The Fastest Nine-Darters Ever Recorded

Michael Van Gerwen and Phil “The Power” Taylor set the bar extremely high when it comes to nine-dart finishes, Van Gerwen is three ahead of Taylor with a total of 25, and Adrian Lewis is a distant third with 13. However, today we will be looking at the professional darts players who have managed to chalk up the fastest 501 totals using a minimum of 9 darts.

For those of you who don’t know what a 9-darter is, it’s a player who wins that leg by hitting 501 with as fewer darts as mathematically possible. There isn’t one set combination of darts that results in this spectacular climax.

However, the most common path players will aim for in their quest for this grandstand finish is six consecutive triple 20 shots, leaving 141 in the final leg - which players can achieve in several combinations. It’s the speed we will be focussing on today, though, and at the sport’s highest level, it is often acceptable margins that decide such impressive accomplishments.

Calculating The Numbers

Professional darts players are among the few vocations where excellent mental arithmetic is a decisive prerequisite. When John Lowe achieved the first nine-darter in 1984, calculating quick sums and knowing which area of the board to aim for was more of an art than now with the sophisticated screens used in world championship games.

Technology has helped high-stakes jobs that have an emphasis on quick maths a lot easier over the last couple of decades. One of the most notable examples is the casino industry, where live dealers, especially in roulette, have to calculate quick sums for multiple bets.

Algorithms do this instantly online now. This technology has changed the industry’s landscape, not just in the world of roulette games and roulette tables. The same intelligent designs and programming also help settle casino games like blackjack and have paved the way for virtual games that can settle bets instantly without a live dealer.

The Fastest 501s Of All Time

For clarity, these records are specified by when the player steps up, throws the first dart, and stops the timer when the third dart of that leg hits the board. While there isn’t definitive evidence that some of these 501s are the sharpest, they’re some of the quickest and most exciting televised batches of nine-dart throws that have ever been recorded.

There are acceptable margins that separate some of these legendary feats, and it’s the cause of great debate amongst darts fans.

#3 - Michael Van Gerwen Against Raymond Van Barneveld 2007

Rewinding the clock to 2007, these two iconic Dutch darts Kingpins put on a spectacle at the Masters of Darts that displayed some of the highest levels of darts skills we have ever witnessed. Clocking in at 12.22 seconds puts him at number three in the fastest nine-dart finishes ever recorded.

Michael set several records in this match, becoming the youngest-ever player to achieve a televised nine-darter. Although Raymond had a little bit too much experience for him during this event, Michael Van Gerwen went on to eclipse his compatriot and has collected some phenomenal achievements, including having more nine-dart finishes than any other player in the game’s history and is still operating in the elite bracket at world level.

#2 - Michael Smith Against Daryl Gurney - 2020

The reigning darts king, who sits at the top of the world rankings, exhibited precisely why in this Premier League game a few years ago. Given that the overall leg time was 50 seconds, it makes Smith’s feat even more impressive, managing to land a nine-dart finish at 12.12 seconds, although some records have it slightly quicker.

As he consistently performs at the top level, many consider the St Helens man the most naturally gifted player in the world today. However, when you break down the facts, watch him play, and note that he has the second-fastest nine-darter at 31, Smith could take the baton from Van Gerwen and become the face of the sport.

#1 - William Borland Against Bradley Brooks - 2021

It doesn’t get much bigger than pulling off a nine-darter in the World Championship. Still, promising Scottish darts prodigy William Borland did precisely that, in record time, against Englishman Bradley Brooks in a first-round game.

It was a scintillating round of world-level darts. Borland showed how entertaining a combination of youthful exuberance and an attacking brand of darts can be, especially at the highest level.

But, clocking in at 11.28 seconds and shaving nearly a full second off Michael Smith’s record, it could be a while before we see anybody match this. The camera barely had time to refocus for some of the throws as triple 20s were being hit, and the crowd became more jubilant and boisterous as the seconds clocked over.