Dart grip: how to hold a dart for a cleaner, steadier throw

Watch ten good players and you'll see almost ten different ways of holding a dart. There's no perfect grip, but there are a few principles every good grip follows. Here they are, along with what you need to find your own.

Start with the centre of gravity

Before you put your fingers anywhere, find the balance point of your dart. Lay it flat across your outstretched index finger and slide it along until it balances, tipping neither towards the point nor towards the flight. That's its centre of gravity.

Your thumb usually goes right there, or very slightly behind it. Your other fingers then wrap around. Holding the dart well in front of or well behind that point makes it nosedive or rear up as you let go.

Two, three or four fingers

The two-finger grip

Thumb and index finger (or middle finger) are all you need. It's the most minimal grip: fewer fingers, fewer things to catch on release. The trade-off is that it takes good control, because the dart has fewer points of contact.

The three-finger grip

Thumb underneath, index and middle finger on top. It's the most common grip and a very good place to start: the dart is held securely and the release stays simple. If you're new to the game, start here.

The four-finger grip

Thumb plus three fingers, often on a long barrel. The dart feels very stable in the hand, which suits players who like to feel in control of it. The risk: more fingers means more chance of one lingering at release and knocking the dart off line.

Light pressure

This is the most common mistake: squeezing too hard. A dart gripped tightly sticks to your fingers as you release it, and that's often what sends one flying off somewhere random.

Hold it just firmly enough that it doesn't slip, and no more. A good guide: your fingertips shouldn't go white and your hand shouldn't shake. If your forearm starts tensing up late in a match, you're probably squeezing too hard.

Keep the tip pointing up

While you aim and all the way through the throw, the point should stay angled slightly upwards, never down. A dart that leaves your hand point-down dives and hits the board at an odd angle, or misses altogether. Check it in a mirror, or ask someone to watch your hand side-on.

Common mistakes

• Squeezing too hard, as above.
• Changing your grip every visit: consistency comes from holding the dart the same way, every single time. Find the exact spot where your fingers land (a groove, a ring on the barrel) and always go back to it.
• Letting a finger drag on release, especially with four fingers. If your darts always drift to the same side, that's often where to look.
• Holding it with your fingernails or your palm: it's the pads of your fingers that should feel the barrel.
• Copying a champion's grip exactly: their hands, their darts and their throw aren't yours. Take inspiration, then adapt.

Match your grip to your dart

Grip and dart go together:

• A long, straight barrel takes three or four fingers well, spread along its length.
• A short or torpedo-shaped barrel tends to suit a compact grip, two or three fingers bunched near the centre of gravity.
• The knurling (the texture on the barrel) needs to be where your fingers sit. Hold your dart on a smooth section and it'll slip.

If your grip always feels forced, the problem may be the dart rather than your hand. We go through what to look for in how to choose darts.

How to tell if your grip is working

You judge a grip over time, not over one visit. Keep the same one for several sessions and see whether your grouping tightens. The easiest way is to play proper games of x01 and follow your average: with Throw, your phone keeps the score while you play, and with a free account your three-dart average is saved from one game to the next. That way you know whether a change of grip really helped or whether it just felt like it.

Grip is only one part of the throw: your stance, your arm and your follow-through matter just as much. The natural next step: darts throwing technique.