Every professional darts player started somewhere, and chances are, they made the exact same mistakes you're making right now. As the competitive landscape of darts in India grows, players are eager to improve their averages and win more legs. However, unlearning bad habits is much harder than learning good ones from the start.
If you're struggling to hit those treble 20s or missing crucial doubles, you might be falling victim to some classic errors. Here are the 10 most common darts mistakes beginners make—and exactly how you can fix them to level up your game.
1. Mistake 1: Inconsistent Stance and Foot Placement
Your stance is your foundation. One of the most glaring mistakes beginners make is changing where they stand on the oche between throws. If you move your front foot even slightly to the left or right, your entire alignment shifts, making it impossible to build muscle memory.
The Fix: Find a comfortable spot on the oche—usually slightly off-center—and memorize it. Use marks on the floor or the oche itself to align your lead foot identically every single time you step up to throw.
2. Mistake 2: Gripping the Dart Too Tightly
White-knuckling the dart is a sure sign of a beginner. Gripping too tightly causes your arm muscles to tense up, severely reducing fluidity and leading to erratic releases where the dart points sharply downward upon release.
The Fix: Hold the dart as if it were a potato chip—firm enough so it doesn't fall out of your hand, but light enough that you wouldn't crush it. Relax your fingers.
3. Mistake 3: Rushing the Throw
It's easy to get caught up in the rhythm of the game and throw your three darts as quickly as possible. Rapid-fire throwing usually results in "snatching," where you pull the dart off-target rather than pushing it smoothly toward the board.
The Fix: Deliberately slow down. Take a deep breath between each dart, re-focus your eyes on the target, and allow your arm to reset. See our guide on how to improve your darts aim for more timing drills.
4. Mistake 4: Poor Follow-Through
A common error is stopping the arm dead as soon as the dart is released. Without a proper follow-through, the dart's trajectory is cut short, leading to low scores (hitting the 3 or 1 instead of the 20).
The Fix: After releasing the dart, your arm should fully extend, and your fingers should point directly at the target you were aiming for. Let your arm hang naturally for a split second before drawing back for the next throw.
5. Mistake 5: Not Knowing Your Checkout Routes
Many beginners just throw at the treble 20 until they get down to a double. This is a massive tactical error. If you don't know your outs, you will inevitably leave yourself on an odd number or a "bogey" number, giving your opponent the chance to win the leg.
The Fix: Memorize the basic checkout routes from 2 to 100. Learn how darts scoring works deeply, so you know instantly that 60 left means aiming for Single 20 to leave Double 20.
6. Mistake 6: Ignoring the Mental Side of the Game
Darts is 80% mental. Getting frustrated after hitting a 26 (a "classic" 20, 5, 1) and letting that anger ruin your next three visits is a novice trap.
The Fix: Practice "goldfish memory." Once a dart leaves your hand, it is in the past. Focus entirely on the next dart. Emotional regulation is the key difference between a pub player and a champion.
7. Mistakes 7–10: Equipment, Practice Routine, Nerves & Scorekeeping Errors
- Using the wrong equipment: Stop playing with brass darts you found in a drawer. Invest in a proper tungsten set tailored to your grip.
- Practicing without purpose: Just throwing at the 20s for an hour isn't practice. Play specific routines like "Round the Board" on doubles.
- Letting nerves dictate mechanics: Tournament nerves make you throw harder. Trust your relaxed practice throw.
- Scorekeeping anxiety: Use an app if you must initially, but eventually, you need to learn the math to keep game flow smooth.
8. How Darts Club Coaching Corrects These Mistakes Fast
Trying to correct all these mistakes simultaneously on your own is overwhelming. At Darts Club India, our certified coaches at our Darts Academy use video analysis and personalized drills to isolate and correct these bad habits one by one.
We break down your stance, fine-tune your grip, and drill checkout routes until they become second nature. With professional guidance, what takes a year to figure out alone can be mastered in a few weeks.
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