My Oh My, Dartiquette 101 and Playing to Win
Some of these tips or suggestions are new while others need repeating. These might seem like no-brainers to you but they all bear the need to be read here either for the first time or for the millionth time. Hopefully these suggestions will make your darting experience a pleasant and positive one. That's what we're all here for, right?
- Turn your cell phone off when you are playing competitive darts. It's pretty sad to an opponent to be waiting for you to pony up to the oche only to discover you have just received a cell phone call and oh yes, because of the noise from the jukebox you walk outside the dart area and leave your opponent (and the chalker and both teams) waiting. Just turn the darn thing off so messages go to voice mail or call your friends and family circle at some other time.
- After playing a miserable season from a personal level in my single's events I began to analyze what I was doing wrong. One of my bad habits is watching my opponent and what they hit and telling myself that I need to hit something better then what they have just hit. This is a horrible way to compete and improve your game! When playing a competitive match, your focus should be on your darts and how close or far away from your target your dart is actually landing. That is what you need to improve. The object is not to simply throw as good if not better every time against your opponent, but to skillfully play your own game. It shouldn't matter whether your opponent hit 26 or a Ton40. Your aim and your target (at least to start out in '501) is to make a best attempt at the Ton80. When and if your first dart is "off" that's when you need to course correct and refocus on what you're doing and aiming for your target. This means (most of the time and not necessarily in cricket) NOT watching what your opponent does. You know what you are capable of so walk up to the line and do your best to hit those 3 perfect darts no matter what they are and no matter what your opponent hit.
- Once again - in order to respect the darters on your team, the other team and whomever is chalking as well as your opponent, take care of the bathroom, smokes & ashtray, drinks, lipstick, whatever BEFORE you should be stepping up to the line to introduce yourself, shake hands and begin the diddle. Do NOT wait for these things until you get called up to the line to play a match. And for Team Captains, it is your responsibility to have adequate score keeping supplies whether they are markers, chalk or grease pencils. If you have to, buy them on your own at an office supply store and bring them to the dart bar for backup supplies. It is especially imperative to make sure the dart area and score keeping supplies are sufficient at YOUR home bar. Do NOT trust that the bar owner will have things taken care of. Follow up on this and be prepared when league night comes.
- Here's an oldy but goodie. When you have an out - GO FOR THE OUT! There are no ifs, ands or buts about this. If you have 50 left with one dart then aim for the double bull. If you are a "19" shooter but have 170 left, you should not have to even think about this out - Trip-20, Trip 20 and Double-Bull for game shot. Have you ever hit a Ton70 out? I have not hit this out yet myself. However, I am one step closer to hitting it because I actually aim for it. Nothing is impossible and one of these days (and mark my words) I WILL take 170 out. (The only exception to this rule might be if your partner does not have a 3 dart out yet in and '01 game and you feel safer "fixing" the number first to stay on the evens or to hit another and more preferred number, then you might not yet go for the out.)
- Do you want to win more DC or Dirty Cricket games? There is only one rule to follow - keep your opponent with at least 4 darts to go out. This means at time you must go for points rather than close a number but by keeping your opponent with at least a 4 dart out to win the game, YOU will have the next shot to win the game, not your opponent. Per darter Ken Swanson, "in cricket I might not win but I am going to do my best to prolong the game therefore increasing my chances at having another turn and stopping my opponent from going out and winning". This is done by skillfully keeping your opponent with at least 4 darts at game shot.
- In DC (Dirty Cricket) it is common for a darter to go for points when they have missed their target to close a number. Remember - hitting a single number (for example a single 15 with your last dart for points) might just be a wasted dart if it doesn't buy you another bull that your opponent has to hit in order to win the game. For example, if you are playing cricket and have 101 points and your opponent has 118 points, hitting that single 15 to total your score now at 116 is a wasted dart. You've hit 15 points but your score is still lower then your opponents - you have not done what you have set out to do and prolonged the game to keep your opponent at least 4 darts from game shot. In this scenario, you needed to hit (2) 15s (or more) so that your score is now 131 to your opponent's 118. With at least 131 to your opponent's 118 score, your opponent now needs another mark at the very least or at least one more bill to win. They say (the wise darters that is) that DC is the thinking man's (woman's?) game and that statement is right on the money. Play smart - it's the only way you can and will indeed win against more experienced or better darters. In cricket strategy is everything, that is Everything with a capital "E".
- Still on the subject of cricket, assume that your opponent will hit at least 3 marks per turn (depending upon the level of play and caliber of your opponent). Often times we are so close to that needed triple or we just wire it or we "feel good" about the next dart hitting the triple that that is all we are aiming for. At times you might pass and even though you were close and wired the triple you have still passed your turn. The theoretical question to consider is "At what point are 3 solid darts in a cricket number worth more than a missed triple? Every time. If your a cricket player then your instinct is to go for the triple. If you're just plain not hitting the triples, 3 solid darts to close a number are indeed better then 3 missed triples. Also, if you only need one dart to close a cricket number (and your opponent has the number closed already) then aim for the "fat" of the number. And remember to take advantage of the doubles even in cricket when 2 marks are absolutely needed and you've only got one dart in your hand.
- For all the cricket or DC players reading this, if you are up 200 points in cricket then just win the game rather then going for additional points. You have made the point that you can hit your numbers at the expense of the pride of your opponent. You look like a braggart and idiot who is just showing off, not like a skillful darter who is playing to win the game or the match. If you're up 200 points, Yes! you are a good darter and you CAN hit your numbers. Not take the game out and be a good sportsman. It's Dirty Cricket not Dirty Filthy Cricket (yes that was a good phrase {dirty filthy cricket} and borrowed from Chicago darter Joe Wilkenson. Thank you Joe, I only use the good lines so keep 'em coming).
- Here's another tip that bears repeating. When you step up to the line it is your responsibility to know what you are aiming for and what you are going to aim for if you miss your intended target with the first two darts. If you don't know, speak up and ask your teammates. You've got to learn the outs and the strategy somehow and there's no time like the present. I cannot tell you how many times I have won matches against beginners who continued to go for the 20s simply because they did not know what to aim for! Asking isn't a sign of weakness but rather asking your teammates for their suggestions is a sign of intelligence and desire to get better. After all, you need to know what you're shooting at if you want to win some games. You do want to win, right?
- When you are standing at the line and your team tells you one way to take out a number but you are conflicted or prefer another way to take the number out - stick to your gut and your instinct. If you don't you will only throw poor and misplaced darts while trying to please your team yet knowing what you want to do. The times to discuss strategy and review the choices made are before and/or after the match with your teammates and not necessarily at the line (though some teammates do like to be told what to shoot for next while at the line). The point is that when you are in the middle of a game you should be concentrating on the game and not arguing with your teammates about the best way to take something out. There are a million ways to skin a cat and (can you believe???) over 1600 different ways to double-out on 49. So if you find yourself in this position (i.e. you have 6 left and want to aim for the double-3 yet your teammates are all hollering for you to go single (2) and double (2) for game shot), do not argue or get into a great discussion while you are at the line. Simply follow your head and do what is comfortable to you. If you're not comfortable shooting for something then don't do it. There will always be time after the match to review your play and your choices on a dart by dart basis!
- This tip comes once again from analyzing my own darts after this last season where I shot miserably and won few matches. One of the bad habits that I picked up was that I found myself speeding up to match the speed of my opponent. I had to force myself to slow down, take a deep breath, focus on my target and throw the dart. Playing darts is not about the speed but about knowing the strategy and executing that strategy. If it is speed that you are into then pick up a bat, go to the batting cages and set the pitching machine to high. I guarantee that if it's speed that you want then it is speed that you will get. If you've won your match by throwing high-speed darts to match your opponent's speed of throw then you were just plum lucky. To be most successful and a consistently good darter you have got to slow down, shoot at your own speed and hit your numbers. Just slowing down improved my game tremendously...
- Here in Chicago a variety of matches are played and Chicago format includes '301, '501 and cricket. Most darters who win the diddle begin with '301 or '501. '501 is a long game and not a race. Yes, you can most likely have a few poor rounds and still find yourself at game shot. You are not going to win however, unless you can double out. It's not about the race but all about the finish. Again, '501 is a long game so take your time, relax and concentrate on hitting your out once you get into the 170 range. It's all about the finishes...
- I cannot believe that I am actually mentioning this one because this is definitely a no-brainer in my book. If you're playing in a pub or anywhere that alcohol is served then be NICE to your bartender. Especially if you are at your home bar. Here in the Chicago area it is a courtesy for the bar to serve one round of free drinks referred to as your "team drinks". Be ready with your drink order, order the same thing you have been drinking and paying for all night - this free drink is not your opportunity to sample the bar's most expensive liquor (unless you have been drinking it all night), promptly fill out your team drink sheets (Captains...) and tip your bartender. Do not make your bartender chase you down and wait while you figure out your team drinks - the bartender has other paying customers waiting for his/her attention. So be nice to your bartender, don't forget to tip the bartender on the free round. The bartender shouldn't be denied a tip for hustling your drinks just because the bar is nice enough to honor the time-old Chicago tradition of offering both teams a free round toward the end of the dart matches. If you did not hear me what I meant to say is TIP YOUR BARTENDER. This is how they pay their mortgage (tips that is!) and the nicer you are to your bartender, the better you will be taken care of. Trust me on this one.
- Here's another oldy but goodie and still bears reading. A handshake says it all. The handshake extends a greeting, a courtesy and demonstrates good sportsmanship whether you have won or lost. The handshake is just as important in both scenarios. Personally, I have been on both sides of the coin both as a single's event winner and a loser as well as having the winning team points for the night and/or the losing team points for the night. Either way there is only one way to conduct yourself; be a gracious loser as well as a winner and remember to shake hands with your opponent. At the end of league play also remember to shake hands with every darter on the opposing team. This will help you get far and make friends in the darting world. Really.
- You have heard it before and I am writing this again. This is basic dart-tiquette but needs to be said, needs to be read and needs to be acted on accordingly. If you do not have something nice to say then do not say it. It really is as simple as that. If you do indeed feel the need to say something that is not-so-nice then be a real darter and say it to the person's face. Do not talk behind the backs of others, do not throw darts at their pictures and do not write lewd sayings about other darters in dart bars for the public community to read/view. It is pretty childish if you think about it and also illegal. It's called slander. The moral of this point: be nice or be quiet. And at the very least if you have criticism then share it point-blank and face-to-face with the other darter. Anything less makes you a chump and not a very nice person yourself. What comes around goes around and you attract others in life who act as you do in life. Who and what are YOU attracting? Think about it. It's all karma baby because what comes around goes around, and it goes around in spades if you get my drift. This is not a difficult concept - just be nice.
- We all have opinions and that is one of the wonderful things about living in this free world - we are entitled to our opinions and it is the differences between us that helps to make this a diverse culture which also exposes ourselves to other viewpoints that we might not have even ever considered. That said, if you have an opinion to share then by all means do share. Do not however, be coward enough to hide behind an anonymous name or dummy email address. Stand up and be counted, yes, your opinion does count. Admittedly, we might not always agree but that is what helps make the world interesting. After all it would be extremely boring if we were all cookie-cutter cut-outs of each other. So express yourself in a positive way and don't hide behind a fake name or no name at all. This is called character.