var tips=new Array()

tips[1] = "Tip 1. Focus on the board, ignore spectators, dropped darts, conversation.  Imagine yourself at your favorite practice board at home, and and try to forget the current surroundings."

tips[2] = "Tip 2. Dart points should be rounded, to slide off the wires.  Sharp points will nick the wires and bounce off.  Very blunt, or flat, points will also bounce off as well. Flat-ended points will also mash the fibers into the board, eventually ruining the dartboard."

tips[3] = "Tip 3. Practice in short sessions, about 10 minutes each.  This encourages you to really concentrate on your practice. Then take a few minutes break,and practice another 10 minute session."

tips[4] = "Tip 4. Never just lob a dart at the board, or throw any dart without using 100 percent effort and concentration. Goofing off teaches bad habits, ruining the good habits learned in serious practice."

tips[5] = "Tip 5. Stay Cool! Remember that this is a Game, or a Sport to more serious darters, but no matter how your match ends, the sun will still rise tomorrow morning! Losing your temper is a waste of time and energy, and will only make your game worse."

tips[6] = "Tip 6. Wear comfortable shoes, with firm soles. Avoid bouncy soft-rubber soled sneakers. You want to have a solid base to throw from, and you don't get that standing on an inch of soft foam rubber!"

tips[7] = "Tip 7. Take advice from local bar throwers with a healthy dose of skepticism. That local player with the odd throwing style may win a lot of games in your bar, but pay attention to the national or world class pros when looking for throwing ideas."

tips[8] = "Tip 8. Use rubber O-ring lock washers to keep shafts from vibrating loose. They are inexpensive, and save a lot of distraction and aggravation during a match."

tips[9] = "Tip 9. Always call or otherwise double-check dates and entry information before going to a tournament. It happens all the time, people show up for events that have been cancelled or moved, or want to play in an event that required advance registration."

tips[10] = "Tip 10. When trying out new darts, flights, or shafts, only change one item at a time.  Otherwise you'll never figure out what the effect of any one of those new items might be."

tips[11] = "Tip 11. Carry two sets of darts. That way you will never be in a situation where you have to loan someone your own personal set to play a match.  This is a good idea for what to do with your original darts sets, after moving up to a better dart."

tips[12] = "Tip 12. Pick a bright color for your new darts case. Black is popular, but easy to misplace.  Bright colored cases are easier to keep your eye on, from across a room.  Better yet, get a case with a belt clip, and keep it there."

tips[13] = "Tip 13. Keep your darts clean. Skin acid, beer, popcorn butter, pretzel salt, potato chip grease.. all of these add up to make your darts slick, and downright yucky!  Clean your darts often with a detergent cleaner to remove oils, salt, and dirt. That salty grease layer is what eventually corrodes away the finish and grip on your darts. Windex or similar cleaners work well."

tips[14] = "Tip 14. When picking a new dart, be sure that it has some distinctive spot where you can register your fingers.  This may be a groove, band of knurling, or scalloped area. It is essential that you hold the dart exactly the same way each time, and a good registration point on the dart ensures this."

tips[15] = "Tip 15. Support your local darts shop.  As well as providing equipment when you need it, darts shops are sources of training, info on events, sponsors of events, and generally help keep darts going in their communities. Also, if local darts shops don't exist to promote competitive darts, manufacturers will drop the high quality products and just make mass-merchandise darts. To some extent, this is already happening."

tips[16] = "Tip 16. Rotate bristle dartboards after every 3 to 4 hours of play. This will dramatically increase the life of the dartboard, by reducing wear around high-score areas."

tips[17] = "Tip 17. Avoid gambling.  Playing for an occasional beer is fine, but avoid matches for cash. If you want to play for money, join a money league or compete in a local tournament.  Drinking & Gambling, like Drinking & Driving, is asking for trouble.  Eventually, either you or your opponent will lose more money than expected, or can afford."

tips[18] = "Tip 18. Darts is a Friendly Game!  Always be courteous and shake hands before and after a match, even if you just had your butt kicked.  Next time, you might be the one in the winner's position.  Be sure to thank the Chalker, and buying a good chalker an occasional beer will help ensure having a scorekeeper next time."

tips[19] = "Tip 19. Drink responsibly, and have a designated driver if you don't plan to be responsible later. Having a good time drinking is considerably different from being a drunk.  Don't Drink and Drive!"

tips[20] = "Tip 20. Pick a dart with a comfortable grip that fits your particular hand and skin texture. Too slick a dart will slip when your hands are cold, and too rough a dart may stick to your fingers in humid conditions."

tips[21] = "Tip 21. Drastically reduce bounce-outs!  New darts are too sharp, and will nick the wires, then bounce out. Use a darts sharpener, but not to sharpen the dart.  Instead, round the point, so that it looks like the end of a ball-point pen.  When that rounded point hits a wire, it will slide off into the board!  If you never touch up your points, they will get flat on the end, and also bounce out a lot.  Flattened points will also pound the fibers down into the board, eventually making it rock hard."

tips[22] = "Tip 22. When you aim, focus on the board, not the dart!  Keep your concentration on the board, and imagine just reaching out to place your fingers on that spot.  Follow-through with your stroke the same way, ending with your fingers pointing at the spot on the board that you want the dart to hit."

tips[23] = "Tip 23. Get a steady stance.  A lot of people will argue about this one, but I don't believe that maximum accuracy, in any sport, can be achieved while standing tip-toe on one foot. Especially after drinking a six-pack!  Try keeping both feet on the floor when you throw.. your game will improve in consistency, and your back won't won't hurt as much the next morning! Competitors in EVERY other sport have discovered the benefit of a solid stance, from shooting, to pool, to golf."

tips[24] = "Tip 24. Learn to focus on the board, and ignore your surroundings.  Don't throw that dart until you have your mind settled, and completely on the game.  Sometimes it helps to imagine that you are throwing darts at your board at home, or in your favorite bar.. wherever you are the most comfortable."

tips[25] = "Tip 25. Tired of aluminum shafts vibrating loose?  Use small O-rings as lock washers to keep them from loosening. They work great, and are inexpensive at most darts shops.  Some people screw the shaft down over a poly bag for a similar effect, but this eventually fills up the threads with plastic residue, which may have to be cleaned out with a tap."

tips[26] = "Tip 26. Picking out a new dart set?  Consider how often you throw darts.  If you throw at least 3 days a week, then it may be worthwhile to buy darts that are 90 percent or 95 percent tungsten.  Darts with a higher tungsten content are more durable, and won't wear down as quickly from skin acid, salty snack residue, etc.  The increased durability is worth the increased price of the higher dinsity darts.  Plus, of course, the high-density darts are thinner and generally feel better when throwing."

tips[27] = "Tip 27. Wobbly darts? (Sorry to say, the problem is not usually the equipment.)  Examine your throw.. the dart should stay close to level during the entire stroke.  A wobble only occurs if the dart leaves the hand pointing somewhere other the target. To avoid wobble in the first place, hold the dart level, parallel to the ground, keep it in that level position during the entire stroke, and then follow thorugh straight to the board with your hand, so that the darts stays level. If it leaves your hand level, it won't have a wobble to start with!"

tips[28] = "Tip 28. When mounting a new bristle dartboard, there will be 3 rubber or steel-spring feet included in the package. These are usually mounted on the dartboard to prevent it from wobbling.  Instead, mount them on the backboard. Then, the next time you replace your board, that part is already done!  This is especially handy for bars, or for tournament backboards."

tips[29] = "Tip 29. Make your bristle dartboard last longer!  The single most important thing to do is rotate the board often.  By often, I mean every 2 or 3 hours of steady play, not just once a month!   If you wait until there is visible wear on a wedge, it is too late to prevent that damage. Remove the wire number ring from it's clips, move the numbers so that the 20 is over another black wedge, and then turn the whole board until the 20 is again at the top."

tips[30] = "Tip 30. Need to mark a throw line, without damaging your carpet?  For a temporary line, just use a piece of Velcro fabric strip. The hook side will stick to most carpet, and can be easily placed and removed."

tips[31] = "Tip 31. Improve your team's standing in the league!  The best way to do this is to have a practice night each week, so that your team can play games together.  Meet at the bar scheduled for the next actual league match, and go through the regular team format, against each other. This is a fast way to learn each other's style and preferences, and usually will result in a quick improvement in standings.  It also insures that everyone knows where the next league match will be!"

tips[32] = "Tip 32. Get a grip!  In cold weather, if your fingers get dry and slick, use rosin or darter's finger-wax to improve grip.  If your hands get sweaty in hot weather, use a chalk bag to dry your hands."

tips[33] = "Tip 33. Make your darts last longer!  Most of the wear on a dart is not from hitting other darts. The knurling and grooves wear down from contact with skin acid, salty snack residue, etc.  Clean your darts regularly with soapy water, or a household ammonia cleaner like Windex.  This will remove the acidic oils from the darts, and make the machined grip last much longer.  Removing the oils from the darts will also enormously improve the feel, making them much easier to throw!"

tips[34] = "Tip 34. Improve your league!  Most darts leagues are run by volunteers.  If you are not happy with the way the league is being run, it is usually because the officers are short-handed and overworked, or just burned-out.  Instead of bithching at the local bar, attend a board meeting, and volunteer for a committee, or better yet, run for an elected office. If you see a problem, DO something to help fix it!"


var whichtip=Math.floor(Math.random()*(tips.length))
document.write(tips[whichtip])