While dartboards are commonly found in bars and restaurants, it’s a popular game room option for either your basement or garage. The fact that they’re cheap and don’t take up much room is great too.
We bought a reasonably priced $40 dartboard for the basement and it didn’t take me long to find out that hitting bullseye – the center target worth 50 points – is harder than it looks. Certainly for me anyways. It got me to thinking about what I could do to become a better darts player for fun and also hit more bullseyes.
The bullseye is the red center dot on a dartboard measuring 0.5″ in diameter worth 50 points. The outer bullseye area is the green circle 1.25″ in diameter worth 25 points. Since a dartboard has a total diameter of 17.75″ the bullseye is only 2.8% of the total diameter of the board.
While we are probably all familiar with the phrase bullseye! or hitting bullseye as a goal, the odds seem to be stacked against us getting it so is it the best place to aim for on a dartboard especially if you’re a beginner?
How big is a bullseye?
The inner bullseye is a total of 0.5″ in diameter (12.7 mm) which is the dead center of the dartboard and is worth 50 points, the highest scoring area of the board next to the triple 20 which scores 60. You often see it referred to simply as the bull.
The outer part of the bullseye is 1.25″ in diameter (32 mm) and is located around the inner bullseye. It is worth 25 points. So if you’re aiming for the bull and hit the outer bullseye instead, you’re only getting half the points of the bull but still more than any other single number on the board.
To put things into perspective, the outer bullseye area is 5X as large as the inner bullseye area. The inner bullseye area is 1/6 the size of the total bullseye area including the outer area.
How high is the bullseye on a dartboard from the floor?
In tournaments, the middle of the bullseye will be 5’8″ (1.73m) above the ground when the dartboard is set properly. This has an impact on the height of each player since taller people may be aiming slightly downwards whereas a taller person may be aiming slightly upwards.
Players stand 7′ 9.25″ (2.37m) from the dartboard behind a raised elevated block known as an oche. For home games you can simply mark the floor to indicate the line. This has an impact on how you throw the dart since gravity is pulling it downwards as it travels.
What is the official size of a dartboard?
Hard tip dartboard: Hard tip darts use a steel tipped dart that you typically play in a bar or other public area. An official tournament grade hard tip dartboard 17.75″ in diameter which is the entire board. The playing surface measures 13.25″ in diameter.
Soft tip dartboard: Soft tip darts use a plastic tipped tart thrown at a plastic board that has small moulded holes for the darts to enter. The official tournament grade soft tip dartboard is 15.5″ in diameter. The playing surface measures 15″ in diameter. Electronic dartboards are commonly soft tip plastic ones.
You can also find convertible darts which can switch between steel tipped and plastic darts.
For both hard tip and soft tip dartboards, the bullseye represents a very small part of the diameter of the board, 2.8% and 3.3% respectively.
Why is the center bullseye not the highest scoring part of the board?
You might be surprised to know that even though we place a great deal of emphasis on hitting bullseye it isn’t the highest scoring part of the board. The dartboard is numbered from 1 to 20 around the board and is separated into radial sections with metal wires known as a spider. The board is further separated by two rings so that each number has two smaller sections for higher scoring.
The larger outer ring doubles the score. This ring measures 0.25″ wide with a radius of 6 11/16″.
The smaller inner ring triples the score. This ring measures 0.25″ wide with a radius of 4.25″.
So the top score that can be achieved with a single throw of the dart is a triple 20 (treble 20) which is worth 20 x 3 = 60 points. Bullseye comes in second at 50 points.
Why is this?
If you miss the bullseye, you still get 25 points for hitting the outer bullseye. But if you miss the triple 20, you likely hit 20 points so you end up with a lower number if you miss. But if you miss the 20 completely to the left or right you end up with a much lower score of 5 or 1.
Why is the outer double ring worth less than the triple inner ring?
The outer ring is larger in size than the smaller inner ring so one would expect that the smaller ring earns more points.
What strategy should you consider when aiming for a particular area of the dartboard?
If you aim for the double ring at the very top and your dart goes high, it can land outside the scoring area completely and be worth 0 points. If you aim for the triple ring and miss in any direction, you’ll still score points.
Should I aim for the triple 20 to maximize my score?
Research has backed up the theory that for people learning the game of darts, it isn’t necessarily the best strategy to aim for the triple 20 given the difficulty of hitting it consistently.
This paper showed that on average a “poor” player cost themselves an average of 2 points per throw by concentrating on aiming for the triple 20 and missing it.
The number 20 is also surrounded to the left and right with two low numbers – the 5 to the left and 1 to the right – so if you miss the 20 completely you will likely hit a much lower score.
Darts is a game of accuracy and inaccuracy costs you points.
Where should I aim as I’m starting to play darts?
As you are starting to play darts and are learning, you may have difficulty getting consistent accuracy. If you look on the left side of the dart board, there are sets of three relatively large numbers in a row in several cases:
12 – 9 – 14
11 – 8 – 16
Aiming to the left of the board and trying to hit one of the higher number such as the 16 or 14 may be a good strategy to start with. Even if you miss hitting the number you’re aiming for, you will likely hit a number higher than a 5 or 1 like when you aim for the 20 and miss.
And with any luck you might hit a double or triple on the higher number, too.
Tips for becoming a better darts player
Focus and determination: Darts is a game (sport) of concentration. While you are literally trying to hit a target – certain areas of the dartboard – you are also aiming for a bigger target: Out scoring your opponent.
Posture: Watch your posture. One common mistake in darts is leaning forward when standing as close to the oche as possible. Leaning too far forward makes it more difficult to hit the top part of the dartboard and also makes it more difficult to keep your arms stable for more accurate throws.
Flight choice: The design and weight of your flight – commonly known as the dart – is a matter of personal choice. Try different sizes and styles to see which suits you best. 24 grams is a good place to start. Wider/standard flights are common among players who throw the darts upwards whereas slim flights are preferable for those who throw their darts quickly and directly at the dartboard.
Darts stance: Determine which is your dominant foot. Try out different stances to see what feels most comfortable. Common darts stances include dominant foot forward, angled stance or side-on stance.
Holding your flight: 3 fingers or 2? While most darts pros will suggest 3 fingers, you might feel more comfortable with 2. The more fingers you use the more control you will have but the harder the release. Find out what works well for you. Ignore what others tell you as it may not feel comfortable for you.
Gripping the flight: A firm grip is important but not so tight that it negatively impacts your release. Darts is a game of touch not power or strength.
The axis: There are two axes to worry about. The horizontal axis is controlled by your elbow and the vertical axis is controlled by your fingers. Your elbow should remain in place until you begin to release the dart.
Aim and throw: Aim at the dartboard with your dominant eye. Use your wrist and hand to throw the dart not your body. Line up your shot, take aim and then maintain that position while throwing. Only your arm should actually move when throwing the dart.
Don’t over practice: As darts is a game of concentration, as you’re starting out you might find yourself having a bad day. Experiment with new techniques but if it gets frustrating stop for the day and try again tomorrow.
Watch videos online and tv darts tournaments to get tips from the pros for variations in flights type, stance, grip and throwing.