How to improve at darts by tracking your stats and averages
"I played well tonight." Did you, though? In darts, gut feeling is often misleading: one memorable 140 makes you forget ten visits of 26. Stats set the record straight. Pick the right ones and they'll show you where you are, what's holding you back, and whether your practice is paying off.
Why track your stats
Without numbers you're improving blind. You don't know whether you've really become more consistent, whether the new darts make any difference, or whether it's your finishing that's costing you legs. With a handful of stats tracked over time, you know what to work on, and you can see progress even before the match results catch up.
The key: a few stats, the right ones, always measured the same way.
The stats that really matter
Three-dart average
This is THE benchmark stat in x01, the one you see on TV. It tells you how much you score, on average, per visit of three darts.
The maths: total points scored, divided by the number of darts thrown, multiplied by 3.
Example: you finish a leg of 501 in 18 darts. Your average is 501 / 18 × 3 = 83.5.
It's a good reflection of your scoring power and consistency. The variations (first-nine average, per leg, per match) are covered in our article on darts averages explained.
Doubles success
Plenty of legs are lost not in the scoring but in the finishing. If you're stuck on 32 for five visits, a lovely average won't save you.
The maths: doubles hit, divided by the number of darts thrown at a double. Example: 3 doubles hit from 12 attempts = 25%.
This is the stat that exposes a weakness fastest. And it's one you can practise very effectively.
Marks per round in Cricket
In Cricket, the score depends a lot on tactics, so players look at marks per round (MPR) instead. A single is worth 1 mark, a double 2, a treble 3.
Example: in one visit you hit single 20, single 20 and treble 19. That's 5 marks for the round.
The maths: total marks divided by rounds played. It shows whether you're hitting the right numbers, and above all the trebles.
The "feel-good" stats
Best visit, number of 180s: they don't say much about your real level, but they're motivating. Keep them, just don't make them the goal.
Setting realistic goals
One stat at a time
Trying to improve everything at once means improving nothing. Pick one stat for a few weeks: your average if you're not scoring much, your doubles if you keep losing legs on the finish.
Watch the trend, not the evening
One bad night means nothing. Tiredness, lighting, the opponent: it all plays a part. Compare your numbers over several weeks, not from one game to the next.
Aim small, but steady
Adding a few points to your average over several months is real progress. Over-ambitious targets are discouraging; small steps you actually reach make you want to keep going.
Play regularly
Regularity beats intensity. Several short sessions a week are worth more than one long one on a Sunday: the throw beds in through repetition, not exhaustion.
Mix it up:
- matches (x01, Cricket), for stats under game conditions;
- targeted drills, on doubles or treble 20, to work on your weak spot. There are plenty in our darts practice routines.
Keep a history
A single number tells you nothing: it's the series that tells the story of your progress. After each session, note down:
- the date and the game;
- your main stats;
- the context, if something has changed (new darts, new grip, new board).
After a few months you'll know exactly what worked.
Your stats in Throw
Throw keeps score on its own, so your stats fill themselves in without any effort from you: no scoresheet, no calculator.
With a free account, the stats of every player who has an account are kept, game after game:
- in x01: your average per visit (very close to the three-dart average), your best visit and your 180s;
- in Cricket: your marks per round;
- in Halve It and Shanghai: your points per round;
- how many games you've played and won;
- your game history.
To keep a precise record of your doubles in practice, a notebook beside the board does the job nicely.
And if you play offline, your games are sent to your account as soon as you're back online. All that's left is to start a game.