How to choose darts: weight, tungsten percentage, barrel shape, shafts and flights

TUREFF• •0

Darts come in hundreds of shapes and weights, and the choice can seem endless. The good news is that most of it is personal preference, and a few basic ideas narrow it down quickly. A dart has four parts: the point, the barrel you hold, the shaft (also called a stem) and the flight at the back.

Barrel weight

Weight is listed in grams.

Lighter darts need a little more force to throw and can be more affected by small inconsistencies, but many players like their quick, lively feel.
Heavier darts fly on a straighter path and feel more stable in the hand, but need a stronger push and can sag if you throw softly.
Most steel tip players end up somewhere in the low-to-mid twenties of grams, but plenty of good players throw lighter or heavier. There is no correct weight.
Soft tip darts are generally lighter than steel tip darts, partly to protect electronic boards. Check any limits set by the machines or league you play in.

If you are new, start in the middle of the usual range and adjust after you have a consistent throw.

Barrel material and tungsten percentage

Brass: cheap and fine for casual play, but brass is not dense, so a brass dart of a given weight is thick and bulky.
Nickel-silver: also budget, a little more durable than brass.
Tungsten alloy: very dense, so the same weight fits into a much slimmer barrel. Slim barrels sit closer together on the board, which means fewer deflections off darts already there.

Tungsten barrels are labelled with a percentage, which is the proportion of tungsten in the alloy. A higher percentage means a slimmer barrel for the same weight and usually a higher price. For most beginners a mid-range tungsten dart is a sensible step up from brass; the very highest percentages matter little until your groupings are tight.

Barrel shape and grip

Straight (cylindrical) barrels give a consistent grip along their length and suit many grips.
Torpedo shapes are thicker at the front, putting more weight forward.
Front-loaded vs rear-loaded: more weight at the front tends to suit players who hold further forward; more at the back suits those who hold near the rear.
Grip (knurling, rings, grooves) helps your fingers hold the barrel. Heavy grip helps sweaty hands; too much feels rough and can catch on release.

Hold several if you can, ideally at a shop or a friend's board, before you buy.

Shafts

Length: short, medium and long. Longer shafts move the balance backwards and can help a dart sit more upright. Shorter shafts suit players who throw with a flatter path.
Material: plastic or nylon shafts are cheap and break eventually; aluminium ones are durable but can loosen; some have a spinning top to reduce deflections.
If shafts keep loosening, a small rubber O-ring between shaft and barrel usually stops it.

Flights

The flight stabilises the dart in the air.

Standard shapes are large and give the most stability, good for slower throws and beginners.
Slim and kite shapes have less drag and suit faster, flatter throws.
Smaller shapes (often called pear or small standard) let darts pack tightly into treble 20.
Thicker, sturdier flights last longer; thin ones are light but crease and split quickly.

Flights are cheap, so experiment. Changing flights or shafts is a much cheaper way to tune a set than buying new barrels.

Points

Steel points come smooth or textured (grooved). Textured points grip the bristle more and may reduce bounce-outs. Some barrels have moving points designed to slide back on impact.
Soft tip points break and need replacing often, so buy spares that fit your darts' thread.

A simple way to choose

Borrow and try a few weights and shapes before buying.
Pick a mid-weight tungsten set with a straight barrel if unsure.
Play with it for a few weeks before changing anything.
Tune with shafts and flights first.

What did you start with, and what do you throw now? Share your set-up and your questions in the comments.