While most of the action usually occurs with feet planted firmly on the ground, by the end of a week-long tournament top competitors will have covered about 20 kilometres.

Some of the sport's best gathered at the Hellenic Club in Woden on Saturday for the start of the 34th Australian Darts Championships.

Anthony Fleet of Dunlop has been world doubles and Australian singles champion, but it is the sheer enjoyment of the game that keeps him coming back. ''I've been fortunate enough to travel around the world doing it as a pastime, having a lot of fun and meeting lovely people,'' he said.

Men and women from all states and territories, 128 players in all, are in Canberra hoping to take out a prize in the championships running all this week and vying for the chance to represent Australia in the world championships in Canada later this year.

Fleet was introduced to darts more than 20 years ago by his now father-in-law William Smith, who himself was a darts champion, while others came to the sport through friends or after having a go at a pub.

ACT Darts Council spokesman Ian Batley said the local team was performing quite well given it had a small pool from which to draw players, ranking fourth or fifth on overall points halfway through the day.

Despite its association with drinking, Mr Batley said darts was ''actually a reasonably physical activity''. ''By the end of these championships, most of these people will have probably walked about 20-odd kilometres, just going backwards and forwards to the board and the other running around that you do,'' he said.

Judy Taylor, national coaching director for Darts Australia, offered a few tips for beginners.

To begin with, a player should hold their darts like a pencil.

Hand-eye co-ordination was key to becoming a good darts player, as was lots of practice.