So, I got into steel tip darts. Wasn’t really planned, just kinda happened. Got tired of staring at the same four walls, you know? Needed something hands-on, something real, not another screen.
Getting Started Wasn’t Exactly Smooth
First off, I thought, “How hard can it be? Just throw the pointy thing at the board.” Went online, saw a million types. Tungsten this, brass that, different weights, shapes… my head was spinning. I just grabbed a cheap set, figured I’d start there. Big mistake. Felt like throwing rocks. Light, unbalanced, just… bad. They bounced off the board more often than they stuck.
Then the board. Got a bristle board, standard stuff. Hanging it up was another adventure. Had to measure the height exactly, 5 feet 8 inches to the bullseye. Then the throwing line, 7 feet 9 and a quarter inches away. Used a tape measure, marked the wall (whoops), finally got it set. The space wasn’t ideal, a bit cramped in the garage, but it worked.
Figuring Out How to Throw
Okay, board up, darts in hand (the cheap ones still at this point). My first throws were all over the place. Seriously, hitting the wall next to the board was an achievement. My arm felt weird, the stance awkward. I tried gripping it like a pencil, then like I was holding a key. Watched some videos, saw guys standing sideways, others more square. Tried copying them. Felt unnatural.
Persistence, I guess. I just kept throwing. Every day, maybe 15-20 minutes. Didn’t force it. Some days felt better than others. I noticed the darts wobbled a lot mid-air. Figured maybe it was the cheap flights or the darts themselves.
Upgrading Made a Difference
Decided to invest a bit more. Didn’t go crazy, but got a decent set of tungsten darts, around 23 grams. Felt way better in the hand. Heavier, more solid. Suddenly, the darts flew straighter. They actually stuck in the board most of the time! It wasn’t magic, I still wasn’t hitting triples every throw, but it felt like I was actually playing darts now, not just flinging metal.
Started playing simple games against myself, like ‘Round the Clock’ or just aiming for the 20s. Kept track of scores sometimes, just basic stuff:
- Trying to hit numbers 1-20 in order.
- Seeing how many darts it took to score 301.
- Just practicing hitting the bullseye (inner and outer).
Slowly, slowly, got a bit more consistent. The grouping got tighter. Hitting the number I aimed for happened more often. Still have days where I can’t hit the broad side of a barn, though. That’s just darts.
What I Reckon Now
It’s a good way to switch off. Focuses the mind, you know? Just you, the dart, the board. Don’t need fancy equipment, though decent darts help. It’s frustrating sometimes, absolutely. You’ll have throws that make you want to chuck the whole board out the window. But then you hit that triple 20, or check out on a double, and it feels pretty damn good. It’s a simple thing, throwing darts, but there’s a lot to it. Worth trying if you want something straightforward but challenging.
