Best Ways to Throw Darts: A Complete Technique Guide

The best way to throw darts is to build the motion from the ground up: a relaxed grip near the barrel’s center of gravity, a stable stance with your dominant foot at the oche, and a forearm-driven throw that finishes with your hand pointing at the target. Fix the grip first, then the stance, then the release — in that order — and accuracy improves fast, often within one session.

Most people who pick up a dart for the first time grip it like they are strangling it, plant their feet however feels natural, and throw with the whole arm. All three instincts work against accuracy. The fundamentals below correct each one.

The grip: control without tension

Grip comes first because everything downstream depends on it. Hold the barrel with the pads of your fingers, not the tips. Three fingers — thumb, index, and middle — works for most players, though some add a fourth. A few rules matter more than the rest:

• Place your grip near the center of gravity of the barrel so the dart sits balanced.
• Keep your remaining fingers relaxed and slightly curled, not clenched against the barrel.
• Avoid white-knuckling. Excess tension travels up your arm and disrupts release timing.

Where you hold along the barrel changes the flight: fingers forward and the dart noses down, fingers back and it noses up. Find the spot where it flies level without you having to compensate.

The stance: a stable platform

Everything above the waist depends on what is happening below it. These are the main options:

Stance	Description	Best for
Side-on	Dominant foot forward, body turned 90 degrees to the board	Most professionals; maximum stability
Angled	Body at roughly 45 degrees to the board	Players who prefer a more open feel
Forward-facing	Body square to the board	Beginners learning balance; less common at high levels

Whichever stance you pick, keep your dominant foot on or behind the oche, weight forward over the front foot, and your upper body still through the throw. A torso that sways mid-throw ruins more shots than a bad grip does.

The throw: forearm, not full arm

The forearm does the work here, not the shoulder. Break it down like this:

1. Raise the dart to eye level, pointing roughly at your target. Your elbow should be up and bent near 90 degrees.
2. Draw back by hinging at the elbow, pulling the dart toward your face or shoulder without dropping it.
3. Drive forward by extending the forearm in a smooth, accelerating arc. Keep the upper arm as still as possible.
4. Release when your arm is nearly fully extended. The dart should leave your fingers naturally as the hand opens, not be pushed or flicked.
5. Follow through so your hand finishes pointing directly at the target. A cut-short follow-through pulls the dart off line.

Aiming: eyes, dart, and target in line

Line up your dominant eye, the dart tip, and the target segment before you throw. If two-eyed aiming throws you off, squint or close the non-dominant eye. The exact starting position of the dart matters less than doing it the same way every single time. Consistency of routine beats any single “perfect” position.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Dropping the elbow mid-throw sends the dart low.
• Rushing the draw-back causes jerky, inconsistent power.
• Gripping tighter under pressure. Notice the tension building and consciously loosen up.
• Leaning too far over the oche to gain distance. Stay balanced instead.
• Aiming at the whole board rather than one specific segment. Pick a precise point every time.

Practice drills that build accuracy

Structured repetition beats random play for building muscle memory. Try these:

• Single-segment grouping: Throw all three darts at the treble 20 until your grouping tightens, then rotate through other numbers.
• Round the clock: Hit 1 through 20 in order, moving on only after you land each number, to train the whole board.
• 121 checkout practice: Work on finishing combinations to sharpen the scoring that decides real matches.

Keep sessions short and focused — 20 to 30 minutes of deliberate practice beats an hour of casual throwing. Track your three-dart average over time so you can see the fundamentals turning into results.