If you’ve recently discovered the challenging and engaging game of darts, you need a set of reliable tools to help you perfect your throwing style. Darts come in a wide array of sizes, shapes, and weights and when you’re merely a beginner, choosing the right set can feel overwhelming. Read on and discover what type of darts are most suitable for novices and why.
What should you consider when selecting your darts?
A dart is just a dart, a small arrow you throw at a board hoping it will stick. Yes, this is the basic definition of these tools, however, the darts weight, size, and shape will influence your throws, thus your scores. There are 3 main factors you should take into account when purchasing a set of darts and we are going to explain in detail how each one influences your performance.
Weight
Darts have different weights and once you hold different models in your hand, you will immediately feel the difference. Some darts are heavier towards the end while others are heavier towards the tip. When you’re a beginner, it’s important to play with well-balanced darts that feel stable in your hand and are easier to manage. Also, heavier darts, those that weigh 24 – 25 grams, for example, are ideal for players who are not very experienced yet and can define their trajectory easier with these darts.
Size & Shape
The size of your dart is also important because it has a great impact on how this item feels in your hand and your ability to control it. The ideal dart shouldn’t be too big, nor too small for your hand and you can make a comparison by holding and throwing darts of different sizes. Longer darts might be better in the beginning because they allow you to place more fingers when you grip them, which leads to enhanced control and a more confident throw.
The shape can also influence your performance as the barrel of the dart can have a specific type of knurling or it could be completely smooth. A barrel with visible grip points might be the first and best option for beginners.
Material
Finally, in terms of material, there are also several options to choose from. Plastic is the cheapest one, but we don’t recommend it as darts that have plastic elements can easily break and don’t provide the balance and flight trajectory you get with those made of sturdier materials such as brass or tungsten. Both these two options are optimum for players of all levels but due to the fact that tungsten darts are more expensive, most beginner players choose to start with brass-barrel darts with aluminum shafts, which work equally well providing durability and consistency.
Darts elements you should pay attention to
Each dart is made of four main elements:
1. the point or the tip – the sharp part of the dart that sticks in the dartboard
2. the barrel – the main part of the dart you hold when you throw the dart
3. the shaft or stem – that connects the barrel to the flight
4. the flight – the dart’s final part that helps it fly through the air
While all these elements play an important role in how the dart is performing, two of them are easy to analyze only by taking a glance at each product, namely the tips and the flights. These represent the two ends of the dart and they have a great impact on its overall capacity to fly.
The dart’s tip will help you score points as long as it can penetrate the dartboard, in case we are talking about traditional steel tip darts and bristle dartboards. If this is the type of darts you’re playing with, you should make sure that the tips of your darts are always sharp, otherwise, they will bounce out of the board. Tips eventually get blunt after you use them, so you will have to get spare parts or use a darts tool to reshape them. However, to avoid getting there too fast, you should make sure that the set you’re purchasing has quality sharp tips.
When it comes to flights, you will see that these darts elements come in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and most importantly, thicknesses. Usually, they are divided into two main groups: slim and standard flights. The difference is how thick they are, which will affect your ability to score. With slim flights, the chances that your darts hit other darts that have already landed in the dartboard are reduced. For this reason, slim flights are considered the best flights for beginners as they allow you to score easier.
The barrel of the dart is also important, and it should allow you to gain a good grip on the dart, otherwise, especially in the beginning, the dart might easily slip from your hand. To this point, most darts have strategically knurled barrels that offer a firm grip.
Finally, when considering the stems, you should look for quality materials that don’t bend easily and help you keep the flight in place, the most common option being aluminum. Another essential element that makes the flight fit firmly and prevents loosening are rubber O-rings..
Choosing the right darts can be puzzling in the beginning, but after you will have experienced with 2-3 different sets, you will be able to make the difference easier and learn what dart style is best for you. No matter what type of darts you’ll prefer, there is a plenty of choices in the market.
