How To Understand Darts Finishes

A traditional game of 501 down can only be won by hitting a double, so when your score is approaching 200, you must be thinking about what finish you want to leave. If you wanted 201 for instance, you need to be hitting a reasonable score to leave you somewhere around the hundred mark, or if indeed you didn't do that, you must make sure that you don't leave what they call a bogey number which is something like 159 which you can't finish with three darts. So, it's very very important to be thinking on your feet throughout a game of 501.

You can't win unless you hit that double. So, let's say that you've left a target of 94. Now, you've got three darts in your hand.

There's several ways of finishing a game on 94. Traditionally, you would have gone for a triple 18 to leave double top. That's fine if you hit the triple 18 with your first dart.

You've got two darts at double top. What happens if you don't hit the 18? The triple 18 rather with your first dart? Let's say you hit a single 18. That leaves you the need to hit another triple to leave a double.

A pro would look at 94 and almost invariable throw his first dart at the bull's eye. If it hits 50, it leaves 44. 12 double 16.

If it hits a 25, all that's left is a big 19 and a bull's eye, so he's guaranteed himself a shot. If you don't give your opponent a shot at the double, he can't beat you so it's always best to make sure that you had a shot at the double first. So, let's say you need 132.

Now to finish 132, there's several ways of doing it. Triple 20 first dart, very handy, leaves 72. You can then hit a triple 16 and a double 12 or another triple 20 and a double 6 whichever you like.

But what happens with 132 if you hit a 20 in your first dart? I'll tell you what happens. You're left 112 and you've only two darts left. You can't finish 112 in two darts, so the pro would look at 132 and throw his first dart again at our old friend the bull's eye.

Hits a bull, it leaves 82. He's got a choice, he can go triple 14 double top, or he can get another bull's eye and double 16. Supposing he's a little bit off and he hits a 25 with his first dart, 25 off 132 leaves 107.

Triple 19, bull's eye. A nice insurance shot. So, remember when finishing a game of darts, the most important thing is to know exactly what you're throwing at.

If you miss with your first dart, you should know instinctively what to do with the next one in order to give yourself at least one dart at a double. A great aid to that is a Unicorn World Champion Ways to Finish Chart which we have an example of here that we'll show you. That lists hundred of different finishes and different ways to finish but it's not exhaustive.

There are literally thousands of different ways. You've got to find the best one. And that, I hope will help you understand darts finishing. .