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Your darts average is the single most useful number for measuring how well you’re playing. It tells you how many points you’re scoring per three darts thrown. It’s for this reason there’s always talk of how to improve darts average, from the pro players down to complete beginners.
Improving it, even slightly, can make a huge difference to how many games you win.
Whether you’re averaging 30 or 70, this guide has practical tips to help you push that number up consistently.
What Is a Darts Average?
Your three-dart average is calculated by dividing the total score you’ve thrown by the number of three-dart visits to the board. So if you scored 300 in 6 visits, your average is 50. Professional players typically average between 90 and 110.
Most pub league players sit somewhere between 30 and 60. Knowing where you are helps you set realistic targets and work out how to improve darts average for your own game.
The Fundamentals First
Before anything else, if your stance, grip, or throwing action isn’t consistent, no amount of practice will help as much as fixing those first.
Check out our guides on how to stand when throwing darts, how to hold a dart correctly, and how to throw a dart with proper technique if you haven’t already. Then turn your attention to how to improve darts average, and you’ll have the foundations you need to move forward.
Focus on the Treble 20 — But Not Exclusively
Treble 20 is the highest scoring area on the board and should be your primary target in most situations. But many players fixate on it so much that they never develop accuracy elsewhere.
The treble 19 and treble 18 are just as important, especially when a dart is already sitting in the treble 20 bed and you need to go elsewhere.
Practise hitting all three trebles around the top of the board so you’re comfortable shifting your aim mid-visit.
Practise With Purpose, Not Just Volume
Throwing 500 darts at the treble 20 and hoping you improve is not a strategy. Deliberate practice means setting specific goals for each session and tracking your results. Try structured practice routines like:
- Round the clock: Hit every number from 1 to 20 in order. Good for accuracy across the whole board.
- doubles practice: Set yourself on specific finishing scores and practise the checkout. This is where matches are won and lost.
- three-dart scoring: Throw 20 visits and add up your total. Track it over time and watch the trend.
We’ve plenty about these and more practice drills on the Throw For 180 site if you need more advice.
Work on Your Checkouts
A high scoring average means nothing if you can’t close out a leg. Many players have a reasonable scoring average but a terrible checkout percentage, meaning they’re visiting the finishing zone far too often before closing.
Practice your doubles regularly and learn the standard checkout routes. Our darts checkout chart is a great reference.
Use the Right Equipment
Sometimes a small equipment change can unlock a noticeable improvement. If your darts feel wrong in your hand, too heavy, too light, too smooth, too grippy, then it’s worth experimenting.
Check out our dart weight guide for more on finding the right weight for your throw. Getting your equipment right removes a variable that might be holding you back.
Play Against Better Players
Nothing raises your game faster than playing against people who are better than you. If you’re only ever playing casually at home, your ceiling is lower than it could be.
Join a local pub league, play at a darts club, or find competitive friends. The pressure of match play forces you to develop mental skills that solo practice never will.
If you don’t play competitively and want to learn how to improve darts average, you may not actually need to do anything else, other than begin to play competitively.
Track Your Progress
If you’re not tracking your averages, you have no way of knowing whether you’re improving. Write down your three-dart average at the end of each practice session.
Over time, the trend tells you everything, whether your practice is working, which areas are improving, and where you’re stalling.
Work on the Mental Side
Darts is as much a mental game as a physical one. Under pressure, your average drops because your mind gets in the way.
Read our guide on the mental side of darts for specific techniques on managing focus and pressure. The best players aren’t always the most talented, they’re the most consistent under pressure.
Be Patient — Average Improves Slowly
Going from a 40 average to a 60 average takes months of consistent, deliberate practice.
Don’t expect overnight transformation. But if you practise with purpose, track your progress, and work on both scoring and finishing, you will improve.
The number goes up slowly, and then one day you look back and realise just how far you’ve come.
How to Improve Darts Average: Final Thoughts
Improving your darts average comes down to consistent, purposeful practice, fixing the fundamentals, and developing your finishing game.
Focus on one area at a time rather than trying to improve everything at once, and track your results so you know what’s working.
For more tips and drills, explore our full Tips and Tutorials section.