Mental Game & Technique Guides

Comprehensive guides on improving your game, based on real throwing breakthroughs.

Recommended Resource

Master Every Finish from 2-170

Darts Finishing Mastery uses a step-by-step system to teach every checkout in 501. If you're serious about competitive play, knowing your finishes is non-negotiable. This book makes the learning process systematic instead of random. 230 pages, 4.6/5 stars from 169+ reviews.

  • ✓ Complete coverage of all finishes from 2-170
  • ✓ Takes years off the learning curve
  • ✓ Available in Kindle and paperback
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Why You Miss Easy Shots (And How to Stop)

Mental Game

Ever nail a crucial double 16 to win, then completely blow an easy treble 20 on the next leg? Your brain is playing tricks on you - here's what's actually happening and how to fix it.

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Stop Aiming, Start Throwing

Mental Game

Ever notice how when you 'try' to aim carefully at a double, you miss it? But when you just throw without thinking, the dart goes exactly where you wanted? Your brain already knows how to hit the target.

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Process Over Results: How To Stop Raging and Start Improving

Mental Game

Threw three perfect darts at treble 20, got a 26, and now you're pissed off enough to throw your next dart through the wall? Learn how to stop tilting and focus on what actually matters.

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The Four Stages of Learning Darts

Skill Development

You know what good mechanics look like, you can execute them in practice, but in matches you keep reverting to old habits? You're stuck in stage 3 - here's how to break through.

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The Journey From Beginner to Pro: What To Expect At Every Stage

Skill Development

The real path from beginner to pro - what actually happens at each stage, how long it takes, and what separates players who progress from those who plateau.

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Aim Before You Setup: The Pool Player's Secret

Technique

In pool, you aim with your belly button while standing up, not from your stance. The same principle applies to darts - aim during the raise, not from setup position.

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Your Setup Position Matters More Than You Think

Technique

Extended arm (Photo 1) vs compact setup (Photo 2) - why your pause point physically determines your consistency. I hit a 180 within 5 minutes of switching.

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How To Break Bad Dart Habits (Or Why Pros Have 'Weird' Setups)

Skill Development

Willpower doesn't work. Your old habit has 10,000 reps. Every 'weird' setup routine is an engineered route-around to bypass bad habits. The tap, the waggle, the circle - here's how to create yours.

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Why You Can't Perform In Games (When Practice Goes Perfect)

Skill Development

Practice 180s, game 26s. Your brain optimizes for feedback adjustment, not consistent execution. The wall drill fixes this - throw without seeing results.

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Why The Pause Matters (And Why Your Brain Wants To Skip It)

Technique

The pause is a confirmation checkpoint, not aiming time. Every pro has one. Why your brain fights it and how to add it with route-arounds.

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Follow-Through Fundamentals: Why Your Hand Should Point At The Target

Technique

Follow-through is part of the throw, not after it. Hand finishes pointing at target. Common mistakes: dead stop, pulling back, dropping elbow.

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Third-Dart-Itis: Why Your Last Dart Always Misses

Technique

First two darts group, third dart goes rogue. Primary cause: off hand moves. How to lock it in place and fix the inconsistency.

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Where To Focus Your Eyes: Target Lock vs Soft Focus

Technique

Hard target focus vs soft focus vs shift focus. Every pro does it differently. Find what works for you with testing protocol.

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Eye Dominance In Darts: Does It Matter?

Technique

Right-handed but left eye dominant? Learn how eye dominance affects your alignment, how to test which eye is dominant, and how to optimize your setup (especially if you're cross-dominant).

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Soft Tip vs Steel Tip Darts: Which Should You Play?

Equipment

Target size, distance, dart weight, board costs, bounce-outs, league differences - everything you need to know about the two formats and how to choose between them.

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How To Find Your Dart Grip (And Stop Changing It)

Technique

Pencil vs standard vs full grip, finger placement, grip pressure, release problems - how to actually choose a grip and commit to it for 1500 throws instead of changing every week.

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