Strategy

There are several factors involved in Dart Strategy. These include the playing ability of both you and your opponents, the game being played (501, 301, or cricket) and whether your opponent is "on a double".

The objective is to win the game. When playing opposition with similar or slightly better skills using a smart strategy could be the difference between winning or losing.

General

Only you know your skill level. If you are a beginner and you find that darts tend to land over a fairly wide area, then there are two areas of the board that will yield more moderate but consistent scores -

• The left hand side of the board has the best scoring opportunities e.g. the 14-11-8-16 segment will yield consistent scores.
• The 15-10 segment on the bottom right of the board has the highest value for adjacent numbers.
• If even numbers are required then either the 18-4 or 8-16 sectors should be targeted.
• For odd numbers the large area at the bottom of the board 7-19-3-17 should ensure success.

As your darts improve you should concentrate on 20's or 19's (even 2 out of 3 darts will give a score in the 40's which is better than 3 darts in the 14-11 or 15-10 sectors).

501 and 301 Strategy

In order to win you must hit a double first. We want to maximize our chances by selecting easier or preferred doubles. In addition we want to plan our set-up shots to get to these doubles quicker.

Whenever possible try to finish on one of the preferred "even" doubles.

• Double 16 - this is the most popular double. A miss inside will still leave x8, an eight gives x12 and triple 8 leaves x4.
• Double 8 - as above this even double gives you the chance to miss inside and still have shots at doubles e.g. shots at x8-x4-x2.
• Double 20 - This is often the first double that can be reached by a set-up shot. A miss will leave x10 or an easy set-up shot to get back to a double.
• Double Bull - 50 - Don't be intimidated by the bull. We are used to aiming for the bull to determine who shoots first. If your opponent is sitting on a double or easy finish, this may be your only chance. If both you and your opponent miss you still have 3 darts to finish next time.
• Any other double - Sometimes you don't have a choice and end up on x3, x5, x7 or on of the "ugly" odd doubles. Don't be scared - the doubles are all the same size. Don't worry about missing - you can always fix things later.

When "doubling in" in a game of 301 it essential to hit a double quick (any double). For this reason people often aim at the sides of the boards. As a general rule dart players find it easier to control left-right direction than up-down control.

Having chosen our preferred doubles we need to maximize the chances of getting to them. As you play more you will learn that there are many number combinations that you can give yourself extra chances by making different shot selections. The following is a list of some of the more obvious examples as well as a couple which only apply to more advanced players.

As you can see even I am in two minds on some set-up shots and will only make a choice depending on my opponents score and how I feel I am playing.

There are many variations on the above. I have compiled an Out Chart based on my own personal preferences. (Go to OUT CHART). Feel free to experiment with you own set-up shots and finishes. By counting, thinking about why you aim for particular numbers and by practicing you will be able to save a couple of darts off every leg and improve your PPD average.

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