The hardest thing in darts is not one target. It is repeating a clean throw when the leg is under pressure. A nine-dart finish is the hardest recognised achievement. The inner bull is one of the smallest individual targets. But in real match darts, the hardest skill is staying calm enough to hit the right double, with the same throw, when missing gives your opponent a chance.
Last reviewed: 23 August 2026. This guide explains the difference between hard targets, hard achievements and the pressure skill that decides most games.
Quick answer
If you mean the hardest achievement, it is a nine-dart finish: nine perfect scoring darts to complete a 501 leg. If you mean a single target, the inner bull is brutally small and doubles are unforgiving because you must finish on one. If you mean what actually costs players legs, it is pressure repeatability: keeping the same relaxed, accurate action when the score, opponent and moment all matter.
That distinction matters. Players often argue about the hardest target because it sounds measurable. Match darts are harder to judge because the target size is only part of the problem. The same double 16 that felt routine in practice can feel tiny when it is for the leg.
The three different meanings of hard
Most confusion comes from using one word for three different things. Hard can mean physically small, statistically rare, or mentally difficult. Darts has all three.
| Question | Likely answer | Why it is hard |
|---|---|---|
| Hardest single target? | Inner bull, or a pressure double depending on format. | Small area and low margin for error. |
| Hardest recognised achievement? | Nine-dart finish. | Requires perfect scoring and checkout sequencing in one leg. |
| Hardest match skill? | Pressure repeatability. | You must reproduce the throw when the emotional cost is highest. |
For a beginner, hitting the same big segment repeatedly may be the hardest step. For a league player, finishing doubles usually feels harder. For a professional, the hard part is not knowing what to throw at; it is executing when the opponent is waiting on a finish.
Why the nine-darter is the hardest achievement
A standard 501 leg must finish on a double. A nine-dart finish is the perfect leg: the player completes 501 in the fewest possible darts. It usually requires seven or eight treble-heavy scoring darts plus a clinical finish such as 141, 144 or 167 depending on the route. There is no spare dart in the sequence.
That makes the nine-darter the clearest answer if somebody asks for the hardest achievement in darts. It combines scoring power, route knowledge and double accuracy into one uninterrupted chain. Even elite players who hit maximums regularly can go long periods without producing one on stage.
For most readers, though, the nine-darter is not the most useful training answer. You can respect it as the top-end achievement while still focusing practice on the parts that make your own legs better: grouping, scoring floor, counting and doubles.
Why a small target is not always the hardest shot
The inner bull scores 50 and is smaller than a double segment, so in pure target-size terms it is an obvious candidate. But darts is not only geometry. A target can be small and still not be the hardest shot in context.
For example, a bull attempt on 50 is a single dart at one clear bed. A double 16 attempt for the match may be physically larger, but the player has to manage score awareness, previous misses, opponent pressure and the risk of leaving an awkward remainder. The technical shot is simple. The moment is not.
This is why good players can look loose while scoring heavily but tense up on doubles. Their skill has not vanished. The pressure has changed how repeatable the action feels.
Doubles make darts cruel
The double-out rule is the reason finishing feels different from scoring. In 501, you can score freely until you reach a finish, but the leg only ends when you hit the required double. A missed double does not reduce your score unless it lands in a scoring area that still leaves a legal finish. A bust can wipe out the visit entirely.
That creates a mental trap. The closer you are to winning, the more costly each dart feels. A treble 20 missed into single 20 still scores something. A double 16 missed outside scores nothing. A double 16 missed inside may force double 8. The punishment is immediate.
Dartrankings makes a practical point in its checkout guidance: familiar doubles are easier to hit under pressure because the route is already practised. That is why serious players build finishes around doubles they trust, not just mathematically neat routes.
High finishes show the pressure problem clearly
The PDC has analysed high finishes under pressure and notes that finishes requiring at least one treble and at most one dart at double make up a small share of PDC checkouts. The exact routes vary, but the lesson is consistent: once a finish requires both treble precision and one decisive double, the difficulty rises quickly.
That is one reason the hardest checkout in darts debate is so interesting. Some finishes are technically awkward because of the route. Others are hard because they demand a treble at the right time, then a cold-blooded final dart at double or bull.
For everyday players, this is the more useful takeaway: do not practise doubles only as isolated targets. Practise getting to them through realistic routes, because the last dart feels different after the first two darts have already created the chance.
The difficulty stack
Hard darts sit on top of easier but essential layers. If the foundation is weak, every layer above it becomes unstable.
| Layer | What it means | What failure looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Throw chain | Stance, grip, release and follow-through repeat without conscious rebuild. | Darts scatter with no clear pattern. |
| Scoring floor | You avoid damaging visits and keep pressure on the leg. | One good visit is followed by two loose visits. |
| Counting | You know the route before the pressure dart arrives. | You pause, recalculate and throw without conviction. |
| Doubles | You finish cleanly and recover after misses. | You split badly, bust, or chase the board. |
| Match dart | The same throw survives the moment. | You tighten up exactly when one dart can win. |
Most players want to fix the top layer first. They ask how to hit match darts. But the match dart is usually exposing problems from below: poor setup, weak counting, unfamiliar doubles or a scoring floor that has already made the finish feel desperate.
What beginners find hardest
Beginners usually find consistency hardest. Not trebles. Not nine-darters. Just putting three darts into a controlled area of the board. That is normal. A beginner may hit a treble 20 by accident but still be unable to repeat the group.
The first target is not perfection. It is information. If your darts group low, high, left or right, you can adjust. If they scatter everywhere, your throw chain is changing too much. Start with the advice in the trick to throwing darts: build a simple repeatable action before judging every visit by the score.
What league players find hardest
League players often score well enough to create finishes but lose legs on doubles. This is where counting and route choice become part of technical skill. Knowing the percentage route keeps the mind calm. Guessing mid-visit increases tension.
If you regularly leave awkward finishes, practise from 61, 81, 101 and 121 rather than only throwing at treble 20. The goal is to arrive on a double you actually like. A tidy route to double 16 is usually better than an improvised route that leaves a panic dart at a target you rarely practise.
What advanced players find hardest
Advanced players can usually hit big scores and know common checkouts. Their challenge is repeatability under opponent pressure. When both players are on finishes, the scoring phase is over. Now every hesitation, rushed visit or poor route can decide the leg.
At that level, the hard thing is often emotional control expressed through boring routines. The player steps in the same way, sees the same part of the double, throws with the same rhythm and accepts the result. That looks simple because the work has already been done.
How to train the hardest part
Do not only practise the glamorous shot. Train the layers below it. Use one session for throw-chain repeatability, one for scoring floor, one for counting routes and one for doubles under pressure.
For the throw chain, use a 60-dart grouping drill at big 20. Score the pattern, not the points. For scoring floor, play 30 visits and record how many visits score below 45. For counting, start from 61 to 100 and write the intended route before throwing. For doubles, play a ladder from double 1 to double 20 but restart after three misses to create consequence.
A pressure drill that actually helps
Start from 101 with six darts. If you finish, move to 104. If you fail, go back to 98. Keep the route realistic: treble first when needed, then a sensible setup, then the double. This teaches the transition from scoring dart to finishing dart.
For a shorter drill, give yourself three darts at double 16. If you hit it, move to double 8. If you miss all three, do ten controlled scoring darts before trying again. The reset stops you from angrily firing at the same double with a worse throw.
How equipment affects difficulty
Equipment will not remove pressure, but the wrong setup can make the hard parts harder. A barrel that slips can create grip tension. A badly worn board can reject good darts. Damaged flights can make grouping harder to read.
If you are still finding a stable setup, compare dart sets by barrel shape and grip level. If doubles and trebles are badly worn, look at dartboards. For small changes to flight shape, stem length or point feel, use darts accessories. If you want to compare weights and complete setups, browse darts more broadly.
What not to overrate
Do not overrate one-off brilliance. A random 180, a bull checkout in practice or a lucky treble-treble-double finish can feel like proof that the hardest part is solved. It is not. The hard part is whether you can create similar chances often enough and finish them when they matter.
Do not overrate copying professional routes without understanding why they choose them. Professional players know their preferred doubles, board management and opponent context. A route that suits one player may be wrong for another if it leaves an uncomfortable double.
Do not overrate volume without feedback. Throwing for two hours while making the same mistake can strengthen the mistake. Focused, measured practice is more valuable than long unfocused sessions.
Related guides
To build the layers below pressure darts, read how to aim darts like a pro, whether a 70 average is good, the hardest checkout in darts, how likely a nine-dart finish is and which numbers are least hit.
Sources used
- PDC stats analysis on high finishes under pressure.
- Dartrankings checkout chart guide on routes and familiar doubles.
- Dartshopper guide to 501 rules and double-out finishing.
- Dartist 501 rules guide covering scoring and double-out.
- Dartshopper guide to grip, aiming and preparation.
- Darts Corner throwing guide covering stance, grip, aim and release.
- DartsVA guide to release and follow-through.
- MyDartFinder guide to focused practice and grouping.
Bottom line
The hardest achievement in darts is the nine-dart finish. The hardest isolated target is usually argued around the bull and doubles. But the hardest thing that decides normal games is pressure repeatability: making the same clean throw when one dart can win or lose the leg.
Visual guide: how to apply this at the board
FAQ
What is the hardest shot in darts?
In isolation, many players point to the inner bull or a pressure double. In match play, the hardest shot is often the final double because the consequence changes the throw.
Is a nine-dart finish harder than a 170 checkout?
Yes as an achievement, because a nine-darter requires a perfect leg from 501. A 170 checkout is the highest standard checkout and is extremely hard, but it is one three-dart visit rather than a full perfect leg.
Why are doubles so hard in darts?
Doubles are hard because they end the leg, misses often score nothing, and a bad miss can leave an awkward next double or cause a bust.
What should I practise if I struggle under pressure?
Practise realistic finishes from 61, 81, 101 and 121, then add consequence: move up after a finish, move down after a failure, and keep the same routine on every dart.
