Having a Drink Really Does Make You Better at Darts

A.' As in singular.

May 17, 2017 9:00 am

“I do better after a few drinks.”

An incredibly stupid, reckless statement that’s … possibly true. At least in bar games.

VinePair recently collected research past and present about the effects of alcohol on dart games. Let’s start with #hero John B. Watson, an early 20th century psychologist credited with the advancement of methodological behaviorism (aka understanding behavior solely through measureable events), who somehow legally requisitioned 34 gallons of rye during Prohibition to test out a theory of dart prowess during inebriation.

His conclusion? While unofficial, Watso noted that “the drunker [the students] got the better they shot.” A Wired story from a few years back also noted a study where archers tended to perform better with a blood alcohol level of 0.02 … which means, yes, a drink did help a bit (by relaxing the body and slowing movement). The researcher, Thomas Reilly, did another study on darts players that pretty much confirmed the first result: a BAC of 0.02 will improve a player’s balance and accuracy, although hand-eye coordination fell off even after one drink and more than one tipple completely ruined performance.

Conclusion: If you drink, stick to darts. And one drink. Then call a cab.

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