The Practice Blog

Posted: 29.05.11 in Darts Performance Centre Blog category

Lee continues to make progress in his bid to play better darts. Catch up with his darting week now and did he get his first competitive win?

Week four targets

• Solo  speed >65 average
• 501     >60 3 dart average or  <24 darts to finish a leg
• 100 dart @ = >50 per cent hit rate on all targets
• RTW singles <30 darts 1-20
• RTW Doubles >20% checkout rate

Welcome to week four of my training:

Pub Match

I warmed up well at home and in the and I was again fifth in the running so got to watch a few games and take note mentally on my counting which still needs work.  My match started ok in the sense that I was scoring well but the doubles again stopped me winning the first leg. 

The second leg was a high point of the week in my little darting journey. I took out steady 60, 100 and a 140 and finished the game with my opponent still on 250 plus.  I was on for my first win with the last leg, the decider. Both me and my opponent scored well, I got to my out-shot first. I was left with 85. I can’t remember what he had but I knew I could do this. I think the standard way of doing it was T15 D20. For some reason I decided a three darter was the best option, I thought right, outer bull ,20 and tops and without hesitation I hit 1^st dart 25, then 2^nd dart fat 20 and then the final dart………………….

Nope not this time, it hit literally below the wire of the tops so that left me 20.  Unfortunately, my opponent then took this opportunity to finish and ruin my win. Ah well. I enjoyed it and although felt slightly robbed, the opponent did well and I did have my chance to finish it so fair one.

I felt good after the match and thought about all the good darts I threw and what I need to do from here to carry on improving.  I have no doubt that even four weeks in my game has come on leaps and bounds and this new team environment has opened up a new competitive (even though they say they are not competitive, they definitely are) experience for me to use with my training. Wish I had started years ago.  I wore the Darts Performance Centre shirt, I had a few comments: “why are you wearing a shirt”, but managed to tell them about it and one or two eyebrows raised so I’ll keep plugging at them and maybe get them signed up too 

DPC – Outshots and counting is a key skill in mastering darts, we blogged about it recently when discussing Dean Winstanley. There are various charts available projecting the correct route but we are not sure there should be the same route for all players. Players have trebles and doubles they hit more frequently or favour and of course the frequency of hitting the trebles to get you in the position to hit the double is a vital element to take into consideration. The game situation of your opponent could come into the equation too. Another area sometimes forgotten is not to miss the fat number. We have a drill for Darts Performance Centre members to ensure they practice the “easy” shot and not take it for granted. We need to do more work in this area!

Training Session

Missed yesterday’s training session, think I may have to take out a few days of my planned sessions as I seem to not have time to complete the full weeks’ worth.  I’ll try hard to and if I do get a free day i’ll add it as a bonus.

Today’s training again went ok. I hit a nice 73.09 average on solo speed, and in one leg of 501 I hit a 19 dart leg at 79.11 3 dart average (26.37 1 dart). Not bad there!

End of Week 4

This week has been a busy one so I only managed the three training sessions.

Results for week 4

·         Solo Speed = 68.24 (which is up on my 65 target)

·         501 = 68.81 3 dart average (bang on target of 60 3 dart average)

·         100 darts @ (all targets average) = 52 which is up 2 % on my target but still I want to be more consistent

·         RTW Singles = 33.3 average

·         RTW Doubles = 18.3 my target was 20% so I need to work a lot harder still on my doubles.

Next week is the last week that I will use the current format for my sessions and I will start a revised plan for the next four weeks of training.

I am off on a walking holiday too so I’m looking at how I can take a board with me. Maybe the “On tour door hanger” or the darts angel.. Even though it is a holiday I want to keep my training up because I’m getting more and more into it and I’m actually seeing results and good ones.

I’ve come on a long way using the routines and advice given so far by the Darts Performance Centre and don’t want to stop. My end goal is to push myself to see what I can actually accomplish. I’m not talking about world domination, but let’s be honest; if I get to that point then great. In reality I just want to do well and my immediate goal is to hold my own in the league games I play and look forward to my first Open Tournament in Mid-June

You can link your webstie to The Darts Performance Centre here