10 Dart Practice Games You Can Play Alone

Practicing darts alone doesn't have to mean throwing at T20 for an hour. The best solo practice is structured, measurable, and—ideally—fun enough that you actually stick with it. These ten games give you a reason to focus on every throw, whether you have fifteen minutes before dinner or an hour to yourself.

1. Around the Clock

The classic warmup. Hit every number on the board in order, from 1 through 20, then finish with the bullseye. You must hit each number before moving to the next.

How to play: Start at 1. Each turn, throw three darts at your current number. Any single, double, or triple counts. Once you hit it, move to the next number. Track how many total darts it takes to complete the circuit.

Why it works: Around the Clock forces you to aim at every part of the board, not just the comfortable spots. Most players have weak zones they never practice—this game exposes them.

2. 170 Down

Start at 170 and work your way down to zero, following standard 501 rules—you must finish on a double. This is a condensed version of 501 that focuses entirely on the checkout phase.

How to play: Begin at 170. Each turn, throw three darts and subtract your score. You must finish exactly on a double. If you bust, your score resets to what it was before that turn.

Why it works: Most recreational players spend 80% of their game scoring and barely practice the part that actually wins—finishing. Starting at 170 means you're always in checkout territory.

Variations:

• Start at 100 if you're a beginner and checkouts feel overwhelming
• Start at 130 for a focused double-out drill
• Time yourself and try to beat your personal best

3. Bob's 27

One of the most popular solo darts games in the world. You start with 27 points and throw at each double in sequence, from D1 to D20, then DBull. Hit the double and add its value. Miss all three darts and subtract it.

How to play: Start with 27 points. Your first target is D1. Throw three darts at it. Each hit adds 2 points (the value of D1). If all three miss, subtract 2 from your score. Move to D2, where hits add 4 and a miss costs 4. Continue through D20 and finally DBull.

Why it works: Bob's 27 is the gold standard for measuring double-hitting ability. Your score at the end tells you exactly how your doubles are progressing. If you drop below zero, you're out—which adds real pressure to every throw.

4. 100 Darts at Trebles

Pure repetition for building muscle memory on the highest-value target on the board. Throw 100 darts at T20 and count how many hit.

How to play: Throw 100 darts (about 34 turns) at T20. Count every triple you hit. That's your score.

Why it works: This isn't flashy, but it's how professionals train. Throwing at the same target repeatedly builds the consistent, repeatable motion that separates good players from great ones. Your hit percentage over time is a clear indicator of improvement.

Variations:

• Alternate between T20 and T19 every 10 darts for variety
• Count all 20-segment hits (single, double, triple) for a less punishing version
• Set a minimum to beat next session—even improving by one or two hits is real progress

5. Halve-It

A game of precision under pressure. Hit the target each round or your score gets cut in half. Seven rounds, each with a different target.

How to play:

Three darts per round. Score whatever you hit on the target. If you score zero in a round, your total is halved. If you had 120 points and blank on round 5, you drop to 60.

Why it works: The halving penalty adds serious pressure. You'll find yourself playing it safe to avoid a zero, which mirrors the mental pressure of real match situations. Rounds 3, 5, and 7 are the hardest because the targets are spread across the board.

6. Shanghai

Throw at each number 1 through 20 in order, three darts per round. Score all your hits on that round's number. Hit a single, double, and triple of the same number in one round and you've hit a "Shanghai"—instant win.

How to play: Round 1, throw three darts at the 1 segment. A single 1 scores 1, a double scores 2, a triple scores 3. Round 2, throw at 2. Continue through 20. Your final score is the total of all hits.

Why it works: Shanghai combines accuracy across the whole board with the excitement of chasing the instant-win combo. The scoring naturally increases as rounds progress, so later rounds carry more weight—just like in a real match.

7. Doubles Lockdown

Cycle through all the doubles on the board as fast as possible. Simple, brutal, effective.

How to play: Hit every double from D1 to D20, plus DBull, in any order you choose. Each turn, throw three darts at whichever double you're targeting. Move on once you hit it. Track total darts thrown.

Why it works: Doubles win games. In 501, every leg ends on a double. In Cricket, doubles close numbers faster. Yet most practice routines don't isolate doubles nearly enough. This game does nothing but doubles.

Variations:

• Go in order (D1 through D20 plus DBull) for the structured challenge
• Set a par of 63 darts (3 per double) and try to beat it
• Focus on just the common checkout doubles (D16, D20, D8, D10, D4) for a quick 10-minute session

8. Scoring Streak

Build the longest possible streak of 60+ scores with three darts. One bad turn and the streak resets.

How to play: Throw three darts each turn, aiming for your best score (usually the T20 area). If your three-dart total is 60 or above, the streak continues. Below 60, the streak breaks and resets to zero. Track your longest streak.

Why it works: Consistent scoring is what wins 501 legs. A 60-point minimum with three darts means averaging at least one single 20 per turn, which sounds easy until you're on a streak of 12 and the pressure mounts. Raise the threshold to 80 or 100 as you improve.

9. Catch 40

A fast, focused game that practices transitions between targets—crucial for Cricket and all-around accuracy.

How to play: Throw one dart at each of these targets in order: 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, Bull. Score the face value of each hit (outer bull = 25, inner bull = 50). Misses score zero. That's one round—seven darts total. Play five rounds and total your score.

The maximum possible score per round is 155 (20 + 19 + 18 + 17 + 16 + 15 + 50). Over five rounds, a perfect game would be 775. The name comes from 40 being a solid average per round for most players.

Why it works: Unlike games that have you throwing at the same target three times, Catch 40 makes you switch targets every dart. This simulates real Cricket play, where you're constantly adjusting your aim between turns.

10. Pressure Checkout

Practice finishing under real match conditions. Pick a checkout number, give yourself a set number of darts, and see if you can close it out.

How to play: Start at a checkout number (begin with 40 if you're new to this). Give yourself 9 darts (three turns) to hit the double and finish. If you check out, move to the next number. Work through this list:

Score one point for each successful checkout. A score of 6 or higher out of 10 means your finishing game is strong.

Building a Practice Routine

You don't need to play all ten games in one session. Pick two or three that target different skills and rotate them throughout the week.

A solid 30-minute session might look like:

• 5 minutes of Around the Clock as a warmup
• 15 minutes of Bob's 27 for doubles
• 10 minutes of Scoring Streak for consistency

Mix your focus areas:

• Accuracy: Around the Clock, Shanghai, Catch 40
• Doubles: Bob's 27, Doubles Lockdown, Pressure Checkout
• Scoring power: 100 Darts at Trebles, Scoring Streak
• Mental pressure: Halve-It, Bob's 27, Pressure Checkout

The key is consistency. Twenty minutes of focused practice three times a week beats a two-hour session once a month. Track your scores and you'll see improvement faster than you expect.

Summary

Solo practice is where real improvement happens. These ten games give you structure, keep things interesting, and cover every skill you need—accuracy, doubles, scoring, and handling pressure.

Pick one that targets your weakest area, set a baseline score, and aim to beat it next session. Progress in darts is earned one practice session at a time.

Ready to track your games? Start a session on Dartsy and put your practice to the test.