A History of the Nine-Dart Finish, the Rarest Feat in Professional Darts
Perfection in sports always carries an extra charge. In golf, it’s the hole-in-one, in bowling, it’s a 300, and in darts, it’s the nine-dart finish. It’s the rare leg every player wants and every fan remembers, because it demands nothing less than total precision. The crowd feels it too—once a player hits six straight treble 20s, the tension rises, and every dart after that comes with even greater weight.
The nine-darter is a rare display of mastery that has defined careers, altered tournaments, and created some of the most unforgettable achievements in darts.
Early History Of The Perfect Leg
For years, the nine-dart finish was more myth than reality, something players chased but rarely completed. This changed in 1984 when John Lowe delivered the first televised nine-darter, instantly writing himself into darts folklore. Paul Lim raised the bar in 1990 by hitting the first nine-dart finish at a World Championship. These breakthroughs set the standard and proved that perfection was possible under the brightest lights.
As the professional game expanded through the 1990s and 2000s, nine-darters became slightly more common but still remained celebrated.
The Numbers Behind Perfection
Despite the growing list of highlights, the nine-darter remains statistically scarce. The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has recorded more than 450 across all competitions, yet only 96 have been broadcast live as of December 2024. There’s a reason behind this difference: hitting one in practice or smaller events is difficult enough, but doing it under TV lights, with thousands of fans watching, takes it to another level.
The standard route is simple to describe but brutal to execute: back-to-back 180s to leave 141, then treble 20, treble 19, and double 12. Some players have taken alternate paths by finishing on double 18 or even the bullseye, but the 141 checkout remains the classic. There’s no margin for error—miss once, and the opportunity vanishes.
Legends Who Made It Their Trademark
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Sven Mandel
A handful of players have built reputations on producing nine-darters consistently. Phil Taylor, the most dominant figure in darts history, hit a record 11 televised nine-darters during his career. His finest display came in the 2010 Premier League final when he struck two perfect legs in a single match against James Wade, something no one else has achieved in front of a TV audience.
Michael van Gerwen has also secured his place in nine-dart history. At the 2013 World Championship, he came within one dart of throwing back-to-back nine-darters, hitting 17 perfect darts before missing double 12. Adrian Lewis, meanwhile, hit the first nine-darter in a World Championship final in 2011.
A New Generation of Perfection
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Sven Mandel
Recently, new names have been introduced to the list of nine-darters. Michael Smith’s 2023 World Championship final against Van Gerwen produced what many regard as the greatest leg in darts history. Both players were on course for perfection, Van Gerwen missing double 12 before Smith completed the sequence with treble 20, treble 19, double 12. The moment became instantly iconic and carried Smith to his first world title.
Teenager Luke Littler has already left his mark. At just 16, he hit a nine-darter at the 2024 Bahrain Masters, becoming the youngest to achieve it on television. In 2025, he repeated the feat at the World Matchplay against Josh Rock.
Gerwyn Price has also become a modern nine-dart specialist who has hit multiple perfect legs in the Premier League since 2022, including his seventh televised nine-darter in 2025. Luke Humphries and Rob Cross joined the spotlight too by trading nine-darters on the same Premier League night in Brighton.
Despite the rising count, the nine-darter hasn’t lost its impact. The odds remain slim—estimates place it at roughly one nine-darter in more than a thousand legs, and every successful attempt feels like lightning in a bottle.