The fastest way to improve at darts is structured practice rather than endless 501 games. A good routine starts with a 5 to 10 minute warm-up, then rotates between three skills every 10 to 15 minutes: scoring (treble 20 grouping), doubles (around the clock), and checkouts (the 121 game). Track your numbers every session so you can see the trend over four to six weeks.
Why drills beat games: A normal 501 leg gives you only a handful of throws at any one target, so it never isolates a weakness. Drills concentrate dozens of darts on a single skill, which is how grouping and doubles accuracy actually get built. Rotate tasks so practice stays sharp instead of stale.
What Are the Best Dart Practice Drills?
The best dart practice drills each isolate one skill: around the clock builds all-board accuracy, treble 20 grouping builds scoring, doubles around the clock builds finishing, and the 121 game builds full checkouts under pressure. Cricket and Shanghai add variety and a self-competitive score to beat. The table below summarises what each drill trains and how to run it.
| Drill | What it trains | How to run it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around the Clock | All-board accuracy, target switching | Hit 1 through 20 then the bull, in order, 3 darts per turn | Beginners |
| Treble 20 Grouping | Scoring power, tight groups | Throw 30–50 darts at T20, log hits and group width | All levels |
| Doubles Around the Clock | Finishing accuracy | Hit D1 through D20 in order, count total darts | Intermediate |
| 121 Game | Full checkouts, route planning | Finish 121 in 6 darts or fewer, raise the target each success | Intermediate to advanced |
| Solo Cricket | Mixed targets, consistency | Close 15–20 and bull in fewest darts, beat your record | All levels |
| Shanghai | Single, double and treble control | Numbers 1–7, one number per round, highest score wins | All levels |
How Do You Practise Around the Clock?
You practise around the clock by hitting every number on the board in order, starting at 1 and working up to 20, then finishing on the bull, throwing up to three darts per turn. In the standard version any segment of the target number counts, whether a single, double or treble, and you advance only when you hit the current number. Around the clock is the classic beginner drill because it forces you to aim at every part of the board, not just the 20.
Around the clock has two harder variations that target specific weaknesses. The doubles-only variation requires hitting Double 1 before Double 2 and so on up to Double 20, which doubles as excellent finishing practice. The trebles-only variation does the same on the treble ring, which is brutal but builds the grouping needed for high scoring. Players report the doubles variation translates most directly into match finishing.
Around the clock becomes a measurable drill the moment you count your darts. Tally every dart thrown across a full lap, including misses, so you have a single number to beat next time. A lap that took 90 darts this week and 75 darts next week is concrete proof of progress, where a vague feeling of improvement is not. Logging the total turns a vague warm-up into a trackable benchmark you can beat week to week.
How Do You Build Treble 20 Grouping?
You build treble 20 grouping by throwing fixed sets of darts at the T20 and measuring how tightly they land, not by throwing at it aimlessly. A common drill is 30 darts at the treble 20 in sets of three, logging both how many trebles you hit and how close the three darts in each set sit together. Tight grouping is the foundation of scoring, because a treble 20 is worth 60 points and three of them make the maximum 180.
Grouping matters more than raw accuracy when you are learning to score. When all three darts land close together, even off-target, you can make a small known adjustment and bring the whole group onto the treble, which is far easier than correcting three scattered darts. A useful checkpoint is whether your three darts can be covered by your open hand on the board. Consistent grouping is what lets a player adjust aim deliberately instead of guessing.
The treble 20 grouping drill scales with your level. Beginners can simply aim for the fat 20 segment and count hits, while stronger players run a 50-dart treble 20 challenge and track the hit percentage over weeks. Whichever version you use, record the result every session, because the only honest measure of scoring progress is the trend across four to six weeks of regular practice. A single good night tells you nothing on its own.
How Do You Practise Doubles and Checkouts?
You practise doubles and checkouts with two complementary drills: doubles around the clock for raw double accuracy, and the 121 game for full checkout routes under pressure. Doubles are where most legs are won or lost, yet they are the segment beginners practise least, which is exactly why dedicated doubles drills pay off so quickly.
Doubles around the clock
Doubles around the clock means working from Double 1 up to Double 20 in order, with the goal of hitting each double before moving to the next. A stricter version requires hitting each double three times, and a common structure is choosing three problem doubles, such as D16, D8 and D10, and throwing 15 darts at each. Counting the total darts needed to complete the lap turns doubles around the clock into a benchmark you can beat week to week.
The 121 game
The 121 game trains complete checkouts: you start on a score of 121 and try to finish it in six darts or fewer, checking out on a double. Each successful finish raises the next starting score by one, to 122, then 123, while a failed attempt drops the next target, so the game self-adjusts to your level. The 121 game is widely used by competitive players because it rehearses route planning, setting up a double, and staying calm on the finish. Our darts checkout chart lists the standard out routes worth memorising before you run this drill.
What Are Good Solo Practice Games?
Good solo practice games turn drills into a score you compete against yourself to beat, which keeps long sessions engaging. Solo cricket and Shanghai are the two most useful, because both mix targets the way a real match does while still giving you a number to track.
Solo cricket trains mixed-target consistency. You throw three darts per turn and work to close the numbers 15 through 20 and the bull, needing three marks on each, where a single counts as one mark, a double as two, and a treble as three. Played alone, the goal is to close every number and the bull in the fewest darts, then beat that record on the next lap. Solo cricket is valuable because it forces you off the 20 and onto the full upper board.
Shanghai is a fast game that trains single, double and treble control. Shanghai is played across the numbers 1 to 7, one number per round, so round one targets only the 1, round two only the 2, and so on, with a single scoring face value, a double scoring twice, and a treble three times. Hitting the single, double and treble of the active number in one round is a Shanghai and an instant win. Shanghai rewards deliberate placement across all three segment types rather than spraying at the 20.
How Do You Build a Dart Practice Routine?
You build a dart practice routine by warming up first, then rotating through scoring, doubles and checkout drills in short blocks, and logging your numbers at the end. A focused 20 to 30 minute session done three to four times a week beats one long marathon session, because consistency builds muscle memory more reliably than volume. The structure below is a complete routine you can run as written.
- Warm up (5–10 minutes). Throw relaxed groups at the 20 to find your release and settle your stance. Even five minutes of grouping noticeably improves your opening turns.
- Scoring block (10–15 minutes). Run a treble 20 grouping drill, 30 to 50 darts, logging hits and group width.
- Doubles block (10–15 minutes). Doubles around the clock, or 15 darts each at your three weakest doubles.
- Checkout block (10–15 minutes). Play the 121 game, recording how often you finish in six darts.
- Log results. Write down each drill's number before you stop, so the next session has a target to beat.
Rotating blocks every 10 to 15 minutes is the key to a routine that holds attention. Spending an entire session on one target lets focus drift and ingrains fatigue rather than skill, while switching tasks keeps each block deliberate. You do not need all four blocks every time, but every session should include warm-up plus at least one scoring and one finishing drill. A routine is only as good as the consistency with which you run it.
What Are the Most Common Dart Practice Mistakes?
The most common dart practice mistakes are playing only 501, never tracking results, skipping the warm-up, and avoiding the drills that feel boring. Each one quietly stalls progress, and each has a simple fix that costs nothing but discipline.
1. Only playing 501
Only playing 501 feels like practice but rarely improves a weakness, because a single leg gives you few throws at any one target. The fix is to replace at least half of your throwing time with drills that isolate a skill, such as treble 20 grouping or doubles around the clock. Keep the 501 for fun and use drills for improvement.
2. Not tracking results
Not tracking results leaves you with feelings instead of evidence, and feelings plateau long before real improvement does. The fix is to write down one number per drill every session, then read the trend across four to six weeks rather than judging a single night. A simple notebook or scoring app turns guesswork into a measurable trend.
3. Skipping the warm-up
Skipping the warm-up means your first competitive turns are cold, costing points you could keep. The fix is a 5 to 10 minute warm-up of relaxed grouping before anything that counts, which settles your release and reveals the segments you keep drifting into. Five minutes of grouping is the cheapest accuracy gain in the routine.
4. Avoiding the boring drills
Avoiding the boring drills usually means avoiding the exact skill you most need, since the drills that feel tedious are the ones exposing a weakness. The fix is to schedule your weakest skill into every session and rotate tasks every 10 to 15 minutes so it never drags. Boredom is often a signal pointing straight at what to practise.
Expert Tips for Faster Improvement
Practise your worst skill, not your best one. It is tempting to throw at the treble 20 because hitting it feels good, but the score that actually limits your results is usually a weak double or a missed checkout. Identify the segment you miss most from your tracked numbers and give it a dedicated block, because the biggest gains come from raising your floor, not your ceiling.
Keep the conditions the same as a real game. Practise from the regulation oche distance of 237 cm with the bullseye 173 cm from the floor, so the throw you groove matches the throw you need in a match. A treble 20 is worth 60 points and the maximum visit is 180, so grooving accurate scoring at the correct distance is what carries into competition. Practice that does not match match conditions teaches a throw you cannot use.
Match the dart to a settled technique once your routine is consistent. A neutral, forgiving barrel lets you build mechanics without the equipment forcing a specific hold, and you should only chase a more specialised barrel once your throw repeats. Before changing darts, make sure the fault is in the equipment and not the drill log, because most early plateaus are technique, not gear. Our guide to throwing darts and dartboard setup guide cover the mechanics and the board height your practice depends on.
Once your routine is consistent and you know how you actually throw, find darts that suit your weight, grip, and balance. The Finder ranks every matching dart by fit in about two minutes.
Find Your Perfect Dart →Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you practise darts?
A focused 20 to 30 minute session three to four times a week improves your game faster than one long marathon session. Consistency builds muscle memory more reliably than occasional volume, and shorter sessions keep your concentration sharp. Each session should include a 5 to 10 minute warm-up plus at least one scoring drill and one finishing drill.
What is the best darts practice game for beginners?
Around the clock is the best starting drill for beginners, because it forces you to hit every number from 1 to 20 and then the bull, in order, building all-board accuracy rather than only treble 20 scoring. Throw up to three darts per turn and any segment of the target number counts. Count your total darts per lap so you have a number to beat next time.
How do you practise checkouts alone?
The 121 game is the standard solo checkout drill: start on 121 and try to finish in six darts or fewer, checking out on a double. Each success raises the next start to 122, then 123, while a failure lowers it, so the game self-adjusts to your level. The drill rehearses route planning and setting up a double, which is exactly what a real finish demands.
How long before darts practice shows results?
Track one number per drill every session and read the trend across four to six weeks of regular practice rather than judging a single night. A single good or bad session tells you little, because scores swing day to day, but a clear trend over 20 or more legs shows whether your routine is working. Without tracking, improvement is a feeling, and feelings plateau before real gains do.
Should you warm up before playing darts?
Yes. A 5 to 10 minute warm-up of relaxed grouping at the 20 settles your release and noticeably improves your opening turns, which are otherwise thrown cold. The warm-up also reveals which segments you are drifting into that day, so you can adjust before it costs points. Five minutes of grouping is the cheapest accuracy gain available in any practice routine.