Back From Vacation In Cape May

I am just back from a nice 4th of July holiday vacation in scenic Cape May, New Jersey. The weather mostly cooperated for a relaxing time on the beach. Unfortunately, this delayed the rest of my dart gift and accessory review, which will be following this week. In that area there was not much darts to be played except the wooden American Darts game that is popular in the Philadelphia region and along the New Jersey shore.

My son Oliver and I just could not go four days without doing something to improve our accuracy however. We invented a game on the beach which he called "rock bombs." We filled his small beach pail half-full with water and then marked a line a few feet away in the sand. We then gathered a half dozen stones of various sizes from the beach. The object of the game was to toss the stones so they landed with a satisfying splash in the pail. The player getting at least one in could move backwards a foot the next turn, and draw a new line in the sand. If no stones went in, then the player had to move a foot closer to the pail.

This works well because each player can stay within a comfortable range for his or her throws. It kept his six year old's attention span for a good while. Also, the rocks which land in the sand can be washed in the pail of water between turns. My foot is 12 inches long, so I could pace off the distances well. I ended the day at a distance of 12 feet.

I have always noticed that different sports that put a premium on accuracy have fundamental things in common. For instance, whether you are talking about riflery, archery, golf, hitting a baseball, playing "rock bombs" or darts there are several things a person does to improve accuracy. For instance, focus upon target, being relaxed, eliminating unnecessary movement, and some form of follow-through generally pays dividends. Fun little games that work on these basic skills can likely improve overall accuracy and provide variety in dart training. I would be interested in hearing what non-dart related accuracy-type games you all play.

I will be working on the rest of the dart gift and accessory review and will have it out by the end of the week. Until then, good darts!