Improving at darts comes down to building a consistent, repeatable throw. Natural talent helps, but the players who improve fastest are the ones who focus on fundamentals and practice with purpose. Here are seven tips that will genuinely make a difference.
1. Find Your Natural Grip — Then Don't Change It
Your grip is the foundation of your throw. There's no single "correct" grip — professionals use everything from two-finger pencil grips to four-finger cradle grips. What matters is that your grip is:
- Comfortable — no tension or strain in your fingers
- Stable — the dart doesn't wobble or rotate before release
- Consistent — you can pick up the dart and find the same grip every time
- Clean on release — your fingers come away smoothly without dragging or flicking
A common beginner mistake is constantly changing grip based on YouTube tutorials. Find a grip that feels natural, then commit to it for at least a few weeks before adjusting. Your muscle memory needs time to develop.
Pro tip: Hold the dart at its balance point (where it balances on your finger) and build your grip around that point. This gives the most neutral launch angle. Barrel shape affects where this balance point sits — straight barrels balance in the middle, while torpedo barrels balance further forward.
2. Lock in Your Stance
A consistent stance creates a stable platform for a repeatable throw. The standard approach:
- Dominant foot forward, touching or close to the oche line
- Weight on the front foot — roughly 60–75% of your weight
- Back foot for balance — positioned comfortably behind, slightly to the side
- Body angled sideways — roughly 45–90 degrees to the board. Most professionals stand fairly side-on.
- Stand still — your lower body should be completely static during the throw. No leaning, swaying, or lunging forward.
Watch any PDC broadcast and you'll notice how still the top players are from the waist down. Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Luke Humphries — all the movement comes from the arm.
A quality dart mat with a built-in oche line helps you find the same foot position every time.
3. Aim with Your Dominant Eye
Eye dominance matters in darts. Your dominant eye should be the one that lines up with the dart and the target. To find your dominant eye:
- Extend your arm and point at a small object across the room
- Close your left eye — if your finger is still pointing at the object, you're right-eye dominant
- Close your right eye instead — if your finger stays on target now, you're left-eye dominant
If your dominant eye is on the same side as your throwing hand (right-handed, right-eye dominant), you're in the most natural alignment. If they're on opposite sides (cross-dominant), you may need to adjust your head position slightly to get your dominant eye behind the dart.
4. Simplify Your Throwing Motion
The throwing motion in darts is fundamentally simple: it's a controlled pendulum from the elbow. The upper arm stays relatively still, the forearm does the work, and the wrist provides the final acceleration.
Key points:
- Elbow up — your elbow should be at or slightly above shoulder height, pointing at the board
- Pull back smoothly — bring the dart back towards your face in a controlled motion
- Accelerate through — the throw should accelerate from the pull-back position to release, not start fast and decelerate
- Release at the right point — the dart should leave your hand when your forearm is roughly vertical. Releasing too early sends the dart high; too late sends it low
- Keep your elbow still — your elbow is the hinge. If it drops or moves sideways during the throw, your accuracy will suffer
5. Follow Through Every Time
Follow-through is the most commonly neglected part of the throw, and one of the most important. After releasing the dart:
- Extend your arm fully towards the target
- Point your fingers where the dart should go
- Hold the position for a moment before pulling back
A good follow-through doesn't affect the dart after it's left your hand — the dart is already gone. But it ensures your release point is correct. If you cut the throw short or snatch your hand back, your release point changes, and so does where the dart goes.
Watch Luke Littler's throw in slow motion: his arm extends fully after every single dart, fingers pointing at the treble 20. Rob Cross and Nathan Aspinall are also excellent examples of textbook follow-through.
6. Practice with Purpose, Not Just Volume
Throwing 500 darts at treble 20 builds endurance, not accuracy. Structured practice routines build accuracy faster:
Round the Board (20 minutes)
Hit each number from 1 to 20 in order, then the bullseye. Once you can do this consistently, upgrade to doubles only — hit each double from D1 to D20 plus double bull. This builds your accuracy across the entire board, not just the 20 segment. Use a scoreboard to track your progress.
121 Checkout Practice (15 minutes)
Start on 121 and practice checking out. This forces you to work on trebles, doubles, and calculate finishes under pressure. If you miss a checkout, start that visit again.
Bob's 27 (20 minutes)
A popular scoring game that tracks your doubles accuracy. Start with a score of 27. Throw 3 darts at each double from D1 to D20 plus D-Bull. Hit the double: add its value to your score. Miss all three darts: subtract the double's value. If your score hits zero or below, you're out. A score over 400 is excellent.
The key is tracking your scores over time. If you scored 180 on Bob's 27 last week and 220 this week, you're improving — even if it doesn't feel like it in the moment.
7. Keep Your Equipment Consistent
Changing your darts, flights, or shafts constantly means your muscle memory never fully adapts. Pick a setup and commit to it:
- Same weight, same barrel — switch if something genuinely isn't working after a few weeks, not after one bad session. Not sure what to throw? See our beginner's dart buying guide.
- Keep flights fresh — worn flights affect dart flight. Replace them before they're shredded. Read our flights guide for more detail.
- Sharpen your points — blunt steel tips cause more bounce-outs. Dart grip and sharpening tools take 30 seconds per dart.
- Carry spares — broken shafts and torn flights mid-session break your rhythm. Keep extras in your dart case.
What the Pros Use
Looking for inspiration? These are the setups used by some of the world's top players:
- Luke Littler — 23.5g Target darts with medium shafts
- Luke Humphries — 23g Red Dragon darts with integrated flights
- Michael van Gerwen — 25g Winmau darts
- Gerwyn Price — 22g Red Dragon darts
- Gary Anderson — 23g Unicorn straight barrel darts
- Josh Rock — 24g Target darts
- Nathan Aspinall — 23g Target darts
- Peter Wright — 22g Red Dragon darts
Browse all player darts to find your favourite pro's exact setup.
Ready to upgrade your equipment? Browse our darts, accessories, and boards. Set up at home with our complete dartboard setup guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get good at darts?
With regular, focused practice (30–60 minutes, 3–4 times per week), most players see noticeable improvement within 4–6 weeks. Hitting consistent doubles takes longer — expect several months of dedicated practice. The key is structured practice, not just throwing at treble 20.
How do professionals practice darts?
Most PDC professionals practice 2–4 hours daily, mixing focused routines (doubles, checkouts, specific targets) with match-play simulation. Many use scoring games like Bob's 27 to track doubles accuracy over time. The emphasis is always on quality of practice, not just volume.
Should I copy a professional's throw?
Studying professional technique is useful for understanding fundamentals, but don't try to carbon-copy a specific player's throw. Every player has different body mechanics. Instead, focus on the principles — consistent grip, stable stance, elbow as hinge, full follow-through — and let your natural throw develop within that framework. Watch Luke Littler, Gary Anderson, and Gerwyn Price for different styles that all work at the highest level.
Why do my darts keep going left (or right)?
Consistent lateral drift usually means your elbow is moving sideways during the throw, or your release is off-centre. Film yourself from behind and check: is your elbow staying in line with the target throughout the motion? Also check your stance — if your body is too front-on or too side-on, your natural arm path may not point straight at the board.
Sources: PDC player technique analysis; World Darts Federation coaching resources
