Coaching Clinic 74

Posted: 22.11.18 in Coaching Clinic Blog category

Dart players and their darts ...

Dart players and their darts! We have learned a lot about this from running our High Street darts shop and of course from the players we sponsor and create signature darts for.

I think it is probably fair to say that players have a love/hate relationship with their darts. For some players if they have a bad day it is the darts that cop the blame. It is easy to dismiss this as absurd. “The darts only go where you throw them mate!” but is it totally correct to let the darts off scot free and the player to take 100% of the blame for an appalling performance? We will come back to that.

What other “myths” are there? Apparently, a decent player can throw anything. Peter Wright has endeavoured to prove this but it did not always go well. But to an extent a good player can pick up any set and still find themselves around the 20 bed. But, long term, will they be as effective as a custom-made set or a generic set that feels just right? Probably not.

We also have the players in who laugh in the face of the “meddlers”. They have had their ancient tungsten weapons for 25 years and have never changed them! Well good for them! My first thought about this from a sports science viewpoint is how can you improve if you don’t experiment and change anything? And more fundamentally, these old favourites are a shadow of their former selves, the grip is worn down and the points are invariably blunt. So not really the way forward either.

What else? Well we get the players who believe that the more expensive the darts surely the better they are? Is this right? You get what you pay for in general for lots of items. However, the heavily milled darts that a few of the big brands are bringing out are magnificent tungsten specimens that can seduce players.

I can completely understand that but the point is are they really better darts? By that I mean are they better for you. You as an individual. Just because they are pricey is the length of the barrel right for you, is the finger grip right for you are they balanced right for you?

So going back to my original question about the player we all know who blames the kit, maybe we can have a bit of sympathy for them. When you take in just the few factors I have mentioned that can make a set of darts right for you (I could have gone on, and on if space permitted) then maybe the darts do need to shoulder some of the blame and a new set is needed.

I would urge you though to make a check list of what you need from your new set of darts. We have mentioned some important factors already. If you are losing your finger placement then maybe darts with a scallop could feature?

So, start fantasising about your perfect set up andwe can also point you in the direction of making your dream darts a reality. Our sister company – Performance Darts – have launched a competition for one player to have their dream design made into a set of real-life shiny tungsten darts.

Check out the performancedarts.com website for all the details and if you win and then go up to the oche with your dream set of darts, what can possibly go wrong!

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The Darts Performance Centre is a resource to assist dart players of all standards play better darts. The site is arranged as an online coaching manual.

There is advice on technique, nerves, psychology, goal setting, practice games, an area to log your statistics and an interactive area where your darting questions are answered by two sports scientists, one with 30 years dart playing experience.

You also get an invite to our free but exclusive members only events and access to our members only darts coaching app! Membership is £25 per year!