Darts averages explained

There are four numbers people quote and they measure different things. Two of them are the same number expressed differently, which is the source of most of the confusion.

Here is what each one is, how it is worked out, and roughly where you should expect to sit.

Written and maintained by Timothy Moose, who builds Dart Meister. Updated August 25, 2026. How we write these pages.

The four numbers

The trap is comparing a PPD to a three dart average and concluding you are three times worse than a professional. A PPD of 30 is a three dart average of 90, which is a very strong player.

What counts as good

These are working ranges rather than official bands. What matters is your own number moving, not where it sits against a stranger.

The average nobody tracks and should

Checkout percentage is how often you finish when you have a realistic shot at it. It is the statistic that separates players with identical scoring averages, because legs are lost at the double, not at the triple 20.

If your three dart average is climbing and you are still losing, that is where to look. Practicing doubles is less fun than throwing at the 20, and it wins more games.

The other underrated one is first nine average, which measures pure scoring power before the leg gets tactical.

How to track any of this

You cannot improve a number you are not writing down, and nobody writes these down by hand for a casual game. Dart Meister records games played, win percentage, points per round, marks per round, 180 counts and 140 plus and 100 plus rounds, all part of the $4.99 Pro purchase. It splits them by game type, so your Cricket marks are not averaged in with your 501 scoring.

It groups games into sets of five and charts each set against the last, which matters because a single game tells you almost nothing. One good night is noise. Five sets is a trend.

Common questions