I started playing darts when I was in my early twenties. I worked in Canadian Television and my boss was from England. One day he came to me and said "Follow me!" I thought I was in serious trouble for taking too long at lunch time. He led me to the cafeteria and then handed me some old steel-tip darts with feather flights, and we played darts for the rest of the afternoon. Later, I tried electronic darts while on a business trip to the U.S. One time, I played a game or two against a local player and I thought it was easy at first. But as we played I found it more challenging. Still, I prefer the steel-tip game for the "feel" of the darts and the sounds of the board. Steel-tip darting has lagged behind other sports because there is no promotion of the sport. Darting needs a major sponsor, like Budweiser or Labatts Brewery to get behind a National youth dart program. There needs to be a televised weekly dart tournament that travels to different cities and airs on Saturday afternoons, and a televised playoff between winners at a hotel in Vegas. Hold dart competitions and televise mixed dart tournaments alternately with the single's tournaments. There needs to be organized local tournaments that lead to state or provincial champions and then to become National Champions. The key is promotion, promotion, promotion!

My first darts were brass and the weight a whopping eighteen grams. New, those darts cost me $15.00. I was playing poker one Saturday afternoon at the Legion Hall and on my way to the washroom a friend stopped me so say I should buy some darts and play with the dart league. Later, I discovered that the rage among darters were "hammer heads" (darts whose points retracted when hitting the board, to decrease the number of bounce-outs). I had a friend who was in the tool and die business and he took my darts, drilled out the center and made my darts into "hammer heads." Although he added weights to the barrel, the darts still became lighter. Later, I discovered that in buildings that had "smoke eaters" blowing air around the building, my darts would just fly away. I loved those darts though and threw several 180's with them.

My favorite game is singles, straight in, usually 401 double-out. My least favorite is cricket, although many people love the game. I like to go 401 head on, two out of three. I used to go out on double-ten but now often use double-top. My most fun challenge is to "take out" the highest number. I took out 92 with a triple eighteen and double nineteen last Thursday and it "made my day!"

My first dart team was the Royal Canadian legion Branch 431 'B' dart team, we called ourselves the "Bees" because we hoped to sting our opponents! (I guess...) To this day I am still friends with some of the regulars on the team. Chalking the board is still a problem in most leagues I play in. Many people just can't add or subtract in their heads. Usually the older people help the shooter by yelling out the answers from their place at the tables. I am beginning to think that electronic scoring boards are the answer because it seems that grads can't do simple math anymore.

I have a regulation Winmau dart board from England in my computer room. The board is surrounded with a black hard plastic sponge like material that protects my wall. For practice, I like to play a game of double around the board with two like sets of darts. The idea is to see which set can get around the board first, doubling in all the way. I throw at the double-one first then double-eighteen and so on. If I hit the double and still have a dart or two left I throw them at the next double. If I get three in a row I get a bonus three more shots. The first set around the board finishing with a bull, wins. Dart Tip: If you can double-out regularly, your score average is not that important.

I really don't have a favorite dart pub but I often wonder what it would be like to play in a pub in England? The perfect dart pub would have at least three boards set up and would sponsor a weekly dart night with finger food and discount beer, for players. A good looking chalker would be a bonus! I like a winner who thanks you for the game and doesn't just run away as soon as they win. A loser should do the same, it's not the end of the world...sure you are disappointed, but there are other days and more games to be played. (I always say that there are millions of Chinese people who don't care one way or another if you win or lose, LOL). Sometimes you run into a poor sport but fortunately there are not many in darts. I handle them by smiling and being unconcerned. This usually bugs them and sometimes they get hold of themselves.

In a serious playing situation, I talk to myself to get my attention focused. I review what I'm going to do and remind myself to relax and throw smoothly. If you do this properly someone could drop a chair or sneeze but it won't bother you or your shot. We all get nervous but the above routine when used will help to overcome this. In a blind draw you have to be mentally prepared to just have fun, the same when you draw a "beginner" partner. I am amazed sometimes how many times a team of beginners win events.

My first tournament experience was amazing and hooked me forever. We played in an event in a town just ten miles from home. They had singles and doubles competition. There were boards setup upstairs in the main hall and a few boards downstairs. The "good" players from town partnered up and left my friend and I to be team - we were basically beginners. They played singles first, and I drew a fellow from the home town to play downstairs. Well, he was just as nervous as I was and the game was a total disaster. We couldn't hit a thing and I thought we would have to get oxygen sent down! My arm was shaking so badly and his was worse. Well, I finally won that one but soon got eliminated upstairs. My day was not over though, by any means. They started the doubles and we drew our own favored home team to play in the first game. Our guys knew they would win and they were happy and gay. But something strange happened.

The guys won the first game and were away. However, in the second game, we got ahead and they started missing their shots. Then they couldn't double out. During the third and deciding game, they started to argue between themselves; we won the game and the series. In the next series we played two guys who were known to be even better than the last two guys. This tournament was elimination, not round robin. They got stuck on double-three and couldn't get out. Then they got on double-one in the next game and it was the same! (Remember what I said about doubling out!) The thing that got me though, was that we made the finals!

Everyone was done and gathered around watching my first year partner and I play for the championship, what a "KICK!" We lost as we couldn't hit a double-eight in the last game, but an addiction had begun!

I used to dream about playing in Las Vegas but the furthest I traveled for darts only was to London, Ontario, Canada to be in the Provincial dart finals. My partner and I won two tournaments to qualify for the championship! It was a thrill to just be there with the very best Legion players in the province. London is a large city of a population of about 350,000 people and about a four hour drive from our home. We won half our games but failed to get to the top three...

One winter I threw darts for three different teams. My average score went higher and I got the feeling I could hit any double, although that was not always true. Like golf or any other sport, playing and practicing a lot gets you better. Well, I have a problem right now with my grip on the darts, and it's all because I watched the pros on T.V. They are amazing to watch but they make it look so easy. I figured out that if I just followed their moves I could throw like they do... Wrong!! Right now I am so messed up that it is going to take a miracle to get me going again. Don't copy the pros! Take it from me, just practice your own way and have fun.

My advice for beginners is to try to make every shot count. Try to make sure all your darts hit the board and don't throw too fast. I have noticed new darters and also many lady darters throw at "the board" instead of a spot on the board. Pick a target on the board and always aim at that spot unless of course you are targeting a double. Many beginners find that throwing towards the triple eleven will get them some high scores, just as hitting the triple-fourteen or triple-nine or even triple-eight or triple-sixteen.

One day I attended a dart tournament and there was a gentleman there selling dart supplies. I saw a neat looking set of used darts that sold for $25.00. I asked if I could try them and he said yes...I went to a board to throw and another gentlemen asked me if I wanted to play a game for a beer. I said, "No, I'm just trying out these darts." He told me to go ahead and throw, so I did and would you believe I hit a Ton80? He said "Good thing we weren't playing!" I bought those darts and haven't thrown a Ton80 since!

I like to watch the pros on TV and better still, I like to watch really good players play live. Watching their mannerisms and how they handle stress is interesting. I get a kick out of hearing some darters say "Go ahead take it out!" They don't mean that, of course, but it's their way of hoping you don't give them another chance (LOL).

If you are a good dart player but can't focus on what you have to do then you will lose to the other player who can. I have lost many times in darts and other sports because I couldn't come up with a play or shot that I could easily make in practice. So some advice to anyone competing is: "Take your time, get under control and remember that its your time at the board, don't throw until you are good and ready!"

As for my own darts, somehow I have to "get a grip" (LOL). My delivery has GONE completely since watching the pros. If anyone can help me, I would appreciate it because my thumb is causing my darts to wobble and just fly away. I also hold my middle finger under rather than over the dart. I wonder if I should work at changing that?

To play on a team you must figure out where you fit in the best. Are you a high average player? are you a good outer? Are you better at setting up for the double? Are you good at knowing the out numbers? Are you a moral booster? Are you better captaining a team or a role player? It is important to get the right combination and rotation of players. Four really high-average players do not necessarily win together. I played on a Provincial golf scramble team because I could putt. I played on a Provincial curling team because I could place my shots in front of the house (or circle on the ice). I played on great hockey teams because I could stop a puck. And I played on a championship basket ball team because I could pass the ball. I hope you get the idea! I wasn't great at any of these sports but I found a way to play on good teams by finding a place to fit in.

There are several things that darters do that hurt the game: come late for the start up, don't show up and don't call the captain, don't take their turn marking, coming back late from a smoke, taking too long at the board - these are some of the ways darters hurt the game. My worst experience at darts was losing every game in a team event two years ago, and getting completely trounced by some old friends. The saddest for me though was in my first year playing in a mixed league. I was just a beginner and somehow I managed to hit two triple-twenties and a double-eleven. This shot stood up for the whole season until the last night of mixed darts. A premier league player who played with us forgot his glasses at home and still somehow hit two triple-twenties and a double-twelve. At the banquet he got up and received a beautiful trophy, and I was just crushed. I think through darts I have learned some patience, the ability to enjoy the moment and the people more. It's not about me its about the time spent.

Where do I get my information from? I do not subscribe to any magazines I just don't have the time. I think this web site has the right idea in promoting stories, thoughts and desires of just regular darters. The pros don't need all the attention - besides its more interesting to hear how other darters are getting along and what is good or bad about regular darting.

Over the past few decades the dart world has changed like golf and other sports the equipment has become better and easier to assemble. The equipment is more colorful and with the no smoking regulations the air quality in the halls has improved. There is some TV now too, which may help the growth of the sport...Speaking of growth of the sport, I think without the promotion of darts among young people then darts will never become more than a recreational pastime. I have noticed while watching the pros in England, the audience has many young people. Maybe we need to send a delegation to England to study their dart programs and try to do something here in America and Canada. Hmmmmmm. Maybe we need to get competition going between the U.S. and Canada?

A passionate darter to me is someone who gets involved with promoting darts and dart events. This would include playing and helping others during events. My friends call me by several names - I have been called "Texas Ted" because a wore a Texan type hat to a bar party once, "The Black Knight" because I wore a black turtle neck shirt playing hockey, and "Terrible Ted" because of some crazy shots I made in several different sports. I own a 50 year old balloon type C.C.M. bike that is painted blue and has the word "Dartmobile" on it with pictures of darts on it!! I came up with the bike idea when they started the "ride" program in Ontario that looks out for those drinking and driving.

Darts is my activity of choice but I do like golf in the summer. I used to be a good putter but now have vision problems. To best describe me you would say friendly, talkative and romantic. Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you, I hope darters find some of this story interesting and perhaps helpful, in some way.

-Triple Ted

Thank you Ted for your insights on the dart world, and for your time and energies! Shoot well and good luck at the line.