Some Like it Hot (But Warm is Good Too)

Posted: 28.06.11 in Darts Performance Centre Blog category

One player we met at Selsey had to withdraw from the competition because of a strained muscle. Warm ups for darts is this weeks topic!

It was sweltering in the main darts hall at Selsey at the weekend. However, this does not necessarily mean you are warmed up.

The "hot house" in Selsey

I bumped into my pal from the Isle of Wight Darren Hawken at the EDO event at the weekend. You may remember Darren qualified for the UK Open and he wrote some blogs for us about it.

Darren hadn’t played for a few weeks due to other commitments and was looking forward to hurling some darts again. Darren’s weekend was cut short though as he pulled a muscle during his “warm up” which counted him out of the event altogether. Darren's warm up seems to be used by most dart players and involves throwing darts but no stretching exercises. 

If you mention a warm up in darts to some people it is treated with great hilarity! But why? Darts Performance Centre bio-mechanist Andy Humphrey will reel off the names of the muscles involved when you throw a dart and has also written an article about them on The Darts Performance Centre  website. They include muscles located in the:

Shoulder

Forearm

and the Upper Arm

If you injure a muscle in any of these areas it is no laughing matter. Which is why it is vital all the muscles involved in your throwing action are systematically and thoroughly warmed up before you start throwing darts.

Also on our website is a series of exercises designed specifically for the dart players. Here is one to try out: 

Instructions

Anterior shoulder stretch

a. Stand up with back straight

b. Clasp the hands together behind the back

c. Lift hands slowly away from the back upward keeping the arms straight

d. Hold stretch for between 10 and 30 seconds

Darren's weekend wasn't wasted mind, he spent it getting in the way of the scoreboard as I was trying to publish the scores on DartsbeersandBDOCheers and to the @dartscentre twitter followers. Get well soon Darren, please!

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