Well, I finally got a good long practice session in last night. I tried the finger flicking practice to perfect my release. Not easy. In fact, kinda painful. I have arthritis in my fingers and what this exercise teaches you is to get your fingers to ‘snap’ the dart at the release point. If you have sore knuckles is there an alternative? Normally when I throw, I have good follow-through but my fingers don’t open up much. My grouping’s good, targets hit isn’t terribly bad, well, my doubles kinda suck…but is this finger release an important requirement? I don’t wanna have to take pain killers just to throw darts.

George S.

The short answer is no, not if it hurts. Shooting darts shouldn’t hurt. Physical ailments such as arthritis, of which I have a mild case, can interfere with a person’s game but it appears that how you do it accommodates the arthritis and you get the groupings you do, so maybe the finger release is not something suited for you. Not everything is best for everyone and the point of it all is that you become satisfied that you are doing as well as you may expect too, which I hope is how you feel and that maybe you find help from some of the other drills and “stuff.” Please get back to me via email and we’ll explore this some more.

Like everyone else I need a little re-enforcement once in a while that Flight School “stuff” helps, and this report and other posts here, helped a bunch. I read so many posts on SEWA from people who are struggling with certain things which I know I talk about in Flight School, I get anxious about why they don’t get the point. Then this post shows up, among with the others here, and I get happy again. I got as much excitement from your experience as you, Wolf, well – maybe a different kind of excitement. I love it when I can think I might have contributed a little to someone’s success, even though all I did was suggest some “stuff” and they did all the work.

George Silberzahn: Wolf wrote Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:58 am    Post subject:

Please be careful that you don’t compete with yourself? That could be a disaster

Wolf wrote: I’m guessing that’s the whole idea behind Flight School, to keep the practices from being a competition with yourself? I can see how that would have a reverse affect.

George Silberzahn: OK, I can sleep tonight.

          

I thought I would share a few bits on my progress since really starting on the drills a week ago. I have, where possible, set aside at least one a day for a week to go through the drill that George has sent me. Some of the drills can become extremely tedious; however you must remain focused and commit to hitting the target you have set yourself. Over the last week I have seen a gradual increase in the accuracy with the hitting of trebles and doubles I set each practice session.

My arm action, release and follow through have all been feeling good. Even my focus and concentration feel as though it has been ‘getting’ there. However, last night I played in our regular Wednesday night league and the whole arm action, release, focus etc., all went t!ts up! I lost 2-1 and threw the worst darts I had thrown all season. Why would this happen after all the ‘right’ practice and warm-up before the match everything felt good, I know it wasn’t nerves?

BTW I’m not quitter; I was so disgusted with the way I played last night, that before I set off to work this morning I decided to have 15 mins on the board just to reduce the potential mental damage and guess what, everything was back to normal, even hit a 180! I will be back on the board again tonight, but in the meantime please share your thoughts and progress.

John Part

Sometimes when you practice in a very regimented fashion you develop a comfort factor within that practice format and place. You invest much time on the practice board, and all of a sudden the league match seems like a very foreign place, with none of the comforts of home. Try to play as many real games as you can at the league venue on the night before play to help re-adjust your mindset to the real world.

Tanman

I will certainly give that a go John.

In between comps, do you find practicing alone or playing 501 with some else best to improve your game and focus?

John Part

I have traditionally found practicing alone very effective. I like to supplement that with sessions against good players to help with the more practical side of playing in the real world.

Tanman

Well back on the board last night and it was a good practice session, generally hitting all the targets I went for most of the time, grouping and accuracy were also good.

Arm action and release felt good.

Begged the wifey to let me out to the pub tonight so that I can get some ‘valuable’ (that’s how I put it) practice against other players ahead of an important cup match next week.

One thing is sure about darts and that is that 90% of the game is mental, if confidence is low, boy are my darts poor, but these are all areas to work on and using George’s practice routines definitely help with confidence.

George Silberzahn

It’s so good to hear the “stuff” works for you. I can’t tell you how that brightens my day. I hope you get a note from wifey so you can get that ‘valuable’ practice. Have a pint of practice for me?

Tanman

Just thought I would check-in and share some more progress, because that’s what it is, positive progress – onwards and upwards!

I’ve been concentrating on the drills again this last week and can see a small improvement in the way I play the game.

Certainly from reading the additional information in George’s book (a must for all dart player’s) I now understand and feel when my stroke is good and bad and also I’m in a position where I am able correct it if the first dart thrown is poor. This is definitely slow going but I can feel benefit.

I’ve been concentrating on the drills again this last week and can see a small improvement in the way I play the game.

Don’t get me wrong I won’t be taking on the likes of Phil Taylor and beating him, but my grouping and consistency has without doubt improved in practice, especially if the first dart lands plum in the ‘Lipstick’.

Last night I played in our league in the Cup final, which as a team we won, now although I won my game 2-0 in 34 and 25 darts (50.95avg) which isn’t going to set the world on fire, but both times I set up a 1 dart finish and hit it first dart right in the centre of the double!

To be fair the venue the final was played at was crap and to maintain focus and concentration was a nightmare for all of us, but I think spending the hour’s, and I mean hours, practicing on your drills was what helped me win.

BTW, I did get that ‘valuable’ practice on Friday night, played one guy best of 13 legs, won 7-0 with a 60.12avg and best game I had was 16 darter.

I shall report in again soon!

Tanman

Hi George, I’m still playing and what a difference I have made to my game since been an original member of flight school.

We have just completed our Winter League for 2007/08 and although we ended up runners-up for the 3rd consecutive year my average has improved.

At the end of our Winter League for 2006/07 I had stats of:

Played 14, Won 7, Legs Played 36, Legs Won 17, Tons 33.74, Tons/Leg 0.93, Highest Finish 93, Fastest Game 18, Overall Average 50.91.

This season:

Played 13, Won 9, Legs Played 32, Legs Won 21, Tons 44.96, Tons/Leg 1.40, Highest Finish 83, Fastest Game 18, Overall Average 57.39.

As you can see a good improvement, but its all down to practice and more importantly the RIGHT type of practice. Thanks for the tips George.        

          

steve_g  Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:55 am    George, since I started flight school, i have come on leaps and bounds, in the last few weeks i have increased all of my PB’s in the practice ranking games, and all because of the little word of advice you gave everyone some time ago, which in my own words read as, relax, remain calm and trust your mechanics. If I could do that, I found I was hitting my targets with more consistency and also what everyone wants, MORE ACCURACY!

I also like everyone else here at flight school am saying many thanks for your words of wisdom and encouragement.

Keep the good advice coming, am loving it all!!

Steve G.