How Do You Aim?
I have been struggling for a bit of consistency lately so i decided to video my throw to see if i could glean any information.
I realised that i am holding my arm too low and with inconsistent height. This of course meant that i had no alignment between board dart and eye. Howerver raising it has thrown my aim off.
After consulting with my local guru and friend Sean Reed, he suggested sighting the target just at the top of the thumb. I have found this very helpful and i am starting to be more consistent than ever.
As always you develop your own tweaks for these things and because of the way i grip the dart my thumb and index finger just barely touch which seems to be the perfect point to sight the target.
Sean has also suggested trying to hold the dart point up a bit so you "help it on it's way" so to speak. I think this helps get the wrist in the right position rather than pulling the wrist into position during drawback.
He has also been very helpful with relaxation and breathing.
Interested to hear anyone else's techniques or if this has helped or hindered?

i hold the dart out point up and sort of stare though the point at the t20 , trying to keep the flight and point in a straight line towards the board..... then chuck it into 5

Maybe what is getting you in trouble is that you are trying to 'aim' in the first place? It makes sense in a way to try to get 'all the planets in alignment' as it were, except for the fact that if you were to go out and play catch or even toss a crumpled up paper into the trash you wouldn't 'aim' it would you?

i was told look were your throwing not throw were you looking.


so usally my darts end in the birds ass stood at bar.

davidsproull wrote:

Maybe what is getting you in trouble is that you are trying to 'aim' in the first place? It makes sense in a way to try to get 'all the planets in alignment' as it were, except for the fact that if you were to go out and play catch or even toss a crumpled up paper into the trash you wouldn't 'aim' it would you?

Yeah i think maybe the fact that my arm is a bit higher and a bit more consistent in height due to the reference point is the actual reason rather than simply "aiming" better? Could be just a honeymoon period too?

The only advice I can give you is keep throwing this:
90-100-62-100-100-80-81-81-123-100
135-100-140-41-100-60-60-140-100-100

I guess that elbow hight, aimy thingy is paying off

I to use a datum point which is the top of my thumb and it worked well (for me) but I forget to do it, thax for reminding me. I think this method helps more of geting the elbow at a consistant hight rather than geting the target, dart and eye in a line. I supose that if your elbow is out by 1mm then at the end of the throw its gunna be alot more.

It is truly a game of mm

Can't remember if it was posted on here or i seen it on youtube ,but there is a video where Phil Taylor says you should look down the dart like you would the barrel of a gun.I'm gonna fit a laser sight on my Hankey's not sure if it is disallowed by BDO or PDC regulations though

I used to just aim with the point of the dart but not quite sure what I do now, does not seem to help much whatever I try these days. But I have read many times that you should just look at the target and not try to aim the dart, so I am not sure what the best method is.

I guess its just trial an error to find what works best really.

for me its not so much as looking at my thumb but more of looking at my target and looking through my thumb. If ya know what I mean.

I've been trying to find a consistent way to "aim" since I've been playing, but not matter what point I use as a reference, it only works for one number. Example: I line up so that t20 is in the V where my thumb and pointer finger meet, with the dart pointing slightly upward. If I do this, the actual direction that the dart itself points is into t1, just because of the alignment of my grip, bone structure etc.

If I draw back from there to my right cheek, the dart will generally land in the right half of the 20 bed somewhere. Sometimes dead on, sometimes the height varies a LOT.

But!

If I take that exact same stance etc, then lower everything down and a bit to the left to throw at t19... I put them in the 3 bed every time. I can't count the number of 27's I've thrown this way.

Same thing down and lefter (I love that word) to get to d16 and I hit t8 about 90% of the time...

It has something to do with the angle of my elbow. In order to throw lower, the elbow has to get closer to the body. That, and still trying to keep my forearm vertical causes some kind of misalignment at the end of the throwing motion.

It's quite frustrating. I have very long "monkey arms" so the changes are pretty drastic for me to throw at tops vs. d16 for example.

I'm tinkering (this week lol) with aiming at the base of the outside edge of my thumb. So Imagine the V where your thumb and palm meet, then left of that to the edge of the hand.

It's worked remarkably well for me for all targets, but only for a time. After a few dozen darts, my mind starts chattering "you found it! you found it!!!" and I start throwing crap again.

Anyway, good topic.;

The only thing I can say Chalk is I feel your pain. I have come quite a way from my high arc uncertain throw to what I have now, which is a consistent approach to the oche and line up. However, my aim for one number produces very different results when throwing for another. All I do is keep following the advice I received from George in flight school. Throw however it feels comfortable and allow the throw to naturally develop itself.

I refuse to alter from that mindset because the last time I tried to hard to alter my throw I destroyed everything about my game and had to start from scratch.

Throw the dart and when you extend your arm, it should point near to where you want it to end up.
Hope this has helped

Your hand/ fingers should point where you want it*

Lefty544 wrote:

. All I do is keep following the advice I received from George in flight school. Throw however it feels comfortable and allow the throw to naturally develop itself.

I refuse to alter from that mindset because the last time I tried to hard to alter my throw I destroyed everything about my game and had to start from scratch.

Lefty544 wrote:

The only thing I can say Chalk is I feel your pain. I have come quite a way from my high arc uncertain throw to what I have now, which is a consistent approach to the oche and line up. However, my aim for one number produces very different results when throwing for another. All I do is keep following the advice I received from George in flight school. Throw however it feels comfortable and allow the throw to naturally develop itself.

I refuse to alter from that mindset because the last time I tried to hard to alter my throw I destroyed everything about my game and had to start from scratch.

I also use flight school and i think George's program is extremely helpful. George also seems to take a lot of time thinking about what is best for each individual.
I am in a very fortunate position of having two Australian champions in my league team, so I have a good resource that can physically show you what they are talking about.
For example one week Sean advised to keep my elbow tucked in a bit and was able to physically move my arm to the right position to try to explain what he was talking about. the very next game i played, i threw 2x180 in a row (unfortunately it was doubles from 601) still only had 9 darts though

Anyway the point is that unless the advise you are getting is from someone that you trust and has the experience and forethought to be able to guide you properly (George and Sean obviously do for me) then little steps are best.

Cheers

I dont aim as such. I hold my dart to the right of my eye so cant aim it that way. I just stare at where I want it to go and my mechanics take over for the rest of the throw.

I have a bad habbit, but it works sometimes, I am a lefty but I throw with my right, so I close my left eye till I can see the line of the dart pointing straight, open my eye and focus, and throw. My left throw is ok, but its only for show. Also play pool with both hands. My AVATAR is my room.