Darts Secrets: The Optimal Stance and Throwing Motion for Professional Performance

Proper Position: An Important Element of Optimal Throwing

In darts, optimal stance is key. Many players ask themselves: should I stand in the middle or on the side? There are many examples of each on the PDC stage, so - like most things in darts - it is a matter of personal preference. If we step back a bit and approach the issue from the physics side - since the entire throw can be described by the laws known in physics - then we can say that for optimal stance it is advisable to stand in the middle. In this case, by rotating our torso, we need the same force, movement, release point, aiming whether we want to throw at D11 or D6, because they are the same distance from you. This halves the number of movements your muscles and brain have to learn (left and right sides of the board). Also, by staying centered, you avoid arrows hitting the board at an angle, which can block the path of the next arrow, making the game more difficult. As more and more professional players and darts become more popular, this sport, like football, the NFL, or any other elite sport, is becoming a victim of science, which, of course, can provide an advantage when used well.

Posture and Throwing: Using the Right Eye for Accuracy

Proper posture and throwing technique coordination are vital, but beyond that, it is also important to be aware of which eye is dominant, which one you are really aiming with, and it is advisable to adjust your throwing motion accordingly. The fastest results can be achieved if the throwing motion is in a straight line drawn between your aiming eye and the target, so you will immediately notice during the throw that if you pulled into the throw, your elbow snapped to the side, etc. Furthermore, one of the most important factors is the stability and comfort of your basic stance. Ultimately, you will spend a lot of time in this position and you will have to concentrate on hitting what you want. The physical strain is also not negligible - some stance types, among the greatest, for example, Michael Van Gerwen, put a lot of strain on the waist, which is why not many people choose to lean so far forward.

The Basic Stance: When You're Not Throwing Center

The basic stance is always optimized for the middle of the board, more precisely for T20. Since this is the most valuable and most frequently thrown sector in the X01 game type, it is not surprising. However, you should not forget that you do not throw exclusively there, so it is a great help if I tell you what to modify while throwing in case of different targets in the lateral direction. If you throw sideways, in extreme cases (e.g. towards D11 or D6), most beginners make the mistake of making the correction from the shoulder. I say this is a mistake because in this case many factors change during the throw that you do not necessarily notice, so your muscles practically have to learn a different throwing motion depending on where you are aiming. Needless to say, it is easier to remove this variable from the formula and in such cases use your core to correct the majority of the correction. However, keep in mind that we are not talking about a big turn, because if you turn 1 degree from the trunk, it will appear as about 3 cm on the arrow arriving at the board, so just be gentle.

Stable Posture: Proper Weight Distribution as the Basis of Accuracy

Just as you can't build a castle from a certain amount of solid ground, if your stance is unstable, causing you to tip over with every throw, it won't be successful in the long run. The foundation of a stable stance is proper weight distribution. I'm talking about extremes on purpose, but for example, if you put the majority of your weight (95-99%) on your front foot, just to be even half an inch closer to the board, you will end up hurting your game, not helping it. The final weight distribution is entirely up to you - just like anything else - whatever is comfortable, but it is advisable to have the majority of your body weight on your front foot, so for a stable stance, your front foot (right foot for right-handed players) should have 55-85% of your body weight.

Catching the Arrow: The Effectiveness of Individual Comfort

First and foremost, you shouldn't be forced to copy someone else's stance or movements because it looks good and that's how you want to throw. Of course, it's a good idea to learn certain things from the greats, but if something is uncomfortable and completely foreign to you, then the given movement will hinder you more than help you in your development. The more natural your throw is and the less part you have to consciously hold up with each release, the easier it will be to reproduce the given movement. Of course, if there is a factor in your movement sequence that you can't repeat and is always a little different, then it's a good idea to consciously overwrite it and replace it with the best possible solution. I don't want to go too deep, but as a common example, I can give the path of the hand after releasing. Most beginners' reflex is that as soon as they release the arrow, they quasi stop its further movement. The problem with this is that if you release your dart a little later on a given throw, you will pull it into the throw, drastically altering the trajectory and in many cases this is what makes up the bulk of darts thrown. Look at what most dart players do with their hands after they release the dart. They will fully straighten their elbows and continue the wrist movement as if they are waving at the dart or pointing at the area they are throwing.

The Role of Feeling: The Key to Grouping the Arrow

It may sound strange, but if you have been throwing for a few weeks/months, you will probably start to develop a feeling, which will help you to determine more and more easily what was different in the case of incorrectly thrown arrows compared to the movement of well-thrown arrows. In addition, it helps in grouping. After a few months of practice, you will definitely have the experience that you threw a good arrow and the remaining two were played as if they were a repetition. This is the point when muscle memory is already working and not your brain. The more continuous the throwing of 3 arrows, the easier it is to use its power. A classic example of this is Michael Smith, who, because of this, only needs to throw 1 good arrow during massing and the other two just follow. This is the effect that is often called a marker arrow in broadcasts. The player throws an arrow at the double, but it is slightly off and from then on the movement is in his hand and only a hair's breadth of adjustment is needed to get the double, plus of course the arrow itself can help, if the other one is just as wide there is a chance that it will specifically introduce it into the right sector. The feeling will be of great help to you for good groupings, which ultimately means sector security, which in turn attracts a higher average

The Art of Darts: +1 Tip

As a beginner, it is legitimately difficult to decide whether your throwing motion is correct or not. To assess this, observe whether the throws deviate mainly vertically or horizontally. If the errors result in more lateral inaccuracy, it is likely that the shoulder, elbow or wrist are not moving properly during the throw. These "jerks" are difficult to reproduce, so it is important to filter them out and thereby stabilize the movement sequence. If the arrows deviate mainly vertically, it can be assumed that the movement itself is stable and the error is most likely to be found in the release point or the force of the throw.

From here on, all you have to do is find the mistakes in your throw and work on making your movement as perfect as possible. If you get stuck on a question, don't be afraid to ask for help from more experienced players, as most of them are extremely helpful with similar questions.