Coaching Clinic 8

Posted: 16.02.12 in Coaching Clinic Blog category

After a month off our darts coaching clinic blog returns! We take a look at setting goals and our latest bit of kit to analyse your throw!

We had a break in January but no doubt a number of you set some Lakeside inspired darts related resolutions in the New Year. The start of a new year is a traditional time to reflect on the previous 12 months and set some goals for the next 12. Mind you February is just as good too (and March, April...)!

Goal Setting

It is easy to under estimate the importance of setting a goal. It is also easy to abandon your good intentions, as some of you may have already found out. The key is to ensure that your goals are well thought out, realistic and you have a strategy to make them happen.

What should my goals be?

We encourage our members at the Darts Performance Centre to not just consider exactly what area they want to improve but to mark themselves out of 10 on their current ability at it. This could be considering working on their power scoring, doubles, managing their nerves or making sure they hit the practice board 3 times a week. By marking a whole host of different performance areas it makes it a more simple process to select the areas that need the most work.

In other words don't practise what you can already do well, focus in on the areas that are causing you the most concerns. We know how precious practice time is, don't waste it!

The Strategy

So how are you going to hit your target? Well first of all you need to set aside the practice time to work on the areas you want to improve on. Try to set out a timetable of when you can juggle your time to fit in your practice. Without a strategy or plan to kick off with then it will be much more difficult to stick with whatever it is you are trying to achieve.

If doubles are one of the areas you want to focus on for example, you could also try to learn a relaxation technique as part of your strategy. Upping the time you focus on this area and seeking out some different practice games or working with a practice partner will all help in optimising your technique.

Time Scale

It also helps to have a start and end date to your goal setting. This ensures you stay focused on where you want to be and when! Also remember your targets are not set in stone. If they are proving too easy or too hard, adjust them. You will be more motivated to head for a goal that is challenging but realistic!

Darts and Golf

We have been inspired a lot by golf in the creation of our formula for playing better darts at The Darts Performance Centre. The psychology of golf works in darts, the pre-shot routine in golf works in darts and the video analysis in golf will soon be working in darts too.

We have teamed up with a company called Quintic who have been analysing various different sports for 14 years. 

Golf is one of the sports where their expertise has been most used. We visited their offices recently and their client gallery is like a who’s who of golfing super stars, there are framed photos of some of the greatest golf players in the World, including Open Champion Padraig Harrington, who have benefiited from video analysis.

Padraig Harrington - You've been framed!

Of course it wasn't always the case that golfers recognised the benefits of video analysis, it took to to become established and now it is the norm for pro's throught to"for fun" players to seek this type of assistance.

Our client gallery looks somewhat bare at the moment as dart players consider the benefits this may have for them. However, after trying out this new software we have also put in an order for some photo frames! 

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The Darts Performance Centre is a resource to assist dart players of all standards play better darts. We are also committed to researching all aspects of darts to provide players with information and solutions that most other sports take for granted. Please support us by joining today.Membership is £25.00 per annum. 

We also offer group coaching days  and we will shortly be arriving at a darts centre near you for one on one video analysis sessions - please register for free to join our mailing list to find out when and where we will be.