Resource Library – DARTS

How to Hold a Dart / Throwing Techniques / Stance

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Gripping the Dart

There are a variety of grips one can use to hold a dart and all vary according to each individual. If you watch accomplished dart players you will see some very unusual ways of holding the dart. Most people, when they pick up a dart, position their hands to form a very natural and comfortable grip. The most common way to hold a dart is to position your thumb underneath your fore finger with your middle finger holding the dart towards the front of the barrel or resting on the point. The pencil grip is also very popular and is naturally comfortable. Choosing a grip is a subjective decision and usually what feels most comfortable for you will work the best.

The Stance

To be consistent, your body should be balanced and feel as natural as possible when standing at the throw line. The easiest way to achieve this is to have both feet flat and anchored to the floor with your foot against the throw line. It is perfectly legal to lean over the throw-line and some players take advantage of this and lean noticeably forward.

The Throw

The goal is to create a consistent repeatable throw, and once you have established your foot position and your lower body is perfectly still, it is time to launch your dart. The only part of your body that should move when you throw is your arm. Throwing the dart is the same general motion as throwing a paper airplane. Your upper arm should be almost parallel to the floor with your forearm and wrist at a right angle. Next you draw back and with a forward motion, like gliding an airplane, follow through with your arm and wrist releasing the dart winding up in a finishing position pointing at the dartboard.

At first you will focus on the mechanics of the throw but eventually you should be concentrating on the target and letting the motion take care of itself. Have you ever taken a wad of paper and thrown it from a distance into a wastebasket? Most people have and when you do are you thinking of how your arm is moving and how far back you are bringing it and with how much force you are throwing it? Of course not, you do it by feel because the mechanics are inherent. You have thrown things all of your life. This will be the same when throwing darts after a few hundred throws – you won’t have to think about the throw; just concentrate on the target