10 darts exercises to get better fast at home

Just playing games of 501 is fun, but you improve slowly. With targeted exercises you train exactly the skills that yield points: hitting accurately, finishing doubles and performing under pressure. Ten exercises, from easy to tough.

Accuracy (start here)

1. Around the Clock: hit the numbers 1 through 20 in order. Easy to remember, trains the whole board
2. 20 on 20: throw twenty darts at the 20 and count your hits. Note the number and beat your record every week
3. Blocks of ten: ten darts at treble 20, ten at treble 19, ten at the bull. That way you discover where you leave points

Finishing (this is where you win legs)

4. Doubles ladder: from double 1 to double 20. Miss three darts in a row and you start again at double 1
5. 121: start on 121 points and try to finish in a maximum of six darts. If you succeed, move to 122. If not, one back
6. Bob's 27: start with 27 points and throw three darts at double 1, then double 2, up to double 20. Hits add up, three misses cost you the double value. Below zero is out
7. Favourite finishes: play 40, 36 and 32 out ten times each with a maximum of three darts. These are the scores legs are won on

Match feel

8. 501 against the clock: play a leg alone and note how many darts you needed. Try to bring that number down per week
9. Shadow match: play 501 against an imaginary opponent who scores exactly 45 every turn. Lose and it is straight into a new leg
10. The closer: every session ends only when you hit double 16. That way your last dart of the evening gets used to pressure

How to hold on to progress

Fifteen to twenty minutes a day beats three hours on Sunday: your body remembers short, regular repetition best. Note your scores in a notes app and ensure a fixed throwing distance, because whoever stands at a different distance every day trains a different throw every day.