I Just Watched the Most Insane Darts Moment of My Life

By Lewis Barnett 4 July, 2025 5 mins read 32 Views

Listen, I've been following darts for years now, and I thought I'd seen everything.

The Modus Super Series has been keeping us glued to our screens lately - honestly, it's been the perfect distraction from everything else going wrong in 2025. We already had Conan Whitehead throwing that ridiculous nine-darter that had everyone losing their minds on Twitter. But what happened next? God, I'm still trying to process it.

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When Thomas Banks Decided to Play Like a Madman

Thomas Banks - this 18-year-old kid who everyone's been comparing to Luke Littler - just pulled off something that made my jaw literally drop. I'm talking about a 150 checkout with three consecutive bullseyes. THREE. BULLS.

The setup was perfect drama, really. Banks versus Steve Plumstead, tied 1-1 in their Group C match. Plumstead had just nailed a 133 to bring himself down to 140, putting serious pressure on Banks who needed exactly 150 to win the leg.

Here's where it gets wild - the cameraman zoomed in on treble 19, expecting Banks to go the conventional route. Smart money was on the safe play, right? Wrong.

The Moment Everything Changed

Banks looked at that board and said "screw conventional wisdom" (okay, he probably didn't say that, but you get the idea). First dart: straight into the bull. Fifty down, one hundred to go.

At this point, I'm thinking he's either completely lost his mind or he's about to become a legend.

Second dart: BULL. Another fifty. Now he needs exactly one more bullseye to complete what might be the most audacious checkout I've ever witnessed.

Third dart... you know where this is going.

BULL!

Even the Officials Were Speechless

Owen Binks, the PDC stage official who's probably seen more darts matches than anyone deserves to, completely lost it. The man has refereed nearly 6,000 matches (six thousand!) and he called this "arguably the greatest thing I've seen." When someone with that much experience gets that excited, you know you've witnessed something special.

Banks threw his arms out wide, turned to the camera, and honestly? He had every right to celebrate like that. The kid had just done something most professional players will never attempt, let alone pull off.

The Internet Went Absolutely Mental

Social media exploded immediately. One fan wrote "Don't think I've ever seen that before" - which, honestly, same. Another just said "Beautiful that" and somehow those two words captured everything perfectly.

My personal favorite comment was "There you go, this lad has it. Brilliant darts, just take a bow right now Thomas." Because really, what else can you say?

Why This Matters More Than You Think

Banks had been struggling before this moment - four defeats in a row at the Super Series. That's rough for any player, but especially for someone carrying the weight of expectations that comes with being labeled "the next Luke Littler."

But here's the thing about pressure: sometimes it creates diamonds. Sometimes it creates moments like this triple-bull checkout that nobody will forget.

Banks rode that momentum to win the match 4-1, which feels almost anticlimactic after what we'd just witnessed. He won this same series last year, following a similar path to Littler's rise through the PDC ranks.

Watching this unfold reminded me why I fell in love with darts in teh first place. It's not just about the skill (though that triple-bull was pure artistry). It's about those moments when someone decides to throw caution to the wind and attempt something that should be impossible.

Banks didn't just hit a 150 checkout - he hit it in the most spectacular way possible, at exactly the moment when he needed it most.

That's the kind of moment that defines careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between steel tip and soft tip darts?

Steel tip and soft tip darts represent two distinct branches of the sport, each with their own equipment, venues, and sometimes even scoring systems. The most obvious difference is in the point: steel tips have metal points for traditional bristle boards, while soft tips use flexible plastic points for electronic boards.

My darts keep bouncing out of the board. What am I doing wrong?

Bounce-outs are incredibly frustrating, but they're usually caused by one of a few common issues. First, check your dartboard—if it's old and dried out, even the best throws will struggle to stick. Quality sisal boards should last years, but cheaper paper-wound boards harden quickly. If you can press your thumbnail into the board and it doesn't leave a small indent, it's too hard.

How often should I replace my dartboard?

A quality sisal dartboard should last anywhere from 1-3 years with regular play, though this varies dramatically based on usage and care. Professional-grade boards like Winmau Blade 5 or Target Unicorn typically outlast budget options by a significant margin.

I keep hitting 5s and 1s when aiming for 20s. How do I fix this?

This is probably the most common frustration in darts—those dreaded 5s and 1s when you're aiming for the 20 segment! The good news is that this specific problem usually stems from a few identifiable issues.

What's the standard height for hanging a dartboard?

The standard height for a dartboard is 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) from the floor to the bullseye. This measurement is official across professional darts organizations worldwide, including the PDC and BDO. It's designed to create a fair playing field for players of different heights.

What are "flights" and "stems" and do they really matter?

Flights and stems (also called shafts) are the components that stabilize your dart during flight, and yes, they absolutely matter—though perhaps not in the way beginners often think.

Statistics

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Championship has been held since 1994, with Phil Taylor winning a record 14 titles.
The first televised nine-dart finish was thrown by John Lowe in 1984, earning him £102,000.
Research shows that top professional dart players achieve accuracy rates of over 80% when aiming at treble 20.
The dartboard wire system known as "razor wire" reduced bounce-outs by approximately 60% when introduced.
A perfect leg of 501 can be completed in nine darts, known in the sport as a "nine-darter."
The highest possible score with three darts is 180, achieved by hitting three triple 20s.
Statistical analysis reveals that professional players throw darts at an average speed of 40-60 miles per hour.
The distance from the throwing line (oche) to the dartboard is precisely 7 feet 9.25 inches (2.37 meters).

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Final Thoughts From a Passionate Amateur

As I'm writing this in late 2023, I'm still working on improving my own game. My current challenge is mastering the triple 19 as an alternative to the triple 20 when one gets blocked by previous darts. It's like trying to teach an old dog new tricks—my muscle memory fights me every step of the way!