Winning a game will always be the best indicator of individual skill level. In most sports, stats can be a good indicator of how good a player is but at the end of the day, all that really matters to people is getting a win and becoming a more consistent performer.
When it comes to darts (as an individual sport), It can be easier to keep track of performance indicators and one of the best, or most common ways to do this is by keeping track of your darts average. That sounds simple enough but what is a good darts average?
A good dart average for non-professional players is a 3 dart average of between 60 – 80. To be competitive at a high level nationally, internationally, and professionally you’d need a minimum of 80 for a 3 dart average with the best players in the world averaging 100+.
It’s worth keeping in mind that a dart average does not determine how good of a player you are, it’s a good indicator but finishing and winning games are what separate great players from average ones. If you do want to track your average though, read on for more info…
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What Is A Good Darts Average?
Beginners who enjoy the thrill of improving in darts often wonder about their dart average early on. After all, a better dart average might mean a stronger potential to be successful in the game. Dart players often obsess over their averages to see if their performance is consistent, and their practice is achieving something. However, just like other things in darts, averages are not that simple.
What Do You Mean By Dart Average?
A dart average is an average point a player can consistently achieve per dart thrown. There are two types of averages: one-dart average or PPD, and three-dart average or PPR. Dart averages can be measured when playing any ‘01 game (501, 301, etc.) Typically, a higher dart average means that you’re scoring big points each time you throw a dart.
One-Dart Average (PPD)
One-dart average, or points per dart (PPD), is the average score that players make per dart. This average is often calculated after a game of either 501 or 301. The British Darts Organisation or BDO typically uses this method of calculating the average. BDO calculates the PPD using the following formula:
Winner PPD = 501 / total darts thrown
Loser PPD = (501 – score left) / total darts thrown
For example, a player who finished 501 within 15 darts has a PPD of 33.14.
Three-Dart Average (PPR)
The Three-dart average or points per round (PPR) is the player’s average after throwing three darts. It is calculated by dividing the total score by either 501 or 301 and multiplying the quotient by 3. Unlike BDO, this method is often used by the Professional Darts Corporation or PDC. Hence, player averages on PDC are bigger than those in BDO.
Winner PPR = (501 / total darts thrown) * 3
Loser PPR = ((501 – score left) / total darts thrown) * 3
Using the previous example, a player who finished 501 using 15 darts has a PPR of 100.2.
The highest possible PPD is 60 (for hitting the treble 20), while the highest point for PPR is 180 (hitting treble 20 three times.) Currently, the lowest average you can get is 1 (after hitting the single 1 in each dart or round.) But averages can reach zero if none of the darts ever reach the board.
Dart averages are often used on ‘01 games. The higher your score signifies that you need fewer darts to finish a game.
What Is A Good 3-Dart Average?
First of all, why do most people use the 3-dart average rather than the one-dart average? The short answer to this question is: it depends on where you play. Players on PDC use the the3-dart average in all of their competitions while BDO players use one-dart averages on their own.
Here are the considered good 3-dart averages for every player levels:
- For Beginners – 30 – 40 points
- For Average Players – 40 – 50 points
- For Pub/Club League Players – 60 – 80 points
- For Pro Players – 80 points and above
The averages for the soft tip and steel-tip darts will also have some kind of variance due to their differences. Even with the same game setup, soft-tip darts usually have 25% higher averages than their steel-tip counterparts.
If you can get an average of consistent 60 points comfortably, you’re likely considered a very good player. Master dart players usually average 80 points when they’re on a bad day.
What Is A Good MPR In Darts?
Marks per round or MPR is another type of dart average. But one of the main differences is with this average is the game where it is measured. This average is typically used in cricket games, but it can also be applied to other games such as 501 and 301.
MPR is measured from the range of 0-9 points, with 9 being the highest. The marks depend on the section where the dart landed, regardless of the number. Even if you hit a treble 20 or a treble 1, this will count as 3 marks. Here is the equivalent point of each board section.
- Treble – 3 marks
- Double – 2 marks
- Single – 1 mark
You can calculate the MPR with this formula: (sum of all marks/number of all darts thrown) * 3
The highest MPR is at 9, which is achievable if you always hit trebles. Like PPR and PPD, you can get the lowest score of 1 (if one dart hits a single) and zero (if no darts landed on the board.) Intermediate players who practice regularly once a week often have 1 to 2 MPR, while competitive dart players go from 3.5 and above.
What Is The Highest Average In Darts?
The highest dart average is usually from professional players joining national and international competitions. These competitions are often televised, making the record official. Typical pro averages usually pass over 100 points. Bobby George was the first-ever player who managed to get this dart average recorded in 1979, during his final game against Alan Glazier.
As of the current world record, the holder is Dutch player Michael van Gerwen, who has an average of 123.40. Van Gerwen snagged this record during his fight against Michael Smith in the 2016 Premier League.
In 2019, Scottish player Peter Wright was able to surpass this average by snagging 123.50 in 2019 during the Professional Darts Corporation. Unfortunately, this game was not an officially televised game because the event was streamed online.
Phil Taylor holds the highest career average of 101.28. This means that Taylor was able to consistently get an average of over 100 on all the games in his career.
Should You Care About Dart Averages?
Dart averages might not be useful (and even troublesome) for beginners. It might be a disheartening experience if you scored 40 on a good day, and it suddenly falls at 20 on a bad day. Averages usually measure a player’s consistent performance and are usually for competitive play. Intermediate players use averages to see if they can learn more and aspire to be a pro.
It’s normal for amateur dart players to get very inconsistent scores because they’re only learning and finding their comfortable form. Beginners might want to focus on their aims and forms first, and getting a consistent score every game.
If you do want to calculate dart averages with ease though, I do not recommend trying to do it without a calculator. Darts players are good at darts math but they don’t keep an ongoing score in their head for their averages game by game!
Instead, use an online scoreboard and average calculator like https://darts-scoring.com/ is great for tracking scores and averages.
Final Thoughts
Tracking your dart average is not essential or even necessary in most cases. It can often be a distracting metric and forces players to focus on the wrong aspects of improving their game. That sounds confusing but if you play against an app or computer focusing on improving your average, you won’t develop the proper playing mechanisms that you get with deliberate practice games.
If you do want to track dart averages though, a good starting point would be to get to a 3 dart average of around 50 – 60. This is achievable for most players and will see you winning more games than you lose. If you want to take it to the next level and be competitive, aim for a 3 dart average of between 60 – 80.
