Technical aspects of dart aerodynamics?
Michael Link
does anyone know where I can find some useful material concerning
aerodynamic aspects of darts? I'm almost fed up with searching blindly
for the "absolute" dart for my way of throwing.
I searched the web and found jonly some material from Austria by Karl
Heinz Zoechling. Alas, this mainly Deals with psychological aspects. A
friend said it is easier: "Darting is simple: aiming throwing, hitting!"
good darts!
Michael
FHNBBALL
information that you seek. I would highly recommend getting a subscription,
but if you would like to try before you buy, they offer a free trial issue.
The URL is http://www.bullseyenews.com. By the way, no I do not work for the
magazine. But I have had a subscription for the past 10 years and have gained
a lot of insight through it's pages.
Concerning aerodynamics, remember that the fastest route between 2 points is a
straight line. If you watch most of the better players you will notice that
they will throw a hard straight dart. I throw my darts at a high velocity with
quite a bit of spin. And many people have asked me how I developed that style.
I believe that a proper release should impart rotation on the darts, much like
a bullet spin to keep its line of flight. A loose grip is also essential to a
well thrown dart. My best advice would be to get your basics down and
practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. Then you will be
ready to learn the mental aspects of the game, which are really what wins
matches.
Hope this helps,
David Depriest
Michael Link
that's exactly what I was looking for. I'm playing since may 98 and now
experiencing my first slump after some very nice months of winning a lot
in a dart-team. I think: I think too much what I'm doing wrong :-)
BTW, I practise about 1 or 2 hours every day, and saw that my Darts (18
g, long tungsten barrel with short nylon shaft and slim dimplex fly) are
wobbling a lot (for my opinion) if I accelerate them too fast. I get a
better accuracy if I throw them in a slight parabolic curve. But even
then some darts seem to be under control better than others. That's an
important point for me to ask for the article. So it really helps a lot.
Thanks!
Michael
Ed Meyo
I agree with the recommendation of Bullseye News. A good source of
info. I don't, however, agree with all of this:
>Concerning aerodynamics, remember that the fastest route between 2 points is a
>straight line. If you watch most of the better players you will notice that
>they will throw a hard straight dart. I throw my darts at a high velocity with
>quite a bit of spin. And many people have asked me how I developed that style.
> I believe that a proper release should impart rotation on the darts, much like
>a bullet spin to keep its line of flight. A loose grip is also essential to a
>well thrown dart. My best advice would be to get your basics down and
>practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. Then you will be
>ready to learn the mental aspects of the game, which are really what wins
>matches.
Flights eliminate the necessity of rotation to counteract in-flight
instability. Bullets don't have flights, which is why rifling was
invented. Doesn't necessarily hurt, but I don't think you should
change your throw to start doing it. From what I've seen, the better
players do throw a flatter dart, but that's in comparison to very high
floating trajectories. The majority have some degree of arc; there's
only one I can think of that employs a hard, purely horizontal throw.
The question comes down to how much arc is too much.
There is no one right throw for everyone. Guns and archery use
instruments and are more appropriate to standardization of technique.
Most good darters have many similarities (minimal motion, relaxed
grip, solid stance, etc.), but you rarely see identical technique.
Here's what I have come to believe, for what it's worth: Don't try to
change your throw to match your darts, change your darts to match your
throw. If you are getting your first set, that means a lot of trial
and experimentation. Darts should stick in the board either
perpendicular or at a slight up angle. Dart shape, weight, length of
shaft, and type of flight all interact with the throw to determine
entry angle and so all can be varied and tested. Balance is the key.
How much effort you put into getting 'em right really comes down to
how serious you are about having 'em right. If you're not one of
those rare people who can throw 10-penny nails, there's no substitute.
Over time (for many, at least) throw mechanics can change. I
threw long center loads for 13 years. Reduced play at the time was
surely a factor, but they stopped feeling right. A shift to short
front loads worked wonders and I still use them. More often a simple
change in flight or shaft can help minor changes in throw. Watch how
your darts hit the board. If they droop or stick up high
consistently, the balance is wrong for your throw.
That being said, I agree completely with the advice to learn the
basics and practice. There's no magic dart or other shortcut around
that.
Ed
Pete Lamasney
FHNBBALL wrote:
> [...snip...]
> Concerning aerodynamics, remember that the fastest route between 2 points is a
> straight line.
[...snip...]
I believe that should be "...the *shortest* route between 2 points is a straight
line."
Fred
I've found if I throw too hard the dart wobbles and my arm gets sore quickly. And the weight is determined by how hard I throw. Too light it wobbles and/or floats up, too heavy it drops to low. throw the same way every time and find the weight that works best.
Ed Meyo wrote:
I agree with the recommendation of Bullseye News. A good source of
info. I don't, however, agree with all of this:
>Concerning aerodynamics, remember that the fastest route between 2 points is a
>straight line. If you watch most of the better players you will notice that
FHNBBALL
As Pete pointed out it a straight line is indeed the shortest not necessarily
the fastest route between 2 points. But more importantly I don't want new
players to start throwing the dart as hard as possible as a result of my
advice. In my experience if you try to throw the dart hard, you will actually
grip harder, and lose accuracy. I believe that a loose grip, and consistent
arm speed, will produce the desired effect. My philosophy is to stay
aggressive at the line. And always try to throw through your target not at it.
This creates a strong follow through and consistent wrist snap. Also, in my
experience, the top players usually conform to these characteristics. While
there is inherently some degree of arch in the flight path of a dart, these
techniques strive to minimize the amount of lob in the throw. And as most
people would agree a lobbed dart is not the most accurate. Consistency is the
name of the game. And by using a strong aggressive throw you should experience
a reduced margin of error. As for the spin on the dart, I agree that one
should not try to change your style to create spin. However, in my experience,
a proper release will propel the dart to the board with a certain amount of
rotation. In summary, my advice to beginning dart players would be to, throw
aggressive, throw through your target not at it, follow through, keep a loose
grip, and practice as hard as you can.
Good darting
Dave Depriest