It looks easy enough to do. You stand a few paces away. You consider the target. You pick up your Dart. You make your aim with the serious concentration of a sharpshooter. You let go then the dart flies through the air making its way to the board — and then it bounces out.
Tough luck. All that concentration, and still your dart ends up kissing the floor. While in some cases, choosing the right dart (professionals generally go with tungsten, which minimizes bounce outs) may help you improve your aim, knowing how to throw darts also contributes significantly to your accuracy.
The Stance
The position you take just before you send that dart soaring could minimize errors with your throw. Some professional players follow the right foot forward position. Some might focus on getting the ideal 90-degree shoulder angle, which might not be too comfortable for other players. As always, try out certain stances before you settle on one.
But make sure to maintain your balance; feet should stay flat on the ground. So try not to jump with the forward foot. You might also want to control lifting your leg as you throw — unless you’re already a pro who has achieved success with this technique.
The Lean
You may have seen other players do this: leaning forward. But while this may get you closer to the board, overdoing it not only jeopardizes your throw but also puts a lot of stress on your back. So use the forward lean strategically.
The Throw
Control the urge to move the rest of your body as you throw. Again, your arm should do the throwing. Experts point out that the dart will follow a successful path (i.e., that it reaches the bull’s-eye, or at the very least, allows you to get a great score) when the elbow is raised in the later stage of throwing.
The Aim
It should all be in one line: your eye, your dart, and the target. It sounds like an odd thing to insist on but aim at the target. You might be surprised at how much you lose focus of the aim when you are in a pub, with attractive people coming in or taking away your attention. So when you’re playing a game, keep your eye on the target.
The right stance, the sufficient lean, the perfect throw, and the focused aim — they could all help boost your skills as a player. But remember, each player will have his or her own style. So test out different positions and throwing techniques. Keep practicing, and find a style that is most comfortable for you.