Darts maths: why proper know-how beats blind treble luck

The mistake almost every beginner makes

I can imagine you have thought this yourself: why should I bother with routes and numbers when I cannot even hit trebles consistently yet? Loads of players think like that. And at first glance it sounds fair enough.

But darts does not work like that. You do not have to throw perfectly for this to matter. You should understand what is going on before the bad habits settle in. Because once you get why some numbers help you and others make your life harder, you play differently from the start. And yes, you play better too.

A leg does not always fall apart down on the double. A lot of the time it starts going wrong much earlier, because you score points but you do not see the route.

It took me years to really get it. Before that I did plenty wrong. I still won matches, sure – but often because I scored well or got lucky. Changing later was proper hard work, because I had been playing the same old way for ages.

That is what I want to save you from. Not so you calculate like a pro from day one. But so you understand early why some numbers help you and others make the whole thing harder than it needs to be.

The bogey trap: what it does to your head

This is the real problem, and hardly anyone explains it. It is not just maths. It is what happens in your head and in your arm when you are stood on a bogey number.

Imagine this: you are on 159. Your opponent has, let’s say, 200 left, throws a strong visit and leaves something under 100 for a makeable checkout. And you? You cannot finish, because you left yourself a bogey number. In that visit you can only try to set something up. But now you are under pressure, because you can see the other player might close the leg next time. Usually nothing decent comes out of your hand then. That is proper rubbish. And who is to blame for the whole mess? Just you, because you were not paying attention earlier.

And players who go to a double under pressure miss it more often. That is exactly why a bogey number is so dangerous: it creates pressure before you even get to throw at a double.

Why some checkouts make sense and others do not

Why do so many pros throw for 40, for Tops? Because it is the highest double after the Bullseye and it gives you a big safety net. If your first or second dart drops into single 20, you still have 20 left for double 10. Miss double 10 into single 10 and you have 10 left for double 5. Those routes make sense, because one loose dart does not kill you straight away. You still have options.

It is the same with 32, double 16. If the first dart goes into single 16, you still have double 8. That is one of the best double routes because 16 and 8 sit right next to each other on the board. You do not even have to completely reset your arm for the second dart. Hit single 8 and you have 8 left for double 4, then double 2, and finally the famous Madhouse, double 1.

But let’s not pretend every player has to throw at the same doubles. One player loves Tops, the next loves double 16. Others like leaving 36 for double 18. And then you get someone like Mensur Suljović happily taking things out around 28, double 14, like it is nothing. Every player has their favourite corner of the board, and that is fine.

The real point is not which double you like. The real point is whether your favourite route gives you a safety net if the first or second dart lands in the single. Look at the routes through 40, 32, 36 or even 28: hit the single and you are usually still on another double. That is the whole story.

With Tops, 40, single 20 leaves D10. With D16, 32, single 16 drops you to D8. With D14, 28, single 14 leaves D7. That is the trick: you want a rescue rope for the second dart, so the house does not start burning just because the first one was a bit off.

That is real checkout thinking: play the double you feel good on. But make sure one missed dart does not throw you completely out of the leg and into an odd-numbered dead end. That is why so many players like these double routes. You have choices, and you do not kick yourself out of the leg with one bad dart. That is not luck. That is strategy.

Checkouts I would avoid at the start

At the start, I would not build your game around routes that regularly end on double 9, 11, 7, 19, 3, 17, 15 or 13. Those are emergency options – when you only have one dart left or a bad dart has forced you there.

The problem is simple: what happens if you hit the single? You have messed up the visit and you are left on an odd number you cannot finish with one dart. You do not want that. No way do you want to drive yourself into that dead end, especially as a beginner.

Using those finishes as a normal part of your game is dangerous. Always ask: what happens if I hit the single? That is why those doubles are for emergencies, not for your main route.

Why the first dart matters so much

Knowing a checkout is not the same as understanding a checkout. Plenty of checkout charts show you one route. For example, 67 via T17 and D8. You can play it that way. But the real question is: why that route?

What matters is not only what happens when the treble goes in. What really matters is what happens if you only hit the single. On 67, a single 17 leaves 50. With two darts in your hand, I would not blindly go for Bull. Leave yourself a number you can actually finish.

A good route is not only good when the perfect dart goes in. A good route still gives you something when the first dart only lands in the single. That is the difference between a checkout chart and real darts knowledge.