Getting the game started is sometimes the big glitch. You keep missing your intended double by the maddening width of a wire. It happens. Cultivate a couple of double in shots so that when one number fails, you can switch to another. Good players often have three or four different doubles they shoot at, all in opposite quadrants of the dartboard. If the player can't hit one double, he will try another. Double 11 and Double 6 are good on shots when you are struggling because they allow most for vertical error. What often happens when the darts aren't flying well is that the player aims too much. This results in a soft dart that invariably hits below the target. With 11 and 6, a low dart might catch the double 8 or double 6.

Double 20 is a popular "in" because it has the most room for horizontal error, and should you hit, the trip 20 that lies directly below seems most inviting. Hitting the double one or double five to open a game is a positive thing. Any double is a good double when you're trying to get in. Double 18 offers the similar advantage of being close to the trip 20. And why is that important, the novice might ask? Because if you get on with your first dart, your second shot is going to be at trip 20. Throwing your darts at one portion of the dartboard is simply a better percentage play, than scattering shots all over.

Until Next Time!
Tony