Darts Release: Why Your Follow Through Won't Come and How to Fix It
A lot of players I coach tell me they are working on their darts release. When I ask them what they mean, they nearly always describe the same thing. They mean the way the hand and wrist travel after they let go of the dart, and the position the hand finishes in once the throw is complete.
We have all wa
tched players like Luke Humphries, Danny Noppert and Gerwyn Price and admired how their wrist and hand keep travelling towards the target. They finish with that lovely handprint, and it looks smooth, repeatable and effortless. Of course we want that in our own game.
Here's the thing, though. That smooth darts release is a consequence of things that happen before it. If you work on the release on its own, you can end up chasing something your throw can't produce, and that leads to frustration. In this article I'll explain a concept I call the line of target, and two ways to use it to get the release you are after.
What Is the Darts Release?
When players talk about their release, they usually mean two things:
The moment the dart leaves the fingers.
The follow through: where the hand and wrist go afterwards, and the shape the hand finishes in.
A full, natural follow through usually comes with a small rotation of the forearm. The two forearm bones, the radius and ulna, turn slightly, and the brachioradialis muscle on top of the forearm rolls over with them.
That rotation is what produces the downward handprint finish you see from the top players. In venues I often see players finish their throw and then add a handprint afterwards, because they have been told that's what a good release looks like. Really, it should be a reaction that happens on its own, not a pose.
The Line of Target
Picture a straight line running from the 20, down through the middle of the board, and back towards you at the oche. In my studio I show this with a piece of string wrapped round the 20, run down through the bull as closely as I can manage under the 3, and brought back to the throwing position.
That string is your line of target.
Your throwing arm works along an axis. There's the line you bring the dart back along, and the line your arm travels forward along towards the board. In an ideal world, your arm travels forward down the line of target.
Why Your Darts Release Isn't Smooth
Let me describe two players I've coached recently. Both are handy players with a decent average. They have good rhythm, they understand the game and they know their way round the board. They both wanted a smooth, repeatable release and a complete follow through.
When I filmed them, the reason they were struggling was clear straight away. In both cases, the throwing arm travelled from the right, across the line of target and off to the left, towards the 12 or the 9 segment.
That causes a real problem. If your arm is travelling left of the target and you complete a full, smooth follow through along that path, the dart can only go left. The further your arm travels past the line, the further left the dart wants to go.
So what happens? To keep the dart on target, these players use their wrist and fingers to push and steer the dart back online at the last moment. Many players have done this for years. Some are very good at it and get great results.
I always say darts is very individual. If you can repeat your current action time after time, under pressure, then carry on with it. But if you want that smooth, complete darts release and can't get it, your arm path is very likely the reason. You can't have a full follow through and a dart that goes straight while your arm is travelling across the line of target.
How to Check Your Own Arm Path
Before you change anything, find out what's actually happening:
Film yourself from behind. Watch where your arm travels and where your hand finishes. Is it left of the board (right of it for left-handers)?
Use the string test. Run a string from the 20, down under the 3, to the oche. Does your arm cross it as you throw?
Notice the steer. Do your wrist and fingers push the dart back to the right at the end of your throw?
If you answer yes to these, you have two options.
Option 1: Train Your Arm to Travel Down the Line of Target
The first option is to change the path your arm takes so it travels straight down the line of target. Once your arm is on the line, you can release fully and let your hand follow through towards the board without any steering.
The string drill. Run the string from the 20 to just under your throwing armpit (your right armpit if you're right-handed). Start with ghost throws, going through the full throwing motion without a dart, then progress to throwing darts along the string.
The wall drill. Stand with your throwing side close to a wall and do ghost throws along it. The wall is a perfectly straight line towards the target, so it gives you instant feedback if your arm starts to drift across.
A warning: this will feel very alien. If you're a player who throws across to the left, travelling down the line will feel like you're throwing your arm out to the right. You might wonder how you'll ever time the throw and hit three straight darts. That's normal. Treat it as a gradual change, not something to fix in one session.
Option 2: Release the Dart Earlier
The second option leaves your arm path alone and changes the timing of your darts release instead.
One of the players I mentioned is very good at this. His arm still travels left, but he lets go of the dart early, before his arm crosses the line of target. Because the dart has already gone, his arm is free to carry on travelling left and complete the follow through. Meanwhile the dart meets the line of target and lands in the middle of the board.
To try this:
Keep the arm path you already have.
Let go of the dart a fraction earlier than you do now. It will probably feel like a much bigger change than it really is.
Let your arm carry on and finish freely. Don't stop it to aim.
Judge it by where the dart lands, not by how the release feels.
Which Darts Release Fix Is Right for You?
Option 1 is the cleanest long term. It removes the need to steer the dart, which is what most players are really after when they say they want a better release. It takes time and patience, though.
Option 2 is quicker to try and keeps the throw you already know. It relies on consistent timing, so it suits players who already have good rhythm.
Either way, the principle is the same: a good darts release is the result of what comes before it. Get the arm path or the release timing right, and the smooth, repeatable finish you've been chasing has a chance to appear on its own.
Darts Release FAQs
What is a good darts release?A good darts release is smooth and repeatable, with the same speed and release point every time, and the hand following through towards the target without needing to steer the dart.
Why do my darts go left?For a right-handed player, a common cause is the throwing arm travelling across the line of target towards the left. Any full follow through on that path sends the dart left unless the wrist and fingers correct it.
Should I copy the handprint finish of professional players?Not on its own. The handprint is a consequence of forearm rotation during a complete follow through. Adding it after the throw won't improve your accuracy. Look at your arm path first.
How long does it take to change your darts release?It varies from player to player. Changing your arm path usually feels uncomfortable for a while, so build it gradually with ghost throws and drills before taking it into match play.
Want Help With Your Darts Release?
If you've been working on your release and can't get it to stick, I can help. In a DartsMatt 1-2-1 coaching session, online or at my Worcester studio, we film your throw, look at your arm path against the line of target, and build a practice plan to suit how often you can train. You also get six weeks of follow-up support afterwards so you're not working on it alone. Book your session at dartsmatt.com and download the free Darts Release one page sheet to use at your board today.
