How to Practise Darts at Home

Why Home Practice Works

You don’t need a pub league or a full match night to get better at darts. With a board, a bit of space and some simple structured drills, you can improve your accuracy, finishing and confidence from home.

The routines below are designed for casual and pub players who want to tighten their game without turning practice into hard work.

Core Home Practice Drills

1. Bed-Hitting (Big Singles)

Great for beginners and returning players to build a steady throw.

• Pick one big single, usually 20 or 19.
• Throw in sets of three darts and count how many hit that segment.
• Aim for 10 clean hits in as few darts as possible.
• Next session, try to beat your previous number of darts.

2. Treble Focus

Helps you learn your main scoring bed (T20, T19 or T18).

• Choose a treble, usually T20 to start.
• Throw a total of 30 darts (10 turns).
• Count how many land in the treble vs big single vs completely off.
• Over time, aim to increase treble hits and reduce misses.

3. Double Ladder

Simple doubles practice using common 501 finishes.

• Work through D20 → D16 → D12.
• Try to get 5 hits on each double.
• Record how many darts it takes per double.
• Next practice, repeat and try to hit the same 5 in fewer darts.

4. Finish Builder

Connects scoring and finishing together, like a real 501 leg.

• Start at 60 points.
• First dart aims at S20 to leave 40.
• Use the rest of the turn to try to finish on D20.
• Reset to 60 and repeat, or swap to 48 → D16, 36 → D18, etc.

Example 30-Minute Home Session

Here’s a simple routine you can repeat a few times a week:

• 5 minutes: Bed-Hitting on big singles (20s, then 19s).
• 10 minutes: Treble Focus on T20 or T19.
• 10 minutes: Double Ladder (D20, D16, D12).
• 5 minutes: Finish Builder (60 → D20 or 48 → D16).

That’s enough volume to improve without feeling like a grind — and easy to fit around normal life.

Quick Home Setup Tips

• Make sure your board is at regulation height and distance.
• Use a mat or tape to mark the oche so your stance stays consistent.
• Keep the area well lit so you can clearly see segments.
• Avoid cramped spaces where you might clip walls or furniture with your arm.

A consistent setup makes practice more like real match play.

Track Your Home Drills

If you want to see real improvement, track more than just “felt good / bad tonight”.

• Hits vs attempts on trebles and doubles.
• Darts to goal (e.g. how many darts to hit 10 D20s).
• Solo 501 averages over time.

Darts Score can log solo 501 legs and practice games so you can see your progress instead of guessing.

Home Practice FAQ

• How often should I practise at home?
  Even 2–3 short sessions a week can noticeably improve your throw.
• Do I have to practise for hours?
  No. Consistency beats volume — 20–30 focused minutes is better than 2 hours of random throwing.
• Should I focus more on scoring or doubles?
  For pub and casual play, a balance of big singles / trebles and doubles is ideal.