What weight & style of dart do you use?

Clareman

Hi All,

I've being looking to change my darts for ages now, I've kind of gone from the brass arrows to nice smally stubby 21g ones to 21g knitting needles. I find the 21s too light as I have to throw them a bit harder and after a few beers/lots of games my accuracy (especially at doubles) really suffers.

I've been playing with a friends set of Phil Taylors Power 9Five (link) for about a month and can't believe the difference they've made (even hit a 180) so I went ahead and ordered a set for myself.

Just wondering what everyone use and how they find them? I'm hoping to never buy another set of dart, I used to laugh at lads who used to buy expensive darts thinking they'd make them a better thrower.

Devastator

I only mess about in the kitchen really but I've 2 sets of (pretty different) darts that I switch between all the time, sometimes I'll throw all 6 at the board in whatever order I grab them lol.

1 set are 25g winmau navigator, long thin barrel and other set are 21g Dennis Priestley darts which are very short and teardrop shaped barrel. Both sets I use short stems and standard flights.

My advice to anyone thinking of buying new darts is ebay! Get yourself a decent, sometimes barely used darts and see how they feel. If your not happy you'll pretty much get your money back. I've bought and sold few sets in ebay

Clareman

Good advice re:eBay, to be honest I'd never think of buying from there. I used to just throw at home, had a few different sets around with different flights/stems, now it's an excuse to go down the pub so I like to have a proper set (I'm a retired golfer as well). I can never understand people with their flights in tatters, they only cost a couple of cents, I bought a dart repair kit in argos years ago and got loads of different flights/stems with it, very handy to try different combinations.

Devastator

I can't recommend ebay enough for lot of darts equipment!

My preistley darts only cost me like £8 inc postage, I asked the seller before bidding how 'used' they were and he said he bought them, tried them for about 1/2 hour and put them back in the case! I got them and they were perfect, even with the real Dennis the Menace flights.

Flights are pretty cheap also, you can find bulk lots of flights sold as a mixture of designs. Great for practicing, you may not want to use them all in games as might get odd set of union jack flights but if your like me this will increase your concentration on hitting the 1st dart and ending up with a few william tells lol

Just becareful as their are some ballbag sellers that advertise "30 flights", but it really means 10 sets, gotta keep eye out for these scumbags and avoid them.


If you've got someone(mate or someone down the pub) you can split it with them and both take 1/2 the sets each rather than having loads of sets of flights lying about lol

robman60

I have 21g Ted Hankey darts. No groves for grip which suits me, but a few of my friends that play don't like them. I got them on Amazon nearly 2 years ago.

Clareman

I think I'm ok for flights and stuff for a while, I went through a phase of metal stems, now I don't care to be honest, same as flight protectors.

Clareman

robman60 wrote: »

I have 21g Ted Hankey darts. No groves for grip which suits me, but a few of my friends that play don't like them. I got them on Amazon nearly 2 years ago.

A guy down the pub throw with a set with no groves, don't know why but I can't throw with them.

Ronan|Raven

On the rare rare days I get to play darts I use an old set of James Wade 20g Unicorn darts I picked up in Argos years back.

buster180

Throwing 22gm Harrows Wayne Mardel darts, Love them. I have never taken to a set of darts so well before.

Irish Lion

I have purchased several sets from Ebay over the past few years and after lots of messing about I eventually found a set that I was happy with, 2 years ago. I'm a poor player but I really enjoy the game so I don't take it seriously but I was out for a few pints with some friends in thier local and they started playing so I got a set of house darts from behind the bar (25g Brass, big bulky, not at all like what I normally threw) and I threw the best darts that I have ever thrown. I asked the barman could I buy them and he asked for €5, he got his €5 and I'm throwing them as well (if not better) as the far more expensive darts that I have at home.
I met a very good player over the summer and he gave me some great tips on stance and aiming that have improved my game and he is now trying to get me to change my darts because when he weighed them they are actually 3 very different weights.
So I'm now moving on all my other sets and trying out different set all over again trying to get a matched weight set but the brass set will stay until I'm happy with a new set. Time to tackle Ebay again.......

Clareman

I'm starting to think that moving from 21g to 26g is a massive mistake

Devastator

Its a big change up but don't give up so quickly, try throwing them on and off(not down the pub yet maybe lol) for next few weeks and if your still not happy....ebay

Clareman

I took delivery of my new darts today, have to say the increase in weight hasn't been as drastic as I thought it would be, in fact I would go as far as to say that they're easier to throw.

Devastator

Sweet! I thought from your post yesterday you already got them and were ready to ditch them lol

Clareman

I was after throwing with my 21s in the pub that day and was throwing well so was a bit worried. Bit surprised that for such an expensive set of darts that they don't even give you a spare set of flights, not to mind no case.

Nemanrio

If you're a beginner how do you know what darts to start off with?

Clareman

Nemanrio wrote: »

If you're a beginner how do you know what darts to start off with?

Borrow/throw as many darts belong to other people as you can to find out the style and weight that you like most.

Devastator

Nemanrio wrote: »

If you're a beginner how do you know what darts to start off with?

I bought the cheapest set of tungsten darts on sale from argos at the same time I was buying a board. I dont even think argos offered different weights but I've still got & use them, navigator darts that I mentioned earlier.

I tend to think my throw has came from trying to accomodate the dart so good advice from clareman to try out as many as possible early.

Nemanrio

Clareman wrote: »

Borrow/throw as many darts belong to other people as you can to find out the style and weight that you like most.

Devastator wrote: »

I bought the cheapest set of tungsten darts on sale from argos at the same time I was buying a board. I dont even think argos offered different weights but I've still got & use them, navigator darts that I mentioned earlier.

I tend to think my throw has came from trying to accomodate the dart so good advice from clareman to try out as many as possible early.

Cheer lads, I assume you'll know when you have the right dart by the feel of it when throw/grip it?

Devastator

Nemanrio wrote: »

Cheer lads, I assume you'll know when you have the right dart by the feel of it when throw/grip it?

Thats the plan I'm thinking of going on a little ebay spree over next few weeks lol

Nemanrio

Devastator wrote: »

Thats the plan I'm thinking of going on a little ebay spree over next few weeks lol

Me too perhaps. I ll still be ****e though.

Edit: http://www.dartswarehouse.com/darts-101/what-dart-to-buy

Clareman

I've to be kept away from buying stuff...... Any links to decent stems or flights on ebay greatly appreciated though

buster180

Clareman wrote: »

I've to be kept away from buying stuff...... Any links to decent stems or flights on ebay greatly appreciated though

Try www.puredarts.co.uk I use them all the time great service and value if you buy in bulk.

gramar

I throw the MvG Masterdarts 21g.

I spent an hour in a shop in A180 in St Helens last year throwing all different types of weights, grips and shapes before deciding on those. Definitely a help to throw them for a few minutes before buying. It's a bit of a lottery ordering darts having never thrown them.

Irish Lion

http://501darts.ie/

This is an Irish site that I have used a few times and found them to be very competitive from a price perspective (as long as they have what I’m looking for).
Good range of stuff and the P&P is reasonable.

Sometimes the P&P from the UK is just mental and even using Parcel Motel doesn’t justify the difference sometimes.