Darts checkouts: 10 finishes to learn first

Work back from the double

A checkout is a sequence that takes your remaining score to exactly zero. In double-out 501 or 301, the final dart must hit a double, including the bull worth 50. A useful way to learn finishes is to choose a double you like, then work out what leaves it. With 52 remaining, a single 20 leaves 32: one dart at double 16 can win the leg.

You do not have to use all three darts. A successful first- or second-dart finish ends the leg immediately. If those rules are new to you, read the guide to your first game of 501 before memorising routes. Knowing when a visit is a bust is more useful than knowing a spectacular finish you rarely attempt.

Ten checkouts worth having ready

S means single, D means double and T means treble: S20 scores 20, D20 scores 40 and T20 scores 60. These are suggested routes, not the only legal choices. The first seven need no treble. Practise them before expecting yourself to hit the higher finishes under pressure.

Learn the single-hit fallback

On 80 with three darts, T20 leaves D10. If your first dart lands in S20 instead, you have 60 left and two darts: S20, D20 still works. On 100, a first-dart S20 leaves 80 with two darts, so you now need T20, D10. The same miss changes the difficulty of the visit because your starting score is different.

On 64, T16 leaves D8 in two darts, while S16 leaves 48 for S16, D16. Starting on 16 gives you a useful next step whether you hit the single or the treble. The S16, S16, D16 route needs three darts. With only two left, T16, D8 is an option; count your darts as well as your points.

Make the next double easy to find

D16 is a useful practice target because an inside miss into S16 leaves D8; another single 8 leaves D4. That sequence is easy to follow, but it does not make D16 the best double for everyone. If D20 suits you, use it. On 40, an inside S20 leaves D10. An outside miss scores nothing and leaves the original target.

Recalculate after every scoring dart. A remembered route is a plan, not a command to keep throwing at the same targets. Use the checkout calculator with your actual remainder and darts left. It shows a valid finish; it cannot tell which route you personally hit most often.

Practise three scores, then play a leg

Choose 40, 52 and 60. Give yourself five visits at each, restarting from the chosen score after a finish, a bust or three darts. Record completed checkouts out of five, and note where each missed dart went. Keep this drill on paper; the regular scorer does not offer a custom checkout-drill mode.

Finish with a solo 301 leg to practise making those decisions without a planned starting score. If the double is the sticking point, use the 15-minute doubles routine. If you keep leaving an awkward high score before the finish, learn the seven bogey numbers. Those are different problems and need different practice.