Something in this game is allowed to be easy. I am not going to ask that you make any physical changes to what you do for this, but let me be clear, there is no magic pill; there is work to be done. All I am going to do is ask you to think about your decision-making regarding cover shots and markers to improve your 501 scoring.

You may be wondering to yourself: “Wait a minute. Why should I cover? I am better on the 20s and can hit 60s and 100s all day long.”

We all have friends who epitomize this, and we know that twice as many of those 60s are 41s and twice as many of those 100s are 81s. The goal, in part, is to make the 41s into 59s and 97s and the 81s into 99s and 137s. This is done with your cover. While this may seem lofty to some, this is meant to provide eye-opening perspective for beginner and intermediate players who are looking for an edge to get to the next level. The more advanced players already know this. How do you think they got advanced? 😉

Before dissecting what cover shots and markers are, let’s look at familiar scenarios that put us in a position to think about our decision-making.

You throw 2 well-aimed darts into the single 20 above the triple, and the 3rd dart veers into the 5 or the 1 without deflecting.

You throw the first dart level/low just inside the upper T20 wire. You think it’s a great marker, but the 2nd dart deflects one way and the 3rd dart deflects the other way.

You throw the 1st dart below the T20 wire, flight up. The 2nd and 3rd darts deflect on the flight(s) and/or veer left or right without deflecting.

Have you made the right decisions in staying on the T20 in these scenarios?

These scenarios and others are common where a cover shot is helpful. Sadly, such instances are not often recognized in the heat of the moment. As a result, we don’t often learn from them. Instead, we make physical trajectory adjustments as opposed to deciding to shoot another target. We convince ourselves we are doing something physically wrong when our shots go awry. We then attempt to correct one physical adjustment with another. The problem can spiral from there.

Many of us have heard the terms cover and marker, but let’s define them in a more digestible way:

• Cover Shot: Throwing at a different triple (most often the T19, T18, or T17) because the T20 is covered or concealed by the 1st and/or 2nd dart in the board.

  
  
• Marker: A dart that is either in or close to the intended target that can and should be used to channel (to convey or direct into or through) the next dart(s) into the intended target.

While focused on scoring in 501, a dart in the board needs to be viewed as either a cover shot or a marker – that’s it. Remember, when it comes to 501 scoring: If it is not a marker, it is a cover shot.

(Note: Sometimes a dart in the intended target is actually a cover.)

Let's further distill the cover shot:

• Covered: When a triple is covered by a dart, what should come to mind is that the triple is physically blocked. The lie of a barrel and/or flight is physically in the way of the T20. Even if a part of the triple is visible, you can see that the likelihood of hitting that triple with the next dart has greatly decreased.

  
  
• Concealed: A concealed triple is one that may not seem physically blocked but is visually obscured, or the trajectory of the next dart will be impeded by the lie of the dart(s) already in the board. In other words the clean flight of the next dart has been taken away even though you may be able to see the target clearly. Recognizing your concealed T20 is incredibly challenging and the instance where many more cover shots need to be taken.

Something to have in the back of your mind regarding covered and concealed targets: your sight line is a straight line, likely not horizontal on the T20 (unless your eye level is at 6’0”), and the dart does not fly on your sight line. It flies in a parabola, or a curved line. That curved line of the dart’s flight intersects your sight line twice: once upon release, and again as it contacts (or approaches contact) to the board. This is what makes us think that a target is more open than in truly is.

The "First 9" is a stat sometimes kept in playing 501. The first 9 darts at any level are all about scoring. Would it surprise you to know that the best player in the world, Michael Van Gerwen, does NOT shoot the T20 on 30% of his first 9 darts thrown in a leg? That’s right. He takes his cover shot. 

Why? He does it because he recognizes his cover shot and markers better than anyone and does so seamlessly in middle of a turn. If he does it so often, why don’t we?

There are many variables that help you recognize your cover. Your barrel, shaft, flight, sight line, and handedness are just a few but, the most important one is the lie of your dart in the board. For the force used in an average dart throw, a dart can only really stick in the board from slightly below 0° (level) to about a 50° angle.

(For the purposes of this article we will not get into the nuances of the less frequent/aggressive horizontal angles, but you can be sure if you have an odd horizontal lie, it is worth covering more often.)

While darts go in differently for each player, it is easiest to look at how your darts lie in 2 ways:

1. Flights up – above a 20° angle. 
   • Devon Petersen, Danny Noppert, Benito Van De Pas
2. Flights between a 20° - 0° angle, down to a Level/Below Level angle. These will be approached the same way. 
   • Michael Van Gerwen, Peter Wright; down to Phil Taylor, Justin Pipe

(Angle measurements are approximations. You can measure your dart lie with the "Measurement" app on your phone if you are curious.)

Assessing the lie of your 1st dart is crucial. Remember, we are concealed more often than we realize.

If your flights are up – above a 20° angle and your 1st dart is:

If your flights are between a 20° - 0° angle or down to a level/below level angle and your 1st dart is:

There are 2 safe and smart guidelines (regardless of dart lie) for covering on your 3rd dart, assuming the cover shot does not leave a bogey (a number that does not mathematically have a 3-dart finish).

Despite these guidelines, it will be a challenge to overcome the habit and desire to stay on the T20. How do you know if a particular dart lie is a cover shot or marker until you throw it? The answer is, you don’t. 

You must throw it ad nauseam in practice. You must test it and yourself repeatedly. Use similar 1st dart lies and throw some as a marker and some as a cover shot and informally assess your findings.

Based on each 1st dart’s location and lie:

1. Did the 2nd or 3rd dart deflect into/out of the intended target?
2. Did the 2nd or 3rd dart veer left or right without deflecting?

This meta-analysis should be part of every form-focused practice.

Projectile motion goes back to Galileo and involves more science than you signed up for with this article. For the sake of understanding, let me outline how our brains improperly process information with respect to darts.

Imagine for a moment you are having a football catch and the distance to your target stays fixed. You are aiming and throwing. As you do this, you hone the motion and energy you need to get the ball to your target accurately. 

Now put a defender in the way. If you keep throwing the same pass, the ball does not get to your target. What do you do? You unconsciously make a change in trajectory to try to get around or over the obstacle. This is what we do with darts when we have a obstacle (dart) in our way. We look to avoid obstacles. But just like in football, not all targets are covered. Some are open. 

You must learn when to shy away from your favorite target and simply hit the open one. With a dart that covers or conceals your target, the key is to change targets – not trajectory. With cover shots, the goal is to change targets to avoid confrontation. With marker darts, you need to embrace confrontation to channel the subsequent dart(s).

Nope. It doesn't happen. There is evident, needed confrontation.

If you feel the need to finesse around a dart lie to get to your intended target, you are looking to avoid confrontation. That being said, this is YOUR cover shot. More times than not, in trying to avoid the obstacle, we change trajectory and pull into the 1 or 5 without even deflecting. So don’t do it. Shoot the unobstructed cover shot on the T19 instead.

You must continue testing the limits of covers and markers. It is a perpetual learning. YOUR dart lie can and will change with equipment and/or grip changes so there will be reason to really pay attention to it when doing something different. Once you get to know your cover shot better, by default your marker recognition becomes better too. That is when your groupings get tighter and 60s become 100s, 100s become 140s, and 140s become 180s. 

As this happens more, you will truly embrace the confrontation of the darts banging into each other when they are supposed to.

1. You can not stay on the 20 to throw a perfect game. Other numbers will be needed for out shots.
   • You might as well find the range on them earlier and more often throughout a match.
   • If you have to cover twice in the same turn (2nd dart at T19, 3rd dart at T18) you are shooting each dart at an unobstructed target and theoretically scoring no less than 57.
   • You see Adrian Lewis and Rob Cross doing this especially early in a match as they find the range with their high-angled lies. They often hit the T18 for a 93.

   • You cannot deflect on the 1st dart with 2nd and/or 3rd dart if you change targets when necessary.

     
     
2. A fact of physics. Your rejection rate will be lower.

   • The PDC has a fascinating analysis of a 2-year study of darts that don’t make it to the board. My main takeaway from this article is that players with a lower rejection rate also tend to recognize their cover shot more readily. Many players with higher rejection rates have incredibly high-angled lies. This translates to less room at the target, less point gripping the sisal, and the unavoidable correlation of not recognizing their cover as well. Also, this does not account for bad deflections that hit an unwanted target.

     
     

3. Changing targets is easier than accurately changing trajectory.

   
   

4. You do not have to move your feet to get a better view of a different target.

   
   

5. The mental edge you create by showing your opponent you can hit different targets with the same accuracy is invaluable.

   
   
6. Not covering when you ought to can put you on tilt.
   • When you try to finesse around covered or concealed targets too often, it leads to spraying many more darts. That can lead you to come undone.

Keith Deller and the late Eric Bristow have worked behind the scenes as spotters for Sky Sports, helping production determine which of the cameras should be live on television. Part of this job is about reading and knowing a particular players’ tendency to take their cover shot.

That being said:

• Start watching matches of your favorite players to read the lie of their darts and analyze when they decide to cover.
• Find videos of a professional who has a similar dart lie to yours. Watch what they do. It will be a great place to start assessing when you should cover.
• Watch the Championship Dart Circuit Championship League matches to assess how some of the best in America and Canada shoot their cover shots. These are the North American players who recognize their cover well and know what they need to employ to compete on the biggest stages.
• Finally, watch opponents when in bars or clubs. It’s empowering when you recognize someone else’s cover shot, especially when they don’t take it. It can breed confidence and provide the edge you need to win a leg simply by observing.