A target board is a consumable with a throw count printed nowhere on it. Boards wear out on volume, not on the calendar, so a busy lane chews through lumber three times faster than a quiet one even though both were replaced the same week.
110 sessions with six throwers taking 30 throws each is 19,800 hits — eight boards at a 2,500-throw life.
The example
Three lanes, each with a month of sessions, the average party size, throws per thrower, and the throws a board survives.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lane | Sessions | Throwers | Throws each | Board life | Boards |
| 2 | Lane A | 90 | 6 | 25 | 2500 | 6 |
| 3 | Lane B | 60 | 4 | 25 | 2500 | 3 |
| 4 | Lane C | 110 | 6 | 30 | 2500 | 8 |
The formula
Build the throw count, then divide by board life:
How it works
The chain is short but each link matters:
B2*C2is how many people threw at that target this month.*D2turns people into hits. Throws each is the average across a session, warmups included — it is usually higher than the coach's plan./E2is board life in throws. Softwood end-grain targets last longer than face-grain; measure yours rather than trusting a supplier's number.ROUNDUP(...,0)because you order whole boards.
Run the formula per lane, not per venue. The averages hide the fact that one lane by the door takes most of the walk-in traffic.
Try it: interactive demo
Enter the lane's monthly volume and your measured board life.
Variations
Lumber cost per month
Multiply boards by what a replacement board costs you built.
Whole-venue order
Sum the lane column for the monthly lumber order.
Pitfalls & errors
Rotating a board 180 degrees mid-life spreads the wear and can stretch board life by a third. If you rotate, measure the life with rotation rather than doubling the number on paper.
Board life falls off a cliff when the wood dries out. A target kept in a heated room in winter splits far earlier than the throw count predicts — humidity is a maintenance variable, not a formula input.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure board life?
Does the axe change board life?
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