Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get back into darts lately. It’s been ages, but I used to play a bit with my dad growing up. Figured it’d be a fun thing to have in the basement, you know, for when friends are over or just to blow off some steam.
I decided to go with a sisal dartboard. I remember my dad always saying those were the best kind. Apparently, they “heal” themselves better than the cheap paper ones. Didn’t want to mess around with something that would fall apart after a few throws.
Getting Started
First, I hit up a local sporting goods store. Turns out, they had a pretty decent selection. I ended up grabbing a pretty standard-looking sisal board, nothing fancy, just a classic design. Came with some basic darts too, but I figured I’d upgrade those later if I got really into it.
The Setup
Next up was figuring out where to hang this thing. The basement was the obvious choice, but I needed to find a good spot. Needed enough space, good lighting, and a wall that I didn’t mind putting a few holes in (oops!).
I measured out the height. Turns out, the bullseye is supposed to be 5 feet 8 inches from the floor. That’s the offical way. Used a tape measure and a pencil to mark the spot. Then, I had to figure out the throwing distance, which I googled is 7 feet 9 ¼ inches from the face of the dartboard. Who knew there were such precise measurements for darts?
Mounting the Board
Mounting the board was a bit of a pain, gotta admit. The board came with some mounting hardware, but I’m not the handiest person. Luckily, my buddy came to help, which is lucky because the bracket must be placed at the very center, at the back of the dartboard. The center screw must align with the central “bullseye” point. It took a bit of fiddling, but we finally got it up there, nice and secure.
- Find a good spot in my basement.
- Measure the bullseye height (5′ 8″).
- Measure the throwing distance (7′ 9 ¼”).
- Mark everything with a pencil.
- Use the mounting hardware that came with the board.
- Make sure the board is secure and doesn’t wobble!
First Throws!
Once it was up, I couldn’t resist throwing a few darts. Felt good to be playing again! The sisal board definitely felt solid, and the darts stuck in there nicely. No bouncing out or anything like that.
My aim was… well, let’s just say it needs some work. But hey, that’s part of the fun, right? I’m looking forward to practicing and getting better. Maybe I’ll even get good enough to beat my dad one of these days!
Overall, I’m really happy with my sisal dartboard purchase. It was pretty straightforward to set up (with a little help), and it’s already providing some good entertainment. Definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a fun, classic game to add to your home.
