[Griffo]

As I was watching the Ladbrokes UK Open Darts Championships tonight it occurred to me dart players are a great demonstration of instinctive shooting. It's all there if you watch; total focus on the target with a repeated and consistent anchor point and release.

It's interesting to see the how the anchor points vary from player to player. Sometimes the dart flight gently nudges the cheek, sometimes briefly below the eye or brushing the nose. But always it's consistent. As is the extension of the throwing arm and the release of the dart.

There are things that can be learned here. Most especially - put the practice in.

Oh well, back to the darts, maybe a beer or three.

 

[flipgun]

I was in a couple of leagues (Bar) and my point and release was pretty much from the center of my right eye. I was the guy with the dart holder that unrolled across the table with multiple sets. Yeah. Just like slingshots.

 

[devils son in law]

I've got a few nice sets of darts and while I don't throw like I used to, I still enjoy playing a few round of 1-20 about every other day.

 

[vince4242]

This brings back memories, lived in England for 4 years of my dad was in the US Air Force. In that time I always had a set of heavy weighted darts in my back pocket. Everyone had a dart board at their house and we played darts on a daily basis. Definitely the instinctual thing was important and overtime you could really get good at if you practice.

I remember watching Dart competitions on TV in England in the 80's. It was usually these very heavy set men smoking cigarettes and drinking beer continuously as they hit Triple 20 over and over again always amaze me.

Don't know what happened to those darts when I was a teenager but wish I could have them now cuz they were part of my everyday carry that I used nearly every day.

Cheers

 

[Griffo]

This brings back memories, lived in England for 4 years of my dad was in the US Air Force. In that time I always had a set of heavy weighted darts in my back pocket. Everyone had a dart board at their house and we played darts on a daily basis. Definitely the instinctual thing was important and overtime you could really get good at if you practice.

I remember watching Dart competitions on TV in England in the 80's. It was usually these very heavy set men smoking cigarettes and drinking beer continuously as they hit Triple 20 over and over again always amaze me.

Don't know what happened to those darts when I was a teenager but wish I could have them now cuz they were part of my everyday carry that I used nearly every day.

Cheers

Finely tuned athletes, one and all!

Probably the only sport where the competitors got progressively more pissed as the game went on. Back in the 80s at least.

You're right about the popularity of darts in the 1980s. Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson and John Lowe were all (oversized) superstars of their day. Every kid I knew growing up then had a dartboard and it was my first 'shooting' discipline, even if I didn't realise at the time.

Outside of the British Isles and Holland I don't think darts ever reached the same level of popularity.

 

[cpu_melt_down]

When I read the title, I thought you were going to shoot them with a Slingshot.

Reminds me of the time Joerg did shoot them with a slingshot.

 

[TimR]

A dart follows a pretty curved trajectory, and that brings up a slingshot anchor question. I'll start another thread.