170 Practice

Hit the highest possible checkout in darts — 170 — by landing triple 20, triple 20, and inner bullseye with three consecutive darts. Known as "the big fish" in professional darts, this solo training drill develops treble accuracy, bullseye precision, and the ability to perform under self-imposed pressure. The goal is to complete the 170 checkout as consistently as possible and to reduce the average number of darts required to do so.

You need a standard bristle dartboard, a set of three darts, and a method of recording your results (pen and paper, a whiteboard, or a practice-tracking app). This is a solo practice drill; no opponent is required.

Before you begin, prepare a simple log with the following columns: Attempt number, Dart 1 result (target: T20), Dart 2 result (target: T20), Dart 3 result (target: inner bull), and Outcome (complete or incomplete). Decide in advance how many attempts you will make per session — a standard training block is 10 attempts (30 darts). No throwing-order determination is needed for solo practice.

Each attempt consists of throwing three darts at a specific, fixed sequence of targets:

• Dart 1: Triple 20 (scores 60)
• Dart 2: Triple 20 (scores 60)
• Dart 3: Inner bullseye (scores 50)

This is the only three-dart combination that checks out 170: 60 + 60 + 50 = 170. No alternative path exists.

Handling misses: If you miss triple 20 with Dart 1 — for example, landing in single 20 (scoring 20) or single 5 (scoring 5) — the 170 checkout becomes mathematically impossible on that visit, because no two remaining darts can make up the deficit. When this occurs, note where the miss landed, then throw your remaining darts at their intended targets anyway (T20 and inner bull) for the practice value. Record the attempt as incomplete.

Similarly, if Dart 1 hits T20 but Dart 2 misses it, you have scored 60 with one dart remaining and would need 110, which is impossible with a single dart (the maximum single-dart score is 60). Again, throw Dart 3 at the inner bullseye for practice and record the attempt as incomplete.

If both Dart 1 and Dart 2 land in triple 20, you have 50 remaining. Your third dart must land in the inner bullseye (50) to complete the checkout. The outer bullseye (25) does not complete the 170 — it leaves 25 remaining, and the attempt is recorded as incomplete.

A successful 170 checkout is recorded only when all three conditions are met in a single visit: Dart 1 hits T20, Dart 2 hits T20, and Dart 3 hits the inner bull.

170 Practice uses performance tracking rather than a traditional running score. Record the following metrics across your session:

• Completion rate: Successful 170 checkouts divided by total attempts. For example, if you complete 1 out of 10 attempts, your completion rate is 10%.
• T20 hit rate: The number of times you hit triple 20 divided by the number of darts thrown at it. If you hit T20 on 8 out of 20 darts aimed at it across 10 attempts, your T20 hit rate is 40%.
• Inner bull hit rate: The number of times you hit the inner bullseye divided by the number of darts thrown at it. Track this separately from T20 accuracy.
• 2-of-3 rate: How often you hit at least two of the three required targets in a single attempt. This measures how close you are to consistency — hitting 2 of 3 means a single improvement away from a checkout.
• Average darts to complete: If you run the drill continuously (throwing three darts, then three more, and so on until you complete a 170), record how many total darts it took. For example, if you complete your first 170 on your seventh attempt, that is 21 darts to complete.

Over time, compare sessions to track improvement. A declining average-darts-to-complete figure is the clearest sign of progress.

As a solo training drill, there is no opponent to defeat. Victory is measured by personal improvement. Even professional players rarely hit 170 in competitive match play — it remains one of the most celebrated moments in the sport. In practice, completing the 170 checkout consistently in under 20 darts (roughly 6–7 attempts) is considered strong performance.

Set personal benchmarks: record your best single session (fewest darts to first completion), your best session completion rate (e.g., 2 out of 10), and your rolling average over multiple sessions. Aim to improve each metric incrementally over weeks and months of dedicated practice.

Timed Block (10-Attempt Format): Attempt the 170 checkout exactly ten times per session and record the total number of successful completions out of 10. This provides a standardized, comparable score across sessions — for instance, "2 out of 10" one week improving to "3 out of 10" the next.

Pressure Variant: Give yourself a fixed number of attempts — such as 5 attempts (15 darts) — in which you must complete at least one 170 checkout. If you fail, restart. This simulates the pressure of having limited opportunities, much like a real match checkout situation.

High-Checkout Rotation: Instead of exclusively practising 170, rotate between the three highest checkouts that follow a similar pattern:

• 170: T20, T20, inner bull (60 + 60 + 50)
• 167: T20, T19, inner bull (60 + 57 + 50)
• 164: T20, T18, inner bull (60 + 54 + 50)

This variation develops flexibility across multiple treble targets while maintaining the bullseye finish, making you more versatile when high checkouts arise in match play.

Prioritise T20 grouping first: The 170 checkout demands two consecutive triple 20s before you even reach the bullseye. If your T20 hit rate is low, spend dedicated sessions on treble 20 accuracy before layering in the full 170 attempt. Consistent grouping around T20 is the foundation — the bullseye becomes the only variable once your trebles are reliable.

Treat the third dart identically every time: The mental challenge of 170 Practice is most acute on Dart 3. After hitting T20 twice, the temptation is to change your approach — gripping harder, aiming more carefully, or rushing. Develop a routine in which your stance, breathing, and release are identical for all three darts regardless of what preceded them.

Log your misses, not just your hits: Recording where each miss lands (e.g., "Dart 1: single 20," "Dart 3: outer bull") reveals patterns. If you consistently miss T20 into single 1 or single 5, your release may be drifting left or right. If you hit outer bull more often than inner bull, your vertical alignment needs adjustment. Data turns frustration into actionable feedback.

Don't be discouraged by failure: Even at the professional level, 170 is called "the big fish" because it is extraordinarily difficult to land. Long stretches without a single completion are normal, especially for developing players. Focus on the sub-metrics — T20 hit rate and 2-of-3 rate — to see improvement even when full checkouts remain elusive.

Use this drill to build match-day composure: The 170 checkout compresses the two hardest skills in darts — treble accuracy and bullseye finishing — into a single three-dart visit. Practising it regularly conditions you to perform under the specific psychological pressure of high-value finishes, which translates directly to improved checkout performance in competitive play.