Guide

How do I get started with darts?

Getting into darts: equipment, first throws, training and the path into a club

Darts is one of the most accessible sports there is: a board, three darts and a few metres of space are enough to get going. This guide shows you step by step how to start, what you really need and how a club near you helps you improve quickly.

Find a darts club nearby Tournaments nearby

You have watched the darts World Championship, thrown a few arrows at the pub or simply fancy a sport you can play indoors, in any season and at any fitness level. The good news: to get started you need neither expensive equipment nor prior experience. What counts is throwing regularly and having an environment where you can improve. That is exactly what darts clubs, open training sessions at venues and beginner tournaments are there for.

Step 1: The basic equipment

Three things are enough to start: a set of steel darts, a sisal dartboard and some protection for the wall. Steel darts usually weigh between 18 and 26 grams; beginners generally get on well with 22 to 24 grams, because the darts then fly steadily and forgive mistakes in the throw. A sisal board (bristle board) lasts for years and closes the holes again. A catch ring or protective mat shields the wall, and a simple darts measure or some tape marks the Oche.

• Steel darts: 22 to 24 grams, straight barrel, standard flights and medium shafts
• Sisal dartboard with thin wiring (fewer bounce-outs)
• Catch ring, protective mat or cork panel behind the board
• Mark the Oche: tape, an Oche bar or a mat with a printed line

Step 2: Hang the board, measure the distance

In steel tip darts the centre of the Bullseye hangs 1.73 metres above the floor, and the throwing line sits 2.37 metres horizontally from the board. The diagonal from the line to the Bull is 2.93 metres and is the easiest value to check. For soft tip darts, Germany uses 2.44 metres distance and 1.72 metres height. If you train with the right measurements from the start, you won't have to relearn anything later.

Step 3: Grip, stance, throw

There is no single correct grip. Most players hold the dart with three fingers at the barrel's centre of gravity, loosely and without pressure. The stance is sideways or slightly angled to the line, the weight on the front foot, the upper body still. The throw comes from the elbow: the dart is pulled back briefly, then guided forward in one fluid motion and released with an extended arm. At the start the goal isn't the Treble 20, but a repeatable movement.

Step 4: Understanding the rules

The standard game is called 501: both players start with 501 points, each visit consists of three darts and the points thrown are subtracted. The winner is whoever reaches exactly zero first and finishes the last Leg on a Double (or the Bullseye). If the remaining score drops below zero, to one, or to zero without a Double, the visit doesn't count (“bust”). Several Legs make up a Set or go straight into a match, for example “best of 5 Legs”.

Step 5: Training games instead of mindless throwing

• Around the Clock: hit every field from 1 to 20 in order, then the Bull.
• Double practice: every Double field in order, first with as many darts as you like, later with three at most.
• 121: get from 121 points to zero with a maximum of nine darts; if you manage it, the next round starts at 122.
• Scoring rounds: ten visits at the 20, note the points, compare week by week.

Step 6: Finding a darts club

The biggest leap doesn't happen at home but in a club: fixed training times, experienced team-mates, league matches and tournaments. Almost every darts club offers trial sessions, and many venues have open practice evenings without membership. On DartCloud you'll find clubs near you with training times, contact people and the option to follow a club or get in touch directly.

Step 7: Your first tournament

Many beginner tournaments run as C league or hobby tournaments and are expressly open to newcomers. With DartCloud registration you sign up in seconds, see the list of participants and get notifications about the tournament. There you learn how tournaments work, how to keep score at the board and, above all, you meet other players.

Guides