How to throw darts

Throwing darts is a great way to unwind after a hard day. It takes a lot of practice to become good, but it's a great game from the very beginning. Here is a basic primer on throwing darts, as well as an explanation of the most basic dart game.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Throwing the Dart

1. Find the center of gravity of the dart. The center of gravity is the spot where you can balance it on one finger. That is where you should hold it.

2. Grip the dart correctly. Hold it lightly with the thumb on one side of the center of gravity and either the index finger alone, or the index and middle fingers on the other.

3. Throw gently. A lot of beginners make the mistake of throwing hard with a straight forward or downwards release. With this approach, you can't get the same amount of control, and you will tire your arm out. Throw gently from the wrist, using a slightly upwards release. If you do it right, it should require little force to hit the board.

4. Practice. When you are first beginning, you won't be able to hit the individual targets. Just try to get it as close to the middle as possible.

Playing Dart Games

5. 
   Image Courtesy of Tijmen Stam

   Understand scoring in darts. On the dart board, the black and white areas are worth the corresponding number beyond the outermost ring on the board. For example, throwing the dart anywhere in the black triangle below the 20 will give you 20 points

6. Understand doubles. The small outer ring is worth double points. For example, hitting the outer ring beneath the 20 would score 40 points.

7. Understand triples. The small inner ring, roughly half way to the bullseye, is worth triple points. For example, hitting the inner ring beneath the 20 would score 60 points.

8. Understand bullseyes. In the middle of the board is a red circle surrounded by a green circle. The green ring is an outer bullseye, worth 25 points. The red circle is a double bullseye, worth 50 points.

9. Understand the game 501. In 501, each player starts with 501 points. Players take turns throwing sets of 3 darts and subtracting the total from their score. They win buy reducing their points to exactly 0.

10. Understand winning the game 501. A player must reduce his points to exactly 0. Any throws that go beyond that don't count. For example, if a player has 4 points left and throws a 17, the throw does not count.

11. Understand doubling out. One of the most popular variations of 501 is called "double out." In it, you have to hit a double to end the game after you reach 0 points.

Tips & Warnings

• You can play 501 with bigger or smaller scores, depending on how long you want to play. Playing 1,001 makes for an epic game.
• <br>You can play 501 with the "double in" rule. In this variation, your throws don't count until you hit a double.