Darts grip: how to hold a dart

1. Balance itLay the dart across your outstretched index finger and slide it until it stays level on its own.
2. Remember the spotCount the grip rings from the front of the barrel, so you find it again without balancing.
3. Place the thumbSet the pad of your thumb under the barrel, on the spot or just behind it. The throw then pushes the dart forward and the point stays up.
4. Close the fingersIndex finger over the barrel, the others where they fall. The thumb carries the dart, the fingers steer it.

New shafts or flights? Balance the dart again, and see flights and shafts for what each part changes in the air. Longer or heavier parts at the back move the balance point backwards.

• 2 fingersFor short barrels and small hands. Little control over the angle, so the point can tilt unnoticed.
• 3 fingersThe usual choice for most barrels. Watch for the middle finger dragging on the point.
• 4 fingersFor long barrels and bigger hands. More control, but a late fingertip pulls the dart off line.
• 5 fingersRare, and only with a very long barrel. Fingers tend to touch the shaft or flight.

• Pencil gripFeels natural and keeps the point easy to control. Needs grip on the front of the barrel.
• Front gripDirect feel for the point, a good match for torpedo barrels. A finger on the point can catch at release.
• Centre gripBalanced and forgiving, the default for straight barrels. Less feel for the point.
• Rear gripLets you push the dart through the throw. The front feels heavy, so the point wants to drop.

Many coaches start new players on a three-finger grip close to the balance point and only move away from it for a reason. Others let beginners hold the dart however feels natural and fix only what causes problems. Darts for beginners puts the grip in context with everything else you learn in your first weeks.

• Too looseslipsThe dart shifts on the take-back, so each one leaves at a slightly different angle.
• About rightsecureYour hand stays relaxed. A gentle tug would pull the dart out of your fingers.
• White knucklessqueezedPale fingertips, a hard forearm and a late release, because the fingers have to unclench before they open.

On a match dart your grip pressure creeps up without you noticing. Make it part of your routine to breathe out and loosen your fingers a touch.

Squeezing also wears out your hand. Hundreds of clenched throws tire the thumb, fingers and forearm, so if your hand aches after practice, loosen the grip first and take short breaks. The guide on pain from playing darts covers finger, wrist and elbow strain.

1. When you aimThe dart sits on the line from your eye to the target, point level or a little up.
2. On the take-backBring it towards your face without the point tipping over. A drop here usually comes from the wrist bending.
3. At the releaseThe dart leaves along the line it will fly on. A grip far behind the balance point makes that harder.
4. AfterwardsYour hand keeps moving towards the target. The follow-through shows whether the release was clean.

How far up is slightly up? Coaches differ: many teach a point angled a little upwards because a dart flies in an arc, others want it dead level. A point that dips at the release is a fault for all of them.

The rest of the throw, from stance to release, is in the guide on how to throw darts.

• StraightBalance point near the middle. The most flexible shape: front, centre and rear grips all work.
• TorpedoFront-weighted, so the balance point sits forward. Suits front and pencil grips.
• BombWidest and heaviest in the middle. Thumb on the bulge, usually two or three fingers.
• Long or shortLong, slim barrels leave room for four or five fingers. Short, compact ones suit two or three.

How much does the grip pattern hold?

• Ringed or cutfirmGrooves give a firm hold. Very sharp cuts can snag the fingers at release.
• Knurled or micro gripmediumA fine texture that holds without edges, a good middle ground for most hands.
• SmoothlightEasy to let go of, harder to hold the same way twice.

A heavier dart needs a touch more support from the thumb. The guide on how to choose darts goes through weight, barrel shape and grip patterns in detail.

Darts drift to the same side? With four or five fingers, one of them often lets go last. Try the same grip with one finger fewer.

1. Start from the balance pointBuild a three-finger grip around it. That is your baseline.
2. Change one thingTry one or two alternatives, such as one finger more or the thumb one ring further back.
3. Test with numbersThrow each grip in the same drill on several days, for example 60 darts at the bull. Compare hit rates and groups, not how it felt.
4. Commit to the winnerKeep it for at least a few weeks, however it feels on a bad evening.
5. Build a pick-up routineRoll the dart onto your fingers, set the thumb on your ring and close the fingers on top.

Keep the test honest in Sridu: add a second player for the new grip, such as “Anna 4-finger”, so the statistics stay apart. Around the Clock gives each grip a hit rate, and the heatmap in the statistics shows whether it groups tighter or pulls to one side.

For a pure accuracy test, Bull Shooting keeps a personal record for each setting. A grip test also fits well into the warm-up of a darts practice routine.

• How to throw darts

  How to throw darts with a repeatable technique: stance at the oche, grip, aiming, the elbow as pivot, release and follow-through, rhythm, beginner mistakes and drills.

  Read the guide
• How to choose darts

  How to choose darts: the right weight, tungsten percentage, barrel shape and grip, points, shafts and flights, how to test a set before buying and what WDF rules allow.

  Read the guide
• Darts pain and injuries

  Darts elbow, sore shoulders, back and legs: why darts causes aches, the technique, warm-up and practice habits that prevent them, and when to see a doctor or physio.

  Read the guide