. For example, you might see how long it takes you to hit fifty double sixteens. All this exercise requires is to count how many you hit as you go and time the session. It is much easier to time the effort rather than actually count how many darts you have to throw to get fifty doubles. You can also do it the other way around. Give yourself fifteen minutes to hit as many double sixteens as you can. Whatever target you select, and however you time it, always throw at your normal relaxed pace. Using the clock creates a form of pressure that simulates the stress of playing in a competitive situation. A sense of urgency is created and you learn to play with that sense of urgency hanging over you.
There are a number of games that I have come across that are similar in nature. The similarity is that you have a series of targets to hit from turn to turn, and you accumulate points. The catch is that if on any given turn you miss the designated shot or target, your score is halved or some similar penalty. The most common version of this game is called halve-it. This game is a quite popular group game in pubs, with each player maintaining their own score. Depending on where you play there are variations and innovations, but it is an excellent practice game no matter how you structure it. A typical example is as follows: first three darts at twenty and count the score of all darts in the twenty, next turn at nineteen, then at any treble, then eighteen, then seventeen, then any double, then sixteen, then fifteen, and finally twenty-five and bull. This game can be modified by making the targets more specific; for instance, double twenty rather than any twenty. Whatever targets you choose, keep the same set up for practice purposes. In this way you can keep track of your scores and your personal best. When you are looking for an extra bit of practice, taking a shot at your personal best is often a great way to end your session.
27 is the number of points you begin with. Your first three darts are for double one, and so on until twenty and then bull. For each hit you get the value of the double hit (three double fours would score 24). If you miss three darts at a double you lose the value of that double. If your score reaches zero you lose. A good score is 400, and a very good score is 600. Once again, keep a record of your scores and your personal best. Don't be afraid to create your own games. As long as you have some way of measuring your performance, you will be able to push yourself to improve.
Most important of all is to remember to have fun doing it.
The time we find it easiest to motivate ourselves to practice is when we have a major competition on the horizon. Of course, we all procrastinate with various aspects of our lives, as we find we have less and less time to do everything we want to do.
So you suddenly realize that the big tournament is next weekend, and perhaps you have not practiced as much as you should have. Panic sets in. Is it possible to whip yourself into top form in that short amount of time? Maybe not, but you can do things to give yourself the best chance possible for your competition.
If you have practiced on a regular basis your confidence will be sky high. You will be very comfortable with your mechanics and you'll have a good idea of the skill level that you are playing at. If you have not practiced as much as you would have liked to, you must not expect too much from your practice. There is a danger of psyching yourself out. Expect to be below par and use those few remaining practice sessions to work as hard as you can at bringing your game up to par. Do not be distraught if in that first practice session you cannot finish well, or your scoring is inconsistent.
Patience is your most valuable asset when time is short. Have belief in yourself and your past efforts. Know that if you can display poise in adversity and persistence in practice, that you can turn your game around.
Practice prior to a tournament is a time for concentration on the things you are doing well, not to dwell on negative thoughts. The structure of your practice routine should remain essentially the same for the few sessions before the big day. One change that can be quite helpful however, is to adapt the format of the upcoming competition for your own practice.
Still do the normal warm-up portion of your routine, but change the format at the heart of your routine, to reflect your upcoming event(as I discussed in the third article).
Keep the standard you are trying to play to very high (but still within reach). This will help make the real thing not seem so hard. While you should try your hardest to win in practice, it is winning the real thing that counts.
It is also a good idea to focus some extra time on finishing. Do some extra drills on your key doubles (whether you like them or not). I find it very helpful to work through the various finishes, so that they are all fresh in my mind when I come to play.
People tend to always want to practice "difficult" shots. In reality, it is the easy ones that you do not want to mess up. I start by finishing 2 left(in one turn), and then 3 left, and so on. It gives you a chance to think about shots we often overlook. For instance, with 17 left your first dart should be for 9. If you go for a 1, an 18 or 20 that will cause you to bust, whereas if you miss 9 on either side you are still alive. There are many shots like this, and regularly practicing so called "easy" shots will give a new awareness to the possibilities. I usually do every finish up to 100 and sometimes beyond. Once again, do not skip over the early numbers.
Prior to a tournament is also a good time to practice against a live opponent. This will give you a good feel for the pressures of competition (like the head games we can play with ourselves). Try to find someone who is a good match for your skill level. Playing against someone that rarely beats you will not test you against mental duress.
On the other hand, playing someone that you find very difficult to beat can destroy your confidence. It is also a good idea to play for something so as to get an honest effort out of both you and your opponent.
One last piece of advice. If you have practiced a lot before an upcoming event, take a day away from darts the day before the event. In this way your arm will be fresh and strong.
The final phase of practice comes on the day of, and directly before any real competition. Whether it is your weekly league match or the final of a world championship, you must prepare yourself both mentally and physically. It is always beneficial to be well rested. This has more significance if you have to play in the morning. An early start can be especially important if there will not be a lot of boards to practice on. If you leave your warm-up too late you run the risk of sharing a board with several other people.
It is quite difficult to loosen up when you are throwing every four or five turns. It is best to show up early enough to have a board to yourself for twenty or thirty minutes. If you do get a good early warm-up make sure you do not sit to long before your match. Try to get five minutes on the board every so often. Think of it like stirring a pot.
Sometimes it may be difficult to find an available board during the day. If this is the case you can still do arm stretches to keep your arm loose. Extend your arm down from the shoulder and rotate it both ways, stretching your muscles each way. Bending your wrist back and forward as you stretch your arm will help to get more stretch. Any time you feel tired or your arm tightening up, the stretching can be quite helpful. Maybe the most important ingredient for success is your frame of mind. You want to be focused and alert, yet calm. It is good to socialize because it will help you relax and settle in; but socializing should not occur to the neglect of physical warm-up. Often the best solution is to do both at once.
I find that cycling through the out shots is a great warm-up. One board with two or more players on it can challenge the adjacent board to a race from 81 to 120. this can be a fun distraction that actually helps you to prepare to focus on what might end up being your most crucial shots. In most match situations the players are entitled to at least six warm-up darts, but if you are on the ball you can usually get several more shots. Be as aware as possible about when and where you are going to play.
Don't leave using the toilet to the last minute, thus squandering your prep time. Getting to the board early gives you an opportunity to become accustomed to the throw.
Always do your best to identify any problems with the throw. Is the board too high or too low? Does the board need to be turned? Is the oche the right distance? Is the lighting acceptable? These questions should all be answered before the match starts. If there is a problem, fix it yourself, or alert the tournament staff. If the problem cannot be rectified ask to be moved to another board. The last thing anyone needs is to be distracted throughout a match by something that easily could have been resolved beforehand.
My last piece of advice is to ignore all the practice darts before the match. Ignore your darts. Ignore your opponent's darts. Good or bad, they are meaningless. What your opponent hits will often not reflect his match performance. Often I see an opponent hit a 180 warming up, who then struggles to score during the match. I've also seen it the other way around.
Do not let yourself fall prey to psychological game playing. Always focus on your next dart, not your last one.
All the tips I will give you have been tried and used in all levels of competition from local league right up to the World Championships by myself and have proved to be very successful. I was privy to an instructional lesson given by Eric Bristow to his former protege Scott Cummings a few years ago and I know that Phil Taylor is currently using this system and it has proved very successful to him!
Local leagues are an ideal place to try out these methods and adapt them to your style of play, your mind works differently when under pressure in a competitive environment.
This is essential to becoming a good dart player, the more engrossed you become in your rhythmical playing style the easier it is to go into auto pilot during games -- this is essential to combating nerves. My throwing style comprises of stopping my arm at 90 deg. (the checkpoint) and then drawing the arm back and then pushing through to release (note the term pushing is vital to good grouping).
To help with your timing and your rhythm you can count the stages of your action in your mind as you throw i.e. if it takes 1 second to bring your arm up to the checkpoint of your throw count 1, then as each part of the action is achieved give it number and you should be able to keep a tighter control of your rhythmic action -- this will then become second nature.
Try twisting the dart in your fingers up to the first checkpoint -- this should give you a consistent grip from which to build on.
Make sure you have a solid stance that does not move when you throw -- the most consistent and successful players in darts e.g. Taylor, Lowe, Priestly all have solid stances. Where you stand on the oche is critical to how your darts enter the board --
By standing in the middle of the oche your darts should enter the board in this circled region when throwing for the treble 20 (I try to land the dart in this area of the treble as it gives me more opportunity to build across the treble bed). The further to the right of the oche you move, then the darts will land more to the left hand side of the treble and vice versa (this dispels the myth that moving left causes your darts to go left).
You must think of your arm as gyroscope (left goes right and right goes left) bear this in mind when your view is blocked by another dart (when I played in the Worlds it was noted that I could land the dart in a packed bed where most others would have try the cover shot).
Use the wires as your initial aiming points -
When you aim at the treble 20 you should start off by aiming at the top wire then when you bring your arm back your sight should automatically switch to the treble 20 bed, this method enables your throwing action to fooled into going for a smaller target, this also helps to combat nerves because a dart below your initial target of the wire will be deemed a success.
This is indicated in picture 1, pictures 2 and 3 show aiming points of the bottom wire and an imaginary line above the treble -- use these areas to determine which point of aim is the best for your first dart -- this method works on all areas of the board.
When your first dart has entered the board you then use that dart as a sighting gauge for your following darts.
If the dart has landed in the T20 then aim for the flight (more specifically the cross made by the top of the flight fins).
When you do your checkpoint, and as you draw your arm back your eyes will automatically shift to the point of the dart in the board, this will improve your grouping dramatically and will stop nervousness about hitting 100’s, 140’s, etc.
If your dart has gone above the treble 20 then aim slightly above the flight and follow the action as before.
If the dart has fallen short of the target aim for the top of the stem and follow action as before.
The point of aim needs to be tested by you to determine what you are happiest with. One constant that should remain throughout is your rhythm.
Make sure that your throw is as simple as possible with a light grip (over-gripping causes pulling and snatching of the darts) and virtually no effort should be expended when you throw a dart, let the natural movement of your muscles do the work -- if you need to alter any part of your throw bear this in mind -- always try new things in competitive play as I said earlier this will engrain with pressure play.
In solo practice play games of 5001 to get used to scoring big. Doubles practice is achieved by a game taught to me by “One Dart” Monkey, who is a family friend, go around the doubles in numerical order throwing only one dart at each segment -- for example - if you hit double 1, miss double 2 and hit double 3, then your next visit to the board you will go for double 2, double 4 and double five and so on until you have hit every double -- try going backwards from the bull to double 1 as well.
Try and mark a few games to improve your counting -- it is one of my strong points and enables me to maintain a good rhythmic action without stopping to see what’s left.
If you can also try and find a reliable practice partner, set yourself targets of 15-18 darts for a game of 501 and then as you become better try and peg out in 12-15 and then 9-12 darts respectively, playing to low numbered legs on a regular basis will bring your game on tremendously. Never dwell on previous bad darts and try and build on good starts and big scores -- this system should give you a good foundation for a consistent game.
If you have any further queries please contact me -- if you find this information useful please inform the other forum users -- I’m always on the lookout for the next Taylor!
Play 6-7 practice games (from SEWA Darts each and every week and add up your weekly totals from each one and compare against yourself with charts and graphs, but the key part is to compare your stats in each game to set number from a known skill level player.
Maybe you think your scoring needs improving, but really it's your setup shots, or your doubles (I think we ALL need to get better there!!), but if you focus on the areas where you are furthest away from the better player, then that brings you closer in skill level overall. Not saying to focus only on one thing, but less emphasis and more emphasis on certain parts.
Now, you're not to do these sorts of things while you're playing, but during practice and just track things and then do the analysis afterwards.
There are all sorts of drills you can do away from the tracking games that can help improve the specific items you're trying to work on: Grouping, Dart Math, Singles Accuracy, consistent release, Focus, etc. Then you apply those with the practice games. Then when you're playing in an actual match, the skills you've been practicing should manifest themselves.
Some people need more some need less. I have found that if I warm up decently, my self criticism tends to be less when playing. Try this as a warmup:
Play these games at least once a week and track the stats/progress.
Now, just playing these games will improve your game as each one focuses on a various aspect of the game: scoring, doubles, setups, moving around the board, outs, etc. NOTE: I cannot take credit for these games, these come from the forums at www.sewa-darts.com
Did you notice that playing legs of 501 wasn't in there?? That's applied practice, just like playing a casual round in golf, but that's not range time practice working on specifics.
Here are some targets for a semi-decent player and for a World Class player you can use to determine where abouts you are.
| Game | Division 1 player | World Class player |
| Bob's 27 | 481 | 874 |
| 100 at 20's | 143 | 201 |
| 50 at Bulls | 45 | 65 |
| RTW | 86 | 129 |
| CCU | 37 | 46 |
| BlackHorse RTW | 40 | 60 |
| Catch 40 | 38 | 72 |
A different way of looking at the dartboard can also help when calculating outs.
For advanced players, give this one a try.
These mechanic are the basics and not negotiable. This is definitely a “form over function” approach but good luck in finding a professional player who does not use these principles.
After the image above the author continues with DOs and DON'Ts which you should read, try to understand, try to use but don't treat them as a holy bible.
I share most of them but not all completely.
I firmly believe that some things behind the mechanical basics are not universal but personal.
Here are my further thought and tips:
Wrist snap The wrist snap is another acceleration. I don't believe that you can throw completely without using your wrist, you will do it only unconscious. Clutch your wrist with the other hand and make a throwing motion; the wrist moves the hand forward. The last impulse you give the dart will come from your fingers powered by the wrist and this will determine if you hit the treble. The more you use your wrist consciously the more you will notice the importance of this movement and the more control you will gain.
Follow-through Since you have two acceleration movements you also have two follow-throughs. My definition of a follow-through is simple: To let the limbs continue the started movement. The forearm does not stop before it points to the target and the hand does not stop before it points to the target. If you have or want to have a strong wrist snap then continue the hand movement until the fingers point downwards.
Pullback Since you have two acceleration movements you can also have two pullbacks, forearm and wrist. If you do both it will be a steeper learning curve to hit reliable the target, the complexity of the complete movement increases. Just be aware of it and never ever mix a acceleration with a pullback, e.g. the forearm moves forward but the wrist still pulls back.
Focus Concentrate/focus the hardest when you accelerate the dart. This is especially important if you aim before throwing. I see so much players concentrate like hell before the throw and then lose the focus in just the moment the dart begins its way to the board. Never ever lower your concentration on the target before you have finished the throw. And with 'finished' it should be obvious that I mean the follow-through. The worst case can be often seen with the third dart if someone starts to move to the board before he even finished his pullback.
Mirror Training Stand in front of a big mirror and do your throwing movement for a few minutes. Switch between front- and sideways. That's it. I bet you'll discover a few oddities. Something like a strange arm movement. Correct the flaws until it looks better and cleaner and then continue to train normally. I do it once a week and it really helps me a lot.
Quick release When you release the dart, do it fast, very fast, like a snap of the fingers just in another direction and open your fingers wide. I often had the problem that a dart suddenly tumbled through the air. It was because a finger touched the dart by/after the release and gave it a wrong impulse. If you have a finger under the dart to stabilize it, it gets more complicated. This finger will kick the dart in the wrong direction when you open your hand. So don't move this finger at all or much later.
Elbow pain A bad thing can happen if you start to practice seriously: Pain in the elbow. For me that elbow pain came from the elbow joint popping through, the arm is overextended and the joint moves in the "wrong" direction. BTW: MvG must have joints made of rubber since he does this so extremely. My solution was to to tense the forearm muscles just before the arm is hyperextended. Tightened forearm muscles stabilize the elbow joint and prevent snapping.
If you have this problem try to make the follow through really strong. Don't let the wrist drop down limply, but "slap" the fingers downward with vigor and hold them down. This will tighten the forearm muscles enough to prevent an over-extension.
**Dynamic 3 Finger Darts Grip View**
**Dynamic 3 Finger Variance Darts Grip View**
**Dynamic 4 Finger Darts Grip View**
**Dynamic 4 Finger Variance 1 Darts Grip View**
**Dynamic 4 Finger Variance 2 Darts Grip View**
