I got into darts after a trip to Blacksburg (Va Tech) where my sister is in school and where darts is the thing to do. I don't play often, but I'm interested in where there are decent set ups around Raleigh and what any of you have done for a darts set up at home (real darts; not electronic or soft)

Personally, I'm not interested in league play (right now; maybe in the future), but feel free to mention it for others that may be.

2/23/2010 9:24:15 AM

I used to have a dart board in my house set up at the official height and with the distance (toe line) marked off.

Not much to it really. Definitely use real darts. I would recommend putting a board between the dartboard and the wall that spans out a bit. You probably won't miss much, but friends who come over may. A few small holes isn't a big deal, but they can add up. - you can buy something made for the purpose, or just use a piece of wood or corkboard. Personally, I'd go with something the darts will actually stick in rather than bounce off. otherwise, it can mess the tip up. If you make something yourself, you can always fasten a piece of cloth, sheet, etc. to it to make it look more finished.

Darts come in different materials, weights, and sizes. I'd recommend holding a few in the store and seeing what you like and just go with that to start with. Obviously, the smaller the dart, the better you can group them. But some people like throwing with a thicker dart or a heavier dart and don't want to pay the price of tungstan. If you want a smaller dart that is also heavier, you need to get tungstan darts.

But once you get a set, stick with them for a while. Once you get used to the dart, i think trying another weight or size will give you a better comparison. And get a good bristle board, it will last longer and look better.

You can find the official measurements pretty easily via google. I think height is like 5'8" to the bullseye, and about 7' 9" to the toe line from the surface of the dartboard.

[Edited on February 23, 2010 at 10:46 AM. Reason : .]

2/23/2010 10:40:30 AM

champions, in mission valley has darts.

2/23/2010 10:49:43 AM

high park does as well.

2/23/2010 11:25:10 AM

as does PB's pool hall. and i think sharky's as well... not certain though.

2/23/2010 11:26:34 AM

yep the pool hall definitely does.

I believe Tir-Na-Nog has darts as well. Flying Saucer should, but if it's like Charlotte you'll retire before you ever get a chance to play.

The thing about most bar setups is that there is always a group of "locals" who think they own the board and either never let anyone else play or give you a hard time if you happen to be there first on "their night". I'd rather throw at home any day.

2/23/2010 11:58:46 AM

So i've gotten back into the dart game recently, playing a couple times a week. Where can i go to find a decent dart selection? I've checked out my local Dick's and their selection stinks.

1/25/2011 10:51:18 AM

Big Boss has free darts

1/25/2011 10:53:27 AM

If you're in Durham, Green Room, although be sure to bring your own darts. I think my friends and I have single-handedly destroyed every decent set they have.

1/25/2011 10:55:12 AM

I had a nice dart board growing up in our "rec room." Put some cork wall behind to prevent holes in the wall. Still had some retarded friends who would mitch williams that shit around the cork wall. Step-dad didn't like that at all.

1/25/2011 11:05:09 AM

i'm going to put a cabinet up soon. I just need some darts. The girlfriend is surprisingly really good and throws a heavy dart with a real thin flight. It matches her throw great, but i throw more of an arch and these darts don't fit that style.

1/25/2011 11:12:07 AM

there is a league that rotates through southern wake and johnston counties. i know one of the "bases" is the draft house on 42.

1/25/2011 11:48:48 AM

Yes Sharky's has darts. Mac's and Upper Deck in Cary also have darts.

1/25/2011 11:57:14 AM

Darts are what you play when you're too drunk to play pool. They should never be the primary form of amusement.

1/25/2011 12:03:28 PM

I put my dartboard on a piece of plywood and covered it with the fake green turf carpet. I believe I used a 3*3 piece of wood, which caught almost all of my misses. I did notice that if I really blew a shot, it was likely to fall way low, so I had a dozen or so holes in the wall below the board after 3 years. If I did it again, I would strongly consider backing all the way to the floor, and possibly covering with cork (they'd sometimes bounce off the plywood.)

1/25/2011 12:26:30 PM

my family and I are pretty big into darts. we use this board:



it seems to hold up better than real cork.

we also prefer wood darts:



but for me it depends on the shot.

we don't use a back board because we play in an unfinished garage but any piece of corkboard will do, and if you want to wrap it with felt to make it look nice that'd be cool too



always get something to keep score on like that whiteboard or a cabinet with chalk boards in it.

you can get an official (thick) board with darts and a nice cabinet off craigslist for $50 or so at almost any time.

1/25/2011 2:14:47 PM

Had a dart board set up in our apt in college. If you plan to have others (esp girls) use your dart board, then a backboard is highly recommended. We had a lot of drunken dart nights, and after plenty of alcohol and dicking around, behind the back and other shots would've put tons of holes in the wall. I'd say 90% of shots miss low, so cork-board to the floor may be the best bet.

Ah, college.

1/25/2011 3:43:34 PM

There's like a six division Darts League that tons of bars in Raleigh/Cary participate in, just go ask around at some local bars, if you're a noob you'd probably be best joining a team in F division, the guys in A/B are damn near professionals


[Edited on January 25, 2011 at 7:57 PM. Reason : GET DAT 190% TUNGSTEN DART SHAFT]

1/25/2011 7:55:58 PM

1/25/2011 8:11:52 PM

so back to my original question for bumping this thread...where can i get some legit darts? Anyone ordered them online? the big box sports stores weren't that great.

1/26/2011 3:56:12 PM

pipes by george on Hillsborororororo st

last set i got was from Dick's / Unicorn brand

1/26/2011 4:05:23 PM

cool.

just ordered a nice Winmau Blade 4 board for the house. I love amazon!

1/26/2011 4:54:46 PM

does anyone that has a board at home feel like it's a lot closer than it does when throwing at a bar? I've taped my throw line off several times because it always feels close, but i know it's right.

4/26/2011 9:50:46 AM

Probably because you're not usually as drunk at home.

4/26/2011 10:31:29 AM

pipes by george is the place to go to buy darts.

was able to look at and throw several darts before deciding on the ones i wanted to buy.

4/26/2011 11:08:10 AM

what did you get?

4/26/2011 11:10:35 AM

The Raleigh Dart League plays at several local bars on Wednesday nights. Like someone else on here mentioned, you probably want to start in one of the lower divisions and try to work your way up. The top two teams from each division go up a division the next session and the bottom two go down. I've been on a team for years that started in the lowest division, worked our way up to A division, and are now dropping down after losing a couple strong players. The guys in A division really are that good (I can't compete with them), so I'll be happy to settle in bouncing between B and C divisions.

There are also local tournaments at a couple places. I think Upper Deck and Rally Point both have one.

Check out http://www.raleighdartleague.org/ for more information. The next session will be starting at the end of summer.

4/27/2011 11:27:47 AM

god i love my home dartboard these days. Do you guys have any practice drills or things to do when throwing alone to help your skill? I usually try playing 1 player cricket moving from 20 to bullseye in order and trying to win in 21 shots or less. but im sure there are better things out there.

5/12/2011 9:46:16 AM

There are a variety of practice games. One really simple one is just play a game of baseball, and count your runs at the end. That's a better judge of your accuracy because the luck factor is taken out, unlike cricket, where you can be aiming anywhere in the 15-16 pocket and get lucky even if you miss your target.

If you don't know, baseball is where you throw three darts at each of the numbers 1-9 in successive order, and each number is an inning. You get 1 run for a single of that number, 2 for a double, and 3 for a triple, with a maximum score each inning of 9 (obviously). The nice thing is it requires you to take shots all over the board, and the only way you get anything is if you hit the number you're aiming at. It's more unforgiving, but a much better way of judging if you are actually improving.

If your target now is to wrap up a game of cricket in less than 21 rounds, then you should probably consider a good game of baseball at about 9 runs or greater.

[Edited on May 12, 2011 at 7:35 PM. Reason : did you mean 21 shots or rounds? b/c if 21 SHOTS, then that's a whole different ballgame]

5/12/2011 7:34:29 PM

21 shots or less. starting at 20. either (3) singles, or a combo of double and single, or (1) triple. But i make myself close out the number before moving to the next so if you screw up the first 3 darts you can really throw your score off. then moving down the board to bullseye. I haven't made it in 21 shots quite yet but i'm getting closer. I'll look into baseball, thanks!

5/16/2011 4:02:24 PM

I've been wanting a cork dartboard for a while, but I haven't been able to find one locally (Dick's, Sears, Wal-Mart, etc.). I know there's a game store up on Glenwood that I haven't checked yet. Where else should I check around here?

5/16/2011 6:16:02 PM

so you don't want a bristle board?

5/17/2011 10:39:45 AM