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

Most players think the dart leaves their hand and the throw is over. Wrong.

The follow-through is part of the throw. What your hand does after release determines where the dart goes as much as what happens before release.

The most common mistake: Stopping the motion immediately after release, or pulling the hand away from the throw line.

What actually works: Natural follow-through where your hand finishes pointing at the target.

What Is Follow-Through?

Follow-through is the natural continuation of motion after the dart leaves your hand.

Think about throwing a ball:

You don't stop your arm the instant the ball releases
Your arm continues forward naturally
Your hand finishes high, pointing toward where you threw

Darts is the same.

Good follow-through:

Hand continues forward after release
Arm extends naturally toward target
Hand finishes pointing at (or near) what you aimed at
Motion is smooth and unforced

Bad follow-through:

Hand stops immediately at release
Hand pulls back or away
Motion is abrupt or jerky
Arm doesn't extend

Why Follow-Through Matters

Reason 1: You're Still Holding The Dart

Here's the physics:

When you think you "released" the dart, your fingers are still in contact with it for longer than you realize.

Actual release happens over 20-50 milliseconds. During that time, your hand is still moving.

If your hand stops moving or changes direction: The dart feels that change and responds

Hand stops suddenly = dart trajectory changes
Hand pulls back = dart loses velocity
Hand drops = dart goes low

If your hand continues smoothly forward: The dart releases cleanly along the intended path

You can't separate release from follow-through. They're the same motion.

Reason 2: Follow-Through Reveals Your Alignment

Your follow-through shows where you actually threw.

Test: Film yourself throwing at treble 20. Watch where your hand finishes.

If hand finishes pointing at treble 20: Your alignment was good

If hand finishes pointing left/right/high/low of treble 20: Your alignment was off

Your hand naturally follows your arm structure. If your hand doesn't point at the target, neither did your throw.

Follow-through is feedback. It tells you if your setup was aligned correctly.

Reason 3: Follow-Through Prevents Pulling

The most common mistake: Pulling the hand back toward your face after release

Why players do this: Trying to "catch" the dart hand and control it

What actually happens:

Your brain anticipates the pull-back
Hand starts moving backward before full release
Dart feels the backward motion
Dart goes short or low

This is called "pulling the dart."

Fix: Let your hand continue forward naturally. Don't try to stop it or pull it back.

Reason 4: Consistency

Every throw needs to follow the same path.

With good follow-through: Your release point and motion are consistent

Hand travels same path every throw
Release happens at same point in motion
Dart gets same velocity and angle

Without follow-through: Your release point varies

Sometimes you release early (stop motion)
Sometimes you release late (rush it)
Dart velocity and angle change throw to throw

Consistent follow-through = consistent release.

What Good Follow-Through Looks Like

The Natural Finish

After release, your hand should:

Continue forward in the direction of your throw
Extend toward the target (not fully straight, but extended)
Point at or near what you aimed at (hand and fingers aimed at target)
Hold briefly (0.3-0.5 seconds) before bringing hand back down
Feel effortless (natural motion, not forced)

It should look like: You're pointing at the target after releasing the dart.

The Extension

Your throwing arm should extend (not lock, but extend)

Start position (setup): Elbow bent, compact position (Photo 2)

Release position: Elbow extending forward

Finish position: Arm mostly extended, hand pointing at target

Full range of motion: Compact → Extended

If your arm doesn't extend: You're not using full range of motion. Inconsistent.

The Hold

After your hand reaches the finish position, hold it there briefly.

Why:

Confirms you completed the follow-through
Gives you visual feedback (where did hand finish?)
Prevents pulling hand back too early

How long: 0.3-0.5 seconds (just long enough to see where it finished)

Watch Phil Taylor: His hand stays extended pointing at the target until the dart hits. Then he brings it back down.

This isn't showmanship. It's technique.

Common Follow-Through Mistakes

Mistake 1: No Follow-Through (Dead Stop)

What it looks like: Hand stops moving immediately at release

Why players do this: Trying to control the release point precisely

Why it fails:

Hand is still touching dart when it "stops"
Dart feels the deceleration
Inconsistent release timing
Loses velocity

Fix: Let hand continue forward naturally. Release happens during motion, not at a stop.

Mistake 2: Pulling Back

What it looks like: Hand moves backward (toward face) after release

Why players do this: Habit, trying to "reset" quickly for next dart

Why it fails:

Brain anticipates the pull-back
Hand starts moving backward before full release
Dart goes short, low, or inconsistent

Fix: Finish forward, hold briefly, then bring hand back down

Mistake 3: Dropping The Hand

What it looks like: Hand/elbow drops down after release

Why players do this: Fatigue, poor setup position, trying to "help" the dart

Why it fails:

Changing arm angle during release
Dart trajectory goes low
Inconsistent finish position

Fix: Elbow stays at same height through release and follow-through. Hand extends forward, not down.

Mistake 4: Flicking/Snapping The Wrist

What it looks like: Wrist snaps forward or upward at release

Why players do this: Trying to add velocity or "spin" to the dart

Why it fails:

Inconsistent release (wrist position varies)
Adds unnecessary complexity
Dart angle changes throw to throw

Fix: Wrist should be firm through release. Motion comes from elbow/forearm, not wrist snap.

Mistake 5: Follow-Through Doesn't Match Aim Point

What it looks like: Aiming at treble 20, but hand finishes pointing at 1 or 5

Why this happens: Body alignment was wrong, hand reveals actual throw direction

Why it fails: You're throwing where your hand points, not where you're looking

Fix: This is a setup/alignment issue, not a follow-through issue. Fix your aim-before-setup and body alignment.

How To Develop Good Follow-Through

Step 1: Film Yourself

Throw 20 darts at treble 20. Film from the side.

Watch each throw. For each:

Does hand continue forward after release? (yes/no)
Does hand finish pointing at target? (yes/no)
Does hand hold the finish briefly? (yes/no)
Is follow-through consistent across all throws? (yes/no)

Most players will find:

No follow-through at all (dead stop)
Hand pulls back instead of forward
Follow-through inconsistent (sometimes yes, sometimes no)

Pick ONE issue to fix. Don't try to fix everything at once.

Step 2: Exaggerate The Follow-Through

For 50 throws:

Setup at Photo 2 position
Pause
Throw
Exaggerate the follow-through
- Extend arm fully toward target
- Point directly at what you aimed at
- Hold for 1 full second
- Make it obvious and deliberate

This feels ridiculous. Do it anyway.

Why it works: Exaggerating breaks the old pattern (no follow-through or pull-back). Your brain learns "follow-through is part of the throw."

After 50 throws: Reduce to normal follow-through (still extend, still point, but hold for 0.5 seconds instead of 1 full second)

Step 3: The "Point At Target" Cue

Mental cue while throwing: "Point at target after release"

Not: "Finish the throw" Not: "Extend the arm" Not: "Follow through"

Just: "Point at target"

Why this works: Simple, clear, actionable. Your brain knows how to point at things.

Use this cue for 100 throws. It becomes automatic.

Step 4: Check The Finish

After each throw:

Quick mental check: "Did my hand finish pointing at the target?"

If yes: Good, next dart

If no: Why not?

Pulled back?
Dropped elbow?
Stopped short?

Adjust next throw accordingly.

This builds feedback loop: Throw → Check finish → Adjust → Repeat

Step 5: Match Follow-Through To Dart Flight

This is the test of whether your follow-through is aligned:

Throw at treble 20. Watch the dart land.

Dart hits treble 20: Check your hand. Is it pointing at treble 20? (Should be yes)

Dart hits 1 (left of target): Check your hand. Is it pointing left of treble 20? (Probably yes - hand reveals alignment)

Dart hits 5 (right of target): Check your hand. Is it pointing right of treble 20?

If dart lands where your hand is pointing: Your follow-through is aligned, dart went where you threw it

If dart lands somewhere different from where hand is pointing: Something else is wrong (release timing, dart issue, etc.)

Goal: Hand finishes pointing at target, dart lands at target. Alignment confirmed.

The Follow-Through and Elbow Position

Critical point: Your elbow position determines your follow-through.

Locked Elbow (Correct)

What it means: Elbow stays at the same height from setup through release and follow-through

Effect: Consistent arm angle, consistent dart trajectory

Follow-through: Hand extends forward in straight line toward target

This is what you want.

Dropping Elbow (Incorrect)

What it means: Elbow drops down during or after release

Effect: Arm angle changes, dart goes low

Follow-through: Hand finishes pointing below target

Fix: Focus on keeping elbow at same height. Extension comes from forearm, not elbow drop.

Rising Elbow (Sometimes Okay)

What it means: Elbow rises slightly during follow-through

Effect: Dart trajectory goes slightly higher

Follow-through: Hand finishes pointing slightly above target

When it's okay: If your darts consistently land on target and your elbow rises the same amount every throw

When it's a problem: If elbow rise is inconsistent throw to throw

Most players should keep elbow level. Rising elbow adds complexity.

Advanced: Follow-Through and Dart Weight

Heavier darts require more follow-through.

Light darts (18-20g):

Less momentum
Don't need as much follow-through
Hand can stop earlier without affecting dart much

Medium darts (22-26g):

Standard momentum
Normal follow-through (extend and point)
Most common

Heavy darts (28g+):

More momentum
Need full follow-through to release cleanly
Stopping motion early really affects trajectory

If you switch dart weights: Your follow-through may need adjustment.

The Follow-Through and Release Timing

Follow-through affects when the dart releases.

Early Release (Problem)

What happens: Dart leaves fingers too early in the motion

Cause: Trying to stop the hand or pull back

Effect: Dart goes high, loses velocity

Follow-through: Hand doesn't reach full extension

Fix: Let hand continue forward longer before expecting release

Late Release (Problem)

What happens: Dart stays on fingers too long

Cause: Gripping too tight, not opening fingers

Effect: Dart goes low or inconsistent

Follow-through: Hand extends but dart doesn't release cleanly

Fix: Relax grip, trust the release, let dart come off fingers naturally

Natural Release (Correct)

What happens: Dart releases at the natural point in your forward motion

Cause: Relaxed grip, smooth follow-through, not trying to control release timing

Effect: Consistent trajectory, good velocity

Follow-through: Hand extends fully, dart releases somewhere in the middle of extension

You can't force the perfect release point. Let it happen naturally during follow-through.

The Mental Aspect

Follow-through is a trust issue.

Players with poor follow-through: Don't trust the release

Try to control it
Try to "help" the dart
Pull back to "catch" the throw
Stop motion to "place" the dart precisely

Players with good follow-through: Trust the setup and execution

Setup is locked in (pause confirmed it)
Throw is committed (no second-guessing mid-motion)
Follow-through is natural (hand goes where arm structure points)

If you're fighting your follow-through: You're fighting your setup. Fix the setup and trust it. Follow-through becomes natural.

The Bottom Line

Your hand should finish pointing at the target.

Good follow-through:

Continues forward after release (not stopping or pulling back)
Extends toward target
Holds briefly (0.3-0.5 seconds)
Feels natural and effortless
Is consistent every throw

Why it matters:

Dart is still in contact with fingers during initial follow-through motion
Follow-through reveals your alignment
Prevents pulling the dart
Creates consistency

How to develop it:

Film yourself (identify issue)
Exaggerate follow-through for 50 throws
Use "point at target" cue
Check finish after every throw
Match follow-through to dart flight

Common mistakes:

Dead stop at release
Pulling back toward face
Dropping elbow
Wrist snap
Follow-through doesn't match aim

The pros all do it. Watch any professional - their hand finishes extended, pointing at what they threw at. It's not style. It's technique.

Let your hand follow the dart. Don't stop it, don't pull it back. Natural extension toward target.

Struggling with consistent setup before follow-through? Check out our guide on Photo 2 setup position and why the pause matters.

Want to fix pulling the dart? See our article on elbow position and locked-elbow mechanics (coming soon).