Yes, a 70 darts average is good for most recreational and pub-league players. It is not professional elite level, but it is a serious standard: you are scoring regularly, reaching finishes quickly enough to pressure opponents, and making enough doubles for the average to survive the checkout phase.
Last reviewed: 23 August 2026. This guide refers to the common three-dart average used in 501 darts. Some apps show points per round, one-dart average, first-nine average or format-specific stats, so always check what your scoring system is measuring.
Quick answer
A 70 three-dart average means you are averaging 70 points per visit. In a 501 leg, 501 divided by 70 is about 7.2 scoring visits before doubles. In real legs, missed doubles add darts and pull the average down, so holding 70 across matches usually means you have a decent scoring base and enough finishing control to stop the number collapsing.
For casual players, 70 is strong. In many local leagues, it is a player people notice. At higher county, Challenge Tour or professional levels, it becomes more ordinary. Context matters, but for most home, pub and club players, a genuine match average around 70 is a good standard.
What a darts average actually measures
The usual darts average is a three-dart average. The basic calculation is total points scored divided by darts thrown, then multiplied by three. DartConnect describes 501 scoring as points per round, also known as three-dart average. Redfield Darts gives the same formula: total points scored divided by darts thrown, multiplied by three.
The detail matters because averages are not only scoring power. They include the darts used while finishing the leg. If you score heavily but miss ten darts at double, your average drops. If you finish efficiently, your average stays healthier even without hitting constant maximums.
Why 70 is better than it sounds
Newer players often compare themselves to televised darts, where averages around 95, 100 or higher are normal for elite matches. That makes 70 sound modest. It is not modest in ordinary play. Most recreational players do not average 70 over meaningful match samples.
The reason is simple: 70 requires a decent floor. You can hit one 140 and still average poorly if the next visits are 26, 41 and 22. A genuine 70 player limits damage. They hit regular 60s, find treble visits often enough, use 19s when 20s are blocked and get to doubles before the leg drifts away.
Average bands by practical level
| Three-dart average | Rough level | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| 30-45 | Beginner or casual | Board control and counting are still developing. |
| 46-55 | Regular pub player | More reliable scoring, but many low visits remain. |
| 56-70 | Strong league or county edge | Regular 60-plus visits and some strong treble scoring. |
| 70-85 | Top amateur threshold | Checkout percentage and low-visit control become the key gains. |
| 90+ | Advanced or professional territory | Heavy scoring sustained under pressure. |
These bands are guides, not formal divisions. Darts Corner places 56-70 around super league or county standard and 71-85 around PDC Challenge Tour style territory. CSW Darts gives a similar rough ladder, putting 70-85 into semi-professional or top amateur territory. The exact wording varies, but both reinforce the same point: 70 is well above casual beginner standard.
Why one 70-average leg does not prove your level
A single leg can flatter or punish you. You might win a leg in 21 darts and average just over 71. You might also have a messy 30-dart leg and fall far below your usual standard. One leg is too small a sample to define your ability.
Look at sets, matches and sessions. A player who averages 70 over 20 competitive legs is showing something more meaningful than a player who once hit a 15-darter between several weak legs. Reliable standard comes from repeatability.
What a 70 average usually looks like
- Regular 60-plus visits: three single 20s or similar scoring keeps the leg moving.
- Some 100-plus visits: at least one treble appears often enough to lift the average.
- Fewer disaster visits: 26s, 11s and loose single-one/single-five visits are reduced.
- Basic cover shots: treble 19 is used when treble 20 is blocked or the line is poor.
- Working checkout routes: the player understands common leaves and avoids unnecessary busts.
- Better doubles than beginners: missed doubles still happen, but not endlessly.
The hidden enemy: low visits
To move from 70 towards 80, the biggest gain is often not more 180s. It is fewer poor visits. A 26 can undo a lot of good work. So can a careless 5 when you meant to stay on 20, or a panic switch that leaves an awkward number.
A 70 player has already proved they can score. The next step is raising the floor. Turn 26s into 45s, 45s into 60s and some 60s into 100s. That sounds less exciting than chasing maximums, but it is how averages become more robust.
Finishing drag: why doubles decide the number
Imagine two players reach 40 after the same number of darts. One finishes in two darts. The other takes nine. They had the same scoring leg until the finish, but their averages will be very different. Doubles add darts without adding points until the winning dart lands.
This is why checkout practice is not separate from average improvement. If you want a higher average, you need to score well and close legs efficiently. A player who averages 70 while missing many doubles may actually have stronger scoring than the headline number shows. A player who averages 70 with clean doubles may be a very awkward opponent.
First-nine average versus overall average
First-nine average measures the opening nine darts of a leg. It is useful because it focuses on scoring before checkout pressure begins. Overall average includes the whole leg, including doubles. If your first-nine average is strong but your overall average falls sharply, finishing is probably the issue.
If both numbers are low, scoring and board control need attention first. If first-nine is high but match average is stuck around 70, spend more time on checkout routes from 40, 32, 36, 60, 80 and 100.
How 70 compares with professional darts
Professional averages are much higher. Darts Orakel’s 2026 highest averages table shows many individual performances above 115, and televised elite averages above 100 are common enough that fans sometimes forget how difficult they are. Wikipedia’s three-dart average reference lists Michael van Gerwen’s 123.40 televised average from the 2016 Premier League as a historic benchmark.
Those numbers are useful for context, not comparison. A 70 average in a local league does not need to be judged against world-record-level darts. Judge it against your environment, sample size and match outcomes.
Is 70 good in a pub league?
In many pub leagues, yes. A steady 70 average means your opponent has to play proper darts. They cannot assume you will take ten or eleven visits to leave a double. You will often create checkout chances in seven or eight scoring visits, which is enough to pressure casual and mid-level opponents.
In stronger leagues, 70 may be respectable rather than dominant. Against players averaging 80 or 90, you will need cleaner finishing and smarter setup play to stay with them. The number is good, but it is not a guarantee.
How to practise from a 70 base
Do not practise like a beginner and do not practise like a professional. At 70, you need targeted sessions. Spend part of the session on scoring control, part on cover shots and part on finishing. Randomly throwing at treble 20 for an hour will not fix the parts of your game dragging the average down.
Use three short blocks: 15 minutes at 20s and treble 20, 10 minutes on treble 19 cover shots, and 15 minutes on finishing from common numbers. Keep score. If you do not record the session, you will probably remember the best visits and ignore the weak ones.
The 70-to-80 practice plan
| Problem | Practice block | Success measure |
|---|---|---|
| Too many 26s | Big 20 control with a penalty for 1 and 5 | More visits of 45 or 60 instead of 26 |
| Poor cover shots | Switch to 19s after a blocked first dart | Fewer wasted second and third darts |
| Doubles dragging average down | 40, 32, 36, 24, 16, 8 ladder | More finishes within three darts at double |
| Awkward counting | Checkout route practice from 61-100 | Better setup choices under pressure |
| One good leg, one bad leg | Best of 11 against a fixed target average | Less swing between legs |
Do not chase average at the expense of winning
Averages are useful, but they are not the scoreboard. If you need single 16 to leave tops, hitting treble 20 may look better for one dart but ruin the route. Match darts is about the right target at the right time.
A lower-average player can beat a higher-average player by finishing better. Averages explain performance; they do not replace match management.
Equipment notes
At a 70-average level, small setup mismatches become easier to feel. If the dart is slipping, the board is badly worn, or your stems and flights are inconsistent, practice data becomes harder to trust. Compare dart sets if weight and grip feel wrong, dartboards if the treble bed is tired, and darts accessories for flights, stems and replacement essentials.
Equipment will not turn a 50 average into 80 by itself. It can, however, remove avoidable inconsistency once your throw is already reasonably repeatable.
Related guides
For connected improvement work, read whether a 45 average is good, how common a 180 is, where beginners should aim, the best numbers to aim for and whether heavier darts are easier to throw.
Sources used
- DartConnect explanation of points per round and three-dart average.
- Redfield Darts guide to calculating darts average.
- Darts Corner average-level bands and professional comparison.
- CSW Darts guide to good three-dart average levels.
- Darts Orakel statistics database for elite match-average context.
- Three-dart average definition and historical high-average context.
Bottom line
A 70 darts average is good for most recreational players and strong enough to be taken seriously in many pub and local leagues. To move beyond it, do not only chase 180s. Remove weak visits, learn reliable cover shots, improve doubles and make your good scoring legs repeatable across longer match samples.
Visual guide: how to apply this at the board
FAQ
Is a 70 darts average professional level?
No. It is strong recreational or serious amateur territory, but professional averages are usually much higher.
Can you win matches with a 70 average?
Yes. A 70 average wins plenty of matches if the player finishes well and makes sensible setup choices.
What is the quickest way to improve from 70?
Reduce low visits and improve doubles. More 100-plus scores help, but fewer 26s and cleaner finishes often move the average faster.
Is first-nine average more useful than match average?
It is useful for diagnosing scoring. Match average is broader because it includes finishing darts as well.
