ADA Monthly Pro - Rebecca Rainwater

We'd like to introduce everyone to Rebecca Rainwater, the American Darter's Association October Monthly Professional. As part of GLD Product's partnership with the ADA they have put us in touch with Rebecca so she could answer a few questions.

How did you first get into darts?

I first got into darts by a group of friends at a bar just after turning 21. That led to a group of us just throwing together for fun then starting our own little in-house tournaments and leagues until I was introduced to the ADA and the rest is history.

What is it about darts that you enjoy the most?

The personal sense of accomplishment I get when I throw well and the sense of comradery that I feel when I thrown in leagues and tournaments.

What is a story you have of a game or moment throughout your darting career that really sticks out to you?

I guess that would have been my first ADA tournament that I went to when I was first playing darts. A friend invited me to go with her to this tournament out at the casino.

I didn’t think I had the skill level needed to play in a tournament and she assured me that when I lost in the first round that I could go down to the casino and play until she was done winning the tournament. I laughed at the time because I was sure that was going to be the outcome.

Well, at the end of the day, I was the one who had won and my friend ironically had been knocked out in the first round. I was so proud that day, and utterly amazed.

Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in darts but doesn't know where to start?

Sure, if you are interested in darts, go up to your neighborhood bar and start playing. Dart players will tend to drift up and talk to you or offer to play with you. Otherwise, just go up and chat with people that are playing.

Dart players are some of the nicest people and are usually happy to see new people that want to play. Some long time players are willing to impart advice and tips to newcomers. Also, you can check online for dart leagues in your area. I always find tournaments and leagues on the American Darters Association website!

What is something you struggled with when you first began playing darts, and how did you overcome it?

Consistency. I’m not sure that I have totally overcome it. I still have bad days and good days for throwing. I was encouraged by a fellow dart player to practice what I was trying to hit number by number until I could hit what I was aiming at 9 times in a row, then move on to the next number and so on until I could do that on each number or section of the board. He encouraged me to do this every day and if you missed you started over your count of the amount of times for the number you were aiming at. Yes, it sounds tedious and on many occasions it has been but it helps to instill muscle memory and ability to feel when something isn’t right with your throw so you can make necessary adjustments.

Where is your favorite place to play darts?

Larry J’s is my favorite place to play darts. He offers steel and soft tip boards, leagues just about every day of the week, tournaments on weekends, has the best bar staff, and has some of the best dart players in town! He is located at 4000 Weber Road, St. Louis, MO 63123. Open 7 days a week!

If you could play against any player, who would you pick?

Gosh, that is a hard one. There are so many great dart players out there professional and amateur that I would enjoy play against and learning from. It’s really hard to pick just one. I guess one person I would love to have a match with would be Lisa Ashton from England. Not only is she an amazing female player but she is considered the best female player in the world.

Do you have any pre-match superstitions?

I don’t really have any pre-match superstitions. I do have a particular set of darts and flights that I always play with. Other than that, I am pretty laid back in my approach to darts.

We'd like to once again take this time to thank Rebecca for taking the time to talk with us a little bit about darts.