5 Exercises to Improve Your Darts Accuracy

Accuracy in darts doesn't come from natural talent — it comes from regular practice and targeted exercises. Whether you're a beginner or an intermediate player, these 5 exercises will help you improve concretely.

Before You Start: The Fundamentals

Before working on accuracy, make sure you've got the basics right:

• Stable stance: dominant foot forward, weight on the front of your body
• Consistent grip: hold the dart the same way every throw
• Smooth motion: the movement comes from the elbow, not the shoulder
• Follow-through: extend your fingers toward the target after release

Exercise 1: Around the Board

Goal: work all zones and develop versatility.

How to do it:

1. Aim for single 1, then single 2, single 3, etc.
2. You must hit each number before moving to the next
3. Complete the full round from 1 to 20

Advanced variation: do it in doubles or triples.

Duration: 15-20 minutes. Time yourself to measure progress.

Exercise 2: Grouping on 20

Goal: develop consistency in a specific zone.

How to do it:

1. Throw 30 darts (10 sets of 3) aiming for the triple 20
2. Count how many hit any part of the 20 (single, double or triple)
3. Record your score out of 30

Benchmarks:

• Beginner: 10-15 out of 30
• Intermediate: 16-22 out of 30
• Advanced: 23+ out of 30

Repeat this exercise 3 times a week and you'll see rapid improvement.

Exercise 3: Checkouts (Finishes)

Goal: master doubles, essential for finishing 501 games.

How to do it:

1. Start at 40 points
2. You must finish by hitting double 20
3. If you miss, restart at 40
4. Once successful, move to double 16 (32 points), then double 8 (16 points), etc.

Tip: prioritise doubles 20, 16, 8, 4, 2 and 10 — they're the most common in actual play.

Exercise 4: Shanghai

Goal: develop concentration and accuracy under pressure.

How to do it:

1. Choose a number (e.g., 20)
2. First dart: aim for the single
3. Second dart: aim for the double
4. Third dart: aim for the triple
5. If you hit all three, that's a "Shanghai"!

Work through numbers 1 to 20. Count your successful Shanghais.

Exercise 5: Match Against Yourself

Goal: simulate the pressure of a real match.

How to do it:

1. Play a 501 alone, timing yourself
2. Record the number of darts needed to finish
3. Try to beat your record each session

Targets by level:

• Beginner: finish in under 30 darts
• Intermediate: finish in under 21 darts
• Advanced: finish in under 15 darts

Weekly Training Plan

With 3 sessions of 20-30 minutes per week, you'll see significant improvement in just a few weeks.

Track Your Progress

The best way to stay motivated is to measure your progression. With FindMyDarts, participate in regular tournaments and track your development. Each tournament earns you XP and levels you up — real motivation to keep improving.

Discover your current level and find a tournament near you to put your exercises into practice!