First Dart

Dart Arts Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

First dart, is the first dart of three thrown at every turn. It is a pivotal dart to the three and often influences the second and third dart in the first up at the ockey line as well as the subsequent turns of the game. Since professionally driven tournaments tend to be about several games in what is termed, a leg, where a darter may play for hours and win only by accumulated wins of games, etc.

Even in local games, that first dart really should be the perfect dart. Humans tend to be effected by things first. It is not to say that even a bad first dart is overcome through perseverance but often it fails simply because the darter failed to learn, understand and train to the understanding of the first dart effects. 

When that first dart hits the board, using all the other aspects of dart physiokinetics, it will often lead the mind that leads the body toward how the second dart flies. Training and practice, lots of it along with hands-on live experience in locals, regional and professional darts is how one achieves a good, solid, first dart. 

All the other four of the five principles of good darting are how we achieve a good first dart. Having a good comfortable properly weighted dart; assuming a consistent solid, stable and comfortable stance while achieving also a consistently rhythmic cadence in your throw is setting up the good first dart. The fourth principle is about clothing with emphasis on shoes. We all have to be grounded to throw good darts

Grounding is about setting a stance that does not strain or exhaust the player especially when throwing darts over long tournament time spans as well as long arduous movement and stances in the game. Then there is the mind-set and mind-state necessary to overcome those mental issues that effect your dart, your stance, your rhythm and cadence and that first dart - the one that sets the stage for dart two and three. 

If a darter takes the time and puts in the sweat equity through effort, dedication and perseverance they will achieve a dart discipline that will carry them progressively toward dart mastery and that means achieving dart game successes taking them up to the professional levels of the dart arts. 

Now, ain’t darts fun?

Note: Aside of the first dart is the, “Third Dart.” The first dart often when done well immediately leads to the second dart of awesomeness but sometimes when the mind perceives the potential of that third dart can often cause some form of change in the dart discipline such as a bit more tensing of the shoulder or a slight shift in some aspect of the stance and/or throw that will cause that third dart to sail off into the one or five cut of the pie. In my way, if you feel that slight change and if your mind is properly set into a darter state of mind you will feel that change. When you do  then your discipline is to sometimes STOP your third throw to reset yourself for a solid third dart. This is often a part of the stages of achieving mastery in the dart arts. The goal is to achieve a great first dart and great successive darts, i.e., two and three, where such hesitations in throwing the third are eliminated. 

Take time to watch a few of the high-end professional matches and observe how they throw the three darts. The variety is astounding and the goal is to find your own way and make it work, for you. View the pro’s; analyze the various methods and principles; hypothesize how all of them can work for you; sort out the chaff from the wheat; synthesize a way of dart discipline, i.e., dart, stance, throw and consistency, etc., and then make it your own each time, every time and every dart.