Tuesday, November 29, 2005

How To Order Pickups:

Howdy Ynz. I'd like to draw your attention to the new sidebar on the right side of this blog page: =====>

This is a section of quicklinks related to Jeff Pickup and some of the work he has done. People very often ask me how they can get the darts they see in the blog and if Jeff can do this, or Jeff can do that. The answer is always yes, of course.

If you like the darts you see and want to buy some please let Jeff know what you are looking for, what changes you'd prefer on the darts (he doesn't make it till you order it - and all sets are somewhat unique). Just make sure he knows you saw his stuff on my blog. Thanks!

Monday, November 28, 2005

Making Good


The winter break between league seasons is a good time to make good. Make good on promises, that is. And I have a couple that I need to enforce. I promised myself I would take a break from darts and as you can see from the pic to the right this is exactly what I am doing. In fact, I am enforcing that promise by removing my dartboard from the wall for a while.

But there is another reason to remove the dartboard from my backboard other than to remove the temptation to pick up a dart and throw it. Indeed, I have hinted to someone special to me that I would like a new dartboard for christmas. So if this comes to pass then I will have a good excuse to put a board back up. Otherwise, I have a different timeline in mind. You see, there is another non-dart related promise I have been thinking about.

I have been working with linux for a few years now and I have decided it is high time to get some sort of certification to prove I am proficient and wise in the ways of linux. Doing so will (should) improve my standing at work as well as provide a bit of satisfaction. SO if that Unicorn Eclipse doesn't find its way down my chimney this year, the board will stay down long enough to study up for an exam or two.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Whimper.. Whimper.. Gone

Well last night was the last league match for the season and while me and my team had a great deal of fun we lost again in a spectacular way. We lost 15-4 to the only team we'd beaten this year. I started the night strong but finished with a whimper hitting very little of note in the last few games I played in. There were a few highlights to mention, one of which was quite a good come back in DIDO 301.

I played one doubles cricket match, which we won mostly because my partner couldn't miss the triples. But I contributed with several bulls in that game so I am happy about it. The best of the night for me came in my singles 'best of three' match which I won 2-0. We started with 501 which I won in a non-spectacular manner. I hit my out before he did. Then we played DIDO 301. He got on first round and I couldn't hit my double all of a sudden. It looked like I was going to be skunked. After everytime he reduced his score I would miss my double in by a wider and wider margin! But, when he had only 98 left, I got on with a double 8, and finished the game 16 darts later. I am proud to say that not once in that game did I ever give up. Somehow I just knew I'd have my chance at an out shot. Anyway, my opponent was visibly crushed and disgusted. Which is too bad, I know the feeling for sure.

I stuck with my 16 gram Radarts last night, as I have used them for almost ever match played this season. I don't think I will use them next February though so I am going to start practicing with a different set immediately (okay not immediately - I need a break from this wicked and cruel game). In fact, I think I am going to take down the dartboard for a while if for no other reason than to remove the temptation to throw.

Monday, November 21, 2005

Tonight's Feel Good Out

Well when is 5 a good score? The answer is that it is a good score when you aim for a triple, and hit it, and then aim for a double, and hit it, and not need to throw your third dart at all. That will make 5 a good score any day of the week. This is what happened to me in practice and it left me feeling pretty good. The odd thing is this. If I had performed this same feat just one wedge to the left, it would be a 100 out and thus note worthy. Doing the same thing in the ones doesn't get the glory even though it is no less difficult.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

The Reduction Begins

There is a Canadian who goes by the online moniker of Dax. He is always giving me terrific advice on how to become a good dart player, how to improve and especially about the mental aspect of the game. His most consistent advice to me (and this has come from other people as well) is to stick with a single set of darts. That is very hard to do as I really like all of my darts. It is like giving someone a huge satellite Tv package and telling them never to turn the channel. How can I never throw the Widows again? Or the Rhinos or the Warriors or the... You get the idea. Realistically, I have become so enamored to the 16 Gram Radarts that they are all I really throw much these days anyway. So it will not be so hard to not throw the others. I can always break them out between seasons for fun, or during parties when there are a lot of people throwing. So I have actually gone through the trouble of packing up the darts I don't use that much, boxing them, and sticking them in the attic. I only have three sets of darts near my board now, and stick to those only. Here they are:



Also. I am going to reduce these to only two sets soon. The top two have something in common and the bottom two have some thing in common. The top two darts are both GT3's by Bottelsen and I like the feel of them as well as the fact that they wear similar clothes. Since this photo was taken I have tried a few different points on the 16 gram GT3's (middle set) but now they are wearing hammerhead points just like the 27 gram set (top). Oops, in the picture the top set is wearing the Pickup Points. Now they are both wearing HH points.

The bottom two sets are both 16 gram. I have been gravitating to lower weights lately and the 27 gram GT3's are likely to me the next to be pruned from my throw set. But for some reason the 16g Radarts (bottom) have a dramatically differnt feel to them and throw much better than the GT3's of the same weight. This may also be a factor in the decision. I may even demote both GT3's and call up some other dart from the collection to serve as the second set. Remains to be seen. League ends on Tuesday so I may even take a closer look at the LCT (Less Commonly Thrown) darts to see if there are any overlooked gems in there given my reduction in weight preference recently.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Dart Swap

Some of the folks over at Sewa Darts came up with the idea of a dart swap. A good way to trade those iffy purchases for something you'd rather have. All of the darts below are darts that I like, but either 1. have some element to them that I'd prefer to change, or 2. are darts that I have more than one set of. So here are the first offerings with a description as well as the reason they are for trade. Also, I am willing to trade them as pictured, barrel only, or with just about any other combination of stem and flight.


Top to Bottom descriptions for the photo immediately above:

1. 28 gram fixed point smooth blask widows. Slightly worn. I'd prefer to trade these for either lighter black widows or black eagles. The only reason I am willing to trade these is because 28 grams is too heavy for my taste. If no one wants them I will likely have Jeff Pickup "illusion taper" them.

2. 25 gram fixed point black "edge grip" Great Whites from Bottelsen. Hardly used. I'd prefer to trade these for other bottelsens, possibly Hammerheads. I like the grip on these darts pretty well but something about them doesn't fir my throw. Perhaps they are too fat (9/32" barrel) or slightly too heavy.

3. 24 gram Powerpoint Dimplex. As is. I'd prefer to trade for other powerpoints but I guess I am open to almost anything. I like the grip on these darts but I wish they were thinner and longer.



1. 20 gram fixed point Halex Tungstens. These are in very good condition and the only reason I got them in the first place is so I could have a backup set for the darts my girlfriend got me one Christmas. The trouble with them is that they are 20 grams whereas my originals are 22. Thus they are not really backups.

2. 20 gram fixed point Halex Nickel-Silvers. These are probably the first set of steel tips I ever bought. I like them okay but I don't use them much anymore so I am willing to trade them.

3. 18 gram fixed point Halex Brass. As brass darts go these are gems. I have three sets of them though so losing one set is no big deal to me.



1. 27 gram fixed point Harrows Axis. When I first got these darts I liked them quite a bit and threw with them fairly often but I have migrated to the lighter weights and so do not use them much anymore. The grip is very unique. They are very slightly front loaded but I consider them middle weighted darts.

2. 19 gram moving point "Hawkeyes". These may be Halex darts but I am not sure. I cannot remember where I got them and their case is long gone. As pictured they are wearing hammer head points and dyna-star stems. Be warned though, if you want the hammerhead points you can but one is bent a little and I have never bothered to straighten it out. I bought them that way from a store in Elizabeth, PA, and didn't notice at the time.

3. 17 gram fixed point who knows what they are darts. These darts are terrific. I have two sets otherwise they would not be up for trade. I have no idea what material they are made of. They are mostly smooth darts but they have very slight rings in the barrel, just enough to give them an "almost texture." The threading in the back for the stem is 1/4" and I have bought 1/4" aluminum stems for them.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Almost Okay

Last night's match was a nother defeat for my team but good times were had by all. At least this week my team didn't have to completely carry me like they did last week! In fact I did almost okay last night.

My first match was a doubles cricket which we won. My partner was hitting her trips and I hit three bulls in the last two rounds for the win. In fact that was a close one! In our opponents last round they hit a solid hat trick to bring themselves within 10 points of us, but I hit that last needed bull with my last dart. The next match was a doubles DIDO 401. I had the same partner and we won again. I doubled in on the 8 in the first round and took an 8 out for the win.

My singles match was very well played by both me and my opponent but he got the best of me. He was far and away their best darter so I am happy I gave him a run for his money. He won the first game, cricket, because I couldn't hit my bulls at all. Otherwise that game would have been mine. Next game was DIDO 301 which went well for me. I hit a 92 in on my first round and finished the game in 19 darts, 4 of which were misses at the double out, and one of which was wasted in the single bull for the very first dart of the game. The tie breaker was a SIDO 501. It was tight, but he hit his double before I hit mine, although I had at least ten darts at the out before I lost. All I could do that game was whittle it down to bones.


These are the darts I used last night. They are 24 gram Piranhas by Harrows. FP with in-between leangth nylon shafts and black poly pear flights. They are a good dart. I have been leaning lighter lately though.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Pickup Points


Here are some GT3's with Pickup points rather than the HH points I bought to go with them. I did not put the Pickup points in there on purpose necessarily, I just decided to take off the Fixed Point conversions for a while in favor of moving points and these were closest to my hand. Er.. wait.. perhaps the HH Spinpactors are locktighted into some other darts. Not sure. Nonetheless, someone asked me about them recently so I thought I'd show what they look like in GTs.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

A Pickup Original

While I was doing business with Jeff Pickup and describing to him what I wanted in my Dagnabits, he was kind enough to send me a sample dart of what he usually does. It is an original design with him and has some very nice features. He only sent me one however, and so I do not have a full set of them. From time to time I pick it up (perhaps I should say: from time to time I 'Pickup' the dart - haha) and give it a few throws. It feels great. It is about 19 grams and has a nice grip to it. Here it is:


I have in the past several months come to appreciate a lighter dart. In fact I have a set of 16 gram darts that I use almost every week at league and every time I pickup this lone dart I keep thinking boy, it sure would be nice to have a couple more like it. Anyway.. a poster over at Sewadarts had asked me about it so I wanted to blog it for his benefit. I took another pic of it by a metric ruler too, so he could see it is NOT, unfortunately for him, exactly 44 mm long. but rather a healthy 51 or 52.