Short answer: A good darts practice routine is short, frequent and measured. Warm up on Around the Clock, spend most of the session on scored treble and doubles drills, finish with one leg of 501 and write the numbers down. 30 minutes most days beats one long weekly session.
By Andy Gibson · Updated 17 October 2026
What is a good darts practice routine?
One that has a target, a count and a time limit. Throwing at a board until you get bored isn't practice. Neither is playing leg after leg of 501 on your own: most of the darts go at the treble 20 and very few at doubles.
Harrows' 30-minute plan is a good template, and every drill in it can be scored:
| Time | Block | What to do | Write down |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 min | Warm-up | Around the Clock, singles 1 to 20 then bull | Darts used |
| 10 min | Scoring | Treble 20 only, a fixed number of darts (e.g. 60) | Trebles hit |
| 10 min | Doubles | Doubles around the board, or Bob's 27 | Doubles hit or Bob's 27 score |
| 5 min | Finish | One leg of 501 | Darts used, checkout |
Two habits make it work:
- Mix your targets. Switching between T20, T19 and the bull within a block is harder than throwing 60 darts at one bed, and your practice scores will dip. Motor-learning research suggests mixed practice holds up better later, although the dart-throwing studies are mixed (Brunel University, 2022).
- Use your match routine. Take the same stance, breath and look at the target before every practice dart that you use in a match. See our darts psychology guide for a five-step pre-throw routine.
How long should you practise darts each day?
20 to 30 minutes is enough to improve, if you do it most days. Across 63 studies of motor skills, practice spread over several short sessions beat the same total time in one block (Donovan & Radosevich, 1999). Coaches say the same: an hour a day beats seven hours each Sunday.
Stop when your throw starts to tire. Tired darts groove bad habits.
What are the best darts practice games?
These six cover scoring, accuracy and finishing. Each has a number you can beat next time.
Around the Clock. Hit 1 to 20 in order, then the bull. You must hit each number before moving on. Count the darts it takes. Harder versions: doubles only, or trebles only.
Rock Around the Clock. Three darts per number from 1 to the bull. Hit it and move up; miss all three and drop back one number.
Big Trebles. Nine darts each at T20, T19, T18 and T17. Score out of 36.
60-plus visits. Throw at the 20s only and count how many visits in a row score 60 or more. Shot's guide: 5 is about pub level, 10 a solid local player, 15 county standard.
Shanghai. One round per number, in order. Only that number scores: single, double and treble count at face value, two and three times. A single, double and treble of the same number in one visit is a Shanghai and wins outright. Solo, play 1 to 20 and beat your total.
Halve-It. A set list of targets, one round each (a common version: 20, any double, 19, any treble, 18, bull). Hits score their value; a round with no valid hit halves your total. It punishes a bad visit the way a match does.
How do you practise doubles and checkouts?
Spend about half your practice on doubles. They decide legs, and solo 501 gives you very few darts at them.
- Doubles around the board. D1 to D20 in order, then the bull. Count the darts.
- 30 at one double. Pick your favourite double, throw 30 darts and count the hits. Then do the doubles either side of it.
- 121. Start on 121 and check out within nine darts. Success moves you up one; a miss moves you down one.
- 80-plus ladder. Start on 80 with three darts per finish. Up 10 on a checkout, down on a miss.
- 201. Finish 201 in as few darts as possible. 10 to 12 darts is good; 7 to 9 is excellent.
Bob's 27 is the best doubles pressure game. The rules are in our darts psychology guide.
A checkout mat at the oche puts the standard finishes in front of you while you practise.
Blade Champions Choice Dual Core - Training Dartboard
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How can you practise darts on your own?
Every drill above works solo, because you play against your own last score. Three things make solo practice harder to fudge:
- The Invisible Man. Play a leg of 501 with a dart limit. Go over it and the invisible man wins the leg.
- An automated scoring system. A camera system such as the Winmau Autodarts Vantage or Target Omni records every dart, keeps your averages and gives you online opponents and drills.
- A smaller target. The Blade Champions Choice training board has doubles, trebles and bulls 50% thinner than a standard board.
Autodarts Vantage - Automated Scoring System
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Choose your option
How do you track your darts progress?
Write down three numbers after every session:
| Number | How to work it out | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 3-dart average | Points scored ÷ darts thrown × 3 | 501 in 15 darts = 100.2 |
| Checkout % | Checkouts ÷ darts thrown at a finishing double × 100 | 3 checkouts from 10 darts at doubles = 30% |
| Drill scores | Your score in each drill | Big Trebles 9/36; 121 reached 128 |
Apps count checkout attempts in slightly different ways, so compare your numbers with your own past numbers on the same app. For context, PDC players checked out at around 37–38% across the 2022 Players Championship Finals.
How many hours does it take to get good at darts?
There's no fixed number. Players who improve quickly practise often, in short sessions, with a target in every drill and a record of the results. Look at your log after four weeks: if one number hasn't moved, change the drill, not the darts.
Practise on the same setup you play on: a board at the right height, a fixed oche on a dart mat or with a laser oche, and even dartboard lighting so there are no shadows on the bed. If your board is worn in the 20, see our dartboards.
For stance, grip and throwing technique, see how to get better at darts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best practice routine for darts?
A warm-up, a scoring drill, a doubles drill and one leg of 501, about 30 minutes in total, with every result written down.
How long should I practise darts a day?
20 to 30 focused minutes most days. Short, frequent sessions beat one long weekly session.
What are good practice games for darts?
Around the Clock, Big Trebles, Shanghai, Halve-It, 121 and Bob's 27. Each gives you a score to beat.
How do I practise darts alone?
Play drills against your own previous score, set a dart limit on 501 legs, or use an automated scoring system for averages and online opponents.
How much practice should go on doubles?
About half. Doubles win legs, and solo 501 gives you very few darts at them.
How do I work out my 3-dart average?
Divide the points you scored by the darts you threw and multiply by 3. 501 in 15 darts is a 100.2 average.
Is playing 501 on your own good practice?
As one leg to finish a session, yes. As a whole session, no: most darts go at the treble 20 and very few at doubles.
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