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Dear BEN,
Can a person really learn how to shoot darts from a book?
The short answer is NO, and YES, but that just starts the discussion.
There is so much instinctive ‘feel’ to this game that it must be learned on several
levels. So, the choice of what to pick up first, a dart or a dart book is pretty clear cut. Pick up the darts.
Playing the game is what a person must do in order to learn it. Having an
excellent guide from the beginning is a good thing! That’s where the book comes into play.
After a person gets started, the love of the game takes over, and a person makes
choices about how much they wish to dedicate to their game.
Sometimes a player becomes curious about how another person manages to play
better than they do, and they discover innate skill is not the whole answer when it comes to proficiency. So, they begin the quest to maximize the natural skills they possess. If the person is lucky, there may be good players around from whom they can learn. If they are even luckier, they may have great players to consult.
Unfortunately, competition breeds secrecy and what the great player has learned that
has helped them become great becomes the secret. They tend not to help a person they view as a competitor, although there are the rare exceptions.
The question becomes how can a person learn what they are doing, or not doing,
that gets in the way of maximizing their skills? Then, how can a person correct what they are doing or not doing? Would listening to someone who understands the feeling of a dart not being shot well just as it leaves your hand, help? Would it help to hear from someone who understands the finer points of dart shooting?
Taking it a step further, would a person benefit by getting expert advice from a
group of the best American players to have played the game, rather than just one? How good would it be to have these expert players available for consultation on a specific part of a person’s game while it is on that person’s mind?
Back to the original question, can a person really learn how to shoot darts from
a book? Well, if the player’s game does not need improvement, or things are going well and the person is hitting practically everything they shoot for, or if the person just wants to ‘throw darts,’ then the answer really is no! But, if the person does not win as much as they wish, or wants to be a competitor, or wants to identify what is causing a slump or impeding their game, the answer is absolutely YES.
While there are many books about darts on the market, there is one book that
includes expert advice from many of the game’s best American players. One which requires re-reading to capture the wisdom in it. One that becomes practically a reference book. It is How To Master The Sport Of Darts.
—George Silberzahn
How to Master the Sport of Darts by George Silberzahn is
available from Bull’s-Eye News, PO Box 321, Pickerington, OH 43147 or here online  for $14.95 plus $5.95 for shipping and handling (up to 4 different or same
books). Or you can call 1.800.688.3278 and use your Mastercard or Visa to order your copy.
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