From: switzer@zeta.uleth.ca (Dean Switzer)
Subject: Re: How to improve?
Organization: University of Lethbridge
Date: 13 Dec 92 23:37:02 GMT

rjl@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Lang) writes:

>Any general advice on how I can improve my game? I seem to have reached a sort
>of plateau and simply throwing hour after hour isn't helping much. Should I,
>for instance, experiment with a different throwing motion, different grip or
>different stance? Should I keep track of my accuracy--i.e., how often do I
>miss; and do I miss more often to the left, right, etc.?

I have looked around for some info on how to improve my game too. What
I've learned amounts to:

Board and Hockey:

Although there are a few different opinions on how high the board should
be mounted and how far the hockey (throwing line) should be placed from
the board, I've found practicing with the international standard of a
5'8" high board, with the hockey being 7'9.25" away, gives the best
practice results. Practicing lower/shorter setups seems to make me
have to re-adjust my style when I start throwing at regulation mounted
boards, and distracts me from the game.

The Toss:

Everyone has thier own combination of stance and toss styles. The only
advice I can offer towards improving these is, find the most comfortable
and rock steady stance you can. This will keep the fatigue to a minimum
during long rounds of sets and give the most steady (unchanging)
platform to shoot from.

This is disputable but if you are a typical over hand tosser, work at
keeping your throwing are parallel to the ground and try to make your
toss with the fore arm only, this minimizes the movement in the rest of
your body and should help with consistencey.

Practice:

The best practice is done daily, if you have a board at home try and
shoot at least 6 games a night. Having a few days between games seems to
break me of the good habits I try and condition to.

I start out by shooting around the clock and back till I'm sick of it
and then stick a tac in the board in spots I'm weak at (t20,d20,etc..)
and just shoot at the tac until you start hitting it more than not or
get suicidal.

One trick I picked up from a local dart meister is a gem.

Don't aim at your target. Imagine (say for a t20) that the target is a
hole in the board like a window or something. Aim as though you want to
throw the dart through that hole. This can be hard to concentrate on
after beer n+1 but it has helped me.

Have a quick look at the dart in yuor hand while lining up you shot. You
should be holding it in an easy yet firm grip. Some friends like to sort
of line up the dart to their target down the dart shaft, that seems to
work for them. It also help to look at the dart that you are about to
throw to make sure the flight isn't about to fall off.

Lastly, once you are comfortable with everything else, look right at
your target, focus on it and don't take you eyes off it till after the
dart has landed. Again this can be tough after beer n+1 but probably was
one of the biggest improvements to my throwing consistencey.

That is about it for my bag of tricks. I'd appreciate any comments or
additions. Mabye we should start a FAQ for this group?

Deano
--
Deano
* the guy with no sig *
Vc: (403) 329-3726
Internet: switzer@honte.uleth.ca
Newsgroups: alt.sport.darts