Question What are some methods or ways that I can get rid of dartitis? My arm starts twitching if I bring it back too far and at times it feels like my hand doesn't want to release my dart. I know that its mainly all mental, but how do I get past that.
Answer Hi mate, I do sympathise. I've never been unfortunate to suffer myself but have seen some really excellent dart players ruined by this (at least for a while)
The good news is, it can be beaten but the bad news is that it takes time and regular practice.
The cases I have seen have taken up to 8 months!!
Most people agree that this is a mental rather than physical problem, so I will let you know what my fellow players did to overcome the proble,m.
First thing...borrow some heavy darts (30g +)and see if the heavier dart is less trouble to throw. Sometimes , the increased weight makes the release easier. You can always begin to go lighter as the problem recedes.
Having either moved to a heavier dart or not (it doesn't always work), it is essential to start regular practice at throwing but not particularly aiming. In fact any idea of 'improvement' in your head will be counterproductive.
You need to spend an hour a day, trying to clear your mind of 'aiming' and just toss the darts towards the board with the aim simply of getting them to stick in. If you have old sets of darts then get them out and toss off as many sets as you have. eg 5 sets , you end up with 15 darts in the board. - Saves time for this exercise.
What we are trying to do through repetition here, is simply re-educate the brain to release the dart. It is only after constant repetition and the achieving of a smooth release that you should gradually attempt to add aiming skills such as getting all the darts in the bottom half of the board, then move to a specific quarter or third of the board, each step being small .
Do not complicate the brain process with thoughts of stance and technique , these form part of the second stage which begins when your throw is smooth.
After a bout of dartitis you are like a new player, and you then have to begin to tune your equipment ,hold and stance to your new 'post dartitis' personality. My friends tell me the before and after differences can be dramatic, but again this fine tuning takes patience and practice.
