How to Improve Your Darts Game

Darts is a fun and rewarding game, and the best part is that you can focus on improving the areas that matter most to you.

Whether it’s perfecting your grip, finding the stance that feels right, sharpening your aim, or creating a solid practice routine, you get to decide what works best for your style of play.

There are lots of simple tips and routines you can try to improve your darts game, allowing you to mix and match strategies that fit your goals.

Ready to take your darts skills to the next level?

Improve Your Grip

Your grip is the foundation of your darts game. A good grip helps you control the dart’s trajectory, release it smoothly, and improve accuracy.

Grip Improvement Exercises

Grip Repetition Drill

Hold the dart as you would during a game, focusing on the perfect grip.
Release the dart slowly and deliberately, practicing a clean, smooth release.
Repeat 20–30 times, paying attention to how the dart feels in your hand.

Balance Practice

Hold the dart at different points along the barrel to see where it feels most balanced.
Once you find the sweet spot, practice holding the dart and releasing it without any wobble.

Weight and Flight Testing

Try darts with different weights and flight shapes.
Test which combination works best for your grip and throw style.

Try to balance the dart. Make sure the dart is balanced in your hand. The weight of the dart should feel even, not tipping forward or backward.

Target Grip Drill

Aim for a specific target (e.g., a bullseye) while focusing only on your grip.
Don’t worry about hitting the target; just observe if your grip feels stable and consistent.

Mirror Practice

Stand in front of a mirror and watch your grip and release.
Look for tension in your fingers or an uneven release, and make adjustments as needed.

Combine grip practice with throwing techniques. Focus on keeping your grip consistent throughout your throw. Practice releasing the dart smoothly without applying extra force.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid gripping too tightly. A tight grip leads to tension, causing jerky throws and poor accuracy.
Avoid bunching your fingers, as thid reduces control.
While practicing is essential, avoid overanalyzing during a game. Let your muscle memory take over.

What Makes a Good Grip

Comfort Is Key: Choose a grip that feels natural. If it feels awkward or forces your hand into a strange position, it’s not the right grip for you.
Firm but Relaxed: Hold the dart firmly enough to keep control but not so tight that your fingers become tense. A relaxed grip ensures a smoother release.
Finger Placement: Use three fingers (thumb, index, and middle) to hold the dart. The thumb supports the dart underneath, while the index and middle fingers guide it on the sides. Make sure your grip is balanced; the dart should not tilt forward or backward.
Wrist Alignment: Keep your wrist straight and relaxed. Avoid bending your wrist inward or outward, as this can affect the dart’s trajectory.

Improve Your Stance

Your stance sets the foundation for balance, stability, and accuracy in darts. A good stance keeps your body aligned, minimizes unnecessary movement, and helps you focus on your target.

Stance Improvement Exercises

Find Your Sweet Spot

Stand in your normal stance and throw a few darts.
Experiment by adjusting the angle of your feet or how far forward you lean.
Note which position feels the most stable and natural.

Balance Drill

Stand in your dart stance and hold your position for 20–30 seconds without moving.
Practice maintaining your balance, especially if you’re leaning forward.

Weight Transfer Practice

Shift your weight slightly onto your front foot and then back to ensure you feel comfortable.
Repeat this a few times and settle into a stance where your weight is evenly distributed and stable.

Stance Freeze Drill

Shift your weight slightly onto your front foot and then back to ensure you feel comfortable.
Repeat this a few times and settle into a stance where your weight is evenly distributed and stable.

Combine stance practice with throwing techniques. Focus on staying still during the throw. Maintain your stance consistently across all throws for better results.

Common mistakes to avoid

Standing too upright. Without a slight forward lean, you might lose stability and reduce accuracy.
Over-leaning. Leaning too far forward can throw off your balance and make your throws inconsistent.
Feet too close together. Standing with your feet too close reduces stability, making you wobble during the throw.
Too much weight on the back foot. This reduces your control and can lead to weaker throws.

What Makes a Good Stance

Comfortable and Balanced: A proper stance should feel natural and balanced. You should feel steady, not wobbly.
Dominant Foot Forward: Place your dominant foot slightly forward, pointing toward the dartboard. Your non-dominant foot should remain at a slight angle behind you for support.
Lean Slightly Forward: Lean your torso slightly toward the dartboard. This reduces the distance to the target. Keep your back straight and avoid over-leaning, which can throw off your balance.
Stay Relaxed: Keep your body relaxed and avoid tensing your shoulders or legs.

Improve Your Aiming

Aiming is one of the most important skills in darts. Consistent and accurate aiming helps you hit your target more often and score higher. It’s all about focus, alignment, and repetition.

Aiming Improvement Exercises

Target Practice

Pick a specific number or segment on the dartboard (e.g., 20, 19, or the bullseye).
Practice aiming for that spot repeatedly until your accuracy improves.

Focus Drill

Stand at the oche (throw line) and close your eyes for a moment.
Open them, focus immediately on your target, and throw the dart without hesitation. This builds reflexive aiming skills.

Follow the Leader

Throw your first dart at any target.
Aim the next two darts as close to the first dart as possible, regardless of its position.

Visualization Exercise

Before throwing, close your eyes and visualize the dart hitting your chosen target.
Open your eyes and throw with that visualization in mind.

Trust your instincts. Overanalyzing your aim can lead to hesitation and errors.

While practicing your aim, incorporate it into your overall throw. Focus on aligning your arm and keeping your eyes locked on the target.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid looking at the dart or your hand during the throw. Keep your eyes on the target.
Do not rush. Take a moment to aim properly before throwing. Rushing often leads to inaccuracy.
If you miss a shot, don’t immediately change your aiming technique. Stick to your method and adjust gradually.

What Makes a Good Aiming

Eyes on the Target: Always focus on the spot you want to hit, whether it’s the bullseye or a specific number. Your eyes should remain locked on the target throughout your throw.
Body and Arm Alignment: Your throwing arm, shoulder, and target should form a straight line.
Lean Slightly Forward: Lean your torso slightly toward the dartboard. This reduces the distance to the target. Keep your back straight and avoid over-leaning, which can throw off your balance.
Consistent Routine: Use the same aiming routine for every throw. Consistency is key to building muscle memory.

Improve Your Throw

Your throw is the final step that brings together your grip, stance, and aim. A good throw is smooth, controlled, and consistent.

It’s about using the right mechanics and releasing the dart at just the right moment.

Throwing Improvement Exercises

Slow Motion Drill

Practice your throw in slow motion, focusing on each step: grip, aim, release, and follow-through. This helps identify and correct bad habits.

Release Timing Practice

Hold the dart at eye level and practice releasing it gently toward the board.
Focus on releasing the dart at the peak of your forward motion.

Follow-Through Drill

Throw the dart and hold your follow-through position (arm extended, pointing at the target).
Check if your hand naturally points where you intended to aim.

Distance Control

Stand at varying distances from the dartboard (closer or farther than usual).
Practice throwing with the same mechanics to improve control over dart flight and force.

Group Consistency Exercise

Throw three darts in a row, aiming for the same target.
Focus on making all three throws consistent in motion and release.

While practicing your throw, integrate it with your grip, stance, and aim.

Common mistakes to avoid

Do not use too much force. Darts is about precision, not power. Throwing too hard often leads to inaccurate throws.
Avoid moving your shoulder. The shoulder should remain stationary; the forearm does the work.
Do not rush. Take your time to align, aim, and release smoothly. Rushing creates errors.

What Makes a Good Throw

Smooth Motion: A proper throw is fluid and relaxed, with no jerky movements.
Elbow as the Pivot: The movement should come from your forearm, with the elbow acting as the hinge.
Controlled Wrist Flick: A slight flick of the wrist adds precision and spin to your throw. The flick should feel natural, not forced.
Follow Through: After releasing the dart, let your arm continue its forward motion.

How to Improve Practice Routines

Practice is the only way to build muscle memory and consistency.

For beginners, it typically takes 2-4 weeks of regular practice for muscle memory to start developing. This is when your grip, stance, and throwing motion begin to feel more natural.

Many players find that after 2-3 months of consistent practice, their throw, grip, and stance feel automatic.

Focus on specific aspects of your game, like hitting doubles, triples, or the bullseye.
Practice hitting certain numbers repeatedly (e.g., aim for 20 or 19).
Track your progress by writting down your scored during practice. This helps you to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Practice under pressure. Play with friends or in competitions to simulate real-game scenarios.