If you’ve been playing darts for a while, you’ve probably noticed that your throws can go off sometimes. Even if you try to throw it straight, darts can go on a different trajectory. Playing darts may look simple but there’s complexity in every single throw. Most players often ask themselves, how can you stop your darts from spinning?
If you want to stop them from spinning, you need to go back to the basics and figure out the areas you need to correct. Fixing your posture, your grip, your wrist, or even from your elbows may seem like simple solutions but these play a significant impact on your performance.
In this article, we’ll be delving into how to eliminate your spins as well as a few tips that can help you identify and improve them.
What causes darts to spin?
There are many factors to consider when you’re trying to figure out why your darts spin. But in most cases, spins happen when your thumb and fingers don’t release it at the same time. In short, you need to take a closer look at your wrist and your grip. It could be that you’re holding the dart wrong too. Before you throw, you should make sure that you’re holding the sides of the barrel and not just the top.
Is spinning bad for your gameplay?
The answer would depend on you and where you’re most comfortable. However, if you’re a beginner, we suggest that you avoid spinning. That doesn’t mean that spinning is bad for you. Many professional darts players utilize spinning to achieve their goal and several professionals opt not to spin their darts. Spinning your darts is not bad – it’s just
It’s just that spinning puts you at risk with inconsistencies. It can throw you off target, especially when you’re focusing too much on the spin and not on how to hit the bull’s eye. There’s too much room for accuracy errors when your darts spin.
Will it be better to eliminate spinning?
As mentioned earlier, spinning isn’t entirely a bad thing. Darts players often insist that spins don’t mean you’ll more likely hit the target. It’s more of a personal preference.
But before you make a decision, spinning your darts gives you a lot of room for error. The extra movement you make can worsen your game if you overdo it. If you’re new to this, it might be better to stick with the basic throws and avoid spinning.
What you want to eliminate is extra movement. In the next section, we’ll share with you a few tips that can help you with that.
How to stop your darts from spinning
1. Focus on your grip
As we mentioned earlier, the spin is correlated to the synchronization between your fingers. If you noticed that your darts tend to spin a lot, then there’s a high chance that your fingers aren’t releasing the dart at the same time.
What usually happens is your thumb releases it before your fingers do. The spin kicks because the dart rotates a few centimeters in your fingers. In short, the dart spirals because it wasn’t even in the first place. The thumb, who is the support moves too early.
If you want to see an improvement in your throws, focus on your finger’s timing. Check how your finger releases the dart. If you need help, take a video of yourself when you throw. Play it back slowly so you can identify where the issue is.
2. Check your form
Your grip is just one part of it. Now that you’re aware of your throws, it’s time to take a look at your form. To make it easier, here’s what you should check:
- Make sure you’re standing properly
- Your body should be aligned and stable
- Your elbows should not move sideways when you throw
- Check if you lack control with your wrist
- Monitor your grip and release
Here are a few tips to help you pinpoint your problems:
Problem 1: Spin
Whenever you throw, your darts tend to move downwards to the left or upwards to the right.
Problem 2: Elbows
You have issues with your elbow’s placement or mobility if your darts tend to move down to the right or upward to the left, or if they dive too low.
Problem 3: Wrist and Grip
If your darts tend to ‘fly’ high before dropping, then you’re dealing with issues with your grip or your wrist.
These are basic ways to ensure your foundations are strong. As long as you’re able to maintain a proper form, your throws would become more consistent.
When doing this part, it’s best if you have a friend with you that can help with monitoring your stance. If not, you can always take a video of yourself so you can identify what parts need improvement.
Don’t rush things in one day. The whole point is to find the areas you need to improve on. There are a few exercises that can help target your elbow, wrists, and even your reaction time so that you can improve your performance.
Keep doing this part until you can address which issues you need to work on.
3. Practice
You won’t see results unless you keep practicing. Focus on your follow-throughs and work on eliminating spin without losing your accuracy.
Once you have an idea of what you need to work on, you should now focus on what you need to do to make your throws consistent. Keep working on the basics until you get it right. Everyone starts from scratch so don’t feel discouraged if you struggle with stopping your spins. Just give it time and keep on throwing those darts!
Conclusion
Spinning your dart is a personal preference. One method isn’t better than the other. It still depends on how you’ll execute it. However, if you’re new to darts or if you’re trying to get consistent results, then avoiding spins would be recommended. As long as you practice, you’ll eventually reach your goal.