6 American Soft Tip Terms You Need to Know for Your Next Game

Written by: Heather Cister

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In a hilariously competitive game where the UK meets the US, Will and Jen recently schooled Bullhitters, a popular darts channel from the UK, on common American soft tip terms as they tried to hit those terms on the Gran Board. 


HUGE DISCLAIMER: Not all definitions are UNIVERSAL worldwide or even within the United States. In this article, we'll explain how we set the definitions for the sake of the Bullhitters challenge in the video above and also elaborate on alternative meanings to each slang term.


How well do you know American soft tip terms? Let's put your knowledge to the test and see if you can recognize what these 6 soft tip terms mean:

1. HIGH TON

high ton definition text and dartboard

To understand what a high ton and a low ton are, we have to understand what a ton is to begin with. A ton is a score of 100 points in a game of 01 and can be accomplished with a variety of 3-dart combinations. For example, one T20 and two S20s would equal 100 points in one turn.


A high ton refers to the upper limit of points above 100 (a ton) you can earn from 151 to 180. It also doesn't matter what combination you use to get a high ton as long as it is above that 150-point benchmark. A Ton80 (180 points scored by three T20s) is a popular soft tip score that all players strive to hit in their games since it is the maximum number of points you can earn in a single round with 3 darts. Otherwise known as a Maximum in steel tip darts.


Alternate definition: Some might say a high ton is only the range of 151-179 because scoring 180 points is already nicknamed a Ton80.

2. LOW TON

low ton definition text and dartboard

A low ton is similar to a high ton, but it is referring to the lower end of the set of scores greater than or equal to 100. The low ton range is from 100 to 150.


Alternate definition: Some might say only 101-150 is a low ton since scoring exactly 100 points is considered just a 'ton'. Also, other sources suggest that only a range of 101-149 is a low ton since 150 is nicknamed a Hat Trick (see definition below). Although we disagree, because you can achieve 150 points by avoiding the bull segment entirely.

PRO PLAYER HIGH TONS & LOW TONS



There are so many combinations out there that can result in either a high ton or a low ton and we could spend all day going through each combination. What better way to learn more about these two soft tip terms than to watch clips of pros hitting a variety of different tons in one video?


Watch this compilation from Sport All Rounder on Youtube for some of the best tons from the recent 2025 World Darts Championship featuring the new champion Luke Littler and more.

3. HAT TRICK

hat trick definition text and dartboard

Scoring all three darts in the bullseye (including both the inner and outer segments) in one single round for a total of 150 points is called a hat trick. Think of this soft tip term as the little sibling of a Ton80 where it's cool and impressive, but not quite as flashy as the elder sibling Ton80 that gets everyone cheering and hollering at tournaments.


Landing a hat trick consistently in 501 is the typical strategy in soft tip darts considering that both the outer and inner segment are worth 50 points in league and tournaments. This is called 'fat bull' format and you get to SINGLE out rather than double out. Most soft tip players actually aim for the bull rather than the T20 because the bullseye is a much larger target to hit on a soft tip dartboard than the slim T20 segment.


In professional soft tip events, sometimes the pros play 'split bull' double out format where the outer ring is worth 25 and the inner bull is worth 50 points like a traditional steel tip leg of 501. There is also 'open bull' master out format that you can learn about in the Soft Tip Terms #4 below plus 'split bull' master out.

4. MASTER OUT

master out definition text and dartboard

You've heard of the double out rule in 01 where your last scoring dart must land on a double, but have you heard of a master out? It's similar to a double out where you need to land on a specific segment to finish the game, but with a master out you can finish by hitting either a double, triple, or a bullseye with the last dart. This is simply an 01 game variation and offers more versatility with your checkout strategy and ease of finishing the game.


In the picture example above - the Bull, 6, Bull score to take 106 out is an example of 'fat bull' master out format. Dartslive tournaments often showcase this format where the pros play 701 fat bull master out. They almost ALWAYS leave exactly 50 remaining to finish the game with one dart anywhere in the bull segment. It is objectively the easiest and smartest strategy.


If you were playing 'split bull' master out, however, the definition would simplify to you can hit a triple or double to win the game (since the inner black bull segment is considered a double).


The fun of a TRIPLE out potential means you can take out 180! You can also check some of the common steel tip Bogey numbers like 168, 165, 162 and 159 utilizing the triple segment to finish.

5. BANGIN' THE NEIGHBORS

bangin the neighbors definition text and dartboard

Get your mind out of the gutter, it's not what you think it is! Bangin' the neighbor is when a player hits the triple segment next to the original segment that they were aiming for. We've all had darts that have gone astray from their intended path, and now we finally have a soft tip term for it. Next time your triple goes the wrong way, you can whip out this soft tip term and tell your friends you were bangin' the neighbor at your last game.


Alternative definition: Hitting the DOUBLE or Triple segment right next to the one you need. For the sake of the video, we only mentioned the triple segment as it's far more common to say soft tip terms in the game of Cricket where you're primarily aiming for triples. Bangin' the neighbor certainly works in a leg of 501 as you're attempting a double out and miss into the neighboring double segment.

6. WHITE HORSE

hat trick definition text and dartboard

Last but not least, a player hits a white horse in cricket when they score 3 triples on different cricket numbers. If you were to shoot a T20, T19, and a T18, that would be considered a white horse. Or T20, T16, T15. The moral of the story is, they must all be DIFFERENT cricket numbers.


Alternate definition: Some say the cricket numbers must be virgin (untouched) triples by your opponent or even yourself. So your first turn in a game of Cricket would ideally be your only opportunity to score a 'White Horse'. We disagree with this definition as every soft tip electronic darts machine/app will display the White Horse animation every time you hit 3 different cricket triples. According to Dartslive/Gran Darts, etc. it doesn't matter if the cricket numbers are 'virgin' or not - it will count whether the segment is open or closed with you pointing on it.

SOFT TIP TERMS - FINAL THOUGHTS

Did you guess all of the soft tip terms correctly? Learn many more in the Lightning round portion of the video above! We cover more Soft Tip Terms like Three in the Bed, Diddle, Flatline/Donut, Double Bull, Shanghai, and 'He Hit the Asphalt!'.

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