Are Darts Players Getting Better? Luke Humphries won the 2024 World Matchplay and averaged above 100 in all of his five matches during the competition Darts is a sport that requires an immense level of skill and accuracy and the world’s best players often make a difficult game look very easy. The likes of 2024 PDC world champion Luke Humphries and teenage sensation Luke Littler, the 2024 Premier League Darts winner, pile in the big scores and big checkouts with ease. But is the level of play amongst the sport’s elite professionals improving? When watching darts on TV you may hear the commentators refer to a player’s ‘average.’ Darts averages are a useful tool to help evaluate a player’s performance both during and after matches. In this blog, Darts Corner will explain what a darts average is and how you can calculate your average. We will also take a look at the highest darts averages over the years and discuss why the general standard on the professional circuit continues to improve. A guide on darts averages This blog will cover the following topics: What is a 3-dart average? Best darts averages over the years: 1978-2023 Top 10 highest darts averages Why are darts averages getting better? What is a good 3-point average? How to calculate your 3-point darts average Tips on improving your darts average Will darts averages keep rising? What is a 3-dart average? A 3-dart average refers to the average score a player will achieve each time they throw three darts (one visit/turn). To work out your average, take the total number of points you have scored and divide it by the total number of darts thrown, then multiply that number by 3. For example, if you score 501 points in 15 darts, divide 501 by 15 and then multiply the answer by 3. This will give you an average of 100.20, so in theory, your average score per visit will be 100.20 points. A dart player’s average is one of the key metrics used for assessing a player’s skill level and current form. You will often see a player’s average displayed during matches on television and referred to by the commentators in professional tournaments like the PDC World Darts Championship. To achieve the highest darts average you need an elite level of consistency and accuracy, with the current televised record above 120 points. Best darts averages over the years: 1978-2023 The evolution of the best darts averages can be analysed over time and in the sport’s pinnacle event: the World Darts Championship. Leighton Rees won the final of the inaugural World Championship with a 92.40 average in 1978, a figure that has been surpassed many times since then as the players continue to improve with the help of advances in technology. An example of this is the wires on the dartboard being thinner, meaning the treble and double segments are slightly bigger than before. Phil Taylor set the highest 3-dart average in a World Championship final in 2009, averaging an astonishing 110.94 in a 7-1 victory against Raymond van Barneveld. An average of 100 points used to be the benchmark for what is a good 3-dart average, but these days professional players are regularly posting three-figure averages and in some cases losing with an average over 100. Luke Littler lost the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship final with an average of 101.13 – the 10th time a player has been beaten in a World Championship final despite averaging above 100. Top 10 highest darts averages Michael van Gerwen set the record for the highest televised darts average with a 123.40 average during the 2016 Premier League Michael van Gerwen is the player who currently holds the record for the best darts average on television. The Dutchman threw the record-breaking average of 123.40 in a 7-1 win against Michael Smith during the league phase of the 2016 Premier League season. The highest darts average ever in front of the TV cameras was produced at the GE Oil & Gas Arena, in Aberdeen, Scotland on February 25, 2016. Premier League darts averages make up half of the top 10 highest averages in PDC televised matches, including three more averages from van Gerwen of 116.67, 116.90, and 117.95, whilst Peter Wright appears on this list with a 119.50 that also features in the best 3 darts averages ever. In terms of the best darts World Championship averages, van Gerwen also holds the record with a 114.05 in the semi-finals of the 2017 PDC World Darts Championship. Top 10 highest averages recorded in PDC televised matches 123.40 – Michael van Gerwen (v Michael Smith, Premier League, February 25, 2016)121.97 – Kim Huybrechts (v Paul Lim, World Cup of Darts, June 4, 2017)119.50 – Peter Wright (v Adrian Lewis, Premier League, March 2, 2017)118.66 – Phil Taylor (v Kevin Painter, UK Open, June 5, 2010)118.52 – Michael van Gerwen (v Ross Smith, Players Championship Finals, November 25, 2023)117.95 – Michael van Gerwen (v Robert Thornton, Premier League, April 7, 2016)117.88 – Gerwyn Price (v Martin Schindler, World Cup of Darts, June 19, 2022)117.88 – Phil Taylor (v Simon Whitlock, Premier League, March 1, 2012)116.90 – Michael van Gerwen (v James Wade, Premier League, April 23, 2015)116.67 – Michael van Gerwen (v Peter Wright, Premier League, March 3, 2016) Watch the video below to relive Michael van Gerwen’s world record average! Why are darts averages getting better? Several possible factors have contributed to improved darts averages including, but not limited to, the advancements in darts equipment and the increased professionalism at the top level of the game. Starting with the changes in what players throw with and the improved technology means the barrels of the darts used today are much slimmer and take up less space in the dartboard, which helps when grouping darts together in the smaller treble segments of the board. Current professional players will use a dart made with a high tungsten percentage, such as 90% tungsten or 95% tungsten. This material is very dense and as a result, players can keep their preferred weight of dart whilst having a slimmer barrel when compared to a dart made of brass or nickel silver. Another factor to consider as to why darts averages have improved is the changes to the dartboards used. In the early days of darts on television, the boards would have thicker wires and staples in between the double and treble segments and the bullseye. This wire construction led to more bounce outs, which is when a dart falls out or does not stick into the board, as a result of a dart hitting the wires or staples instead of the Sisal material. The professional dartboards used these days are made with thinner wires and are staple-free, meaning less bounce outs and bigger scores are achieved as more darts enter the board. The current wire construction has also increased the size of the treble and double segments, helping to improve the scoring capabilities for players too. The rise in prize money at the top level of darts is also a reason why averages have increased over the years. The prize fund for the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship was £2.5 million, more than 200 times greater than the prize pot for the inaugural World Darts Championship in 1978, which was £10,500. The PDC runs the professional side of the game and offers life-changing sums of prize money for players to earn throughout the season, so players are adopting a more committed and serious approach to reach the very top of the sport. Darts is also a very accessible sport with no barriers to entry. Grab a set of darts and find your local pub or club for a game, or pick up a dartboard and create a darts setup of your own at home. What is a good 3-point average? Based on the Players Championship events on the PDC ProTour, an average of between 89-93 is considered a good 3-dart average for a professional player. The Players Championships are open to all 128 PDC tour card holders and are held behind closed doors without any fans, but every match can be followed via the DartConnect software. Fans can track the averages and stats of each player and see how their average compares to the rest of the players on the tour. As an amateur player, my own average is some way below the level of the PDC tour. At the 2022 Viking Cup, I threw a 3-point average of 47.86 in my last 256 game, whilst my opponent George Willetts posted a much superior average of 68.32. An average of around 35-45 is considered a beginner average, 46-55 a pub player average, 56-70 a super league/county player average, 71-85 a PDC Challenge Tour average, 86-99 a PDC tour player average, and 100 and above a world-class average. Keep reading to find out how to work out your 3-dart average and ways to improve your average. How to calculate your 3-point darts average Throw three darts and note down your score. Repeat step 1 for a series of throws (eg. 10 rounds). Add up all of your scores together to give you a total score. Divide your total score by the number of throws to get your average. Example: If you score 600 points from 10 throws, your 3-dart average is 600 divided by 10, which equals 60. Tips on improving your darts average There are many things players can do to help them to improve their darts average. These include:- Regular practice – following a consistent practice routine can help players build muscle memory and accuracy on the dartboard Work on your form – make sure your throwing action is easily replicable and does not vary with each throw Set yourself goals – aim for incremental improvements and track your progress over a period of time Use quality equipment – invest in a professional dartboard and a set of tungsten darts Analyse your game – watch yourself back on camera if possible to check if you have a consistent throwing action Stay focused and calm – keeping cool under pressure will help you produce your best game Read our ‘How To Get Better At Darts’ blog for more of an in-depth look at these suggestions and how they can help to improve your game. Our ‘How To Practice Darts’ blog also has some useful tips on perfecting your practice routine at home. The future of darts: Will darts averages keep rising? Luke Littler caught the eye on the junior circuit before bursting onto the professional scene with a run to the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship final Have we already seen the best darts averages ever or will the current records be broken? It is a question that darts fans continue to debate as more and more players showcase their capabilities of throwing big averages both in front of the TV cameras and behind closed doors. As the prize money continues to rise and the popularity of the game, off the back of the Luke Littler effect, also increases, we can expect to see the next generation of young players come through and make their mark on the oche. We are already seeing the future stars posting impressive averages in youth systems like the JDC (Junior Darts Corporation) and PDC Development Tour. The overall standard in the game has arguably never been healthier and that would suggest that the record averages may be under threat as more players continue to improve. Paul Nicholson, a former major champion and now a pundit/commentator, in an article for Sporting Life has suggested players should not over focus on their averages. He wrote: ‘Young players will come up to me weekly and say they want to reach a certain average – or tell me what they’ve averaged to show what level they’re at. But I just reply with ‘How many matches have you won?’ It’s all about winning. The average is just a reflection of what you’ve done, not a reflection of what you can do. Nobody’s goal should be a certain average. It will naturally go up with more practice and winning matches.’ Improve your darts average with Darts Corner The continued improvement in darts players’ performances means it is an exciting time to be involved in the sport. Whether you are a complete beginner to darts or an experienced player who has been throwing for years, there is always room for improvement, and tracking your own averages is a way to keep an eye on how your game is progressing. Darts Corner stocks a full range of steel tip darts and soft tip darts along with an entire selection of dartboards and accessories to help improve your game. Take a look at our ‘Darts Games To Play’ blog for a variety of practice games to try out at home or with your friends. Pictures: PDC
