Aiming theory

I am now faced with the prospect of some time off from darts and this could not have come at a better time because I suffered total collapse of my game the other day. I could not hit the proverbial cow's backside with a banjo and my head has been in a complete spin as to how to combat this. What started out as a slight question in my mind about the best oche position (central or sided) has quickly escalated into the belief that I need to systematically get to grips with all the tiny elements of the throw I have so far neglected. Namely:

• Eye dominance-do I need to line up the dart and target more with my eye, or at least a point on my hand for reference
• Aiming- do I need to align and focus the dart (shooting theory) or the target as I have been trying to do. My natural inclination is to focus a part of the hand initially then the target on release but I have also experimented with focussing the target only but is this correct?-I need to find out or at least settle on a method
• Breathing-do I need to consider a breathing rhythm a la Phil Taylor to exhale and then throw for maximum stillness?
• Oche stance-do I need to experiment further with extreme oche positions or invest in a proper sight-right?
• Grip-I have always taken John Part's advice ('Part's darts' which I cannot find the link for) that the grip will evolve naturally if you take care of the other aspects of the throw but I could try a change to a more precise pencil grip and see if one or two fingers on barrel is best
• Rhythm-I suffer from overthinking the third dart so much that I need to devise a steady rhythm that works for me
• Wrist cocking-to what extent do I need to angle my wrist back?

As you can see I have gone completely mad: I actually like my stance, follow through and the overall progress in the smoothness of my throw and it is only one bad match has sent me into a spin. I may have just over-leaned for one session ( I do this when trying too hard) and thrown wobbly darts accordingly and so may not need to analyse everything and change my throw!

Looking at the list I have just concocted the most fundamental issues would seem to be aiming and grip. I could spend a session messing with grip and see if I am able to throw with alternative grips but I expect that forgetting about grip will end up being the best option. Aiming I have to admit is a key issue that I have been deferring sorting out and need to tie in with oche position as one affects your perception of the other. I could spend a couple of sessions throwing say, 100 darts from extreme left and right positions and the record the results. I should note not just targets achieved but also the angle the darts go into the board, since this will reveal which is the most consistent throw. I have done this sort of thing before but only with moderate shifts in oche position so more extreme shifts could well strengthen or counter my existing theories on the matter. I will also read up on how to exploit eye dominance because a lot of darting theorists are so sure that you must draw the dart back in front of your dominant eye but Tony O'shea for example has thrown a 9 dart finish drawing to his shoulder. Raymond Van Barneveld is another example that counters this theory because Barney draws to the side of his face and I am pretty sure feels the weight of the dart as his aiming mechanism instead of lining everything up like many armchair experts recommend. I think the best aiming method for me will turn out to be the one that gives my right (dominant) eye the best view of the board and allows my thumb to pull back towards my shoulder blade and then follow through with my arm in a straight plane: whether or not I can get the thumb or the dart in alignment with my dominant eye remains to be seen.

Everything Changes

I was chatting darts with a friend recently and we were having a good laugh about how everything changes with the third dart if the first two land plumb in the treble 20 bed. What started out as smooth rhythmic throw suddenly turns into a jerky fear-filled drawback perhaps catching on the collar of a shirt, with sensitive fingertips no longer sure where they should be on the barrel. Dealing with this maddening feeling of heightened consciousness is one of the great challenges for dart players but perversely this gets a lots worse for students of the game who wish to improve their technique as compared to casual throwers.

When everything changes in your dart throw it is tempting to believe that you have not eliminated enough variables in practice and that tinkering with your throw will fix things in time. I am not entirely sure this is a rational response to the problem, and neither is trying to forget about everything and attempting throwing with mindless freedom. In reality I think the solution lies somewhere in between these two extremes with a slow and systematic building of the throw as well as work on mental health basics such as relaxation and balance of rest and activity in life. You may end up changing your throw one day because you threw badly for example, but this was in fact due to tiredness.

In practice sessions it is useful to methodically and carefully try variations on the throw but only over time and systematically prioritising the aspects which stand to have the most impact on how the darts fly. I have already been doing this in my year of determined darting and if you have read my previous posts you will know I have concentrated on the effect of stance on head/body movement and have been aiming for consistency of follow through. To a lesser extent I have also worked on a method for always aiming the same way and always drawing back to the same point on my body.

Recent filming has revealed I have an intermittent head-bob a little like Robert Thornton's nod he does, only I seem to time mine with the drawback on occasion so I need to eliminate this. I am also sagging the throwing elbow slightly on drawback which can be reduced by limiting how far back I pull the dart and by avoiding pausing on drawback. Elbow sag often leads to an incomplete follow through and wild darts especially on the third dart because of extra tension in the arm. In terms of life/darts balance and mental health things are on the up for me as I have been learning to relax more effectively in my spare time- a factor which has helped me secure convincing wins against old foes who I often get too nervous to play well against. Everything is changing for me at the moment in that I am moving house, so an important settler for me in the new home will be a new permanent oche which I am looking forward to setting up together with a new board and cabinet of course;)

Latest follow through stats are:
20s: 92,95,100,92,100,86,95,95,92,. mean 94.1%FTS which is a PB
bull:90,85,100,86,95,90, mean 91% FTS which is a fairly new stat and a PB also

Reasons to be cheerful

I have had a turbulent life of late, which I touched on in my last post. In the ongoing build up to moving house I have been spending chunks of free time on domestic issues and less and less time honing my darting skills.  I have not stopped throwing and undone the good work I put in during the first half of this year, it is just that other priorities have pushed away regular stat. keeping and blogging about my progress. In two recent matches I have shown signs of becoming a winning dart player and the big change in me has been an increased sense of calm and even a little a ruthlessness in completing legs of darts. It is almost as if my stress and mental energy has been so taken up with other issues that I have been able to throw darts for fun in a way, but also more accurately thanks to my regular practice up to this point.

So reasons to be cheerful about my darts of late are as follows:

I finished 88 and 90 in three darts in a recent match against a friend

In a match today I finished 25 in 2 darts (17 d4) the same way in two consecutive legs without even a glimmer of mental negativity about attempting the same finish twice in succession

I shot 12/20 doubles in a recent doubles practice game which is super good for me and a new PB

I am starting to follow the dart more and group three darts when shooting for the same spot

My laptop is able to record videos again and my follow through is not looking too bad-I am beginning to track stats again but have not accrued enough worth citing yet

When my opponents score big I often manage to find another gear and score well myself

I have hit 5 x180s so far this year and counting...
The other day I finished in under 30 darts twice and was down to a double comfortably under 30 darts in another

Whilst in the pub the other day I noticed from the published league statistics that the local darts team averages ran from 55 to 65 and above for three dart averages. I originally speculated that a 51 average would be enough to win most pub games of darts when I began my blog. A 51 average equates to a 30 dart leg which I can achieve when I am on form but not when I am missing doubles. When this year of determined dartedness is complete, even if I regularly throw under 30 darts, it looks like I will still have a way to go before I can challenge for a place in a pub team.