Just an update on from my last post about my darts. I’ve made some progress on the case and my game so thought I’d share.
Paint
I said I’d probably give my case a lick of paint and I have. A visit to Homebase, that’s closing down locally, bagged me some cheap furniture paint which, as it turns out, was really good. I removed my dartboard and sanded the door and frame. I wiped it down then painted. One coat done. Being so dark, the white wall looked odd inside so I decided to paint that to match too. Much better.
Door
Next I had to secure the door at 90 degs to inhibit it moving. For this I bought a couple of 90 degree brackets which I fixed to the frame. These stop the door opening beyond 90 degrees but I also needed to stop it moving backwards when I pulled my darts out. So for this I bought some strong, countersunk magnets which stick to the brackets when it’s open. It works well and a cheap fix off eBay.
TIP: fit the magnet first so the bracket takes the width of it into account which guarantees 90 degrees (I used a carpenters square)
Game
My game continues to improve. My 501 average has gone up 10+ points in the last few weeks with regular games over 50. I continue to practice at least an hour a day if I can which has improved my game by just being more consistent with a more relaxed throw. I’ve also landed a few more maximum 180’s too. Three this week alone which makes eight in total. I’ve told myself I’m allowed to talk about them and maybe post a pic but I have to shut up after #10.
Maintenance
Who knew you had to maintain your darts? Looking at the app I use to score my games, I’d banged in nearly 10,000 darts since I’d started using it, so it wasn’t surprising my darts were a bit blunt. The symptom of blunt darts are more bounce-outs and darts landing and then moving because they haven’t penetrated the board enough. The answer though, is a simple, cheap dart sharpener. I bought myself one this week and it worked a treat. You simply insert the dart point and grind it round in a circular motion 10-15 times and hey-presto a sharp dart!
The other thing I bought to try was some dart grip. I have a bad habit of occasionally licking my fingers when playing so I bought a small bar of wax you just rub your fingers on. Seems to work
Next
I don’t really have any excuses not to play any competitive games online now. My board setup is sorted. A webcam isn’t a prerequiste but obviously it’s nicer for the other player to see your throw so they know you’re not cheating. I just need to work out what type and where to mount it but I’m sure I’ll be online in the near future.
The only other accessory I need now is a rubber mat on the oche. Bounce outs onto a tiled floor are not good for my darts or the tiles so I’ll be investing in something that protects both.
And there we are. Getting a dartboard again has been one of the best things I’ve done in a long time. I love it. I find filling my time with something so simple, relatively cheap and rewarding is great. And seeing the progress is a bonus too. Highly recommended.
Adios