Tips from the Top.

Try these few simple things and you may discover the faults you thought were incurable are only minor adjustments.

Try taking your stance in front of a mirror, when you are in your throwing position with your dart arm stretched out place a mark on the mirror with a piece of chalk or something that will rub off afterwards at your eye line level.

Then take a ruler or a straight piece of wood and draw a level line across the mirror using the mark as the level line.

Take up your stance again and look into the mirror, you may be surprised to see you are not keeping your head straight, one eye may be below the other, you may not think this is important but we are only talking the thickness of a wire separating treble twenty and treble one, a difference in points of 57.

I spent a couple of hours a few weeks ago with a sports psychologist, I was playing golf and he was advising his charge, I picked his brain for a few moments and was surprised how simple he explained things, for instance, when you stand still with your hands by your side you will notice the palms face inwards to your body, if you grip a golf club with your right hand strong to the right you are doing something that is not natural, you are in fact turning the whole balance of your arm and with it your body, result, a big slice.

How does this relate to darts you say, well think about it, using the same technique stand with your arms down by your side, the palms will face in, lift up your throwing arm keeping your palm parallel to your side, griping the dart you will see your thumb and index finger are almost vertical, if your fingers are over the top of the dart it is inevitable your elbow will be sticking out to the right (if you are right handed) you will still be able to play good darts but only because your brain is compensating for your slight misalignment, of course there are exceptions to the rule, but it is better to start with a sound foundation and improve from there.