I’ll never forget the moment I realized my doubles were a joke. There I stood, needing double 16 to win, again, only to watch my dart land in the 8 like my ex’s commitment issues. My friends didn’t even laugh anymore. That’s when I met Bob’s 27, the most brutally honest practice game ever invented. Created by world champion Bob Anderson (who clearly enjoyed watching mere mortals suffer), this drill doesn’t care about your feelings. It forces you to hit every double in order, exposing your weaknesses like a dartboard therapist. No more hiding behind your one “lucky” double, Bob makes you face them all, especially the ones you’ve been avoiding since you first picked up a dart.
The first time I tried it, I barely survived the first five doubles before my score nosedived into negative territory. I wanted to quit. But slowly, painfully, something magical happened, I started improving. Not overnight, not without swearing, but definitely. Now when I step up to take a double in a real game, there’s less panic. Because Bob’s 27 has taught me the most valuable lesson in darts, the only way past the fear is straight through it. It’s still painful, it’s still frustrating, but damn if it doesn’t work. Now if you’ll excuse me, double 16 and I have some unfinished business.
The Beautiful Cruelty of the Rules
At its core, Bob’s 27 operates on a beautifully simple yet psychologically brutal premise. You start with 27 points, a number that seems generous until you begin playing. The objective is straightforward, hit every double in order from D1 through to the bullseye. Each successful double adds to your score, while each miss deducts points. Fall to zero or below and you’re out, forced to watch in shame as your darts mock you from the board.
The game begins innocently enough at double 1. Hit it once and you’ve added 2 points to your total. Nail it with all three darts and you’re sitting pretty at 33 points. But miss entirely and suddenly you’re down to 25, realizing this game won’t be as easy as you thought. This pattern continues as you work your way up the board, double 2, double 3, all the way through to double 20 before facing the ultimate challenge, the bullseye.
Beyond the physical challenge of hitting doubles, Bob’s 27 is a masterclass in psychological resilience. As you progress through the numbers, the stakes get higher. That double 16 you’ve always struggled with? Now it’s not just about missing, it’s about whether you’ll survive to see double 17. The game creates the kind of pressure you experience in actual matches, making it perfect tournament preparation.
While the basic goal is simply to survive until the bullseye, competitive players often chase higher scores. The theoretical maximum is an astonishing 1,437 points, achieved by hitting every double three times in succession plus the bull. In reality, even professional players rarely surpass 500 points, demonstrating just how challenging this game can be. Tracking your scores over time provides valuable feedback on your progress. Many players keep detailed records of their performances, noting which doubles consistently cause trouble. This data becomes invaluable for targeted practice, if you’re regularly losing points at double 12, you know exactly where to focus your training.
For beginners, the standard version of Bob’s 27 can feel impossibly difficult. A common adaptation removes the elimination rule, allowing players to continue even with a negative score. This “no shame” version lets less experienced players complete the full circuit of doubles while still benefiting from the structured practice. Advanced players often add their own twists to increase the challenge. Some play “sudden death” versions where any miss ends the game immediately. Others combine it with other training games, creating hybrid challenges that test multiple aspects of their game simultaneously.
The effectiveness of Bob’s 27 comes from its perfect balance of structure and pressure. Unlike random double practice, it ensures you work on every possible checkout in sequence. The scoring system provides immediate feedback, you can’t hide from your weaknesses when they’re costing you points and potentially ending your game.. The key is consistency. Playing Bob’s 27 once won’t magically fix your doubles. But making it a regular part of your practice, tracking your scores, noting problem areas and working systematically to improve – will yield noticeable results over time.
What makes Bob’s 27 endure as a training tool is its perfect simulation of real-game pressure. In competition, you don’t get to choose which doubles you face, you must be ready for anything. This game prepares you for that reality better than any other practice method. As you stand at the oche, knowing a miss could end your game, you experience the same adrenaline, the same focus, the same need for precision that defines crucial moments in actual matches. This is why players who master Bob’s 27 often find their matchplay performances improving dramatically, they’ve already faced the pressure in practice.
While the scoring is important, the true value of Bob’s 27 lies in what it teaches you about yourself as a player. It reveals your technical flaws, your mental weaknesses and your capacity for improvement. The game becomes a mirror, showing you exactly where you need to grow. Players who stick with Bob’s 27 through the initial frustration often find it becomes strangely addictive. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing your scores improve, about finally conquering that double that always gave you trouble, about pushing yourself further each time you play.
What begins as a brutal wake-up call for beginners evolves into a nuanced challenge for advanced players. Early on, simply surviving to the bullseye feels like an accomplishment. Later, you chase higher scores, faster times, more consistent performances. Top players use Bob’s 27 not just to maintain their standard, but to push beyond it. They experiment with different rhythms, different mental approaches, different ways of handling pressure. The game remains relevant no matter how good you become, always offering new challenges and new ways to improve.
Mastering Bob’s 27 is a journey that mirrors the path to darting excellence itself. It begins with frustration and struggle, progresses through gradual improvement and eventually reaches a point where what once seemed impossible becomes routine. The players who embrace this journey, who welcome the challenges Bob’s 27 presents, are the ones who transform their games. They develop not just better technique, but the mental fortitude to deliver when it counts. They become the players others fear in crucial legs, the ones who step up when the pressure is highest.
Your Next Step
I used to approach doubles like I approach my ex’s texts, with panic and a 90% failure rate. Then I met Bob’s 27, the darting equivalent of being waterboarded with your own weaknesses. The first time I played, I scored -47. My darts were landing everywhere except the doubles, like they were actively avoiding them. But something weird happened around the 20th attempt, my hands stopped shaking. Double 16? Hit. Bullseye? Nailed it (once).
Now when I’m in a tight match, I hear Bob’s voice in my head, “You’ve missed this 100 times before, what’s one more?” And suddenly, the pressure feels… familiar. Bob’s 27 didn’t just fix my doubles, it taught me to laugh at the misses and cash in the hits. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a date with double 16… and this time, I’m bringing flowers.
Darts fever, because why not practice more, aim higher and laugh louder!
Bobby George once said, ‘Trebles for show, doubles for dough.’
