Has darts evolved for the better

[Big Gun]

As many of you know I am not a bad player but I have to say when I played darts for the enjoyment of the game I think I was a better player.
Since playing Super League and County Darts I have become obsessed with the numbers and the data that goes with it, whereas before it was a did you win? Yes or No Did you play well? Yes or No. Now my conversation is How did you get on? What was your Average? then a 15 minute blow by blow account of the how's and why I or they didn't win, how close my darts were to the doubles and trebles and 101 lame excuses for my or their poor performance. Why do we all do this and why do we all think we should be posting between 25 and 31 averages each and every week when players outside the top 32 in the world PDC and top 10 BDO don't do it week in week out. Scott Waites had a 72 in his last game which is what i do consistently in the Superleague for fun.
I am really worried for new players starting out in the world of darts as they seem to get hung up on the science and the numbers and they seem to have lost the enjoyment of the game. I see darts go across the room or in the bin when they lose a game they thought they should have won, they won't buy a beer or refuse to chalk or shout and to be fair this causes me to be stressed and not want to play with these players again. Also the right way to finish as always been a stigma to me as I feel if you hit a double you win so go the way that you are confident with, but oh no you can't do that as it's not the proper way and it upsets your opponent. Well I don't care as I can hit any double I choose and as long as I do it before you I WIN fact. Players buy Phil Taylors darts and expect to throw just like him and there are a million accesories now to choose from with all the different boards flights, stems, cases and arm exercisers all geared up for what? to improve our game or a gimmick to make money? but we buy them anyway to improve our game and my question is Does it? or is it making us all uptight and stressed when the darts don't fly like they do when he throws them. Players in my team change their darts each month with one lad having 14 different sets in a season (6 months) as he blames the darts for his performance every week. Even the fans are now expecting 9 darters at every game and their behaviour has been appalling and disrespectful of late, and have Mickey Mouse commentators stating the obvious and now being racially abusive and I dread to think where it will all end. Is it down to the money, the management , the media coverage, the sponsors and who can put it right? I am watching the game I love and have such passion for be destroyed by as I believe the money makers behind the game and I don't like it.
So has darts evolved for the Better? or are they killing the game? let me know your thoughts. Rant over lol

Big gun

[slot]

I think the media wants more of a player than what a player can.. Dont know how to explain

[stuart180]

I personally think the game has changed hugely in a short space of time (maybe only 4 or 5 years).

There has been a noticeable change in my league, there are now county youth players coming through who take the game very seriously.

I'd say around 4 or 5 years ago, there was a lot of banter in the league, now on a monday night it's best of order.
The standard (IMO) has greatly improved, 12 darters are common place (which is prettying impressive as when I joined the league, anything around the 21 dart mark was 'good').

I believe the PDC are responsible for the change, they are giving the impression that you need to be ultra professional to excel in the game which I don't totally believe.

As BIG-GUN say's, he played better when he was just enjoying it, it's the same for me too.

I played a super league mate of mine a few weeks ago, I beat him 20 legs to 3.

He was chatting to me after the game telling me his average was dropping mid way, then he 'must have been averaging 70odd after 6 legs blah blah blah …
I was just laughing away, I told him to forget all that crapola and just play darts.

I honestly don't care if I average 90 or 60, as long as I have a good night out and play.

One of the lads on my team used to be a seriously bad loser, he'd storm out the pub and threaten to pack it in etc.
I had a good chat with him and told him darts should be played because you enjoy it, if you don't enjoy it then pack it in.

He's had a great year this year, even cracks a smile every now and again!
I can't stand seeing people shaking their heads and looking like the world is on their shoulders ….. it's only a game !

[Getagrip]

I think it has developed a more serious attitude because of the big money involved with the pro's and people have become too obsessed with bettering themselves at the cost of enjoyment. It was always going to happen that way but its probably as much a result of the modern society as anything. I guess 20+ years ago people would go to the pub just to socialize and part of that may have been having a friendly game of darts with your mates, of course people still played in pub teams and would play to win but enjoyment of the game was still the main part of the reason to participate, nowadays no matter what people do they want to win and seem to focus solely on that which is a little sad really.

[shafted]

Good post Big Gun. I believe as in all areas of life whether it be sport or health (lose weight fast etc) if your target market is big enough and you can convince them that they need it the money men will invest and milk it relentlously.

Was George Best a poor footballer because today's kit and training techniques weren't available? was Bjorn Borg a only a fraction of the tennis player he could of been if playing with today's technology?

I believe when the potential to earn big money arises in any sport, so then does the dedication and hunger of the participants, along with a ready willingness to part with their cash for the latest boots, bats, darts or whatever the sport requires.

You only have to go and watch any kids football match, to see some poor little kids Dad going bananas and putting all the pressure in the world on the poor kid. Where's the enjoyment for the child in that. How long before we see this in youth darts, or is it already there?

I believe if they invested enough prize money etc in the egg and spoon race, the money men would market a new line in spoons and special shoes etc

[Big Gun]

Yeh I like that Shafted and you are probably right but it doesn't make it right so we do we all go along with it as we have the power as we are the ones paying through the nose for the items and tickets etc. So that makes us as bad. They all say Barry Hearn has done lot for the game but think he's killing it and making a good profit too.

[jamie373]

i think the money in the game can only be good , the cream will always rise to the top , those with natural ability will shine and probably be the ones who just stick to a set of darts and not bother about accessories to make them a better player . the rest like me will continue to try and improve through different darts , practice ring etc. but while we are doing this we are chucking our money into the game and creating bigger interest for sponsors and manufacturers to get involved bringing more money into the game for the cream of the crop to scoop up

[*Saber*]

Great Post - Now in my league all star points - how many did ya get? Not if you won but how bad did you beat the other guy. Players say " your ranked here in the league or that in the league " Not the same IMO . I can win the leg but if don't score all Star points your sorta looked down on - To me thats wrong.

[eplea]

It's evolved.

I think there are multiple sides to the coin.

I think there, at times, could be too much emphasis put on darts as a serious game.
Sure, in part due to the large sums of money now being spent and now available to players. But what 'sport' isn't serious?
Professional sportsmen the world over take their games seriously. It's the level of involvement of the fans that's a worry for me. The recent incident with Taylor being spat on is something I can see becoming more common unless something is done to nip it in the bud. Try to tell that to Sky or anyone else making fistfuls of cash off the idiot doing the spitting.

On a side note....as serious as the game has become, what about as a side event or for charity, a "Classics", "Nostalgics", "Oldies", "Brass Wars", etc...etc... event. There's no arguing todays top players are good, but c'mon, who wouldn't want to see the likes of Barneveld, Whitlock, Taylor, Van Gerwen, Wade, etc, etc throwing big old chunky 40's, 50's, 60's style brass bombs? Maybe even use a "spec" dart. Or Have a bunch of brass bombs made up but all slightly different in weight (21-23g) and toss them into a barrel. Have the players randomly pick three darts to use for the event. If for no other reason, it may bring to brighter light the accomplishments made by true legends of the game. I'd love to see it!!

It doesn't always have to be serious.

[REBEL]

Great post Kev, and I agree 100%.

I not only enjoyed playing more, but I too was a better player before I started changing darts, worrying about my flights shape, the length of my stems or how I was stood.
And I agree, in league darts, you seem to have to explain yourself, what you did wrong, why you missed those 3 at D20, why didnt you split it - over analyzing and removing the option to just 'enjoy'.

I stated in another post, before I joined a forum in the hope of improving my game I was a decent player.

I would play with me darts I had for years, if a stem broke I would just get another set from the cardboard display behind the bar in my local.

If they had no short shafts left, no problem, give me a set of mediums, no pear shape flights, ahh, no problem, those standards will do - and they did - I used to just play with what I had and I played better for not worrying about how my darts trajection would change - I would just hold and release the dart different I guess, in order to adjust.


My personal belief now (I suppose its a 'do as I say' rather than 'do as i do' because I will be taking my own advice over the summer break) and it has taken me 3 years to realize fully - but I honestly believe that you will spoil your game by trying to adjust too much, most players have a natural ability of some sort and your body through many years of growing and evolving will dictate how it feels most comfortable standing on the oche, holding a dart, releasing a dart.

I think rather than change things, I think its better to develop what you already have.

Set your alarm to go off in 10-15mins and begin throwing without thinking about stance/grip - when the alarm goes of have a look how you have decided to stand and hold the darts naturally - take it from there :goodluck:

[skyblueadam]

I hate it when people lose and go in a strop. Stand up and face losing. Not even Taylor or mvg can win every single game.

Annoys me when people do this

[Big Gun]

Some brilliant responses there guys. I will add more when not so busy but just wanted to touch base with a few of you.

[madzkymadz]

This is a very fascinating thread. I read George's book last week (not finished reading) and by far I have learned a lot from the book. IMO, in what George wrote in his book is that there are two types of darters: the player, whose primary objective is to have fun and enjoy and the shooter, whose objective is to win in the sense that winning is their enjoyment. Darts today has evolved a lot since the era of Bristow. There are so many players who will aspire to become shooters to improve and also to win and go for the money which the prize pool is a lot nowadays.

[Getagrip]

I was reading an old Darts World mag yesterday from 1977. There was an article about one of the callers at the time, he said he was disenchanted with darts at the time because he thought it was too easy for the players and he was a little fed up with calling out so many 180's.

He said in the days of Hitchcock and Pike they threw from 9 feet and it was a lot harder to play then than the new distance of 7ft 6 (later changed to 7ft 91/4).

Makes me wonder what he would have thought about calling in todays games when there is 180's almost every leg?

Maybe they should introduce a new Pro oche distance of 8 foot or more?

[*Saber*]

Its about the money for one thing. And is the better players helping the less experienced?