In a game of 501, scoring big is only half the job. The leg is won on the last three darts, and that is where an out chart earns its keep.
What an Out Chart Actually Is
An out chart is a reference table showing the best way to finish any remaining score using one, two or three darts, ending on a double. In standard 501 double-out play, you cannot win by landing a single or a treble — the final dart must find a double bed or the inner bullseye, which counts as double 25.
The chart matters because 501 does not end neatly. You will land on 87, 113, 66 and dozens of other awkward numbers. A player who has memorised the routes plays instantly. A player who has not spends their throw doing arithmetic instead of aiming.
Rule of Thumb: Never wait until you have 40 left to start thinking about doubles. The countdown to your finish starts the moment your remaining score drops below 170.
From 170 Down — "The Big Fish"
The highest possible three-dart checkout is 170: treble 20 (60), treble 20 (60), bullseye (50). Players worldwide call it "The Big Fish", and hitting one in a tournament is a moment the whole room notices.
Below 170 sit the other marquee big finishes — 167 (T20, T19, Bull), 164 (T20, T18, Bull), 161, and 160 (T20, T20, D20) — and then the scoring range where most legs are actually decided, from 100 down to 2.
Worth knowing: some numbers cannot be checked out at all in three darts. 169, 168, 166, 165, 163, 162 and 159 are the legendary "bogey numbers". If you are sitting on 170 and miss into single 20, you can inadvertently strand yourself on one of these unfinishable numbers, which is why disciplined players think a dart ahead.
Leaving Yourself the Right Double: Tops (D20) vs D16
The best finishers do not just aim to reduce their score — they aim to leave a double they trust. Two schools of thought dominate competitive darts:
- Setting up on 40 (Double 20 / "Tops"): Tops sits directly at the peak of the dartboard where your eye naturally travels. A miss inside into single 20 leaves you with 20, which gives you Double 10 on your next dart — another clean, reliable target.
- Setting up on 32 (Double 16): Preferred by many tournament champions because of its mathematical safety. If you miss inside into single 16, you leave 16 (Double 8). Miss inside again, you leave 8 (Double 4), then 4 (Double 2), then 2 (Double 1). The score halves cleanly every single time and never strands you on an odd score.
Neither approach is wrong. Pick one, practise it until it is automatic, and set up on it deliberately during your match visits.
Doing the Maths Under Pressure
Mental arithmetic is a skill you train like any other. At Darts Club Ahmedabad and Darts Club Surat, coaches emphasize three core habits:
- Learn the treble values by heart: T20 = 60, T19 = 57, T18 = 54, T17 = 51, T16 = 48, T15 = 45.
- Subtract in chunks: Take off 60 first, then work with what remains rather than calculating dart-by-dart from scratch.
- Decide your route before stepping to the oche: Never stand at the line debating whether to throw for 19s or 20s. Under tournament clock pressure with an opponent sitting on a finish, the calculation must already be done.
Five Mistakes Beginners Repeat
- Throwing at the treble 20 out of habit when a different treble (like T19 on 87 or 93) gives a much cleaner, single-dart path to a double.
- Ignoring odd numbers until it is too late: Always make your remaining score even before your final dart of the visit.
- Busting the score by overshooting instead of taking a safe, controlled reduction.
- Practising doubles only at the end of a session, when the throwing arm is fatigued and mental focus has drifted.
- Memorising the chart on paper but never rehearsing the actual physical throw under match pressure.
Put It to Work at Darts Club
Reading an out chart is simple. Executing it with a leg and prize money on the line is what requires dedicated reps. Structured practice sessions and weekly competitive match play at Darts Club provide the authentic match-play environment where checkout routines transform into second nature.
Whether you practice at our Palodia HQ, our TopSpin Ahmedabad venue, or our Surat branch at Stadium Plaza, you will find fellow players and coaching staff ready to sharpen your checkouts. Explore our Tournament Winners Gallery to see players who mastered the board, or join Darts Club today to register for upcoming league draws.
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