5 tips to improve your bar darts skills!

A good game of bar darts hits the spot just about as much as a nice cold beer. It may be a little intimidating if you don't have much experience, but not to worry. I have compiled a list of some great tips to help you conquer bar darts like a pro.

Who knows? Maybe you'll even beat the experts! Read on to learn more about how to hustle your way to the top of the bar darts game.

Play Against More Skilled Dart Players

However intimidating it may be to compete with someone at a higher skill level, it is one fantastic way to improve your own skills. We know that losing is never fun, but it is a super important experience to have in order to improve at anything. Rather than feeling sad about being a loser, celebrate it! You can only go up from there.

Competing with better players will give you the opportunity to observe how they play and what techniques are working for them. Along the same lines, losing will allow you to examine yourself. You may begin to realize what specifically is not working for you, in comparison with what is working for your opponent. So much learning and growth will come with playing darts with a more experienced player. 

Keep Still

It can be easy to allow your body to move too much while playing darts. I know that when I play certain sports or games I tend to flail around a bit. While playing darts, avoid bouncing, swinging, swaying, etc. Every movement that you make should be conscious and purposeful. 

While you may have the impulse to throw out your elbows, lift your back leg, or close your eyes, these movements will not help you. 

Remember to also focus on your breathing and to keep it controlled and steady. Over time, your awareness and practice should form better muscle memory so that unnecessary movements are avoided and everything has control and purpose.

Improve Your Stance

As mentioned above, you'll want to eliminate too much movement during your throw. The only moving parts should be your forearm, arm, and wrist. This will help ensure that the dart moves accurately and effectively. The proper stance requires a still shoulder.

If you are a beginner, it is recommended to angle yourself between your foot and the oche line. This will help with accuracy and stability. Most of your weight should be placed on the front foot, and the back foot should never leave the ground. 

Many stances can work, as long as you follow these tips. Make sure you are in a comfortable stance to avoid fatigue. Whichever stance is most comfortable for you is best, as this can vary from person to person.

Follow Through

This motion is huge in darts. Think of it in stages: A, B, and C. Stage A will be your starting position, in which the elbow is bent and the forearm is perpendicular to the upper arm. In this stage, the dart should be pointed upwards at a slight tilt.

Next up is stage B. In this position, you will swing back the forearm to prepare for the throw.

Position C follows. Here, the arm will extend, and eventually release the dart. Here's the trick: snap the wrist at the end of this extension. This will allow the dart to move more quickly and also help with stability. Once this is done, your fingers should be pointed down. With enough regular practice, the throw should be smooth, and moving through these stages should be effortless.

Try Out a Scorer App

Almost everything has an app these days. Darts is no different. Downloading an app to keep track of your dart scoring will help you to know how well you are doing and to track your progress. Many of these apps will provide detailed reports of your dart games. Keeping a record in this way can help you to become more aware of what areas you need the most work in.

Modern technology even allows you to play against others online or even AI trainers. These apps are just another way that technology can lend itself to improving certain aspects of our lives and making them easier. Take advantage of this! We are lucky to live in a time when we have these options.

Bar darts is a classic game, and it's not going anywhere. If you want to impress your next date with your dart skills, these tips can be of use for improving your game. Ultimately, however, it's the spirit that counts! Have fun, and don't be afraid of losing.