History of Darts
In one form or another darts have been around for hundreds of years. The modern form of the game began in the post war period and became a really popular past time from the 1960’s onwards. From trailblazing icons such as John “Jocky” Wilson and Eric Bristow, to the greatest to ever play the game in Phil ‘The Power Taylor’, darts continues to grow from strength to strength, led by current day players such as the current world number one Michael Van Gerwen.
What is Darts?
Depending on the game you are playing, darts involves a player throwing 3 darts at a board 2.37m away with the dart board bullseye at a height of 1.73m from the floor. The darts board is divided into 20 numerical sections each section with a doubles and triples portion, with a bullseye in the middle of the board (red and green). The highest number on the board is 20, the lowest number is 1. The highest possible score for one dart is 180 (triple 20).
Basic Darts Tips
The basics for darts is to get a set of darts that you feel comfortable holding and throwing and to make sure you set yourself up in a comfortable side on stance. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and clothing as you may be on your feet for a while. When beginning your darts technique hold the dart in front of your face then release it at the board. After practising you will be able to determine the positioning of the dart that works for you as well as the position of your feet and your balance in your stance.
Beginners Darts Equipment
The first set of darts you want to buy have to be comfortable. So before you purchase you first set try a few darts before you buy. Whether it’s throwing some of your friends or colleague’s darts or throwing a set of your local pubs darts, get an idea of the type of darts you feel comfortable throwing. Now this may change as you progress with darts so don’t spend too much on your first pair in case you wish to upgrade to another set in the short term.
The beginner darts (steel tip) we recommend are the Viper Blitz 95% Tungsten Steel Tip Darts (either 22, 24, 26 and 28g) or the Cuesoul Tungsten Steel Tip Darts Set 90% Tungsten (either 22,24 or 26g).
The best dartboard we recommend (for steel tip darts) is the Winmau Blade 5 Bristle Dartboard or the Unicorn Eclipse HD2 Dartboard
Games of Darts to Play
The traditional game of darts is 501, however depending on where you are or who you are with could determine what game you wish to play. The basics of the game of 501 are that to begin the game you must start on a double and the aim is to get the score of 501 down as close to 0 as soon as possible with the proviso that you also need to finish on a double. For those who have watched a bit of tournament 501 you will see that most professionals (when suitable) prefer to aim for triple 20 (the highest score in darts) and aim to finish on double 20 (or tops). The ultimate finish in 501 is a 9 dart finish.
Other darts games to play include Around the World, Cricket, Baseball and Shanghai just to name a few.
Where To Play Darts?
The great thing about darts is you can play nearly anywhere providing you have at least approximately 8 feet of distance from a wall of at least 6 feet in height. Most people have their darts initiation at the local pub or at a mates house however dartboards have been found in work places, community centres and even at the local church.
Where Can I Play Darts Competitively?
Once you feel like you’ve mastered the basics and can bear your friends or colleagues on a regular basis, you may want to test yourself against stronger opposition. Or you and your mates might want to organise a team to compete in a local league. Depending on which country you are located, below are several darts organisations to reach out to if you are interest in playing competitively and you aren’t sure of how to join.
Darts Equipment for your Home Bar or Games Room
Depending on how big your darts area is will determine how much equipment you can have, however the basics you will need is a set or two of darts, a dartboard (with a cabinet is preferable).
You will also want several sets of dart flights as well as replacement darts shafts, a dart sharpener, split rings or o rings, if you have several sets of darts you can have dart holders, If you don’t have a wall to mount your dartboard on you can use a dartboard stand, other accessories include dart mats, electronic dartboards, laser throw line, a book on darts games to play, you might even want to hire your own darts instructor either in person or online.