Getting Started

Darts is a professional competitive activity, a traditional pub game and a sport which is gaining popularity in many countries worldwide.  To excel at darts takes many hours of practice but it is easy to get started.  The stereotype of large, male players is changing rapidly as the improved fitness of players impacts on the game.  After all stamina, balance and precision are at the heart of darts.  Women players continue to make their mark on the sport too.

The sport of darts is believed to have originated in Medieval England when archery teachers began shortening arrows and having their students throw them at the bottom of an empty wine barrel.
The fact that the bottom of an empty wine barrel was used is a clue to how the game developed into a pastime. It is thought that the soldiers took their shortened arrows with them to the local drinking establishment to both exhibit their skill and have fun at the same time. When the bottoms of wine barrels proved to be inconvenient or in short supply, some inventive dart thrower brought in a cross-section of a moderate sized tree.

The "board" provided rings, and when it dried out, the cracks provided further segmentation. This cracked and dried board began to evolve into what we think of as the current dart board.
The roots of darts in America can be traced to the Pilgrims who were reputed to have played the game on the Mayflower as it made its ocean crossing. It was then played avidly in America whenever leisure time was available.

Darts remained largely an Anglo-American sport until the Victorian age when it was spread world-wide by the great expansion of the British Empire. The sun never set on the British Empire and there was always a dart in the air.
Around 1900 the rules and darts began to settle into what they are today and the standard throwing line of 7 ft. 9 1/4 inches was established in the 1970s.

Kit you'll need

All you will really need is a set of darts and a board (and you can probably do without your own board initially).  As you get more serious you will inevitably want to invest more in your darts and find a set and weight that suit you best. 

It probably goes without saying that drinking alcohol won’t improve your game and so if you are involved in serious match play make sure you are drinking something sensible to keep hydrated….

What's Good

Darts is a fun sociable activity that can be enjoyed by anyone and is easy to get into.  If you take some time to practice you will quickly see the benefits and your game will improve.  And darts is great for getting the old grey matter working and your mental arithmetic will improve as you calculate the best double finish.

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