Meet my best friend Michael, the guy who brings his own brand of chaos to a friendly game of darts. Michael’s enthusiasm is as high as his score, but his counting skills? Not so much. Every time he takes his turn, you can almost hear the imaginary “beep boop” of his calculator in overdrive, trying (and failing) to keep up. One memorable game ended with Michael declaring, “I scored 50 and then 20 and… wait, did I score 70 or 30?” Even his dartboard started rolling its eyes!

While Michael’s miscalculations might be good for a few laughs, there’s a lesson here for anyone looking to improve their game. Playing darts regularly can turn you into a human calculator (or at least make you better at faking it). Accurate scorekeeping is not just a courtesy, it’s essential for tracking progress and improving performance. Whether you’re a casual player or a budding darts champion, honing your counting skills can make your game more competitive and less… err, comical.

It’s also a fantastic way to make maths fun for kids, especially if they’re more into throwing things than sitting still. Studies show that darts can boost cognitive skills like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. And let’s be honest, anything that makes kids forget they’re learning maths is a win.

The 2024 PDC World Darts Championship put the spotlight on the maths side of darts when 16-year-old Luke Littler wowed everyone with his lightning-fast score calculations. His journey to the finals at Alexandra Palace inspired a whole generation of kids to pick up darts and maybe even their calculators.

Counting made simple, the secret to stress-free darts!

A traditional dartboard is like a rainbow of numbers, with sections from 1 to 20 and a bullseye in the middle (because hitting the centre makes you feel like a superhero). But here’s the kicker, the numbers aren’t arranged in order. Nope, the 20 is chilling next to the 1, just to mess with you. This setup is designed to punish bad shots and reward precision, so no more blaming “lucky shots” for your terrible aim.

Each number section is split into four scoring segments. Single segment, hit this and you get the face value (20 points for the 20 section). Double segment, double the points, double the fun (40 points for double 20). Treble segment, triple the points, triple the bragging rights (60 points for treble 20, the highest score per dart). Bullseye, the outer ring is worth 25 points and the inner bullseye is a cool 50 points. Darts is the ultimate way to make maths exciting. It keeps you engaged, encourages teamwork and helps those who struggle with maths to see it in a new light. Plus, it’s a great excuse to buy a dartboard and call it “educational.” When you know exactly how many points you need to win, it just sharpens your focus and strategy.

Improving your counting skills might sound as challenging as hitting the bullseye on a windy day, but with a few tweaks, you’ll soon be a scorekeeping whiz. Start with some simple arithmetic drills. Whether it’s on a smartphone app or an old-fashioned notebook, practicing subtraction regularly can make a huge difference. Think of it as the warm-up before a dart game, get your mental muscles flexing! Don’t be shy about writing down intermediate scores on paper. A quick scribble can prevent those embarrassing “Wait, what did I just score?” moments. Over time, you’ll rely less on your notes and more on your rapid-fire subtraction skills.

Turn darts’ math into a game within the game. Challenge yourself by trying to subtract the score of three darts mentally. Make it fun, maybe even challenge a friend (or Michael!) to a round of “quick math darts.” Not only will this sharpen your subtraction skills, but it’ll also keep the mood light and humorous.

There are plenty of mobile apps designed to help improve your arithmetic skills. Some even simulate dart scoring, combining your love for the game with math practice. It’s like having a personal coach in your pocket, one that never argues with your score!

For those who want to take their dart game to the next level, here are some advanced strategies to ensure you never lose track of your score again. Break down the total score into smaller, more manageable parts. For example, if you start with 501, subtract in chunks of 100 to simplify the math. If you’re struggling with exact numbers, round them to the nearest ten, subtract and then adjust your score accordingly. Some players find that visualizing the dartboard and the remaining score helps them process subtraction faster. Consider a scorecard that highlights the remaining points in bright colors.

One of the easiest and most popular games is the classic ’01 game (501 or 301). It’s perfect because it’s simple, competitive and involves lots of counting. You can even play in teams to keep things lively and encourage teamwork. At the end of the game, challenge yourself to calculate the other team’s average. To calculate a player’s average, divide their total score by the number of darts thrown. For example, if someone scores 501 points in 15 darts, their one-dart average is 33.40. Multiply that by three and you’ve got their three-dart average, 100.20. It’s like algebra, but with more beer mats and fewer tears.

Darting off with a smile

Remember, everyone starts somewhere. Whether you’re here to laugh at Michael’s misadventures or to sharpen your own counting skills, remember that improvement comes with practice. Instead of feeling embarrassed about a little arithmetic mishap, embrace it, laugh it off, learn from it and get back in the game. After all, every dart you throw is a chance to improve both your game and your mental math skills. A little daily math, some tech help and a dash of humor can turn any amateur into a darts scoring superstar.

So next time you’re in a game, keep your focus sharp, your subtraction skills sharper and always, always double-check your math! So, grab your darts, sharpen your maths skills and get ready to hit that bullseye, both on the board and in the classroom! Happy darting and may your scores always add up!

Darts fever, because why not practice more, aim higher and laugh louder!

“I was terrible at maths myself,” Luke Littler admitted to BBC Sport. “But it’s just the longer you practise, the quicker you get to know checkouts, scoring and finishing up and laying up your shots and you know what to go for. So the more you play, the more you get used to it.”