There are many difficult shots in darts, but the elusive 9 dart finish is the most challenging, even for the top sports professionals. So, you may be wondering what a 9 dart finish is?
Despite the hundreds of professional Darts players worldwide, only a small number have managed to throw a 9 dart checkout during a televised event, some more than once.
This article answers all the common questions about the 9 dart finish.
What Is a 9 Dart Finish?
A 9 dart finish is a perfect leg in darts, and this is when a player scores 501 points with 9 darts, with the last ending on a double or bullseye.
During a 501 darts game, the fewest possible throws to reach 501 are nine, making the nine-dart finish one of the most challenging things to achieve in darts.
Most Common 9 Dart Finishes
There are thousands of possible combinations to achieve a 9 darter, although that doesn’t make it any easier. So how do you throw a 9 dart finish?
Firstly the player throws six treble 20s in a row (360 points), then any of the following combinations with their last three darts to score the remaining 141, taking their total to 501.
- Treble 20 (60), Treble 19 (57), Double 12 (24)
- Treble 20 (60), Treble 15 (45), Double 18 (36)
- Treble 17 (51), Treble 18 (54), Double 18 (36)
Finishing on a Bullseye
You can also check out on a bullseye, as this counts as a double in 501 darts. Thousands of combinations can also achieve this, but here are a couple of examples.
- Treble 17 (51), Double 20 (40), and Bullseye (50)
- Treble 19 (57), Double 17 (34), and Bullseye (50)
How Many 9 Dart Finishes are There?
There are 3,944 total combinations of scoring 501 with nine darts, 2,296 of which finish with the bullseye.
How Much Do Darts Players Get For a 9 Darter
As reported by dartsnews.com back in 2020, since 2019, there has been no prize money paid out for players who achieve a 9 dart finish due to prize money rising considerably over the years.
However, in December of 2021, the PDC announced that Selco, their official partner, would be offering a cash prize of £100,000 to the first player to hit two nine dart finishes.
What Was The First Televised 9 Dart Finish
The first televised 9 dart finished was achieved by Englishman John Lowe on 13th October 1984 at the MFI World Matchplay. John achieved this feat by throwing two 180s followed by the T17, T18, and D18. For this achievement, John received a prize of £102,000.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve explored the most common questions around the elusive 9 dart finish and those who’ve achieved it.
We hope that this gives you enough information to help you throw your own 9 darter.
