Practice · 2 min read
A 30-minute darts practice routine
A simple, structured 30-minute darts practice routine covering warm-up, scoring, doubles and checkouts, with a way to track your progress.
Throwing darts aimlessly at the board is the most common way to waste practice time. A short routine with a target and a score for each part does far more for your game. This one takes half an hour and covers everything a 501 player needs.
Minutes 0 to 5: warm up
Throw at the 20 bed, not the treble, until your throw feels loose. Then one round of Around the Clock on singles. Don't worry about the result yet. The aim is rhythm. There's more in our warm-up guide.
Minutes 5 to 15: scoring
Ten visits at treble 20. Write down every score and work out your average at the end, or use the scoring practice game. If two darts in a visit block the treble, switch to treble 19 for the third, just as you would in a match.
Minutes 15 to 22: doubles
Three darts at each of your six main doubles: 20, 16, 8, 10, 18 and 12. Count your hits. The doubles practice game keeps track and tells you which double is weakest.
Minutes 22 to 30: checkouts
Pick finishing practice that includes a setup dart, because that is how doubles come up in a match. Two good options:
- The 121 challenge: nine darts to check out 121, move up when you do.
- The checkout trainer set to 41–100, which mixes one- and two-dart finishes.
Keep a log
Write down three numbers after every session: your scoring average, your doubles hit rate and how far you got in the checkout game. After four weeks you'll see clearly which part of your game is improving and which needs more time.
Change it up every few weeks
Once a routine feels easy, swap one part. Use trebles mode in Around the Clock, play Bob's 27 instead of the top six doubles, or move the checkout range up to 101–170.