I live in a very dry area (<20% humidity all year round)... essentially a desert.
Therefore, my hands are always very dry when I am at home practicing. Because of this, I have simply gotten used to playing with dry hands and my mind and body have adapted to this by developing a grip and throwing style that takes my dry hands into account.

My problem happens when I go out and play competitively. The nerves and extra adrenaline that occur during competition cause my hands to sweat, therefore changing the feel of the dart in my hands. I am constantly wiping my hands on my pants to keep them dry, but the extra oils cause my dart to feel a little more "sticky". Basically, the amount of grip on my dart has increased and I'm now throwing a different dart than the one I've spent so many hours practising with, and my darts start flying all over the place.

Now I'm aware that alot of my bad darts during competition are due to simply extra tension caused by pressure, but I can't stop thinking that the change in the "feel" of my dart is a big contributor to my loss of accuracy and consistency. Even if that's not true, there is probably a placebo effect at work here.

So my question is: is there anything to be done about this? I want to keep my hands dry, or at least have the feel of my dart not change significantly when my palms start to sweat. Does grip wax and/or chalk help with this? Are there certain grip patterns or dart coatings that make the dart less sensitive to moisture on the hands?

For reference, I'm playing with a set of Sigma 950's. I have heard opinions that they may have a bit more "slick" of a grip due to their grip pattern and tungsten content.

I highly recommend Rosin, works just as well on dry hands as it does on sweaty hands, and for the price, IMO it can't be beaten for the job it does:

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Thanks for the reply, Rebel.

It seems like if I were to use rosin, then it would be something that I would want to use both in practice and in competiton in order to make sure that I have the same feel for the dart in either situation, even though I don't necessarily need it during practice. Do you agree?

I had exactly the same problem as you in a match last week John. I was wiping my hands before every shot and never felt confident about my throwing especially the doubles.

I have just ordered some Mighty Grip which will hopefully have arrived today when I get home and I will try it tonight.

Going forward I was intending to only use it for match nights though. Like you, I just want to be able to throw the darts with confidence even if it is just a placebo effect but I can see why you should maybe use it in practice too.

I have the same problem John all I do is between about every other shot I walk up to the scoreboard and rub my hands on the chalk. If you have dry erase then the rosin bag is your answer.

hat

The chalk is a good idea, Hat, hadn't though of that one!

Unfortunately the place I play uses those damn grease pencils. I hate those things! I can't help but think getting that stuff all over my hands doesn't help either.

In any case, I think I'll plan on adding a rosin bag to my next online order.

Pm me your address John I'll send you one. I dont use them since I switched darts about 4 years ago. I still have a brand new layin around somewhere.. (well 4 years old that is just not used..lol)

hat

Yeah John, either way, I dont use the bag at all, practice or match but on the odd occasion a venue may be really hot or cold I always have it in case I need it.

Easiest way of describing it, it seems to neutralise damp or dry, if too wet it will soak up moisture, if too dry it will draw out moisture - it really is a must have accessory for me.

So in short, I dont think you would need to use in practise and match situations to keepit consistent, just use it when you feel you need it.

Dalman wrote:

I had exactly the same problem as you in a match last week John. I was wiping my hands before every shot and never felt confident about my throwing especially the doubles.

I have just ordered some Mighty Grip which will hopefully have arrived today when I get home and I will try it tonight.

Going forward I was intending to only use it for match nights though. Like you, I just want to be able to throw the darts with confidence even if it is just a placebo effect but I can see why you should maybe use it in practice too.

Stuff didn't help me at all

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Hatrick wrote:

Pm me your address John I'll send you one. I dont use them since I switched darts about 4 years ago. I still have a brand new layin around somewhere.. (well 4 years old that is just not used..lol)

hat

Wow! Thanks, Hat! I'll PM ya. It'll be real interesting to see how it works.
Incidentally, what is it about your latest set of darts that makes the rosin unnecessary? Is it the aggressiveness of the grip on the dart? Or maybe a coating of some sort?

I would think you would want to practice in as close to competion situations as possible.

If you intend to play a lot of tournaments or league, you need to get your practice to match the conditions that you play in. That way on match night, you are comfortable.

I lick my fingers before each set of 3 darts whether it be practice or in a match, thus giving me the same grip and feel at all times.

Looks like you got some good answers there John. The chalk is always something that you can carry in your pocket or you darts case my mate rubs it up and down the barrels before every couple of throws. I am the opposite and hate dry hands so lick my fingers the same as Dave. I think the nerves, tension and anxiety will be causing you to tighten up hence your darts going all over the place as you mentioned so I would suggest playing more competitive games so this become less of a problem for you but we do all get a little nervous at times. It is always a good rule to practice the same way you would play in a match so the variables are kept to a minimum, I wear the same style of shirt and my shoes to practice as just the difference in the thickness of the soles can make a difference. Hope one of the solutions suggested by the team works for you buddy and well done guys for your answers all excellent.