Shot Darts.

Darts With a Shoulder Injury
A few years ago I had frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis). It got to the point where I was well below 50% mobility. After treatment, not surgery, movement is back up to around 90-95%. But there are points in my shoulder movement that are clunky.

Throwing darts has been fine on the shoulders with a couple of hours a day playing. I stretch before and after playing, and often do a few stretches while playing. My throw can go amazingly off (summer darts!), but has steadily improved.

Last night I spent a lot of time playing on a sisal board with a friend. We must have put in 4 hours of darts total. Today I can hardly throw. There is quite a bit of discomfort in the shoulder, and when I tried to throw a bit I could feel the clunks quite well defined. I'm away from any board for a few days now and am intrigued to see how it all feels again after a bit of rest.

Anybody else play with a shoulder injury of any sort? I'm interested to see if you have any special parts to your throw. I'd like to be able to do long sessions at the oche, but I might just be limited (not getting younger either!). Might have to come up with a special throw just to get the shoulder out of the equation...
Dabbler and over thinker...
Just outside Montreal

Current darts: Winmau Sniper 18g barrels; Lippoint plastic tips; #4 Fit Spinning shafts and Fit Super Shape flights
Home board: Blade 4 (playing with soft tips)
Discipline: Flight School
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I had a bad shoulder break a few years ago which meant I could only ever play around 20 to 30 mins for a couple of years, I can manage around 45 mins now but I sometimes play a little longer but then I get aches the next day so I try my best to keep it around the 45 min mark. I know when I played at my best I would need at least 2 and half hours everyday to keep a good standard but sadly I just have to accept I cant do that now. Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
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Cheers Darren. Did you have to change your throw to adapt?
Dabbler and over thinker...
Just outside Montreal

Current darts: Winmau Sniper 18g barrels; Lippoint plastic tips; #4 Fit Spinning shafts and Fit Super Shape flights
Home board: Blade 4 (playing with soft tips)
Discipline: Flight School
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(06-04-2015, 12:36 PM)pilmat Wrote: Cheers Darren. Did you have to change your throw to adapt?

Yes I am still changing, my natural throw is gone totally Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
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I was just talking to a young player on Tuesday night about arm injuries and throwing. He said he was having pains in his elbow when throwing and I told him I had the same issues several years ago due to having tendonitis in my right elbow. I never knew when it would hit and made throwing darts a bit of a guessing game. I could throw 20 darts and not feel a thing, then that 21st dart would find me experiencing a sharp pain in the joint. That took the fun out of the game. It was surgically repaired and all was good.

Then I developed a torn rotator cuff in my throwing arm that required surgery in late 2013. Though I continued to play while injured, I had to change my throwing motion to do so and developed some bad habits in form along the way. When it finally got to the point I could not even get a good night's sleep because of the pain, I decided to have the surgery. It's been a little over a year and a half and my shoulder is 100% better than before and my game has come around.

Do I play as well as I once did? No, but there are more contributing factors than a few nagging injuries to attribute it to. When I was playing my best was when I was much younger, could see the board well without glasses---much less bifocals, didn't have nagging injuries and played just about every night I was not at work. But I still enjoy a good game and play on average about 5-6 hours a week now. The longest I've played at any one time since shoulder surgery has been in the 3-4 hr. range every once in a while when I have several friends show up at the house that throw darts or head out to the local watering hole and meet up with league players I know. I never have a sore shoulder after these marathon sessions, and that is a good thing now.
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You may have overdone it a bit with four hours of shooting, and your previous condition probably didn’t help anything. If I shot for four hours, I’d probably be dealing with unpleasant consequences for some time.
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One of my first threads on this site was about a balky shoulder. I'm not sure exactly what may be the problem, and I am an MRI Tech too, LOL.But sometimes it just aches or spasms/locks on follow through. Messes with your form AND head.

I proposed the question about practicing with my "other" arm, as it does not ache like my dominant one. There is a fellow in my league who actually is right handed but throws lefty because that arm does not bother him. It took a while for him to gain accuracy with it, but, it works.
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(06-04-2015, 04:27 PM)redhedkev Wrote: One of my first threads on this site was about a balky shoulder. I'm not sure exactly what may be the problem, and I am an MRI Tech too, LOL.But sometimes it just aches or spasms/locks on follow through. Messes with your form AND head.

I proposed the question about practicing with my "other" arm, as it does not ache like my dominant one. There is a fellow in my league who actually is right handed but throws lefty because that arm does not bother him. It took a while for him to gain accuracy with it, but, it works.

WOW! I couldn't imagine throwing with my left hand/arm. And as I've had both shoulders go bad, it wouldn't help me. But I'm still in amazement that it's possible to become that accurate with the "other" side. Good on you for trying!!
Dabbler and over thinker...
Just outside Montreal

Current darts: Winmau Sniper 18g barrels; Lippoint plastic tips; #4 Fit Spinning shafts and Fit Super Shape flights
Home board: Blade 4 (playing with soft tips)
Discipline: Flight School
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Well, Barney is a natural lefty but throws right handed as do a couple others in the PDC. When my shoulder was recovering from surgery and I was going through extensive PT, I was throwing left handed and it did take a while to develop a smooth throw and a bit longer to develop any accuracy. After 3 months of throwing left handed it did get better as far as accuracy and I was actually beating a few folks along the way that played in lower league play than I was playing in. I didn't stand a chance against the upper league players that were my teammates=====and they took no pity on me when I did step up to the line to play them.
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I dislocated my right shoulder many years ago and also suffered a rotator cuff injury a few years ago. I used to hammer the darts in with quite an exaggerated arm movement. I also used an 18g dart which required the arm speed. I've only been practicing again in the past 6 months after a few years lay off and I had to change my throw completely. My shoulder has become much more restricted and my throw much slower so now I focus on only using my forearm to throw whilst keeping my upper arm as stationary as possible. I've had tons of physio and stretch regularly which seems to work but if I have a long duty practice session then I really feel it next day and some days I just can't throw at all due to pain and the occasional trapped nerve making my fingers numb. However I feel with the relaxed throw I am actually playing better and I now use 25g darts so I feel I don't need to throw as hard. The pain will always come and go unfortunately but I look after myself better now and do plenty of exercise and stretching which keeps the pain at bay. I just love my darts too much to ever give up. And now I've got a valid excuse to be crap at golf Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
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