It can be very confusing to figure out different dart-throwing stances, right? However, it is extremely important to have a good idea of them as throwing stances is one of the most important things for playing dart. So, to make it easier for you, in this article we have explained the dart-throwing stance in easy words. After reading the whole article, you should have a clear idea of dart-throwing stances.
So, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Maintaining Proper Dart Throwing Stance
The Dart game was used to be one of the most popular games in Britain which has thousands of dart clubs and a large number of players. Now it is quickly becoming an internationalized game. Improving at this game requires proper basic grip, stance, and throwing techniques.
While playing dart, a proper and accurate stance makes up your whole dart game better and increases the success rate. You must follow these simple tips to make your stance clear, accurate, and precise for the improvement of your dart game:
Whenever you are going to play dart, first ensure that it begins off on the right foot and then follow these simple points discussed below:
Proper Line-up
You have to make sure that you have lined up properly. This is the most important part when maintaining your stance. The center place of the dart-throwing line must be avoided. Sometimes the proper notation may not be provided to the center area and you must be careful of it. Draw an unreal line down the ground continuing it towards the pitching line. To remember the imaginary point, make something anchored or marked in the ground, you can use a stain for this or a scuff mark can do better. This mark can be used as a checkpoint from where you will line up always. Your throws will become much more precise and consistent whenever you approach the board from this same spot that you have marked earlier. Many people fail to throw accurately just because of being unaware of the proper line-up.
You must stand at the line before starting to throw the dart. There can be two ways you can follow: either facing the dartboard or standing laterally. When standing laterally or crabwise mode, your both eyes and the arm which you are using to throw should be kept in line. This reduces the tendency of your elbow being drifted away from your physique and also decreases the possibility of your hand moving to and fro.
For strengthening the throw, you can put your back foot behind the forefoot to tug the elbow further. Another effective and useful action you can try is first facing the dartboard with your forefoot which is pointed towards the bullseye or the imaginary precise point you have marked before. Now put your back foot to the edge for maximum comfort and also for balance. You should try and examine both to decide which one is the most suitable and relying on you.
Firm-footing
Fourthly, you can try the firm footing technique. Preciseness and accuracy start with this firm footing technique. For this technique, your both foot has to be arranged in such a way that they should keep a distance equal to the width of the shoulder and the horizontal forefoot should carry more pressure than the other foot. In this way, the forward foot provides a firm base that helps to reduce exhaustion and the backward foot helps to keep balance and improve the preciseness and accuracy.You should avoid excess forward-leaning as it can lead to severe back wounds over time. So to avoid strains after throwing make sure your stance is not excess or too far.
Shoulder Position
You also have to pay attention to your shoulder position to ensure more accurate dart throws. You should keep your shoulder parallel to the floor. But this can vary from person to person according to their comfort and personal style ranging from 50 to 90 degrees. The shoulder must stay stable as well as the whole body. You also should try to keep your backbone as straight as possible. You must not lung towards the dartboard. Only your selected(Right for right-handed and Left for left-handed) arm and the hand ought to follow through to the dartboard.
Arm
There have been various types of dart-throwing stances adopted through the years. At this point, we are concentrating on the arms that are being used for throwing and the foot that is to keep in front. If the player is right-handed and intends to throw with his right hand, then he must put his right foot in front of the throw line. Some people who like to throw early often adopt a stance in which they put their both feet touching front of the throw line. It is frequently seen that people frown upon bending towards or move the body up to the throw line. This stance technique can be used by some of the players but sometimes it cannot be that efficient. It doesn’t allow the upper part of the body to stay stable while throwing that’s why it is less efficient.
Lead foot
To achieve more stability to the upper part of the body while throwing the dart, you can follow another better stance. For this technique, the lead foot has to be kept front faced towards the bulls-eye line and should not cross the line in the meantime. So the alignment of the foot is vertical to the line and a bit angled towards the dartboard. This type of stance is called best or leading foot forward.
There is another way where players place their lead foot adjacent to the throw line. In this stance technique, the player is required to look upon the dartboard side by only twisting his body a little bit. This type of stance, however, appears uncomfortable to a few players. Though, it reduces the unnecessary movement on the upper part of the body. Professional players generally follow this stance and the one we just discussed earlier.
The player should line his body up in such a way that he appears to be in the center of the dartboard. This technique is best suited for the newbies. Also, many professional players follow this technique. While following this technique, side movement can also be done which comes difficult for beginners. The left foot is placed afterward on the right foot. To become comfortable with the position you have to lean slightly towards the target and move the majority of your weight on your leading foot which is the right foot and adjust your overall stance if necessary. You have to be careful that your stance needs to be strong and substantial. At the first time, this can appear alien to the player who never played it before. However, with practice, he is going to find his comfort in this position.
Back foot
The stance type can be adjusted a little bit by the player according to the course of the play. That is when the player lines up to hit both sides of the board. The stance is just like an oar of a boat where your forefoot is used as a pivot. And the back foot can either move left or right which naturally adjusts the angle you face the dartboard. Your height also can be adjusted if you lead your back foot closer to the forefoot or furthermore. You can use a pair of dividers to watch it precisely. These types of small adjustments will make up your dart throw more accurate. But stay conscious of these movements as you will need them later to provide self-feedback and increase accuracy.
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FAQs on Dart Throwing Stance
What does an ‘oche’ mean?
Answer: Generally, the dart-throwing line is called an ‘oche’. There are several theories regarding this name. One theory declares that the word ‘oche’ came from the word ‘Hocken’. Hocken means to expectorate or to spit. This is used because then in Victorian times many pubs were liked to arrange spitting contests. The rule of this contest was the player had to stand behind the line and judged how far a competitor can spit. But, none of these was proved as a definitive answer. A person named Eddie Norman who used to own a Dart house in Bristol did spread some of these theories.
Explore Wikihow to know how to throw darts in step by step.
2. What height should the dartboard maintain from the floor?
Answer: The height at which the dartboard should stand from the ground must be the average eye level of the players. 5 feet 8 inches is the average eye level of a six feet person.
3. What is the best dart throwing stance and why it is to be adopted?
Answer: Different players have different styles, particular ways, or stances for throwing the dart towards the dartboard. We would like to suggest the ‘side on’ stance. It is a traditional way of throwing the dart and was used by a great player named Phil Taylor.