From a mental perspective, I've realized just how "good" a darts player I am. This let me make peace with myself. I am no longer expecting more than I can deliver. This clears the air for me to focus on improvement as opposed to judging my shots against a level of play that is impossible to maintain.
At some point you realize that it is not your hits that defines your play, it is your misses. IMO most of us can improve our scoring and our stroke, simply by not throwing darts away.
The point is: Attempting to force the dart into a small blocked area often makes for some truly odd stroke mechanics. Let's face it: you cannot make a dart *fade* or *curve* or *pop* to get around one that is already in the board. The stroke can become a snatch and the result looks like a "loose" dart.
We all try to practice a stroke that has follow through to the target. Our shot is going to be as straight as we've practiced it to be time and time again. So, if it won't go in straight, abandon the target! I don't know how many times I've hit the 1 or 5 trying to hit T20 with a dart sitting on either top or bottom of the T20 wire by flicking the dart or trying to throw the dart on an impossible curve. That's the recipe for a 26 and muttering about inconsistency or being unable to throw like we do in practice.
If the T20 is blocked then as opposed to trying to squeeze darts into it, stroke the next two easily into the fat 20 and just take the 60. Once confident with doing that, meaning you're not worried about missing the S20, you may find yourself aiming that first dart a bit lower.... just make sure you keep using that stroke that let you find the S20 over and over again. ( I assume you don't try to squeeze the first dart into the open bed either.)
I've seen and made, this error countless times: There is one dart in the T20, and another in the S20. Only the smallest bit of the T20 is open. I push for the 140, and usually end up with 81, 85 with that third dart looking like a loose dart. Why not just take the ton? Is that going to destroy your average PPT? Why not switch to the 19's or 18's for a clear shot at the triple?
If you hit triples one out of 10 times, you'll score 137 or 134 one out of 10 times you choose to switch. Hitting that blocked bed for the 140 might work one out of 100 times. If you miss the clear triple, chances of hitting the single is much higher because there are no blocking darts waiting to deflect that third dart into a neighbouring segment. In 100 tries with S20+T20 blocked, you can be throwing away well over 2000 points, or decrease your average score in that situation by around 20 PPD!
In short: By going for the clear shot, whether it's a fat single or a cover shot, you won't screw up your throw trying to do the impossible. You'll throw a straighter dart.
At some point you realize that it is not your hits that defines your play, it is your misses. IMO most of us can improve our scoring and our stroke, simply by not throwing darts away.
The point is: Attempting to force the dart into a small blocked area often makes for some truly odd stroke mechanics. Let's face it: you cannot make a dart *fade* or *curve* or *pop* to get around one that is already in the board. The stroke can become a snatch and the result looks like a "loose" dart.
We all try to practice a stroke that has follow through to the target. Our shot is going to be as straight as we've practiced it to be time and time again. So, if it won't go in straight, abandon the target! I don't know how many times I've hit the 1 or 5 trying to hit T20 with a dart sitting on either top or bottom of the T20 wire by flicking the dart or trying to throw the dart on an impossible curve. That's the recipe for a 26 and muttering about inconsistency or being unable to throw like we do in practice.
If the T20 is blocked then as opposed to trying to squeeze darts into it, stroke the next two easily into the fat 20 and just take the 60. Once confident with doing that, meaning you're not worried about missing the S20, you may find yourself aiming that first dart a bit lower.... just make sure you keep using that stroke that let you find the S20 over and over again. ( I assume you don't try to squeeze the first dart into the open bed either.)
I've seen and made, this error countless times: There is one dart in the T20, and another in the S20. Only the smallest bit of the T20 is open. I push for the 140, and usually end up with 81, 85 with that third dart looking like a loose dart. Why not just take the ton? Is that going to destroy your average PPT? Why not switch to the 19's or 18's for a clear shot at the triple?
If you hit triples one out of 10 times, you'll score 137 or 134 one out of 10 times you choose to switch. Hitting that blocked bed for the 140 might work one out of 100 times. If you miss the clear triple, chances of hitting the single is much higher because there are no blocking darts waiting to deflect that third dart into a neighbouring segment. In 100 tries with S20+T20 blocked, you can be throwing away well over 2000 points, or decrease your average score in that situation by around 20 PPD!
In short: By going for the clear shot, whether it's a fat single or a cover shot, you won't screw up your throw trying to do the impossible. You'll throw a straighter dart.
