The Stiff-Wrist Dart Throwing Technique

The Stiff-Wrist Dart Throwing TechniqueVince Migliore

I want to discuss an alternative method of throwing darts. The traditional dart throw involves keeping the dart pointed towards the target while the thrust is generated by a combination of muscle movements. In the Stiff-Wrist technique the thrower remains essentially motionless except for the forearm and upper arm. By reducing the number of moving parts, the dart thrower has fewer variables to contend with, and this increases the accuracy of each throw. A mechanical engineer, Chris Pawlicki, wrote a book on throwing dice at a craps table. The book, How to Control the Dice, enabled casino players to dramatically increase the odds of throwing a selected number. He did this by controlling the various aspects of the throw and reducing the number of factors that affect the outcome. The same principles can apply to throwing a dart. The accuracy of any dart throw depends principally upon the velocity and direction of travel at the time the dart is released. The throwing technique employed by the vast majority of players uses a large number of muscle groups to generate that thrust. This includes: Extension of the fingers (Figure 1) Flexing of the wrist (Figure 2) Extension of the forearm and upper arm (Figure 3), and Leaning-in towards the target push-off from rear foot (Figure 4).

Figure 1. Flexing of the fingers occurs when the player attempts to keep the dart pointing forward through the arc of the forearm swing.

Figure 2. Flexing the wrist.

Figure 3. Forearm and upper arm extension. This provides most of the thrust.

Figure 4. Forward thrust during the throw. This is distinct for the stationary stance.

These different muscle movements all add velocity to the throw, and the determine the speed and direction of the dart. An error in any one of these movements will have an adverse effect on accuracy. The idea of the Stiff-Wrist throw is to eliminate several variables to provide greater control and accuracy. The Stiff-Wrist throw eliminates finger extenion, wrist movement, and the forward lean during the thrust. That leaves just two muscle groups to contend with, the forearm and the upper arm. Of course, the accuracy of the throw will still depend upon the speed of those arm movements, and the timing of the release, but now the player can focus of just the arm movement, and lock that in to a repeatable pattern. The Stiff-Wrist method entails a grip on the dart that doesnt change during the thorw. The dart point then is facing downward at the time of release (Figure 5). Extending the forearm at the elbow is the major force for exerting velocity to the dart. Upper arm movement is minimal. Dart professionals point out that a downward-facing dart will introduce wobble in the flight of the dart. This is true, but that wobble is dampened quickly due to the aerodynamics of the dart. Stop-frame video analysis reveals that the dart orientation will correct itself by the time it reaches the approximate mid-point of its flight. During the descenting arc towards the target, the orientation is essentially the same as with the standard throwing method (Figure 6).

Figure 5. In the Stiff-Wrist throw, the fingers and wrist remain stationary. This means the dart point is facing down at the time of release.

Figure 6. The dart orientation corrects itself at about the mid-point in flight.

Ive been using the Stiff-Wrist throw for a few months now, and Ive noticed a significant improvement in my game scores. The throw is a lot more natural when youre not focused on keeping the point of the dart level. It feels like you are tapping on the blackboard with a pointer. My hope is that other dart players will consider adopting this technique. In summary, the Stiff-Wrist throw provides an accurate alternative to the traditional method of playing darts. The point-down orientation of the dart is self-correcting, and the throw feels a lot more natural. By eliminating multiple sources of error the player improves his mastery and control of the dart flight path. ~ ~ ~

Vince Migliore is a technical writer and amateur dart player in Folsom, California. The Stiff-Wrist dart throwing method is illustrated in a video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xnxrkpChRg.