Although not absolutely essential, a dart mat is a good idea for dart fans. A bare wood floor in front of a dart board is going to get holes in it. Carpeted floors get tracked on and cement floors create problems for the dart tips when a wild shot rebounds onto the deck.

Another advantage of a dart mat is that the toe line is generally premeasured on the mat. This way a piece of tape or paint does not have to be affixed to the floor to keep darts games within regulation distances. When not in use the dart mat can be rolled up and put in a closet. Having a dart mat out during play clearly delineates the area in which darts will be flying and can help prevent random people from walking into areas of dangerous play.

Dart mats are usually made from thick, durable rubber or vinyl and are about two feet wide. They will not catch every bouncing dart, but they will catch most. In lieux of a dart mat, you could line up a series of doormats. However, be prepared to skip over tripping hazzards all the way to the dart board.

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A good dart throw begins with a good stance. It is best to align the body so that the throwing arm is forward. A right handed dart thrower will want his or her right foot next to the toe line. The body, should be aligned from 45 to 90 degrees from the toe line, with the opposite foot back. If the opposite foot is forward the thrower will have to sling the dart across the body. This makes for a longer throw. Also throws become awkward when the body is parallel to the oche.

Next it is important to develop a consistent grip. Probably the easiest grip for most beginners will be the pencil grip as this is familiar. However, the dart may be gripped in a variety of ways. The key is to use the thumb to push the dart against two or more fingers. Keep the point stabilized and pointed slightly upward. The dart, no matter how hard it is thrown (because of gravity) is going to travel in an arc.

Take advantage of this arc. Throw the dart so that its trajectory is along an arcing path. The amount of arc will depend upon the speed of the throw. The angle of arc will accelerate as the dart begins to drop, so a certain amount of impetus must be given in order to make accurate throws. To maintain the highest accuracy, the thrower should not make extreme variations in flight speed or grip. Continuous practice with a particular style and speed will allow the thrower to gauge where the throw will strike the board based on the angle of the throw to the oche and the angle of release.

Dart throwing is done with the arm. Do not move the body or shoulder during the throw. The elbow is fixed when pulling the dart back, but raised slightly when the dart is flung forward. This allows the hand to better follow the trajectory of the dart. Many experts use a wrist snap that makes the entire movement of the arm rather like the crack of a whip. This imparts speed to the dart. However, it is an advanced movement and may degrade accuracy for the beginner.

Some beginners do not pull back the dart when throwing. This is a mistake as it makes it difficult to get enough acceleration from the dart to reach the board with accuracy. Also it is important to follow through. One way to do this is end the throw by leaving the throwing arm extended with the hand pointing at the target. Try to avoid the dart wobbling in flight. This is usually caused by the dart being thrown at too much of an angle to the path of flight. The dart flights attempt to correct, and this causes the wobbling motion.

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The two most popular games played by dart players around the world are "301" and "Cricket". 301 is the most obvious. Each side begins with 301 points and throws their darts in an effort to reduce their score to zero.

Before points may count a player must first hit a double. The score is then quickly reduced toward zero. The real skill comes in at the end of the game when a player must throw a double or bull's eye that reduces the final score exactly to zero. Any series of three throws (one turn) that would reduce the score beyond zero do not count.

Each game is considered one leg. The match is won when two out of three games are won.

Cricket is a more intricate game requiring more throwing skill and strategy. It is played using primarily the numbers 15 through 20 and the bull's eyes.

At the beginning 15 through 20 and the bull's eye are eligible to be opened. To open a number, a player or team must score three of that number (any combination of singles doubles and triples). Once a team opens a number every subsequent score on that number increases the score for the team. The opposing team may not score on that number. But may attempt to close it by getting three scores on that number.

For example side A scores once on 17. He gets no points but his score accumulates. Side B scores four times on 17 (a double and two singles). The first three scores open the number for B. The fourth score gives B 17 points. Now A strikes 17 three times. The number is now closed for everyone. A gets no points, but does have the satisfaction of not allowing B to get any more points on 17.

In attempting to open and close the bull's eye, the inner is counted as a double and the outer is counted as a single bull.

The game ends when all of the numbers are closed off. However, it may be declared over sooner if the player in the lead closes all possibility of the other side scoring.

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Basically, dart games are played between two players or two teams. The teams can be made up of two or more people each. Variations that allow for more than two sides have been devised, but these have not achieved any popularity.

Nine throws are generally allowed for each person as a warm-up before a game begins. Then, to determine which team or person is to take his turn first one dart is thrown by a person from each team. The team with the dart closest to the bull's eye takes the first turn.

Each player throws three darts in his turn. Then the darts are retrieved. If a foot crosses over the line or a person happens to trip over the oche and releases his dart, the throw counts for no points and may not be re-thrown.

Darts must stay on the board for at least five seconds after a player's final throw to count. A throw does not score if it sticks into another dart or if it falls off the board.

Darts making it on the board score in the following manner:
In the wedge: the amount posted on the outer ring.
The double ring (the outer, narrow ring): twice the number hit.
The triple ring (the inner, narrow ring): three times the number hit.
Bulls eye (outer bull): twenty-five points.
Double bulls eye (inner bull): fifty points.

This is the basic method for play and scoring. A wide variety of games and variations are based upon it and will be discussed in the next section.

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For obvious reasons, darts are not a game recommended for young children. Careless handling of a dart can result in serious injury. The dart tip is weighted and pointed and capable of penetrating wood. For this reason traditional darts is actually not allowed in drinking establishments in some states, provinces, and municipalities.

The procedure for throwing a dart is to not throw if any person happens to be forward of the oche or toe line. This not only prevents injury, but also excludes interference of the throw. Rough-housing with darts in hand can also be very dangerous no matter how good the thrower believes he or she may be.

A person injured by a dart should, of course, seek medical attention. Serious wounds, such as those of the eye or other face wounds may require a call for an ambulance.

If players keep these precautions in mind, many hours of fun can be had in the game of darts. There are available, boards made of plastic and rubber that accept a quality rubber tipped dart. Some of these boards are electronic and will even keep score for the players.

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Dart Boards vary in price from the cheap to the very expensive. A nice professional board can be acquired for under $50.00 along with two decent sets of darts. Cheap boards can also be fun, but you will find that the darts accompanying them suffer somewhat in balance and accuracy.

The board itself should be set up with the bulls eye exactly 5 feet 8 inches from the floor. It is wise to place some type of board behind (and around) the dart board, just to save your drywall or paneling in case of complete misses.

The board itself is 18 inches in diameter and divided into 20 sections. The section marked 20 is always centered at the top.

The toe line (also known as the oche - named for a brewers case - Hockey - that was originally used to establish the distance between the board and the toe line) should be exactly 7 feet 9 1/4 inches from the face of the board. The line on the floor may also be a raised bar, 1 1/2 inches in height and two feet long. In most homes this will be an unwanted obstruction so a piece of masking tape is often used. A convenient way to mark the toe line, protect the floor, and preserve dart tips is to get a dart mat.

There should be at least two sets of 3 darts. Each player or team uses a set (a player may even own his own set). The darts themselves have a maximum length of 12 inches and a maximum weight of 50 grams.

Generally, a chalkboard, hung near the board is used for keeping score.

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The sport of darts began as training in the martial arts. Darts began in Medieval England. Historians surmise, because they don't know for certain, that those teaching archery shortened some arrows and had their students throw them at the bottom of an empty wine barrel.

The fact that the bottom of an empty wine barrel was used is a clue to how the game developed into a pastime. It is thought that the soldiers took their shortened arrows with them to the local drinking establishment to both exhibit their skill and have fun at the same time. When the bottoms of wine barrels proved to be inconvenient or in short supply, some inventive dart thrower brought in a cross-section of a moderate sized tree.

The "board" provided rings, and when it dried out, the cracks provided further segmentation. This cracked and dried board began to evolve into what we think of as the current dart board.

A game as fun as darts could not be hidden from the upper classes and they soon put their own stamp on the game. The oft-married Henry VIII was reputed to enjoy the game immensely. So much so, that he was given a beautifully ornate set by Anne Boleyn.

Like much of American History, the roots of darts in America can be traced to the Pilgrims. These hardy colonizers were reputed to have played the game on the Mayflower as it made its ocean crossing. Like the game of horseshoes, it was then played avidly in America whenever leisure time was available.

However, darts remained largely an Anglo-American sport until the Victorian age when it was spread world-wide by the great expansion of the British Empire. It seems that the "sun never set on the British Empire". At the same time, there was never a time when a dart was not in the air. Many native populations were exposed to the game and found enjoyment in it.

Around 1900 the rules and darts began to settle into what they are today. Yet according to Christopher G. Carey, author of American Darts Organization Book of Darts, "The international throwing line of 7 ft. 9 1/4 inches was established in the 1970s to make it standard for international competitions; depending on the country (or at times, even the venue), the throwing line was anywhere from 7 ft 6 in. to 8 ft. Also, throughout the early part of the 20th century, there were many different types of dartboards until the 'clock' board became the standard...It really wasn't until after WWII that many of the rules of darts became standardized." Now people all around the world can enjoy the sport of darts in international competitions, in leagues, or in private parties and all be on an equal footing.

So the next time you put your toe to the line and raise a dart to the board, remember that there is a rich history behind this engrossing sport.

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Ø6.35x54.6             Tungsten Alloy            1000                          1.35

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Ø6.35x49.0             Tungsten Alloy         1000                               1.50
 

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