OK. So I am sure that this is rudimentary to many on this forum, but something I have just begun to tinker with.
For the last few months I have struggled with inconsistency. Throw at the 20 and hit a 5. Or worse yet, a 12. Could just as easily be a 1.
After watching my dart flight, I noticed a distinct cork screw motion. And, of course, I had varying angles of impact to the face of the board. I worked hard on my release, stroke and even tried different ways of holding the darts. None of which really improved my game.
After waiting far too long, I finally did what so many here do routinely. I started playing with different flight and stem combinations. I am currently throwing Target Phil Taylor 9zeros in soft and steel tip. What I have found is that, in my case, they fly best when fitted with short stems and pear shaped flights. Once I tried this combination (after going though probably 5 or 6 other combinations) the darts immediately straightened out and flew like, well, darts! Another change I made was to use the hard synthetic tips for my steel board. They are manufactured in Japan and I do not have the box with me at work and cannot recall the name (maybe L Style?). This moved my soft tip and steel tip set ups closer in overall weight and weight distribution.
This is very sensible because, while the darts you purchase come set up a certain way from the manufacturer, they are likely not set up to fly optimally for you. As individuals, we impart many unique influences on the dart when we throw. The flight of the dart is impacted by multiple factors including the dart itself (length, weight, front/center/rear weighted, degree of grip, etc), the way you hold the dart, the way you release the dart, when you release the dart, the biomechanics of your stroke and your stance at the oche (which really affects your biomechanics more than being a stand alone issue). Given these factors, it is really a small chance that the factory set up will suit every player.
With my new set up I have correct flight and much tighter groups with the flights typically touching. I sometimes still miss my intended target, but my groups are much tighter and, as with archery or shooting sports, consistency and tight groups are the first steps to accuracy.
I am posting this in the beginners section to, hopefully, motivate my fellow newbies who have not really experimented with their set up to do so if they are having any problem with how their dart flies or are experiencing inconsistent angle to the board. Just a few minutes of tinkering has impacted my game far more than weeks and weeks of experimentation with the other aspects of my throw.
Throw on Darts Nutz! The journey is sometimes more interesting than the destination.
For the last few months I have struggled with inconsistency. Throw at the 20 and hit a 5. Or worse yet, a 12. Could just as easily be a 1.
After watching my dart flight, I noticed a distinct cork screw motion. And, of course, I had varying angles of impact to the face of the board. I worked hard on my release, stroke and even tried different ways of holding the darts. None of which really improved my game.
After waiting far too long, I finally did what so many here do routinely. I started playing with different flight and stem combinations. I am currently throwing Target Phil Taylor 9zeros in soft and steel tip. What I have found is that, in my case, they fly best when fitted with short stems and pear shaped flights. Once I tried this combination (after going though probably 5 or 6 other combinations) the darts immediately straightened out and flew like, well, darts! Another change I made was to use the hard synthetic tips for my steel board. They are manufactured in Japan and I do not have the box with me at work and cannot recall the name (maybe L Style?). This moved my soft tip and steel tip set ups closer in overall weight and weight distribution.
This is very sensible because, while the darts you purchase come set up a certain way from the manufacturer, they are likely not set up to fly optimally for you. As individuals, we impart many unique influences on the dart when we throw. The flight of the dart is impacted by multiple factors including the dart itself (length, weight, front/center/rear weighted, degree of grip, etc), the way you hold the dart, the way you release the dart, when you release the dart, the biomechanics of your stroke and your stance at the oche (which really affects your biomechanics more than being a stand alone issue). Given these factors, it is really a small chance that the factory set up will suit every player.
With my new set up I have correct flight and much tighter groups with the flights typically touching. I sometimes still miss my intended target, but my groups are much tighter and, as with archery or shooting sports, consistency and tight groups are the first steps to accuracy.
I am posting this in the beginners section to, hopefully, motivate my fellow newbies who have not really experimented with their set up to do so if they are having any problem with how their dart flies or are experiencing inconsistent angle to the board. Just a few minutes of tinkering has impacted my game far more than weeks and weeks of experimentation with the other aspects of my throw.
Throw on Darts Nutz! The journey is sometimes more interesting than the destination.
Target Taylor 9 zero soft and steel tip
Boards: Gladiator 2 with Target Vision lighting system and Gran Board 2 soft tip with Target Corona lighting system.
Boards: Gladiator 2 with Target Vision lighting system and Gran Board 2 soft tip with Target Corona lighting system.
