Dart

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A dart is a precisely engineered throwing instrument with four main components, each affecting flight and accuracy. The point (or tip) is what sticks into the board — steel tips for bristle boards, soft tips for electronic boards. The barrel is the main body you grip. The shaft (stem) connects the barrel to the flight, and the flight provides aerodynamic stability. Darts come in a wide range of weights, typically 16g to 30g for steel tip, with most competitive players using 20-26g. Weight affects everything: heavier darts fly in a flatter arc and are more forgiving of slight technique errors, while lighter darts are faster but more sensitive to inconsistencies in your throw. The evolution of darts has been remarkable. Early darts were made from wood with feather flights (which is why flights are still sometimes called "feathers" or "sulka" in Finnish). Modern darts use aerospace-grade tungsten alloys with precision-machined grip patterns, carbon fiber or aluminum shafts, and aerodynamically designed polymer flights. Finding your perfect dart is a personal journey. Some players prefer front-weighted darts that encourage a clean release, while others like center-balanced or rear-weighted darts. The grip pattern, shaft length, and flight shape all interact in complex ways. Many players spend years refining their setup. A good starting recommendation: try a 22-24g tungsten dart with medium-length shafts and standard flights. From there, experiment one variable at a time. Change the shaft length, then the flight shape, then the weight — never everything at once, or you won't know what made the difference.