Saturday, April 11, 2009
A Study In Accuracy: The Slingshot Man
I was checking out funny videos on You Tube when I came accross a video on "The Slingshot Man." His real name is Rufus Hussey. He is a sixty-five year old man who appears to be the Phil Taylor of slingshooting. He lives out in the country near Asheboro, NC. In the video he displays remarkable feats of accuracy, including throwing up a walnut and then a quarter, and hitting each with his slingshot. Then he picks bugs off of his plants with his amazing slingshot skills. Check out the video on You Tube. It would be interesting to see what he could do with darts. While the skills are different, I find that people who are accurate with a gun or bow tend to be quick studies in darts.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Catching Up On News
No, the blog has not gone to the dogs! Many events have conspired to keep me from posting lately, such as my new responsibilities as a dog owner. Here is a picture of the new member of the family, a Bassett Hound named Rainbow. The story of how he got the name is funny.
We picked him out at the Tri-State Bassett Hound Rescue. They were calling him Rambo, but my son thought he heard "Rainbow." Unfortunately there was no convincing him that Rambo was a more manly sounding name, and I suppose you have to pick your battles. So Rainbow it is. He's a good dog, quite content to curl up on the floor and watch me practice. The picture shows him in training for the upcoming 2009 New Jersey Boardwaddle, in which hundreds of Bassets will cruise the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ together on April 17-18, 2009. If you're there be careful not to trip over all the big ears.
Back to darts. I was a bit bummed out that I had to miss the charity dart event in Philly because of a change of family plans. However, I am glad to see it was another huge success. Keith McCarthy reported on PhillyDarts website that 148 dart players showed up and raised $12,000.00 for charity...Great job Philly!
So how has my practice been going? I have been sneaking in some time on the board and had a very positive development recently. I found an old set of darts that I probably have not used in about eight years. They are fatter and heavier than the set I was using, with a fairly smooth barrel. I couldn't even tell you what brand they were. Just for laughs I picked them up and good things started to happen. My groups consistently tightened, and I felt like I had a lot more control over the dart.
I have a theory about why I am more comfortable with the old darts. I have big hands. To grip a thinner or smaller dart I have to close my hand tighter, creating a more crampy feeling that probably hinders my grip and release. I remember at an expo John Lowe talked about how he sometimes missed his big old darts because they had a better feel and he could control them more easily. We'll see if the old darts keep working for me.
I am taking off all next week so I will have no excuses not to post. I will be catching up on news and passing it along. Who knows, I might even sneak out to a LOD or two. Until then, good darts!
We picked him out at the Tri-State Bassett Hound Rescue. They were calling him Rambo, but my son thought he heard "Rainbow." Unfortunately there was no convincing him that Rambo was a more manly sounding name, and I suppose you have to pick your battles. So Rainbow it is. He's a good dog, quite content to curl up on the floor and watch me practice. The picture shows him in training for the upcoming 2009 New Jersey Boardwaddle, in which hundreds of Bassets will cruise the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ together on April 17-18, 2009. If you're there be careful not to trip over all the big ears.
Back to darts. I was a bit bummed out that I had to miss the charity dart event in Philly because of a change of family plans. However, I am glad to see it was another huge success. Keith McCarthy reported on PhillyDarts website that 148 dart players showed up and raised $12,000.00 for charity...Great job Philly!
So how has my practice been going? I have been sneaking in some time on the board and had a very positive development recently. I found an old set of darts that I probably have not used in about eight years. They are fatter and heavier than the set I was using, with a fairly smooth barrel. I couldn't even tell you what brand they were. Just for laughs I picked them up and good things started to happen. My groups consistently tightened, and I felt like I had a lot more control over the dart.
I have a theory about why I am more comfortable with the old darts. I have big hands. To grip a thinner or smaller dart I have to close my hand tighter, creating a more crampy feeling that probably hinders my grip and release. I remember at an expo John Lowe talked about how he sometimes missed his big old darts because they had a better feel and he could control them more easily. We'll see if the old darts keep working for me.
I am taking off all next week so I will have no excuses not to post. I will be catching up on news and passing it along. Who knows, I might even sneak out to a LOD or two. Until then, good darts!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Varuna Cup 2009 Flyer Out
Thanks to Bob Race for forwarding the announcement that the $5,000.00+ Varuna Cup will be held in Brooklyn, NY on April 17-19, 2009. This is an open tournament with singles, luck of the draw, doubles, and a mixed triples event. Click here for the flyer in pdf format.
Monday, March 09, 2009
2009 Philadelphia Cancer Shoot and Virginia Beach Coming Up
Any New Jersey darters who missed Darts for Dreams this past weekend can still do something for charity by attending the 3rd Annual Philadelphia Cancer Shoot later this month. The event will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 1:00 p.m., at Philadelphia House (formerly Jokers), 7312 Castor Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. The format will be luck of the draw doubles, $10 to enter, with $1,000 in prize money. All proceeds will go to benefit the worthy charity Crossing The Finish Line, which offers respite for families of people with cancer.
The same weekend 23rd Annual Virginia Beach Dart Classic will be held in (where else?) Virginia Beach, VA. Click here for the flyer. This year's tournament features $35,310.00 in prize money which is sure to lure many of the top national players. This will likely clear the field a bit for a lot of you local players to go to the Philly Cancer shoot and show your stuff!
The same weekend 23rd Annual Virginia Beach Dart Classic will be held in (where else?) Virginia Beach, VA. Click here for the flyer. This year's tournament features $35,310.00 in prize money which is sure to lure many of the top national players. This will likely clear the field a bit for a lot of you local players to go to the Philly Cancer shoot and show your stuff!
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Darts for Dreams 2009 a Great Success!
Congratulations to Gary Yourman, the Greater Trenton English Dart League, the sponsors and everyone who attended the Darts for Dreams charity event on Saturday. It was another record year with over $16,000.00 raised for the New Jersey Make-A-Wish Foundation. Click here for Gary's report. Some highlights were that 18,300 darts were thrown. Paul Seladones of the Quaker City English Dart League had high score on the day with 2,780 scored in 100 darts. Many winners donated their winnings back to the cause.
My seven year old son Oliver (pictured above) and I attended the event and had a great time. Oliver and I practice at home but he has never thrown in a formal dart event before. It's great that his first experience is a charity event. He had no trouble throwing 100 darts for a score of 745. I have no doubt he will improve on that for next year. He was also thrilled because everyone got a gift bag and he won a door prize. I was able to throw my hundred and ended up somewhere around 2250. I had a couple of 140's but a few too many 26's and 45's!
One of the families whose wish was sponsored by the funds raised in last year's Dart-A-Thon appeared and gave a moving talk about what it meant for their young daughter to get her wish. The young girl had an incurable metabolic disease and her room needed a complete makeover for the medical equipment that she needs to function. They gave a heartfelt thanks for the support provided by the generous darters and sponsors.
Gary (pictured above with Oliver) and the untiring folks at Make-A-Wish and the GTEDL are already setting goals to raise $17,000+ next year. Congratuations again and best wishes.
My seven year old son Oliver (pictured above) and I attended the event and had a great time. Oliver and I practice at home but he has never thrown in a formal dart event before. It's great that his first experience is a charity event. He had no trouble throwing 100 darts for a score of 745. I have no doubt he will improve on that for next year. He was also thrilled because everyone got a gift bag and he won a door prize. I was able to throw my hundred and ended up somewhere around 2250. I had a couple of 140's but a few too many 26's and 45's!
One of the families whose wish was sponsored by the funds raised in last year's Dart-A-Thon appeared and gave a moving talk about what it meant for their young daughter to get her wish. The young girl had an incurable metabolic disease and her room needed a complete makeover for the medical equipment that she needs to function. They gave a heartfelt thanks for the support provided by the generous darters and sponsors.
Gary (pictured above with Oliver) and the untiring folks at Make-A-Wish and the GTEDL are already setting goals to raise $17,000+ next year. Congratuations again and best wishes.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Hot and Cold
I'm not describing my dart playing, but rather what the temperatures around here are doing. Some days you can walk around in short-sleeved shirts and others are like this picture of my backyard that Margaret took last month. All you can do is wait for spring I suppose. At least it does not effect dart practice!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Dart Photos
Margaret has been experimenting with post-production work on digital pictures. Here is one she did of me and Oliver after last year's tournament at the Mohegan Sun. Let me know what you think.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
New Tournament in Massachutses
I received a notice that the Montachusett Dart Association is having a nice small weekend tournament ($4,100+) on March 13-15, 2009, in Leominster, MA. That is a bit of a haul for New Jersey dart players, but well within reach for a weekend road trip. Click here to get the flyer.
Work has been interesting but time consuming lately, which explains my less-than usual posting on the blog. Things look to normalize next week so you will be hearing more from me. I have been reading some other books lately that aren't necessarily about darts, but should have some good parallels.
Work has been interesting but time consuming lately, which explains my less-than usual posting on the blog. Things look to normalize next week so you will be hearing more from me. I have been reading some other books lately that aren't necessarily about darts, but should have some good parallels.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
NJ Darts Book Review: The Dart League King
Last weekend I finished reading a book written by Keith Lee Morris called "The Dart League King." How could I resist a book with a title like that? In September Dartoid did a good review of the book. I will leave the literary reviews to the literary reviewers, and focus on one narrow question: How well did Morris capture the feel of a dart league night? My readers from way back know that a lot of my early posts were weekly accounts of league matches, so I find that particularly interesting.
Morris quickly caught my interest in the first fifteen pages by describing the buildup to league night. The team captain, Russel, has conversations in advance with his friend about matchups for a big league night. Anyone who has filled out a roster for a league match knows what I am talking about...all the little distracting anxieties about who you should play where to maximize your team's chances of winning.
I also enjoyed Morris' description of the dart bar in question, the 321 club, and how the players interact with the setting and each other. There is live music at the bar that tends to distract the dart players, and they complain about it. That amused me, because every dart bar has something like that, and the acquired ability to tolerate it is something of a home field advantage. At the Corner Bar in Elizabeth, there was a loud buzzer that went off any time someone walked into the adjacent liquor store...usually when you were lining up that shot for a game-winning double!
Then Morris describes how dart players sometimes try to reach a "zone" where they feel loose but not too much so, usually involving a certain number of beers, drinks, etc. One of the characters describes how he looks forward to the Thursday night league match, but dreads going to work the following Friday morning after a night out. Very authentic.
The players from the opposing teams inevitably size each other up while warming up, but at the same time there is a loose cameraderie. There is a bit of trash talking but it is good natured. I also found that authentic and he did a good job of creating the feel of it.
I particularly liked it when Morris reached into the heads of the players. One of the top players, Russel, has a case of the nerves and Morris describes it as follows: "it was as if his motor memory had suddenly been erased...and so his heart struck up against his chest like a little hammer and his fingers pulsed strangely...Russel missed and missed and missed." In my opinion, he did a good job of describing a character who has let nerves get the best of him. Haven't we all seen that!
Morris also does a great job of examining the pressure of a game winning shot. It's not always so easy to hit that single bull with your last dart when you have a bar full of people looking at you, the room goes suddenly silent, and there is a good looking woman in a short skirt in your peripheral vision.
Morris obviously knows the game and I was not surprised to learn that he plays darts. His descriptions of the games played and strategies as they progress reflected that knowledge. He weaves some interesting tales and characters around a dart league night, and I recommend his book to all adult dart players. This one is not appropriate for the young due to frequent profanity and some violence. That being said, the profanity and violence are not gratuitous. They fit the story and the characters. Until next time, good darts!
Morris quickly caught my interest in the first fifteen pages by describing the buildup to league night. The team captain, Russel, has conversations in advance with his friend about matchups for a big league night. Anyone who has filled out a roster for a league match knows what I am talking about...all the little distracting anxieties about who you should play where to maximize your team's chances of winning.
I also enjoyed Morris' description of the dart bar in question, the 321 club, and how the players interact with the setting and each other. There is live music at the bar that tends to distract the dart players, and they complain about it. That amused me, because every dart bar has something like that, and the acquired ability to tolerate it is something of a home field advantage. At the Corner Bar in Elizabeth, there was a loud buzzer that went off any time someone walked into the adjacent liquor store...usually when you were lining up that shot for a game-winning double!
Then Morris describes how dart players sometimes try to reach a "zone" where they feel loose but not too much so, usually involving a certain number of beers, drinks, etc. One of the characters describes how he looks forward to the Thursday night league match, but dreads going to work the following Friday morning after a night out. Very authentic.
The players from the opposing teams inevitably size each other up while warming up, but at the same time there is a loose cameraderie. There is a bit of trash talking but it is good natured. I also found that authentic and he did a good job of creating the feel of it.
I particularly liked it when Morris reached into the heads of the players. One of the top players, Russel, has a case of the nerves and Morris describes it as follows: "it was as if his motor memory had suddenly been erased...and so his heart struck up against his chest like a little hammer and his fingers pulsed strangely...Russel missed and missed and missed." In my opinion, he did a good job of describing a character who has let nerves get the best of him. Haven't we all seen that!
Morris also does a great job of examining the pressure of a game winning shot. It's not always so easy to hit that single bull with your last dart when you have a bar full of people looking at you, the room goes suddenly silent, and there is a good looking woman in a short skirt in your peripheral vision.
Morris obviously knows the game and I was not surprised to learn that he plays darts. His descriptions of the games played and strategies as they progress reflected that knowledge. He weaves some interesting tales and characters around a dart league night, and I recommend his book to all adult dart players. This one is not appropriate for the young due to frequent profanity and some violence. That being said, the profanity and violence are not gratuitous. They fit the story and the characters. Until next time, good darts!
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