Setting Up My Dartboard Oche
So, I finally got around to sorting out a proper oche for my dartboard setup at home. For ages, I was just kind of guessing the distance, pacing it out, or using a crack in the floorboards as a rough guide. But let’s be honest, that wasn’t doing my game any favors. Consistency is key, right? And standing in a different spot every time wasn’t helping.
First thing I did was grab my tools. Didn’t need much, really. Just:
- My trusty tape measure.
- Some masking tape (the kind that doesn’t wreck the floor).
- A pencil, just in case.
The main job was getting the distance spot on. I remembered reading the official distance somewhere. Had to double-check, but yeah, it’s 7 feet 9 and 1/4 inches (that’s 2.37 meters for those using metric). The important part, and something I nearly messed up, is measuring from the face of the dartboard, not the wall behind it. My board sticks out a bit, so measuring from the wall would have made the throw too short.
I stretched the tape measure straight out along the floor, right from below the center of the bullseye. Made sure the tape wasn’t sagging or going off at an angle. I carefully marked that 7-foot 9-and-a-quarter-inch spot on the floor with a tiny pencil mark first.
To be extra sure, I did that diagonal check too. Measured from the mark on the floor directly up to the center of the bullseye. It should be 9 feet 7 and 3/8 inches (or 2.93 meters). Pulled the tape tight, and bingo, it matched up pretty closely. Good enough for me!
Okay, measurement done. Now for the actual oche line. I thought about getting fancy, maybe a raised wooden strip or one of those sticky mat things. But honestly, I just wanted something simple and quick. So, I took my masking tape and laid down a nice, straight line across the floor using my pencil mark as the guide. I made sure it was wide enough to stand behind comfortably and pressed it down firmly.
Stepped back, had a look. Looked straight enough. Time for the real test. Grabbed my darts and took a few throws. It felt… right. Much better than just guessing. My feet knew exactly where to go each time. No more second-guessing if I was too close or too far.
It’s a simple thing, really, just a line of tape on the floor. But setting up a proper oche instantly made my practice feel more serious, more consistent. Took maybe 15 minutes tops, but totally worth it. Now, every throw starts from the exact same spot. Makes a surprising difference.
