How can I improve my darts?

May 27, 202311 min read

Improve my darts featured image with organised practice setup

To improve your darts, work on the whole leg: grouping, scoring, counting, finishing and review. A better throw matters, but better target choice and calmer doubles are often what turn practice into match improvement.

Last reviewed: 23 August 2026. This guide is written for steel-tip players trying to improve at standard 501-style darts.

Quick answer

The fastest practical improvement comes from measured practice. Start by finding your current miss pattern, then train one part of the game at a time: basic throw, scoring numbers, cover shots, doubles, counting and short-leg pressure.

Do not judge improvement only by 180s. Most players get better first through fewer wild visits, tighter grouping, smarter 19s cover shots, cleaner setup numbers and more reliable doubles.

Darts improvement roadmap showing grouping scoring finishing and weekly review — Use the roadmap to improve the whole leg, not just one highlight score.

Step one: get a baseline

Before changing technique, record where you are. Throw 30 darts at big 20, 30 at treble 20 and 30 at doubles. Write down segment hits, treble hits, double attempts and the most common miss direction.

This gives you evidence. If your darts are scattered, the priority is repeatability. If your big 20 grouping is good but treble hits are low, the priority is precision. If scoring is fine but legs are lost on doubles, finishing needs more time.

Step two: build a repeatable throw

A repeatable throw starts with stance, grip, aim, release and follow-through. Do not try to copy every detail of a professional player. Find a stable base and a clean release you can repeat under light pressure.

If the throw breaks down often, read the basic skills in darts and why you cannot throw darts properly. Improvement becomes much easier once the throw produces a readable pattern.

Step three: improve scoring

Scoring improvement is not only treble 20. It includes big 20 control, treble 20 practice, 19s cover shots and the discipline to keep a visit productive after a poor first dart. A steady 60, 85 or 100 often matters more than one isolated 140 followed by three bad visits.

Train scoring with 10 visits at 20s, 10 visits at 19s and 10 mixed visits where you decide after dart one whether to stay or switch. Read how to hit treble 20 consistently and why players go for 19 for deeper scoring work.

Step four: practise doubles every session

Doubles decide legs. Many players practise scoring because it feels better, then wonder why matches are lost after reaching a finish first. If you want to improve your darts, finishing cannot be an afterthought.

Use a doubles ladder: double 20, 16, 10, 8, 4 and 2. Track attempts, not only hits. Then add mild pressure: if you miss three darts at a double, restart the ladder. Pressure should be enough to matter, not so much that the throw collapses.

Step five: learn counting and setup shots

Counting turns throwing into matchplay. A player who knows the route before stepping up can throw with less hesitation. A player doing maths mid-visit often loses rhythm and leaves awkward numbers.

Start with common doubles: 40, 32, 24, 20, 16, 10, 8, 4 and 2. Then learn simple setup routes from 61 to 100. The goal is not to memorise everything at once. The goal is to stop leaving bad finishes by accident.

Diagnose which part of the leg is failing

Improvement gets easier when you stop saying “I need to get better” and name the exact failure. If you rarely reach a finish first, scoring is the main issue. If you reach finishes but lose legs anyway, doubles are the issue. If you leave awkward numbers, counting and setup shots are the issue.

These problems need different practice. A player missing into 5 and 1 needs throw-line and grouping work. A player scoring 60s but never hitting double 16 needs finishing exposure. A player on 62 who keeps leaving 3 needs route practice. Treating every weakness as “accuracy” creates vague sessions.

Improve your first dart

The first dart shapes the visit. A strong first dart can become a marker. A poor first dart can force a recovery decision. Beginners often focus on the third dart because it feels dramatic, but the first dart usually decides whether the visit is calm or messy.

Practise first-dart discipline by throwing single-dart rounds. Step up, throw one dart at big 20, step back, reset and repeat. This removes the habit of using darts two and three to rescue a careless start. Once the first dart improves, full visits usually become easier to manage.

Improve your second decision

Dart two is often the decision dart. If dart one is a good marker, you may stay on the target. If dart one blocks the bed, you may switch to 19s or another cover. If dart one misses badly, you may need to recover the score rather than chase the original plan.

This is why improving at darts is not only about mechanics. You need a simple decision habit: read dart one before throwing dart two. That habit protects visits and helps you avoid turning one miss into three misses.

Practise by level

Beginner: prioritise big segments, stance, grip, release and simple doubles. Your main goal is fewer wild misses and a throw that repeats.

Improving player: prioritise treble 20, 19s cover shots, common doubles and 101 legs. Your goal is connecting scoring to finishing.

League player: prioritise setup shots, checkout routes, match pressure and recovery scoring. Your goal is fewer wasted visits under pressure.

Avoid false improvement

False improvement happens when one good session makes you think a change has worked. A new grip, new dart or new stance can feel exciting for a day because novelty sharpens concentration. The real test is whether the result repeats across several sessions.

Keep a change for at least two or three focused practices before judging it, unless it clearly hurts your throw. Look for patterns: better grouping, fewer wild misses, calmer doubles and more sensible setup shots. One 180 is not enough evidence. A week of steadier visits is evidence.

The 35-minute improvement session

Block	Time	Purpose
Warm-up	5 minutes	Relax the throw and find rhythm.
Grouping	10 minutes	Big 20 or chosen target, record miss pattern.
Scoring	10 minutes	20s, 19s and cover-shot decisions.
Doubles	5 minutes	Use a short doubles ladder.
Notes	5 minutes	Write one cue and one problem for next time.

How often should you practise?

Three to five focused sessions per week is enough for most beginners and improving players. Short, clear practice beats long, tired throwing. If your arm is tense and your focus has gone, more darts may only reinforce poor habits.

For scheduling detail, read how often to practise darts. The right amount depends on recovery, concentration and whether each session has a purpose.

Common improvement blockers

Changing too much: alter one cue at a time so you know what helped.
Only playing legs: matches show problems, but drills fix them.
Avoiding doubles: scoring practice feels good, but finishing wins.
Ignoring 19s: cover shots keep poor visits alive.
No notes: if you cannot say what improved, the session was too vague.

Equipment and setup checks

A stable setup makes feedback more trustworthy. Check board height, oche distance, lighting, board condition, flight damage and stem tightness before blaming the throw. Equipment should support practice, not become a weekly distraction.

Use dartboards for a reliable practice surface, darts for barrel and weight comparisons, dart sets for complete starter options and darts accessories for flights, stems and setup spares.

One-week improvement plan

Day one: baseline big 20, treble 20 and doubles. Record results.

Day two: throw work. Focus on stance, grip and release with big 20 grouping.

Day three: scoring. Use 20s, 19s and cover-shot decisions.

Day four: finishing. Doubles ladder plus 101 legs.

Day five: counting. Practise common leaves and speak the route before throwing.

Day six: match pressure. Play short 301 or 501 legs with one practice cue.

Day seven: review. Keep one drill, one cue and one measurable target for next week.

How to know you are improving

Look for fewer wild misses, tighter groups, more stable scoring visits, better cover-shot choices and more confident doubles. Your average may not jump immediately, but the shape of your game should become steadier.

Track simple numbers: 30-dart big 20 score, treble 20 hits, double attempts, 101 checkout darts and common miss direction. These numbers show progress more reliably than memory.

What to measure each month

Once a month, run the same simple test: 30 darts at big 20, 30 darts at treble 20, 30 darts at your favourite double and five legs from 101. Record the numbers in the same place each time. This gives you a clean comparison instead of relying on how the session felt.

Do not measure too many things. If the tracking becomes complicated, most players stop doing it. Four numbers are enough: big-number control, treble scoring, double attempts and short-leg finishing. Those numbers cover the main parts of a 501 leg.

When to change equipment

Change equipment when it solves a specific problem, not because one session was poor. If flights are torn, stems are loose or the board is worn, replace them. If the barrel slips in your hand or the weight feels uncontrollable after several sessions, compare alternatives.

Do not change darts every time practice gets hard. New equipment can hide the real issue for a few days because it forces you to concentrate. If the old miss pattern returns, the problem was probably technique or decision-making rather than the dart itself.

Sources used

Use feedback, not guesswork

Improvement speeds up when you record what is actually happening. Track grouping, first-dart target, double attempts and the most common miss for a week. If the same pattern keeps appearing, train that pattern directly. Random practice can feel busy, but measured practice tells you what to change next.

Bottom line

To improve your darts, improve the whole leg. Build a repeatable throw, score with 20s and 19s, practise doubles, learn common setup routes and review one clear number each week. Do not chase one highlight; build repeatable visits. Keep the work specific weekly.