c1) The pressure is very good tool when practicing. There are times that you will not need it as warming up the hand or just getting the feel of the board/venue etc., but solitary home practice should 95% of times require some sort of pressure.
So when you get through of the task you’ve given yourself (or tasks you’ve been given by the Virtual Coach, you feel that you’ve achieved something, you feel like winning a match. But you need to want this. You need to have a hunger, a will to win.

c2) Time is a very important thing. Think about schools in Finland, which is repeatedly considered the best education system in the world: there is 15 minutes long interval/recess after every 45 minutes of teaching.

There are numerous studies and experiments showing that you learn much better if you split up the practice in shorter sections. But there are also numerous studies showing that WHEN you practise during the day is just as important. It is much more effective if you can practise in the morning when you’re relaxed and (hopefully) had a good night sleep, than trying to squeeze in some training after school or work, when you’re head is filled with everything that’s happened during the day. There’s a very interesting book called “Talent is overrated” by Geoff Colvin, that digs deeper into this matter. Read it, it is a great book!

Also, many studies shows that after a physical activity (for example a 20-30 minutes power-walk or other physical exercise), you’ll learn things faster, better finding focus, be more creative, and also reducing symptoms of anxiety. All things good when it comes to darts that is.

All the matches in TV are played with the intervals. So why practice ever more than 45 minutes on the row? So have your breaks, and don’t damage nor tire your hand and mind!

c3) Measuring your form at practice is two-bladed sword. In practice you’re lacking the adrenaline, the testosterone and most importantly the killer instinct.
So why play 501’s in practice to see how good form they are – at all?

You know you need from time to time to be able to squeeze a 15 darter in that deciding leg without practising it.

Playing only 501’s can actually leave a scar-tissue to your mind, if things are not going well. But when on song, when the hand is warm, when the mind is clear and darting life is easy like a Sunday morning, then it’s good to do a few 501’s just to show yourself that yes, you can do it! So leave the 501’s just for as a treat or pudding/dessert in the tail end of your well gone practice session.

Also, make sure to read our article “Bridge the gap between practice and match”!

Mikko Laiho studied darts practice for over 25 years, and coached players on a high-level for several years. He noticed that differences in practice between equal players in competition are remarkable. For certain practice games, the results can differ between players A and B 30% towards A, when in the other game 30% for the player B. Statistically even 5% change in the results would be reckoned. So the same thing which suits to other isn’t the best one for the other.

We know though that you should do practicing games which is most suitable for you. That helps training being interesting. It helps you staying focused. On GoDartsPro there are many different games for all kinds of levels. You should give them all a go and see which games you like and which are most suitable for your current level. The best games are the ones that you really need to put in all effort and focus to be able to finish them or to get a decent score.

It is way better to try to beat your current average scores rather than just chasing to beat your high-score for a certain game. That’s why we in games like High-Score show your average month by month, so you always can try to beat your previous months average.

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This will give you small victories more often and will build up your confidence and your mind-set that you can win and that you are a winner.

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One of the toughest advices from the Virtual Coach for the GoDartsPro members to follow, is: TAKE A DAY OR TWO WITHOUT DARTS!
This is more important than most players understand. A day or two without darts will get you a hunger and a strong will to play darts better than ever before, and you also feel more alert and focused during the session. Your body and mind needs rest so skipping throwing darts one or two days per week is highly recommended. There are other things you can practise during these days to make you a better darts player. If you’re not 100% sure about the checkout table, you can study that for a few hours. Going to the gym, getting out for a long power-walk, or trying some other sport, will surely all benefit you as a darts player. There are many ways you can improve as a darts player. Be open-minded and creative and you’ll get the slight edge!

In the end, to get the most out of your darts training, you should try to make it so interesting and enjoyable that you can’t wait to get back to board!
That “Just one more time” is the best feeling for improvement…
Try to find that urge, that hunger in your next training session!