Coaching Clinic 68

Posted: 25.08.17 in Coaching Clinic Blog category

Summer Loving The Darts! We look at what you can do during the "quiet" part of the season!

It’s August. That time of year when the Darts World should slow down! Should is the key word; the PDC have one Players' Championship event  then just their exhibitions in far flung places which only involve the very top players of their ranking events! The BDO steamroll on relentlessly with a tournament pretty much every weekend in August!

But for the average “grass roots” players it is a time of reflection or more likely the darts go away for a month or so before the winter season kicks off.  But in reality this is the time to start making a bid to improve on last season with some needed technique tweaks and practice!

In a perfect world anyone trying to change their technique should not carry on playing competitive darts. Changes in technique need time to bed in – remoulding your muscle memory if you like. The problem with trying to alter something whilst continuing to compete is that you will slip back into your old ways in the heat of battle!

So take a good honest look at how you throw – either with a trusted darts colleague or even better video yourself and pick an area you want to put right for next season. Movement on the oche – sideways, forward or up! Not aiming the dart with your eye. Walking on the 3^rd dart or not having a nice full follow through are all areas that are fairly easy to rectify especially if you focus on them away from the pressure of a match situation.

Practise your change regularly over a few weeks and when you can look at your latest video and believe the change has happened then test it under match conditions.

Now we don’t want you falling out with your team mates but the summer league games or even tournaments are a great way to practise skills in a match environment. So set out with a target or targets in mind.

For example every throw go two darts at the twenty and every third dart come down for the 19’s. If you can get someone to keep track of your hit rate you will then have a realistic assessment of your cover shot. In your next match go for the 18’s or whatever your other favourite cover shot is.

Doubles – vow to go for the doubles you don’t normally go for – if you’re a 16 – 8 – 4 player then get yourself on tops – 10 -5. We all go awry from time to time manoeuvring for a finish so why not practise that scenario.

One big thing for us is to see players standing centrally on the oche, if you’re a left or right winger for the summer let’s see you move to a more central location and give it a try. Don’t give up after the first game or two, stick with it and see how you get on once you get used to your new view of the board.

Finally this is the time to make your kit changes. If you fancy a brand new set of say Performance Darts (and who could blame you) get them now and start practising with them. The same for your flights and stems, this is the time to try out some different combos.

So forget the beach this summer and get on the oche instead!

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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!