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Any darter who wants to win more matches and increase their skill level, electronic or
steel, has to learn the ’01 game outshots.
It does not matter how great of a cricket player you are if you cannot win an ’01 game. The bottom line is that a true competitive darter has worked to learn the outshots and brings their aggressive and winning attitude to the line for every single game. This includes the ’01 games.
In the last issue of BEN (Nov/Dec 2003), Chicago darter Chuck Downer shared his take on the electronic outshots. This darter knows what he is doing as he is one of Chicago’s best darters in both the steel-tip and the electronic dart arenas. As Downer states, the first step in improving your ’01 game is to learn the outshots and to practice these outshots. Here are some tips and tricks to learning your outs:
• Watch other darters who have some experience and concentrate on what the darter shoots for
when approaching an out, or already down to an out.
• Play competitively in leagues, draw doubles and tournaments where you will meet, shoot
with, and shoot against other high-caliber darters who know the outshots. Most darters are glad to help others to learn the outshots!
Take care not to interrupt another darter while the darter is playing or preparing for a match. Instead, introduce yourself, compliment the darter and ask if the darter would be interested in chatting after the draw or tournament to help you with your outs.
• Bring an out-chart (or the Electronic Out Shots from the last issue) with you when practicing and playing. Use this information and revisit this information. Refer to the chart when watching teammates or playing your own game.
• Take time to know the total number of points for the doubles and triples on the board.
• Start thinking out of the box and STOP always throwing at the bullseye for 50 points per
dart until the score is down to a low number.
Use the out-chart and think ahead! When playing electronic darts, the bullseye is one of the largest high-scoring areas on the board, but in most cases, there are better options that help keep you from busting, give you a 2-dart out, or shots that are a better percentage shot. The goal is to win the game and that means making each and every dart count so that the game is won in as few darts as possible. You may develop preferences, but remember to keep an open mind and consider other options that might be better choices.
• Always take the time to know exactly what you plan to shoot when you step up to the line,
and just as important, know exactly what number you will target next if your first dart does not hit the number you were aiming for.
• There are no exact right or wrong ways to take a game out, and often times there are many
ways to take out a game. The out-charts usually give only one option, but the reality is, there are usually several options. Do not rely on an
out-chart as the ‘only’ option. Again, watch other darters, ask questions, understand the ’01 strategies and use this information to hone your own skills.
• Aim for numbers where hitting a triple will NOT create a bust and cost a lost dart or
turn, requiring another round of darts to win. You might not have another shot at game.
• Take advantage of ALL the numbers on the board, including the doubles and the triples.
With only one dart in hand and an even number between 22 and 40, you must aim and hit a double to win the game.
• Another reason to purposely take advantage of the doubles for game shot is that aiming for
the double, keeps your darts farther from the triple, decreasing your chance of busting.
• Buy a small notebook that fits in your dart case and record the outs that you hit and that
your opponents hit. Writing this down will reinforce the numbers in your mind and also give you something to reference when you are not sure what to aim for.
• Reread the Electronic Out Shots article from the last issue, and reread it again as you are fine-tuning your outshot strategies. Some darters pick up on the math and the outshots more quickly than others and there is a lot of information to absorb. Rereading Electronic Out Shots over and over will help you to remember the numbers and outshot strategies. The second time this information has been reread might be what it takes for some of these outshots to ‘click.’
• As Downer claims, “Practice, practice and practice some more. This includes a
practice routine where you aim for, and hit, the singles, doubles and triples.
This will only give you confidence when you step up to the line for a winning game shot in a competitive match.”
• Lastly, do not get frustrated. Outshots are not learned in a day!
Remember that the key to winning the ’01 games is not only throwing solid darts but, more
importantly, knowing your outs like the back of your hand so there is no hesitation when you step up to the line.
Then, following through on that knowledge, hitting the out for game shot. There is no magic involved in becoming a better ’01 player – this simply involves hard work, practice, competitive play, and determination. As with learning anything that is new to you, this will take time but knowing your outs will make you a more competitive player and you WILL win more games. Shoot well!
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