Walk the dart aisle and you’ll notice the same weight can cost five dollars or fifty. The biggest reason is the barrel material: brass versus tungsten. It’s not just a price difference, it changes how the dart is shaped, how it groups on the board, and how long it lasts. Here’s the honest comparison so you know exactly what you’re paying for, from a shop that’s stocked both since 1978.

Why Material Matters at All

Nearly all of a dart’s weight lives in the barrel. To hit a target weight, say 24 grams, the barrel has to contain that much mass in a certain volume. The denser the material, the less volume you need for the same weight. That single fact drives every practical difference between brass and tungsten darts.

Brass Darts

Brass is a relatively light, inexpensive metal. To reach a given weight, a brass barrel has to be physically larger, thicker and longer, than a tungsten barrel of the same weight.

• Cheaper: Brass darts are the budget option, ideal for casual play or testing whether the game sticks.
• Bulkier: The larger barrel takes up more space on the board, which makes tight grouping harder, your own darts get in the way.
• Wears faster: Brass is softer, so the grip pattern smooths out over time and the dart gradually loses its feel.
• Perfectly playable: None of this means brass is bad. Plenty of casual players use brass happily for years.

Brass is the right call if you’re brand new and not sure you’ll stick with darts, or if you just want a cheap set for occasional play. It gets you throwing without a big investment.

Tungsten Darts

Tungsten is far denser than brass, so a tungsten barrel can be much slimmer at the same weight. Dart “tungsten” is actually a tungsten alloy (often listed as a percentage, like 80% or 90% tungsten), because pure tungsten is too brittle to machine. The higher the tungsten percentage, generally the slimmer the barrel can be at a given weight.

• Slimmer barrel: The key advantage. A slim barrel leaves more room around each dart in the board, making tight groupings genuinely easier.
• Holds its grip longer: Tungsten is hard and wear-resistant, so the grip pattern stays crisp for years.
• More expensive: You pay for the density and machining, but it’s a long-lasting investment.
• The serious player’s choice: Almost every competitive and improving player throws tungsten for the grouping advantage alone.

The tungsten percentage on the label tells you roughly how slim the barrel can be, higher percentage means a denser alloy and a slimmer possible profile. For most players, an 80% to 90% tungsten set is an excellent balance of slimness and value.

Side by Side

• Price: Brass is cheaper; tungsten costs more but lasts longer.
• Barrel size: Brass is bulky at a given weight; tungsten is slim.
• Grouping: Tungsten’s slim profile makes tight groups easier.
• Durability: Tungsten keeps its grip far longer than softer brass.
• Best for: Brass for casual or testing-the-waters; tungsten for anyone serious about improving.

So Which Should You Buy?

Here’s the honest recommendation. If you already know you enjoy darts and want to improve, skip the brass step and start with a modest tungsten set, the grouping advantage and longevity make it the better value over time. If you’re genuinely unsure whether darts will become your thing, a brass set is a sensible low-cost start, and you can upgrade to tungsten once you’re hooked. There’s no wrong answer, only the one that fits where you are right now. Compare both in our steel tip and soft tip ranges, where the material and tungsten percentage are listed for every set.

Get a Recommendation

Not sure which tungsten percentage or which brass set fits your budget and goals? That’s an easy conversation. Call us at 602-279-1917 and we’ll match you to the right barrel for how you play and what you want to spend, the same way we have for players since 1978.

A dart looks simple, but it’s four separate parts, and each one changes how the dart throws. Understanding them is the difference between guessing and actually tuning your setup. Once you know what each piece does, you can fix a bad throw by swapping a five-dollar shaft instead of buying whole new darts. Here’s the plain-English breakdown, front to back, from a shop that’s been building custom setups since 1978.

The Four Parts

Every dart, steel tip or soft tip, is made of four components: the point (tip), the barrel, the shaft (stem), and the flight. From the end that hits the board to the end that trails in the air, here’s what each does and how changing it affects your throw.

1. The Point (Tip)

The end that sticks in the board. On steel tip darts it’s a fixed metal point; on soft tip it’s a replaceable plastic tip. Steel points can be smooth or grooved, grooved points grip the board better and reduce bounce-outs, and some are movable, meaning the point retracts slightly on impact to cut bounce-outs even further. Soft tips wear down and snap off with normal use, which is expected, so keep spares on hand. A broken tip lodged in an electronic board also throws off scoring, another reason to replace them promptly. You’ll find replacement points, soft tips, and conversion points in our accessories section.

2. The Barrel

The part you grip, and the heart of the dart. Nearly all the weight lives here, and its shape, material, and grip pattern define how the dart feels in your hand and how it behaves in the air. This is the part you’ll spend the most on and keep the longest. Key barrel factors:

• Material: Tungsten (dense, slim, premium) or brass (bulkier, budget-friendly). Tungsten lets you throw a slimmer dart at the same weight, which makes tighter grouping easier.
• Shape: Straight, torpedo (front-weighted), or scalloped, each shifts where the weight sits and how the barrel sits in your fingers. Front-weighted barrels feel different in flight than evenly balanced ones.
• Grip: Rings, knurling, or shark grooves. More aggressive grip means more control but can feel sticky on release. Grip preference is deeply personal and worth trying in hand before committing.

Because the barrel holds the weight and the grip, it’s the part that most defines your darts. When players talk about “their darts,” they usually mean the barrel, everything else is tunable around it.

3. The Shaft (Stem)

Connects the barrel to the flight. Shafts come in different lengths and materials, and this is where a lot of players don’t realize they can fine-tune their throw for just a few dollars.

• Length: Longer shafts add stability and let the flight sit further back; shorter shafts bring the flight closer for a different balance. Length affects the dart’s angle in flight and how it sits in a tight group.
• Material: Aluminum (durable, reusable, adjustable), nylon/plastic (cheap, flexible, replaceable), carbon fiber and titanium (strong, light, premium).

Shafts are cheap and easy to experiment with, which makes them the best-value tuning tool you have. Changing shaft length is one of the fastest ways to adjust how your darts fly without buying new barrels. If your darts group loosely or drop oddly, try a different shaft length before you blame the barrel. Browse the full range in our shafts section.

4. The Flight

The “wings” at the back that stabilize the dart in the air. Flight shape controls how much drag the dart has, which changes its trajectory and how quickly it settles into a stable flight.

• Standard (larger) flights create more drag and lift, keeping the nose up, good for players who throw with an arc or want maximum stability.
• Slim/smaller flights create less drag for a faster, flatter flight, favored by players with a hard, direct throw who want the dart to cut through the air.

Flights are the cheapest part to replace and they tear with use, so most players buy them in bulk and keep spares in their case. They’re also where you show your personality, they come in every color and design imaginable. Flight and shaft choices work together: a bigger flight often pairs with a shorter shaft, and vice versa, so experiment with the combination. Stock up in our flights and accessories.

How the Parts Work Together

Here’s the payoff, and why understanding all four parts matters: because a dart is a system, small changes to the cheap parts (shafts and flights) can transform how the expensive part (the barrel) throws. A common tuning path looks like this: pick a barrel you like the feel of, then adjust shaft length and flight size until the dart flies and groups the way you want. You rarely need to replace a barrel to fix a throwing problem, you need to rebalance the parts around it.

Quick Troubleshooting Guide

• Darts dropping too fast? Try a larger flight or a longer shaft for more lift and stability.
• Want tighter grouping? A slimmer barrel or a shorter shaft can help the darts sit closer together.
• Bouncing out? Grooved or movable points reduce bounce-outs.
• Dart wobbling in flight? A larger flight adds stability; check that your shaft and flight are seated tightly.

Build Your Setup With Help

Tuning a dart setup is part science, part feel, and it’s a lot faster with someone who’s done it thousands of times. That’s what we do. Call us at 602-279-1917 or come by the shop, and we’ll help you build a setup that fits your throw instead of fighting it, and show you which cheap swaps to try first.

If you’re buying your first set of darts, the sheer number of options is overwhelming, weights, materials, grips, brands, and price ranges from a few dollars to well over a hundred. The good news: as a beginner, you don’t need to get it perfect. You need a sensible starting point that won’t hold you back while you develop your throw. Here’s how to buy your first set without overspending or overthinking, from a shop that’s outfitted beginners since 1978.

First, Match the Board

Before anything else, decide where you’ll play. Throwing at a traditional bristle board at home or in a league? You need steel tip darts. Playing on an electronic machine at a bar or in a soft tip league? You need soft tip darts. This one decision comes first because it determines everything else, weight range, tip type, and which board you’ll buy. If you’re unsure which game is yours, our guide on steel tip vs. soft tip breaks it down in detail.

What Actually Matters for a Beginner

Ignore the marketing and focus on these three things. Get these right and everything else is refinement you can chase later.

1. Weight: go middle-of-the-road

For steel tip, start around 23g to 24g. For soft tip, around 18g. These middle weights suit the widest range of throwing styles and give you a stable, forgiving baseline. You can refine later once you know your throw, but starting in the middle means you won’t be fighting a weight that’s badly wrong for you while you’re still learning.

2. Material: tungsten if you can, brass to start cheap

Tungsten darts are slimmer at the same weight, which makes it easier to group your darts tightly, a real advantage as you improve. A quality entry-level tungsten set is the best value for someone who’s serious about the game. That said, there’s no shame in a brass set to see if the game sticks, brass is cheaper and perfectly playable, just bulkier at the same weight. Our honest advice: if you already know you’ll keep playing, go straight to a modest tungsten set and skip the brass step. If you’re just testing the waters, brass is a fine, low-cost start.

3. Grip: moderate, not extreme

As a beginner, avoid the most aggressive shark-grip barrels, they can feel sticky and mess with your release before you’ve developed a consistent throw. A moderate ring or knurled grip gives you control without fighting you. Grip is one of the most personal parts of a dart, so once you’ve thrown for a while and know what you like, you can chase a more specialized grip. Starting moderate keeps your options open.

What You Don’t Need to Worry About Yet

Plenty of specs matter to advanced players but are noise for a beginner. Barrel shape nuances, exotic shaft materials, premium flight brands, movable points, none of that will make or break your first year. Get a sensible set and spend your energy on throwing consistently. You’ll learn far more from a hundred practice throws than from any spec sheet, and your preferences will only become clear once you’ve actually played. Buying the “perfect” advanced setup before you have a throw is a common, expensive beginner mistake.

Don’t Forget the Board and the Extras

A great set of darts needs a proper home. If you’re setting up at home, you’ll want a quality dartboard mounted at regulation height (5 feet 8 inches to the bullseye, with the throw line 7 feet 9.25 inches away for steel tip). A few inexpensive extras save you headaches and keep you playing:

• Spare flights and shafts, they wear out and tear, so having backups means you never stop mid-session over a broken flight.
• A dart case to protect your set and keep everything, darts, spare flights, tools, together in one place.
• Replacement tips if you’re playing soft tip, they snap off with normal use and you don’t want to be caught short.

A Realistic First-Set Budget

You do not need to spend a fortune. A solid entry-level tungsten set, a decent bristle board, and a handful of spare flights and shafts will get you fully set up for less than you’d expect, and it’s gear you won’t outgrow in a month. Spending more mostly buys refinement and personal preference, not raw “better,” once you’re past the cheapest brass sets. Put your money into a decent barrel and a good board; economize on flights and shafts, which are consumable and cheap anyway.

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

• Buying the most expensive set first. You don’t yet know your preferences, so premium features are wasted money at this stage.
• Choosing extreme weights or grips. Very light, very heavy, or very aggressive-grip darts make learning harder.
• Skipping the board quality. A cheap, worn board holds back your game more than mid-range darts do.
• Not buying spares. Running out of flights mid-session is a needless interruption.

Get It Right the First Time

The fastest way to a good first set is to tell someone how and where you’ll play and let them point you to the right gear. That’s exactly what we do, every day, for players at every level. Call us at 602-279-1917 or stop by, and we’ll set you up with darts you’ll actually enjoy throwing, at a price that makes sense for a beginner.

A dartboard is only as good as its setup. Hang it at the wrong height or distance and you’ll build bad habits that follow you to every board you play. Ignore basic care and even a quality board wears out years early. Both problems are easy to avoid once you know the regulation measurements and a few simple maintenance habits. Here’s the complete guide from a shop that’s been setting up boards since 1978.

Regulation Height and Distance

These measurements are the official standard for steel tip darts. Get them right and your home board matches every league and tournament board you’ll ever throw at, which means the practice you put in at home transfers directly.

• Bullseye height: 5 feet 8 inches (1.73m) from the floor to the center of the bull.
• Throwing distance (steel tip): 7 feet 9.25 inches (2.37m) measured horizontally from the face of the board to the throw line (the “oche”).
• Diagonal distance: 9 feet 7.375 inches from the bullseye to the throw line, a useful way to double-check your setup is square and accurate.

The diagonal measurement is the pro’s trick for verifying a setup: if the height and horizontal distance are both correct, the diagonal will check out automatically. If it doesn’t, one of your other measurements is off. Note that soft tip electronic boards are sometimes set at a slightly different throwing distance (commonly 8 feet), so check the standard for your league if you play soft tip.

Mounting It Properly

A few things separate a solid mount from a wobbly one, and a wobbly board quietly wrecks your consistency:

1. Find a solid backing. Mount into a stud or use a sturdy backboard. A board that shifts on every throw ruins consistency and makes it impossible to trust your aim.
2. Level it. The 20 segment should be dead center at the top (most boards mark this). A tilted board skews your aim without you realizing why.
3. Protect the wall. Stray darts happen, especially early on. A dartboard surround or backboard catches misses and saves your wall from a peppering of holes.
4. Light it well. Even, shadow-free lighting matters more than people expect. Shadows on the board change how you see the target and how you aim. Dedicated dartboard lighting solves this cleanly.

Making a Bristle Board Last

A quality sisal (bristle) board is designed to “self-heal” as the fibers close around each dart hole. Treat it right and it lasts for years. Treat it carelessly and it develops worn patches and open holes in months. A few habits make all the difference:

• Rotate it regularly. This is the single most important habit. Most boards have a removable number ring, rotate it every week or two so wear spreads evenly instead of hammering the 20 and the bull. Rotating faithfully can double a board’s life.
• Keep it dry. Moisture is a bristle board’s enemy, it swells and warps the fibers. Never hang one in a damp basement or garage without climate control, and never clean it with water.
• Use sharp but not over-sharp points. Dull points tear fibers; needle-sharp points cut rather than part them. A lightly dressed point parts the sisal cleanly and does the least damage. A sharpening stone is a cheap, worthwhile tool for this.
• Don’t force stuck darts. Wiggle them out straight rather than yanking sideways, which damages the fibers and can bend the wiring.

Caring for an Electronic Board

Electronic boards have different needs than bristle. Use only soft tips within the board’s weight limit, heavier darts cause bounce-outs and can crack the segments. Replace worn soft tips promptly, since broken tips lodged in the holes throw off scoring and can jam segments. Keep the surface clean and dust-free so the sensors read hits accurately, and avoid throwing with excessive force, which stresses the electronics over time. Treated well, a good electronic board gives years of reliable automatic scoring.

How to Rotate a Board Correctly

Since rotation is the most important care habit, here’s the method: lift the number ring off, turn the board so a fresh, less-used section sits where the 20 was, then replace the ring so the numbers still read correctly around the board. The goal is to move the heavily played areas (the 20, the treble 20, and the bull) onto fresh sisal. Do this on a schedule, every week or two, not just when you notice wear, because by the time wear is visible, damage is already done.

When to Replace a Board

Even a well-cared-for board eventually wears out. Signs it’s time: the surface no longer heals and holes stay open, the wiring (“spider”) is bent or raised causing constant bounce-outs, or the scoring areas are visibly worn flat and losing darts. A fresh dartboard instantly improves your game more than most players realize, throwing at a worn board is a hidden handicap you stop noticing until you play on a new one.

Set Up Once, Set Up Right

Getting your board hung correctly and cared for from day one saves you money and makes you a better player. If you have questions about setup, mounting, lighting, or which board fits your space and game, call us at 602-279-1917. We’ve hung a lot of boards over the years, and we’re happy to help you get yours right the first time.

Most players plateau not because of their darts, but because of how they practice, or the fact that they don’t really practice at all, they just play. There’s a difference. Aimless throwing keeps you where you are; structured practice moves the needle. Here’s how to actually get better, drawn from decades of watching players improve since 1978.

Fix the Foundation First

Before any drill, make sure the basics are solid, because practicing on a broken foundation just ingrains bad habits faster.

• Consistent stance: Plant your feet the same way every time. Your body should be a stable platform; only your throwing arm moves.
• Repeatable grip: Grip the barrel the same way on every throw. Inconsistent grip is a hidden source of scattered darts.
• Smooth release: A relaxed, unforced motion beats a hard, muscled throw. Let the dart flow rather than punching it.
• Right equipment: If your darts are fighting you, wrong weight, wrong grip, practice can’t fix that. Sort the gear first.

Practice With Purpose, Not Just Play

Playing games is fun but it’s not the fastest way to improve, because you only throw at whatever the game demands. Deliberate practice targets your weaknesses directly. The players who improve fastest spend part of every session on drills, not just matches.

Drills That Build Real Skill

Here are proven practice routines used by players at every level. Pick a couple and do them consistently.

• Around the Clock: Hit every number 1 through 20 in order. Simple, but it forces you to aim all over the board and exposes your weak spots.
• Treble 20 repetition: Throw at the treble 20 over and over, tracking how many you hit per hundred darts. This is the scoring engine of the game, and the number you track shows real progress over weeks.
• Doubles practice: Most games end on a double, and doubles are where matches are won or lost. Drill the common finishing doubles (double 16, double 20, double 8) until they’re reliable.
• Bob’s 27: A classic doubles drill that pressures you around the whole board and punishes misses, great for building finishing skill under pressure.
• Count-up: Throw a set number of darts and total your score, then try to beat it. A simple way to make solo practice competitive.

Track Your Progress

What gets measured gets better. Keep a simple log, trebles hit per hundred darts, doubles hit per hundred attempts, or your count-up scores. Numbers cut through the feeling that you’re “not improving” and show you the slow, real progress that’s easy to miss day to day. They also tell you which drill to focus on: whichever number is weakest.

Practice the Right Way

1. Short and frequent beats long and rare. Twenty focused minutes daily builds more skill than one three-hour marathon a week.
2. Warm up first. Throw a few relaxed rounds before drilling so you’re not practicing a cold, stiff throw.
3. Practice at regulation setup. Drill on a board hung at the correct height and distance so your practice transfers to match play.
4. Stop when you’re tired. Fatigue breeds sloppy throws, and sloppy throws practiced become habits. Quit while your form is still good.

Don’t Overlook Your Equipment and Board

Practice only pays off on gear that isn’t holding you back. A worn dartboard with open holes and constant bounce-outs sabotages your consistency and your confidence. Darts that don’t suit your throw make every drill harder. And torn flights or bent shafts change how the dart flies mid-session, keep spare flights and shafts on hand so your equipment stays consistent. If you suspect your darts are the problem, our guides on weight and dart parts can help you diagnose it.

The Mental Side

Darts is as mental as it is physical. Consistency comes from a calm, repeatable routine, the same stance, the same grip, the same rhythm, every throw. When you’re struggling, don’t change everything at once; slow down and return to your routine. The best players look almost boring in their consistency. That’s the goal: a throw so repeatable you stop thinking about it.

We’re Here to Help You Improve

Whether it’s dialing in the right darts, replacing a worn board, or just talking through your game, we’ve helped players at every level get better for over four decades. Call us at 602-279-1917 or stop by the shop. Sometimes the fastest improvement is fixing something you didn’t know was holding you back.

The shaft, also called the stem, is the quiet workhorse of a dart setup. It connects the barrel to the flight, and choosing the right length and material is one of the cheapest, most effective ways to fine-tune how your darts fly. Most players never experiment with shafts and miss out. Here’s what they do and how to use them, from a shop that’s stocked every length since 1978.

What the Shaft Actually Does

The shaft sets the distance between the barrel and the flight, which changes the dart’s balance and the angle it sits at in flight. Move the flight further back (longer shaft) or bring it closer to the barrel (shorter shaft) and you change how the dart behaves in the air and how it sits in a tight group on the board. It’s a small change with a real effect.

Shaft Length

Shafts come in a range of lengths, commonly labeled short, medium, and long (with in-between sizes like intermediate). Here’s how length affects your throw:

• Longer shafts: Add stability and let the flight sit further back, which can help a dart settle and fly straight. They can also make the back of the dart sit higher. Good if your darts wobble or you want maximum stability.
• Shorter shafts: Bring the flight closer to the barrel, shifting the balance forward and often helping darts group more tightly because the flights take up less space. Good for tight grouping and a more front-heavy feel.
• Medium shafts: The versatile middle ground and the most common starting point. If you don’t know where to start, start medium.

A practical note on grouping: when your darts land close together, long flights and shafts can bump into each other and deflect darts. Shortening the shaft is a common fix for players whose own darts keep getting in the way.

Shaft Materials

Material affects durability, weight at the back of the dart, and how easily you can adjust or replace shafts.

• Nylon/plastic: Cheap, light, and flexible, which helps them survive impacts by bending rather than snapping. The trade-off is they can loosen or spin. A great low-cost, replaceable option.
• Aluminum: Durable, reusable, and available in many colors. Some have replaceable tops or locking features. A popular all-around choice. They can bend on a hard hit but generally last well.
• Carbon fiber: Strong and light, resisting bending better than aluminum. A premium option for players who want durability without added rear weight.
• Titanium: Very strong and durable, the premium end. Built to survive heavy use.

Some shafts are spinning or rotating, the top spins so that an incoming dart is more likely to glance off the flight rather than damage it, reducing deflections when you’re grouping tightly. Others have a locking mechanism to keep the flight from loosening during play.

How to Tune With Shafts

Because shafts are inexpensive, they’re the ideal place to experiment. A simple process:

1. Start medium. Throw your normal setup and watch how the darts fly and group.
2. Darts wobbling or unstable? Try a longer shaft (or pair a shorter shaft with a bigger flight) for more stability.
3. Darts crowding each other in a tight group? Try a shorter shaft so flights take up less space.
4. Change one thing at a time. Adjust shaft length or flight size, not both at once, so you can tell what actually helped.

Shafts and Flights: A Team

Shaft length and flight size are your two main tuning tools and they work together. As a rough guide, longer shafts pair naturally with smaller flights and shorter shafts with larger flights, but there’s no rule you can’t break to suit your throw. Together they let you tune the dart’s flight for a few dollars instead of buying new barrels. Explore lengths and materials in our shafts section.

Keep Spares

Shafts, especially nylon, can crack or loosen with use, and a damaged shaft changes how the dart flies. Keep a few spares in your case so a broken shaft never ends your session. It’s cheap insurance for consistent play.

Dial It In With Us

If your darts aren’t flying right and you’re not sure whether it’s the shaft, the flight, or the barrel, we can help you work through it. Call 602-279-1917 or visit the shop. Fine-tuning setups is one of our favorite things, and something we’ve done for players since 1978.

Everyone can throw a dart. Throwing it well, consistently, the same way every time, is what separates a casual player from someone who improves. The good news is that the fundamentals are simple, and getting them right early saves you from unlearning bad habits later. Here’s how to build a solid throw from the ground up, from a shop that’s coached beginners since 1978.

Start With Your Stance

A good throw starts from a stable base. Your body is the platform; only your arm should move. Find a stance that’s comfortable and, above all, repeatable.

• Lead foot forward: Point your dominant-side foot toward the board, up to the throw line but not over it. Most of your weight goes on this front foot.
• Stay balanced and still: Keep your torso steady. Leaning or swaying mid-throw kills consistency.
• Find your angle: Some players stand side-on, some more square. There’s no single right answer, choose what feels stable and lets you throw without straining, then repeat it every single time.

The key word is repeatable. A stance you can reproduce exactly, throw after throw, is worth more than a “perfect” stance you can’t hold.

Grip the Dart

Grip is personal, but a few principles hold for everyone:

• Use at least three fingers for control (thumb plus two fingers is common), though some players use more. Find what feels secure.
• Firm but relaxed: Grip tightly enough that the dart won’t slip, loosely enough that your hand isn’t tense. A death grip ruins a smooth release.
• Grip the same spot every time: Find the balance point of the barrel and grip consistently there. Where you grip affects the dart’s angle, so consistency matters more than the exact spot.
• Point slightly up: Let the tip angle slightly upward at rest, this is natural and helps the trajectory.

Don’t overthink grip early on. Pick a comfortable, secure hold and make it consistent. You’ll refine it naturally as you play.

The Throwing Motion

The throw itself has three phases, and keeping them smooth is the whole game:

1. Aim: Line up the dart with your target. Many players bring the dart up to roughly eye level and sight along it.
2. Draw back: Pull the dart back by bending at the elbow. Your upper arm stays relatively still, the motion is in the forearm.
3. Release and follow through: Bring the forearm forward smoothly and release, letting your fingers open naturally. Follow through toward the target rather than stopping abruptly, your hand should end up pointing at where you aimed.

The Golden Rule: Only the Forearm Moves

If there’s one thing to get right, it’s this: keep your upper arm and elbow relatively fixed, and let the throw come from your forearm hinging at the elbow. Think of your elbow as a stationary pivot. When your whole arm or body gets involved, you add variables that wreck consistency. A compact, forearm-driven throw is far easier to repeat, and repeatability is everything in darts.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Gripping too tight: Creates a jerky release. Relax the hand.
• Moving the whole arm or body: Adds inconsistency. Isolate the forearm.
• No follow-through: Stopping the motion abruptly at release causes darts to drop. Follow through toward the target.
• Throwing too hard: Muscling the dart reduces control. A smooth, moderate throw is more accurate.
• Changing everything when you miss: Missing a few is normal. Stick to your routine rather than overhauling your form mid-session.

Build Consistency

Once you have a stance, grip, and motion that feel natural, the work is repetition. Throw the same way, from the same stance, with the same grip and rhythm, over and over. A pre-throw routine (a breath, a sight, a smooth throw) makes your form automatic under pressure. Consistency, not power, is what builds a good dart player, and it comes from doing the same simple thing thousands of times.

The Right Gear Makes It Easier

A repeatable throw is much easier with darts that suit you and a board set up correctly. Darts that are the wrong weight or grip fight your natural motion, and a board hung at the wrong height builds habits that don’t transfer. If you’re just starting, our beginner buying guide and weight guide will help you get the gear right so your practice counts. Browse steel tip or soft tip sets to get started.

Come Learn With Us

Nothing beats throwing a few darts with someone who can spot what you’re doing and help you adjust. Call us at 602-279-1917 or stop by the shop. Helping new players build a solid throw, and enjoy the game, is what we’ve done since 1978.

It’s the first question every new dart player runs into, and the one that quietly decides which darts, boards, and accessories you’ll buy for years. Steel tip and soft tip aren’t just two kinds of points. They’re two different games, with different boards, different venues, different weights, and different feels. Pick the wrong one and you’ll end up with gear that doesn’t fit how or where you actually play, and you’ll be back buying a second set sooner than you’d like. We’ve been fitting players with the right setup since 1978, so here’s the honest, complete breakdown.

The Short Answer

Play on a traditional bristle (sisal) board, in a pub, league, or at home the classic way? You want steel tip. Play on an electronic machine that keeps score for you, common in bars, arcades, and soft tip leagues? You want soft tip. Most players end up owning both eventually, but your first set should match the board you’ll throw at most. Everything below explains why, and what changes between the two games.

Steel Tip Darts: The Traditional Game

Steel tip is the original game, the one you see on television. Fixed metal points are thrown at a bristle dartboard made of compressed sisal fibers that “heal” around the point after each throw. This is the format used in professional darts, in most established leagues, and by anyone who wants the traditional experience.

• Board: Bristle/sisal only. Never throw steel tip at an electronic board, you’ll destroy the segments.
• Weight range: Typically 20g to 26g, with 23g to 25g being the most common starting point.
• Feel: Solid, weighty, satisfying. The fixed point means consistent penetration into the board.
• Best for: Players who want the traditional game, league play on bristle boards, and the closest experience to televised professional darts.

The steel tip experience rewards a controlled, repeatable throw. Because the points are fixed and heavier, the dart plants firmly and gives you clear feedback on every throw. If steel tip is your game, start with our steel tip darts and pair them with a quality bristle dartboard.

Soft Tip Darts: The Electronic Game

Soft tip uses flexible plastic points thrown at an electronic dartboard with hundreds of small holes. The machine detects the hit and scores automatically. Soft tip took off in bars and arcades because the electronic board handles scoring, runs games and tournaments, and is safer in crowded venues. It has its own leagues and its own dedicated following, and the machines can run dozens of game variations that would be tedious to score by hand.

• Board: Electronic only. The plastic tips flex into the holes to register a hit.
• Weight range: Usually lighter, 16g to 20g, because electronic boards have a maximum weight limit to avoid bounce-outs and damage.
• Feel: Lighter throw, plastic tips that occasionally need replacing (they’re cheap and quick to swap).
• Best for: Bar and league players on electronic machines, families who want automatic scoring, and anyone in a soft tip league.

The trade-off with soft tip is the weight limit and the plastic tips. Because the darts are lighter and the tips flex, the feel is different from steel tip. But for the electronic game it’s the only option, and the automatic scoring makes it welcoming for newcomers and casual play. For the electronic game, browse our soft tip darts and keep a supply of replacement soft tips on hand, they wear out with use and it pays to never run out mid-match.

Side by Side: The Key Differences

If you’re weighing the two, here’s what actually changes between them:

• Board type: Steel tip needs a bristle board; soft tip needs an electronic board. They are not interchangeable.
• Scoring: Steel tip is scored by the players (or a chalker); soft tip machines score automatically.
• Weight: Steel tip runs heavier (20g to 26g), soft tip lighter (16g to 20g) due to board limits.
• Venue: Steel tip dominates traditional pubs, homes, and classic leagues; soft tip dominates bars, arcades, and electronic leagues.
• Maintenance: Steel tip means caring for a bristle board; soft tip means replacing worn plastic tips.

Can You Switch Between the Two?

Yes, and many players do. Conversion points let you take a soft tip barrel and add a steel point (or vice versa) so one set of barrels works for both games. This is a smart move if you know you’ll play both formats, it saves you from buying two complete sets, since the barrel is the expensive part. The points and tips themselves are inexpensive. If you think you’ll play both, ask us about conversion setups before you buy. You’ll find conversion points and the accessories you need in our conversion points section.

Which Should a Beginner Choose?

Don’t overthink it, let the board decide. Ask yourself one question: where will I actually throw most of the time? If you’re setting up a board at home or joining a traditional league, that’s a bristle board, so go steel tip. If your darts nights happen at a bar with an electronic machine or you’re joining a soft tip league, go soft tip. Buy for where you’ll play, not for the game you imagine playing someday. You can always add the other format later, and the conversion-point trick makes that cheap when you do.

Still Not Sure? Ask Us

The simplest way to decide is to talk it through with someone who’s set up thousands of players. If you tell us where you play and how often, we’ll point you straight to the right format and the right first set, no guesswork, no buying twice. Call us at 602-279-1917 or stop by the shop. Getting players into the right setup the first time is exactly what we’ve done since 1978.

Dart weight is the single most confusing spec for new players, and the one that makes the biggest difference to how your throw feels. Walk into it blind and you’ll either overthink it or grab whatever’s on the shelf and hope. Here’s how weight actually works, what the numbers mean, how it interacts with your throw, and how to find yours, from a shop that’s been matching players to darts since 1978.

What the Numbers Mean

Dart weight is measured in grams and refers to the barrel, the metal part you grip. You’ll see darts listed as 20g, 22g, 24g, and so on. That number is the weight of the barrel itself, not the finished dart with flights and shafts attached, though the barrel is where nearly all the weight lives, so the listed weight is close to what you’ll actually throw.

• Steel tip darts generally run 20g to 26g, with 23g to 25g being the most popular range.
• Soft tip darts run lighter, usually 16g to 20g, because electronic boards have weight limits to prevent bounce-outs and damage.

You may also see the total assembled weight mentioned by some brands, which includes shafts and flights. When comparing darts, make sure you’re comparing barrel weight to barrel weight so the numbers mean the same thing.

Lighter vs. Heavier: The Real Trade-Off

There’s no “correct” weight, only what suits your throw. But the trade-offs are real and worth understanding before you buy.

Lighter darts (16g to 21g)

Require a faster, harder throw to reach the board on a flat trajectory. Because they carry less momentum, small errors in your release show up more, which can make them harder to control for some players. They’re favored by players with a quick, snappy throwing motion who like to throw the dart flat and fast. Lighter darts also tire your arm less over a long session.

Heavier darts (24g to 30g)

Need less force to carry to the board and tend to fly with a more pronounced arc. Many players find heavier darts more stable and forgiving, because the extra momentum smooths out minor inconsistencies in the throw. That’s why a lot of newer players drift toward the middle-to-heavy range. The downside: too heavy and your arm tires over a long match, and an overly heavy dart can drop fast if your throw isn’t strong enough to carry it.

Where Most Players Land

If you’re buying your first set of steel tip darts and have no strong preference, 23g to 24g is the safest starting point. It’s the most common weight range in the game for good reason, it balances control and stability for the widest range of throwing styles. From there, you adjust up or down based on feel. For soft tip, 18g is a comparable safe middle. Professional players use a huge range of weights, so don’t assume heavier or lighter is “more advanced,” it’s entirely about what works for your throw.

How Weight Interacts With Your Throw

Weight isn’t chosen in isolation, it works with your natural throwing motion. Here’s the connection most guides skip: the weight should let you throw with a relaxed, repeatable motion and land the dart where you aim without forcing it. If you’re compensating, throwing harder than feels natural, or lobbing the dart up to reach the board, the weight is fighting you. The right weight disappears; you stop thinking about the dart and just throw. That’s the feeling you’re chasing.

How to Find Your Weight, Step by Step

Spec sheets only get you so far. Weight preference is physical, it’s about how the dart feels leaving your hand. Here’s a practical process to zero in:

1. Start in the middle. Begin around 23g to 24g (steel) or 18g (soft) and pay attention to whether you’re throwing too hard or lobbing too high.
2. Throwing too hard and hitting low? Go heavier, so the dart carries to the board with less effort.
3. Arcing too much and dropping short? Go lighter, so you can throw flatter and faster.
4. Change in small steps. Move a gram or two at a time. Big jumps make it hard to tell what actually changed.
5. Try before you commit if you can. There’s no substitute for feeling a few weights in your hand. That’s what a real dart shop is for, and it’s the fastest way to skip weeks of guessing.

Barrel Material Matters Too

Weight and barrel material are linked. Most quality darts are tungsten, which is denser than brass, meaning a tungsten dart can be slimmer at the same weight. A slimmer barrel makes tighter grouping easier because there’s more room around each dart in the board. Cheaper brass darts are fine to start but are noticeably bulkier at the same weight, which can crowd your groupings. If you’re serious about improving, tungsten is worth the step up. When you’re ready to choose, our steel tip and soft tip ranges list weight and material for every set so you can compare directly.

The Bottom Line

Start in the middle of the range, adjust based on whether you’re throwing too hard or too soft, change in small steps, and don’t agonize over a gram or two, your throw adapts faster than you’d think. If you want a real recommendation for your style, call us at 602-279-1917. Talking through your throw and handing you a few weights to feel is exactly how we’ve matched players to the right darts for over four decades.

Flights are the cheapest part of a dart and the most overlooked, yet they have an outsized effect on how your darts fly. Swapping a flight shape can settle a wobbling dart, flatten a lofty trajectory, or tighten a loose group, all for a couple of dollars. Here’s how flights actually work and how to choose the right ones, from a shop that’s stocked every shape since 1978.

What a Flight Does

The flight is the “wing” at the back of the dart. As the dart travels, air pushes against the flight and keeps the back end trailing behind the point, that’s what stabilizes the dart and stops it from tumbling. The size and shape of the flight determine how much air resistance (drag) it creates, which in turn shapes the dart’s trajectory and how quickly it settles into a stable flight.

The core trade-off is simple: bigger flight equals more drag and more stability; smaller flight equals less drag and a faster, flatter flight. Everything about flight choice comes back to that balance.

The Main Flight Shapes

There are dozens of named shapes, but they cluster into a few families by size:

• Standard (also called No. 2): The largest common shape and the most popular. Maximum stability and lift. If you’re unsure where to start, start here.
• Kite: Slightly smaller than standard, a touch less drag while keeping good stability. A common step down from standard.
• Pear: Smaller still, moderate drag, a middle-ground option.
• Slim: A narrow flight with much less drag, for a fast, flat throw. Favored by hard throwers.
• Micro/Nano: The smallest, minimal drag, for players who throw very hard and want the flattest possible flight.

Shapes also come in different thicknesses (measured in microns). Thicker flights are more durable and hold their shape better under repeated hits; thinner ones are cheaper but tear sooner.

Which Flight Should You Use?

Match the flight to your throw:

• You throw with an arc, or your darts wobble: Go bigger (standard). More lift and stability will smooth the flight and hold the nose up.
• You throw hard and flat, or your darts sail high: Go smaller (slim or micro). Less drag lets the dart cut through the air on a flatter line.
• You’re not sure: Start with a standard flight. It’s the most forgiving and the most popular for a reason. Adjust from there.

Flights and Shafts Work Together

You can’t choose flights in isolation, they pair with your shaft length to set the dart’s overall balance. A common pattern: a larger flight often pairs with a shorter shaft, and a smaller flight with a longer shaft, though plenty of players break that rule to suit their throw. If you change your flight and the dart flies oddly, try adjusting shaft length too. The two together are your main tuning tools, and both are cheap enough to experiment with freely.

Durability and Keeping Spares

Flights are consumables, they tear, crease, and get punctured by other darts (a “Robin Hood” hit). A creased or torn flight flies unpredictably, so replace them the moment they’re damaged rather than throwing on a bent wing. Because they’re cheap, most players buy flights in bulk and keep a stash in their dart case. Flight protectors and metal flight rings can extend their life by reinforcing the point where the flight meets the shaft. Stock up on flights and protectors in our accessories.

A Simple Experiment

The best way to understand flights is to feel the difference. Buy a standard shape and a slim shape, throw a few rounds with each, and watch how the trajectory changes. It’s a two-dollar experiment that teaches you more than any chart. Once you feel how drag affects your throw, choosing flights stops being guesswork.

Not Sure Where to Start?

If your darts aren’t flying the way you want and you suspect the flights, bring us your throw and we’ll help you dial it in. Call 602-279-1917 or come by. Matching flights and shafts to a player’s throw is exactly the kind of thing we’ve done since 1978.