Before the Throw

Before the Throw

Ok, so here we are. We covered a few of my practice routines in the last issue, so what about prepping before playing? I've had a few questions about the right stance and Clothes to wear for playing darts. I was able to gather some thoughts on these topics from a few top players and hopefully this will help everyone out. Before I get into the actual stance, you should where the proper apparel for all day play.

1. Dress:  I think this is one of the most overlooked aspects to prepping for play. I don't mean you have to look all spiffed up, but wearing comfortable clothing for all day performance is crucial. The two biggest clothing items I think are the Shirt and Shoes. There are only a few; I probably could count them on one hand of players who wear long sleeve shirts during play.  I would suggest a short sleeved breathable fabric, light in weight and loose fitting.  Heavier weight cottons are hot and doesn't wick away perspiration as well as some of the better Dri-wick style shirts out on the market today. Nothing is more bothersome than wearing a shirt that pulls and tugs on your arm and feels like an oven when you wear it.  The second part and I believe to be one of the most critical components of your attire, is your shoe selection. Your shoes should be able to give you all day comfort and support. Those thick cushiony runner soles are comfy, but tend to be a bit soft for a nice solid stance. I've  recommended and many of my friends wear the Rockport brand shoe. There are many styles to fit anyones preference, but more importantly this brand is specifically designed for all day wear and support. They have moderate soles, not to thick and still give a nice firm feel on the foot with just the right amount of cushion. Being a person who's had knee surgery;  these shoes seem to do the best for me in helping keep the fatigue down to a minimum.

2. Stance at the Oche:  One of the most asked questions I get is,  How should I stand at the toe line?The easiest way to see how the top pro's stand is to watch a lot of the televised darting events. I think you will see that the majority of the players all have a very similar stance, with minor variations.   First you must have a nice solid stable platform.  Your weight should be slightly more on you front leg than the rear about 60/40 distribution.  Your front foot should be slight canted at a 45 degree angle or even the outside of your foot flush up against the Oche.  Your hand, arm, shoulder, waist and legs should be Plum or in a straight line to the board. This allows you to throw the dart naturally in a straight line and not fight against your bodys natural movement.  Finally try to have a smooth release with as little or no movement in your throw, other than your arm. The less movement from your body helps increase the accuracy of your throw.I like to use other sports in helping beginning players with their aim and stroke. The most common sport I use is baseball. I tell players to view the board as a catcher's mitt and they are the pitcher. A pitcher on the mound doesn' t just throw the ball blindly to the catcher, but aims for the mitt like a target. The pitcher focus's on the mitt, throws looking at the mitt and follows through.  With darts, the principal is the same. To help tighten your dart grouping, you should be able to focus on a particular spot or segment on the board and aim for that spot. Focus on the target, keeping your eyes focused on it at all times, throw your dart and follow through with your arm and finishing with your hand.   When you analyze your release, it should be as if you were pointing your fingers to where you want your dart to go with a smooth follow through.   If you look at a lot of dart videos, concentrate on the players hand at the end of the throw. You will see that the arm, hand and fingers all extend in a straight line to the board.I hope you enjoy this months Helpful Tip's�. Next month I will be focusing on dart setup, answering a question I received on What type of flight should I use?� In the next few issues, I will be trying to cover off on Fatigue, Focusing on a target and tightening up your shot group and why a lot of players find themselves loosing after not being able to Close Out a game.

Until the next article, enjoy the game - Cheers! Best Wishes and Good Darting to All!

- ROBERT HECKMAN