Guides · Dominant eye · 9 min read
Dominant eye in darts: how to find it and aim with it
Your dominant eye in darts is the eye your brain trusts when it lines the dart up with the target. Find it in under a minute, then hold the dart on the straight line from that eye to the spot you want to hit.
In short
- Find it with the Miles test, standing at the oche.
- About two in three people are right-eye dominant.
- Aim along one line: eye, dart and target.
- Cross dominant? Bring the dart across or lean your head in.
The test
How do you find out which eye is dominant?
The quickest reliable dominant eye test is the Miles test: frame the bull through a small window in your hands, then close one eye at a time. The eye that keeps the bull in the window is your dominant eye.
- Pick a small targetStand at the oche and use the bull, or any small object 2 to 3 metres away.
- Make a small windowStretch your arms out and overlap your hands, so thumbs and forefingers form a triangle about the size of a coin.
- Frame the bullCentre it in the window with both eyes open.
- Close one eye, then the otherThe eye that keeps the bull in the window is dominant. Or draw your hands slowly back to your face: they end up in front of that eye.
- Repeat itThree times now, and again on another day.
- Porta testPoint at the bull with a straight arm and both eyes open. Close your left eye: if the finger still covers the bull, your right eye is dominant.
- The darts versionTake your stance, aim a dart at the bull and close each eye in turn. With the dominant eye open, the dart still points at the bull.
No clear winner? Some people show no strong preference. Test at the oche and put the dart under whichever eye keeps it on the bull in the darts version.
The sight line
Why does the dominant eye matter in darts?
Aiming in darts means lining the dart up with the target, and a line only works from one point of view. Your brain takes the dominant eye’s view, so that is the line you really aim along.
- 6 cmbetween your eyes
- 2 in 3people are right-eye dominant
- 10×further to the board than to the dart
That last number is why small offsets hurt: 3 mm off the line near your face becomes about 3 cm at the board, the width of the treble 20.
Cross dominance
Right-handed with a left dominant eye: what should you do?
Cross dominance means your dominant eye is on the other side from your throwing hand. It is common and easy to work with: get the dart onto the line from your dominant eye to the target.
- Dart towards the centreBring the dart up in front of your nose. Both eyes stay open, but the arm works slightly across the body.
- Tilt the headLean it a little towards the throwing arm. Keep it slight: a strong tilt strains the neck.
- Open the stanceStand more front on, so the dominant eye moves nearer the throwing line. The neck stays neutral, but your balance changes.
- Close or squint one eyeOne view gives one line straight away. It costs some depth and adds tension in the face.
- Switch handsEye and hand then match, but you learn the throw from scratch. Only realistic if you are just starting out.
- Leave itIf your darts already group on target, there is nothing to fix.
Start with the smallest change. Move the dart a finger’s width towards your dominant eye, change one thing at a time and test it with the sight line check.
One eye or two
Should you close one eye when throwing darts?
Most coaches recommend keeping both eyes open, because the dominant eye does the aiming anyway. Closing one eye is allowed, though, and some cross-dominant players aim better with it.
Both eyes open
Most coaches’ pick
- Full depth perception
- Wider view of the board
- Relaxed face, relaxed arm
- Double image of the dart if you are cross dominant
One eye closed
Only ever the non-dominant eye.
- One view, one clear line
- No double image
- Tension in the face spreads to the arm
- Less depth, narrower view
The middle way: squint the non-dominant eye slightly. Target shooters stick frosted tape on that lens of a practice pair of glasses, which blurs the eye while it stays open.
Open, squinted or closed: do the same on every dart, or your sight line changes from throw to throw.
Set position
Where should you hold the dart relative to your eye?
Hold the dart on the sight line from your dominant eye to the target, in the same spot on every dart. The rest of the throw is covered in how to throw darts.
Set position at a glance
- Sideways: in line with the dominant eye, elbow roughly under the dart.
- Height: level with the eye or a little below. Some players aim lower, along the arm.
- Distance: 20 to 30 cm from the eye. Closer blocks the target, further stretches the arm.
- Angle: tip slightly up. How much depends on your grip and throwing speed.
Do
- Draw the dart back along the sight line
- Keep your eyes on the target until the dart lands
- Let the follow-through run along the same line
Don’t
- Pull the dart back out to the side
- Watch the dart instead of the target
- Move your head between darts
Check your line
How can you tell if your sight line is off?
Look at where your darts land. A tight group that always sits to one side of the target points to the sight line, while misses high and low or a wide scatter usually come from the throw itself.
Use the 20 as your test
A sideways miss off the 20 lands in the 5 on the left or the 1 on the right. Darts that keep landing together on one side are a sight line problem, not a bad throw.
- Right line, wrong heightRelease point, speed or dart angle, rarely the eye. Work on a repeatable release.
- Group drifts over a sessionYour stance or head is creeping. Mark where your front foot goes and keep your head still.
- Wide scatter everywhereThe throw isn’t repeatable yet. Grip and throwing action first, sight line later.
- Better with one eye closedThe double image is muddling your aim. Move the dart under the dominant eye, or squint slightly.
The 100-dart check
- Throw a baselineOne round of Darts at a Number on the 20, which is 100 darts. Aim at the middle of the segment.
- Count the sideways missesSimilar numbers in the 5 and the 1 are normal scatter. A clear lean to one side points to the sight line.
- Change one thingMove the dart towards your dominant eye, or try one of the options for cross dominance.
- Repeat the drillThrow the same round over the next few sessions. Sridu’s hit pattern shows every dart on the board, so you can watch the group move back onto the 20.
Glasses and contact lenses
Can you play darts with glasses or contact lenses?
Yes, plenty of players throw in glasses. You need sharp vision at about 2.4 m through the part of the lens you look through when you aim.
- Watch the frameIf you sight low along the dart, the rim or bridge can cut into the board. Larger lenses help.
- VarifocalsThey are sharp for distance only at the top. Many players keep single-vision glasses for darts.
- Tell your opticianAsk for glasses that are sharp at about 2.4 m, and mention the 1.73 m board height.
- Get a good fitGlasses that slide down your nose as you lean forward move your sight line with them.
- Anti-reflective coatingIt stops the board light from glaring in the lenses.
- Contact lensesNo frame, no reflections. With monovision lenses, check that the distance lens sits on your aiming eye.
Numbers look soft from the oche? Have your eyes tested before you change anything in your throw.
Lighting
How does lighting affect your aim?
Your eyes aim best at a board that is evenly lit, free of shadows and not glaring back at you. Light the board, not your face. The full set-up is in how to hang a dartboard.
- A ring light or two side lamps, so darts in the board cast no shadows
- The lamp hidden from the oche, with no bare bulb in view
- No window behind the board
- Some room light on, so a bright board in a dark room doesn’t tire your eyes
Sources: Eye Dominance, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dominant Eye: What It Means and How To Test, Cleveland Clinic
FAQ
Questions about the dominant eye in darts
Does your dominant eye have to match your throwing hand?
No. A match makes the sight line a little easier to set up, but cross-dominant players throw just as accurately once the dart sits on the dominant eye’s line.
Can your dominant eye change?
For most adults it stays the same. It can change after eye surgery, an injury or a big change in prescription, so repeat the Miles test at the oche if your aim suddenly feels off.
Should I look at the dart or at the target?
At the target. Line the dart up once in the set position, then fix your eyes on the exact spot you want to hit and keep them there until the dart lands. Watching the dart during the throw tends to pull your aim off the line.
What if I don’t have a clear dominant eye?
Then try the darts version of the test at the oche: aim at the bull and close each eye in turn. Use the eye that keeps the dart on target most often, and put the dart under that eye.
How long does it take to get used to a new sight line?
Expect it to feel strange and your scores to dip at first. Give it a couple of weeks, then compare like with like, such as your hit rate in Bull Shooting or your three-dart average.
Is it different for left-handed players?
Only the sides swap. A left-hander with a left dominant eye holds the dart in line with the left eye. A left-hander with a right dominant eye is cross dominant and can use the same options as above, mirrored.
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See where your darts really land
Once you know your dominant eye in darts, put your new sight line to the test. Sridu scores every dart in the browser, by hand or with USB webcams, and shows where each one landed, so you can see whether your darts group on target. It’s free and needs no account.