How to Completely Rework Your Darts Throw (7-Step Guide)

Step 1: Record and Analyze Your Current Throw

You cannot fix what you have not seen. The player from r/Darts only noticed the elbow drop after watching a side-angle recording. From their own perspective, the throw looked normal. The camera told a different story.

Set up your phone on a tripod or against a water bottle at the side of the oche. Record 10 throws from the side and 10 from the front. Watch the footage in slow motion. Look for:

• Elbow movement. Does your elbow stay at roughly the same height, or does it drop and rise?

• Head movement. Does your head stay still through the throw, or do you lift or turn it?

• Release point. Do you release the dart at the same point every time, or is it early or late?

• Follow-through. Does your hand finish pointing at the board, or does it drop or whip to the side?

Write down what you see. Be specific. "Elbow drops 6 inches on backswing" is better than "bad elbow." That precision tells you exactly what to work on next.

Step 2: Identify the Root Cause

Most throw flaws are symptoms of a single underlying issue. The elbow drop the r/Darts poster described is almost always a compensation for something else. Common root causes include:

Elbow Drop

A dropping elbow usually means you are using your shoulder to power the throw instead of your forearm. The shoulder pulls back, the elbow drops to create momentum, and then the whole arm has to re-sort itself on the way forward. Fixing this requires isolating the forearm as the primary moving part.

Head Movement

One commenter on that same thread mentioned that simply keeping their head still was their biggest single improvement. It sounds obvious, but when you watch yourself throw, you might notice your head lifts slightly as you follow the dart. That changes your sightline and your release angle. Fixing head movement alone can tighten groupings by a full segment.

Grip Pressure

Another common issue: gripping too tightly with the thumb and forefinger. A death grip introduces micro-tremors at the release point, especially under pressure. Your grip should be firm enough to control the dart but light enough that you could hold it for 30 seconds without hand fatigue.

Release Timing

Late release causes darts to go high. Early release causes them to dip into the lower segments. If your darts consistently land above or below your target, the release point is almost certainly the culprit. Film yourself and freeze-frame the release. Compare it to a pro's release frame by frame.

Step 3: The High-Elbow Drill

The r/Darts poster described the core dilemma: keeping the elbow still means the dart hits their face when they bring it back. The solution is not to keep the elbow locked in place. It is to start with the elbow slightly higher than feels natural, so that the natural backswing clears your face without dropping.

Here is the drill. Stand at the oche. Raise your throwing elbow until your upper arm is roughly parallel to the floor, or slightly above. Your tricep should feel engaged, not relaxed. From this position, your forearm hangs down naturally. Pull the dart back — your elbow stays high, your forearm hinges back, and the dart clears your face because your upper arm position already creates the clearance.

The r/Darts commenter who successfully fixed their elbow drop used this exact approach: "I start by keeping my elbow quite high so my tricep feels tight when I pull it back and I bend my wrist a lot on the pull back, which helps with the flick at the other end." They also switched to shorter stems, which gave them more clearance without changing their mechanics.

Practice this with no darts first. Twenty dry throws focusing only on the elbow position. Then add darts but aim at nothing — just throw at the board and watch your elbow in your peripheral vision. Do not chase score. Chase the position.

Step 4: Build From a Stable Base (Stance and Shoulder)

Your throw starts from the ground up. If your stance shifts mid-throw, your arm has to compensate. That compensation is what creates the elbow drop, the head movement, and the inconsistent release.

Check your stance in the front-view recording. Is your weight shifting from your back foot to your front foot during the throw? Good — that is correct. Is your body swaying side to side? That is a problem. Your torso should rotate slightly but stay vertically stable.

Your front shoulder should point at the board. Not your chest, not your hip — your front shoulder. If your shoulder line opens up (turns toward the board too much), your arm has to come across your body, which forces the elbow out and the release offline. If your shoulder line is too closed (turned away), you lose power and consistency.

Adjust your stance so that your front shoulder points at your target. Then check the front-view recording again. If the shoulder stays pointing at the board through the throw, you are stable. If it lifts or drops, you are compensating for something else.

Step 5: Wrist Integration and the Flick

Power in a darts throw comes from the wrist, not the shoulder or the elbow. The Reddit thread included advice from a player who had to change their throw because of a rugby injury: "I was throwing with my shoulder before. Now I practice throwing from just my elbow with the wrist adding power."

The wrist flick is the last thing that happens before the dart leaves your hand. A good wrist snap adds speed and spin without changing your arm position. A bad wrist snap (or no wrist snap) forces your shoulder or elbow to generate power, which destabilizes the whole motion.

To develop wrist integration, try this: stand close to the board — half the normal oche distance. Throw using only your forearm and wrist. No shoulder movement at all. Your elbow stays locked at your side. The entire motion comes from the hinge of your elbow and the snap of your wrist. Do this for 50 throws per session for a week. It feels restrictive, but it builds the wrist mechanics you need.

After a week, move back to the full oche distance. Your shoulder will naturally engage a bit more, but the wrist should still be the power source. If you feel your shoulder taking over, go back to the close-range drill.

Step 6: Repetition Without Targets

One of the most useful comments on the r/Darts thread said: "Don't even bother aiming for the triple. Just get it to the point where you can copy the alignment every time and have the darts land along the vertical." This is the key insight that most players skip.

When you rework your throw, your brain is learning a new motor pattern. If you add the pressure of hitting a specific target, your brain will revert to the old pattern to get the result. You need a phase where you throw for shape, not score.

Spend at least three sessions (15-20 minutes each) throwing at the entire board. Do not aim at a specific segment. Aim at the board generally. Your goal is to make all three darts land in a vertical column roughly the width of the big single segment. If they spread horizontally, your elbow is swinging open. If they spread vertically, your release point is inconsistent.

Record these sessions too. The vertical grouping is your north star. Once you can throw 10 rounds with all three darts landing within a single-segment-width column, you are ready to aim at something specific.

Step 7: Slowly Reintroduce Targets

Now you can aim. But start easy. Do not step up and chase treble 20. Your reworked throw needs to learn accuracy the same way it learned the motion — in layers.

Start with the big single 20. Throw 30 darts at it. Count how many land in the 20 segment. Do not worry about trebles or doubles. A clean single 20, hit consistently, is progress. Expect your hit rate to be lower than before. That is normal. Your reworked throw is not yet calibrated.

After two or three sessions on the big single, introduce a second target. Alternate between 20 and 19. Notice if one side of the board feels easier with the new throw. This tells you something about your alignment.

Only then move to the treble. By the time you are throwing at treble 20 with your reworked throw, you have built the mechanics layer by layer. The treble is a test of the system, not a test of your willpower.

What to Expect During a Rework

Reworking your throw is frustrating. The r/Darts thread is full of players who spent weeks or months working through the same issues. One commenter said: "I've been working on this for a long time because I developed a pain in my elbow. I can now throw from various positions. Not as accurately as before but pretty good still. It takes time. A lot of time."

Your average will drop. Maybe significantly. A player who was stuck at a 40 average with a flawed throw might drop to 30 or below during the rework. That is not a regression. It is a rebuild. The old average was built on a broken foundation. The new one will be built on something solid.

Expect plateaus. Expect days where everything feels worse than day one. That is your brain consolidating the new pattern. Stick with it. The players who push through the uncomfortable phase are the ones who come out with a throw that holds up under pressure.

The other key piece of advice from the thread: "Bear in mind what most people might do doesn't necessarily mean it would suit you. Look at Phil Taylor — I couldn't throw like that and hit a wall let alone a board, but it works for him." Your reworked throw will not look like a pro's throw. It should look like your throw, but cleaner.

How Dartsva Helps Track Your Throw Rework

When you rework your throw, subjective feel is unreliable. What feels like a good throw might land in the 5. What feels like a bad one might hit the treble. You need objective data.

Dartsva tracks your grouping tightness, per-segment accuracy, and average over time. During a throw rework, these metrics are more useful than your 501 average because they tell you if the mechanics are actually improving, even when the scores are not.

Use the Gauntlet assessment before you start the rework to get a baseline skill rating. Then run it again every two weeks. The Gauntlet adjusts difficulty based on your performance, so it measures consistency as well as scoring. If your Gauntlet rating trends up while your 501 average is still flat, you know the rework is working.

The structured training plans also help. Instead of guessing what to practice each day, you get a session plan that targets your current weak spots. During a throw rework, weak spots shift every few days. A data-driven plan catches those shifts and adjusts what you drill.

Quick Takeaways

• Film your throw. Side and front angles. Watch in slow motion. Be specific about what you see.

• Start with elbow position. Keep it high and stable. Use dry throws to build the new position before adding darts.

• Check your stance. Front shoulder points at the board. Weight transfers forward. No side-to-side sway.

• Isolate the wrist. Practice close-range throws using only the forearm and wrist. The wrist should drive the power.

• Throw for shape, not score. Spend sessions aiming at nothing. Chase vertical grouping.

• Reintroduce targets slowly. Big single first, then rotation, then treble. Each layer builds on the last.

• Track everything. Use Dartsva to measure grouping and Gauntlet rating so you see progress even when averages are flat.

FAQ

How long does it take to rework your darts throw?

Most players need 4 to 8 weeks of consistent practice (4-5 sessions per week) to see the new throw become their default. The first two weeks feel awkward and your average will drop. By weeks 3 and 4, the motion starts to feel natural. By weeks 6 to 8, the new throw should outperform the old one. Players who rush this phase often slip back into old habits. There is no shortcut.

Should I stop playing matches during the rework?

Yes, or at least minimize them. If you play league matches with a throw still in transition, pressure will pull you straight back to your old habit. Give yourself 2 to 3 weeks of practice-only time before stepping into a competitive setting. When you do return, accept that your average will be lower for a while. That is part of the process.

How do I know if my throw is actually improving?

Film yourself every week and compare the footage side by side. The camera does not lie. Watch for reduced elbow drop, cleaner follow-through, and less head movement. Your Dartsva Gauntlet rating is another objective measure — if it trends up over 4 to 6 weeks, your mechanics are improving even if your 501 average is flat.

What if the new throw causes pain?

Stop immediately and assess. Some muscle soreness is normal as you use your arm differently. Sharp pain in the elbow or shoulder is not. If a specific movement causes pain, modify it. Your throw needs to be sustainable for years, not perfect for a week. Consider shortening your practice sessions and recording more footage to identify the exact movement causing the strain.

Can I fix multiple issues (elbow drop, head movement, grip) at once?

No. Pick one issue and fix it first. The Reddit thread shows this clearly — the player tried to fix everything at once and felt like they had no control. Choose one mechanic to change, drill it for a week, record your progress, and only then move to the next issue. Tackling everything simultaneously overwhelms your neuromuscular system and usually results in reverting to the old throw entirely.

Conclusion

Reworking your darts throw is one of the hardest things you can do as a player. It requires patience, self-awareness, and a willingness to watch your average drop before it climbs. But every player who has done it — including the ones in that r/Darts thread — will tell you the same thing: it is worth it.

A throw built on clean mechanics does not just score better. It holds up under pressure. It bounces back faster from bad sessions. And it gives you a foundation you can keep refining for years.