How to practise darts: grouping drills, doubles practice, checkout maths and etiquette

Warm up

• Throw a few relaxed darts at any target before starting a drill, so your arm finds its rhythm.
• Round the clock (1 to 20 in order, then the bull) is a good warm-up and teaches the board layout. Count how many darts it takes and try to beat it.

Grouping drills

• One target, many darts: throw at one spot for a set number of darts, such as 30 or 60, and watch the spread rather than the score. A tight group in the wrong place means the throw is consistent and only the aim needs adjusting.
• Treble 20 scoring: throw 10 turns at treble 20 and add up the total. Record it each session. Your average will tell you more than how good a session felt.
• Switch targets: when treble 20 is blocked, players move to 19. Practise treble 19 too, so it does not feel like a different game.

Doubles practice

• Round the clock on doubles: double 1 through double 20, then the bull. It is hard and humbling, and it trains every finish.
• Bob's 27: a popular doubles drill. Start with 27 points. Throw three darts at double 1; each double hit adds its value (2 for double 1), and if all three miss you lose that value. Move to double 2, double 3, and so on. The game ends if your score goes below zero. Many players try to finish the board, then beat their best score.
• Favourite doubles: spend extra time on double 20, double 16 and double 8, which you will see most in 501.

Checkout maths

• Learn the standard two-dart finishes first: any number up to 40 that is even is one double; numbers from 41 to about 100 are usually a single or treble plus a double.
• Know the key routes: 100 is treble 20, double 20; 80 is treble 20, double 10 or treble 16, double 16; 170 is treble 20, treble 20, bullseye.
• Plan for a miss: choose routes where a mistake still leaves a finish. Going for double 16 rather than double 8 when you have 32 is the classic example, because a single 16 leaves double 8.
• Avoid the impossible numbers: 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159 cannot be checked out in three darts, so do not leave yourself on them.

Practising like a match

• Play legs of 501 against yourself, scoring properly, including busts.
• Practise under pressure: give yourself a target, such as finishing 81 in six darts, and do not move on until you have done it.
• Keep a simple log of averages, doubles hit and checkout percentages. Small improvements are hard to notice otherwise.

Pub and league etiquette

• Stand still and quiet behind the thrower. Never stand in their line of sight.
• Do not retrieve your darts until your turn is finished, and do not walk to the board while others are throwing.
• Wait to be asked before giving advice on someone's throw.
• If there is a marker or scorer, let them call scores; correct mistakes politely.
• Shake hands at the start and end of a match, and buy the next round if that is the local custom.
• If you join a league, learn the house rules on who throws first, double in or out, and how to settle a tie before you need them.

How much is enough