Fun-dart-men-tals

Rating out of

fun-dart-men-tal (fun'dârt men'tel) adj. 1. serving as, or being an essential part of throwing winning darts, the essential foundation or basis of play; basic skills; underlying abilities: fundartmental principles; the cornerstone structures of throwing well; (i.e., Mechanics, Mathematics & Mental Attitudes). 2. of, pertaining to, or affecting the foundation or basis of throwing well and winning more: a fundartmental technique. 3. being an original or primary source of winning: a fundartmental victory n. 4. a basic darting principle, rule, law, or the like, which serves as the ground work for developing a winning throw or system of play; essential part: to master the fundartmentals of throwing well and winning more. Syn. 1. indispensable darting skills, essential throwing abilities, necessary game strategies, elementary winning techniques, first, primary, chief, principle, main, or central winning skills used by darters. 2. first. Ant. second place, last; least; loser. - Quote from the cover of the book

I owned six other dart books prior to purchasing this one, but nothing in those books really stuck out as something to review. They all more-or-less followed the same pattern: defining the different parts of the dart, how high/far away to hang a board, rules to 1/2 dozen games or so, etc.). Great books if you've never picked up a dart before, but not real useful to someone that's been throwing for awhile and none of them really stuck out as 'The best of the rest'.

Well, that has finally changed with Fundartmentals. It concentrates on all the subjects that will help you to establish/improve your game as opposed to an 'encyclopedic' definition of the game and it's components. It goes into detail on both the physical attributes of the game (grip, stance, etc.), but more importantly it delves into the mental aspects of the game (math, attitude, strategy, etc).

Pros:

The Numbers. It goes into great detail explaining the numbers, their location, what to throw & why. This will make you think differently when throwing 501, especially when you start getting close to a three dart out.
The Humor. I try to add a little humor on the dart site to help break the 'dullness' of the subject I'm writing about. This book does this same thing much better than I ever could. I pulled this book out to read while on an airplane flying to Kansas City, the person sitting next to me noticed that the book was about darts and made a comment to the extent 'I thought all you had to do was throw at bulls'. Imagine his surprise when, from time to time, I let out a chuckle. It just makes an already invaluable book that much more enjoyable!
The Explanations. They don't just give you advice on a situation and leave you hanging, they tell why you should use that strategy and all the pitfalls you will potentially face if you choose to do otherwise.
Charts/Graphics. Hey, I like charts and graphics and this book utilizes them very effectively. Both as instructional tools and 'visual aids' (ie. humor).
Last but not least, the Price. It's only $12.95 plus $3.00 S&H. Either click on one of the book graphics above to access the site or simply click here!

Cons:

Ok, how, after all I've said, could there be a con? Well, there is and there isn't, it's up to the authors. The book mainly concentrates on a thrower's strategies for '01 games and just touches upon Cricket strategy. They explain why and it makes sense (you'll have to read the book to find out), but they also mention on a number of different occasions about writing a second book (yes, you guessed it, Fundartmentals II) that will go into much greater detail on Cricket strategy. While the authors have indicated to me that they are dedicated to the concept of producing a follow-up book, ("Fundartmentals II") the specifics of its contents and/or its proposed release date have not yet been announced. I guess I'll have to keep dropping hints until they give in! :-)

Recommendation: This is simple, BUY IT!! The bottom line is that this book was written by a dart thrower that loves the game, for dart throwers that want to get better. It's the old feeling of "Hey, I've been in that situation before and know what he's talking about" that makes you want to read more. It doesn't matter if you've only been throwing for ten days or, like me, you've been throwing darts for over ten years, you will learn something from this book.

Contact Information for the book:

Anglo-American Darts, Inc.
5378 State Road
Parma, OH 44134

Phn: 800-521-1231
Fax: 216-351-9518
Email: shop@angloamericandarts.com

Or you can order the book directly from: