Any Darter's Out There

[ZebraBlvd]

I've been throwing darts (soft and steel) for many years, and I still throw. Have been on local 4 and 2 man teams, and played tons of single matches. Had the opportunity and pleasure of going to Vegas for tournaments when I was at my height of throwing (I am just a B player). I just love the thrill of the competition. And there is no more fun than drinking beer and throwing pointed projectiles.

My projectiles of choice back then were the Jaguar's for soft tip and the Hammerheads for steel. Still have both sets (and a ton more of barrels for both soft and steel). The games I played mostly were 301 & 501, with the 501 games being a double out to win. On occasion I still wear my 1st Six Dart Out jacket when the weather is cool.

Just trying to find out if it is a lost sport here in the states. I myself am amazed when I watch the pro's throw steel. Their 501 games are shorter than the majority of 301 games played by us mortals.

 

[Rome]

I'm a bit too clumsy for that sport, ZB!
If I even tried to throw that thing, gravity my nemesis would mock me & let it fall to strike my foot!

Back when I was in the club scene I can remember a few spots where people enjoyed it, looks like its harder than one may think.

Maybe someone else will chime in with better comments my friend.
Stay safe!

Rome

 

[jcamero]

I did play, (Tavern League) about 35 years ago. Lot's of fun, our team did well, I still have 2 trophy's in the basement for my efforts. 301 was the game back then. I was an oddball being lefthanded. One day, a friend of mine and I went into a favorite watering hole, were playing for fun, and I heard, "theirs only one lefthanded dart thrower in here", (not being me). He challenged me for $5.00. I went out in 6 darts! The guy said, I was just lucky, let's go again. I went out in 7 the next game. I knew the challenger for a number of years, so it was a friendly game(s), and didn't mind the taunting.

 

[usedto]

HELL YES!!!!


oops...........sorry..................I thought it said "farters".

I need new glasses.

 

[ETLS]

I'm a bit too clumsy for that sport, ZB!
If I even tried to throw that thing, gravity my nemesis would mock me & let it fall to strike my foot!

And that, my friend, will immensely improve your dancing skills.

 

[Wes_in_VA]

I used to play tournament nights at the 2 dart bars in Blacksburg VA back in the early 90s: the London Underground (my fave by far) and Ton 80.
(The Underground used to have $5 prime rib specials on Friday afternoons too: many darts were thrown and much Bass Ale was consumed.)
I was decent enough and won enough money some nights to offset some of the bar tab.

I need to set up a board in the family room. It’s such good stress relief

 

[Rome]

And that, my friend, will immensely improve your dancing skills.

Yea Robert & that wouldn't be pretty either my friend!

Rome

 

[ZebraBlvd]

I used to play tournament nights at the 2 dart bars in Blacksburg VA back in the early 90s: the London Underground (my fave by far) and Ton 80.
(The Underground used to have $5 prime rib specials on Friday afternoons too: many darts were thrown and much Bass Ale was consumed.)
I was decent enough and won enough money some nights to offset some of the bar tab.

I need to set up a board in the family room. It’s such good stress relief

You hit it on the head about it being a stress reliever Wes. Back when I was playing on a regular bases (3 nights a week) I would practice for 2-3 hours. If I was going to play soft tip that night I would practice on a steel board before hand. After practicing on a steel board it made the soft tip boards Bullseye\Triple\Double sections look like a baseball field.

I watched some damn good soft tip games from boys and girls that were masters. The bullseye on a soft tip board is free spinning. So when they were throwing for a Hat Trick they would throw the first dart in the upper right section of the bullseye. This caused the dart to rotate to the bottom of the bullseye, thus giving them more of the bullseye area to hit. And not cause the second and third dart to flight out from the first dart.

I tell my wife that when I was playing it seemed the more I drank the better I shot. It might of had something to do with seeing double when I was drunk.

 

[Hajidub]

Never played league wise but I schooled myself in all bar sports, due to growing up poor and needing someone else to pay for my beer. Above average; shuffleboard, darts. Excelled at; pool (any game including 1-pocket) and foosball (growing up in Germany helped). I had a buddy who turned into the U.S. lighweight armwrestling champion multiple times, he was 150lbs and could beat guys that outweighed him by 100lbs easy. We also hustled with bar game skill/trick games, I'll explain those at a later time.

 

[savatage1973]

Don't play much anymore, basically just at home in the basement when folks are over and into it. I played in a couple of rotating bar leagues for years, but since I don't hit the bars like I used to, I kind of dropped out. Mostly soft-tip, since bars don't tend to like drunk people throwing solid steel/tungsten/brass sharp objects at one another. I still do enjoy a match from time to time.

Oh yeah, the 01 games were easy--my game was Cricket.

 

[Hajidub]

Don't play much anymore, basically just at home in the basement when folks are over and into it. I played in a couple of rotating bar leagues for years, but since I don't hit the bars like I used to, I kind of dropped out. Mostly soft-tip, since bars don't tend to like drunk people throwing solid steel/tungsten/brass sharp objects at one another. I still do enjoy a match from time to time.

Oh yeah, the 01 games were easy--my game was Cricket.

Cricket was my fav also. I've noticed a ton of bars in my city have these video dart machines that allow you to play and see your opponent across the country at any given time, super cool!

 

[epifanatic]

Haven't seriously thrown since the early 90's. My partner and I won a few city leagues in two-man (soft tip) cricket. I still have a nice bristle board around here somewhere.

 

[ZebraBlvd]

Never played league wise but I schooled myself in all bar sports, due to growing up poor and needing someone else to pay for my beer. Above average; shuffleboard, darts. Excelled at; pool (any game including 1-pocket) and foosball (growing up in Germany helped). I had a buddy who turned into the U.S. lighweight armwrestling champion multiple times, he was 150lbs and could beat guys that outweighed him by 100lbs easy. We also hustled with bar game skill/trick games, I'll explain those at a later time.

I was in the same poor category as you sir back in my early years. I spent way too much time at Whitey's Cue & Paddle establishment. Back then it cost you a whole penny a minute to get a table. I think I honed my shooting skills playing rotation on a snooker table with regular drop pocket balls. That 1" difference in the size of the drop pocket balls made it a lot more challenging on the snooker table.

I saw a lot of money pass hands in that place. The big games were 9 ball, and it was $5 for every ball you dropped and $10 for the 9. I never got into those only because I didn't have the money. Plus the most deciding factor was that I was no match for the gentlemen playing in those games. It was a small town (8k people) and everybody knew everybody. Especially the sharpshooters. I watched a match between one of the locals and a guy from Indianapolis play one time. Long story short, the guy from Indy came in with a Balabushka stick. Which I would have given my friends left nut for. Long story even longer, he did not leave the place with the cue. He had to give it to the person he was shooting against as payment.

 

[ZebraBlvd]

Don't play much anymore, basically just at home in the basement when folks are over and into it. I played in a couple of rotating bar leagues for years, but since I don't hit the bars like I used to, I kind of dropped out. Mostly soft-tip, since bars don't tend to like drunk people throwing solid steel/tungsten/brass sharp objects at one another. I still do enjoy a match from time to time.

Oh yeah, the 01 games were easy--my game was Cricket.

I'd agree that x01 games are easier on a soft tip board. You can make it a little more challenging by playing double in\double out. But x01 games in steel is a different animal, especially playing 501\Double Out. Don't get me wrong, I love a good game of cricket. No two games are the same since you have to play both offense and defense during a match. Sometimes you can just step to the line and close. Other times you have to point, or a combination of both. My strategy in cricket was to get my opponent chasing me, and not visa versa.

I no longer play for the fame and fortune. But rather just for the enjoyment. I think the eye\hand co-ordination needed for throwing helps my golf game. Which is a totally different discussion.

 

[savatage1973]

I think the eye\hand co-ordination needed for throwing helps my golf game. Which is a totally different discussion.

We won't even go there regarding MY golf game (or lack thereof). I learned how to play, and appreciate the difficulty and precision of the game, but I'm sorry, if I hit or throw a little ball a couple hundred yards away, I have a German Shepherd to go get it and bring it back while I sip on my beer--and he will, and be happy about it.

 

[ZebraBlvd]

We won't even go there regarding MY golf game (or lack thereof). I learned how to play, and appreciate the difficulty and precision of the game, but I'm sorry, if I hit or throw a little ball a couple hundred yards away, I have a German Shepherd to go get it and bring it back while I sip on my beer--and he will, and be happy about it.