Darts come in a variety of sizes and weights. Darts are about more than simply design; they also have a number of other crucial characteristics, such as the right weight of the darts.
You must first select whether you require steel or soft tip darts before beginning your search for a new pair of darts and their weight. This is a decision that most people make without much thinking.
It will be determined by where you throw your darts. Whether you’re playing at home, in a bar, or a league, you should acquire the darts that are appropriate for the board and stick with it.
Learn More: Soft Tip Darts vs. Steel Tip Darts (A Complete Comparison)
Ideal Weight for Soft Tip Darts
Rather than jump right into weight, perhaps we should first learn a little bit more about soft tip darts to see if it fits your needs.
Plastic soft tip darts are a relatively new addition to the sport, but they have quickly gained widespread acceptance and appeal within various groups within the dart playing community.
They can provide unparalleled convenience in certain conditions, making them the ideal choice for some people. They are made of molded soft plastic, as the name indicates, making them the logical choice when it comes to player protection.
Before we finally get into the matter of weight, let’s take a quick look at what’s good and bad about soft tip darts.
Positives
- Perfect for Beginners
- Safer to Use
- Lightweight
- Easier to handle
- Used on Electronic Dartboards
- Neither Damage Walls nor Nearby Objects
Negatives
- Not Durable
- Doesn’t Last Long
- High Chance of Bounce-out
- Requires Time to Adjust
- Slightly Higher Price
You might not know this, but weighing the entire dart, including the barrel, flight, and shaft, is how soft tip darts are measured. Soft tip darts are usually played with weights of 16, 18, or 20 grams, which are significantly lighter than their steel tip counterparts.
If the dart is excessively heavy, it may cause harm to the electrical board. As a result, most players avoid utilizing computerized dartboards with darts weighing more than 18 grams. This is a fair and perfect weight that aids the player in throwing the dart with control.
And to cut down your research time, here are a few soft tip darts known for their perfect weight.
WIN.MAX Soft Tip Darts Set with Tool Kit
- 18 Grams
- 100 Dart Tips (Extra)
- Comes with Flight Protectors & Kit
Win.Max is one of the world’s leading providers of darts equipment. This item provides you with the most original and valuable combination with stunning packaging and a tool kit that will help prevent the shafts or soft tips from loosening during a game, and you can use the tool to tighten the shafts and soft tips. You may also use the tool that comes with it to remove a broken soft tip from the barrel.
Red Dragon Amberjack with Flights and Stems
- 18 Grams, set of 3
- 90% Tungsten Darts
- Elegant Design
Amberjack darts are characterized by their unique black and orange color scheme. Featuring durable darts made from high-quality tungsten, the Red Dragon Amberjack soft tip darts are one of the cheapest pro-level soft tip dart kits around the market. These darts are perfect for you if you want to keep your budget intact.
Viper Astro Tungsten Soft Tip Darts with Storage Case
- 18 Grams
- Comes with a Travel Case
- Includes Replacement Parts
Tungsten barrels with an 80% content have a thin profile, allowing for finer shot groupings and higher scores. Throw after throw, the diamond-cut etchings and rings on the knurled barrel give a superb and consistent grip. Diamond-cut aluminum shafts have locking holes, which are secure shafts to barrels and increase stability.
Ideal Weight for Steel Tip Darts
Steel tip darts are strongly entrenched in the minds of dart players all around the world. To some players, even thinking about using soft tip darts is heresy.
Steel tip darts provide a plethora of advantages that make them an ideal pick. They are heavier than soft tip darts, allowing for more precise, weighted throws.
Steel, an iron-carbon alloy, increases the strength of dart tips while lowering production costs. Unless intentionally hurled at hard surfaces, hard steel tips will virtually never shatter and nearly never bend. Durability ensures that you receive your money’s worth out of your purchase.
Positives
- Accurate throw
- Fewer Bounce-out
- Affordable
- Long-lasting
- Flexibility
- A Professional Choice
Negatives
- Heavier
- Safety Risk
- Not Suitable for Digital Dartboards
- Capable of Damaging Walls
Steel tip darts are usually heavier than soft dart tips. Due to their hefty weight, the darts are better lodged in the board since the tip may penetrate deeper into the sisal substance of the steel dartboard.
Most players will utilize a weight between 20 and 26 grams, although others will have a lot of success with a heavier weight. If you are purchasing your first set of steel tip darts, the suggested starting weight is between 24 and 26 grams.
Some great steel tip darts have been listed below, recommended for their weight and balance.
Viper Sinister Steel Tip Darts
- 95% Tungsten
- Comes in 24-25 grams weight variations
- Includes additional shafts, flights, and dart mechanic tool
A sleek, smooth barrel provides great gripping areas that improve control. Flights are precisely engineered to assist enhance speed and minimize drag, giving a constant flight path and pinpoint accuracy. Also featuring aluminum shafts with a locking hole to boost tightness and improve stability.
Bottelsen 80 Series Tungsten Steel Tip Darts
- Available in 24-26 grams
- 80% Tungsten barrel
- Utilizes aluminum shafts
The Bottelsen 80 are now gaining favor among recreational darts enthusiasts. Many people like Bottelsen darts since they don’t feel as loose as other brands, and they last a long period. Good hammerhead tips with shafts that are basic aluminum, the flights are normal shaped and good quality.
Viper Blitz Tungsten Steel Tip Darts
- 95% Tungsten Steel Tip Darts
- Comes with three extra flights
- Includes a mechanical dart tool
Aluminum Spinster Shafts include locking holes, which are the safest way to secure shafts to barrels, and they rotate freely, reducing bounce outs. Six broad glide flights and a TacTech EVA dart bag are included in each package. A premium TacTech bag with a durable outer shell and a form-fitting interior stores and protects darts and accessories.
Changing Weight of Darts
You owe it to yourself to explore all of the available choices. Darts are available with weights ranging from 12 to 50 grams. Darts heavier than 30 grams are seldom seen; however, most dart organizations accept darts up to 50 grams.
It takes a lot of trial and error to get the proper dart weight. If you’ve decided on a weight but want to play about with it, keep in mind that you shouldn’t vary the weight of your dart too much.
Before determining if you want to make another modification, go to a dart weight that is within 3 grams of your initial weight and become familiar with it.
Changing the weight of darts is possible by switching up the barrels and other parts of it. It’s better to switch up your darts weights whenever you feel like there’s still room for improvement.
The weight’s position on the dart barrel is also crucial. Some darts are heavier in the front, while others are heavier in the back. Determining which weight position is better for you and your playing style will also determine whether or not you should lessen or add dart weights.
Tungsten putty is very useful for players who wish to add weight to a steel or soft tip dart to modify the weight balance.
Learn about Tungsten Darts: Are Tungsten Darts Better? Everything You Need to Know
If you have a 21g dart, for example, you’ll see that the 23g version has the exact external dimensions as your 21g dart. Depending on how much your dart is drilled out, you may typically push your 21 grams up to 23 grams.
You may often add a tiny piece in the cavity beneath the soft tip point threads for soft tip players. On the other hand, all you have to do with steel tip darts is add tungsten putty behind the stem threads. Make sure your darts have enough room with a decent drilled-out part.
Recommended Dart Weight by Professionals
Pro players totally know what they’re doing. A good recommendation for novice and beginner players is to research what the pro players use for their games. Having a good resource of information is a treasure trove.
Professional players have different preferences when it comes to dart size and weight, but the average for steel tip players is 22 grams, and the average for soft tip dart players is 18 grams. Note that when you toss a dart, the heavier it is, the straighter it will fly.
Even the Professional Darters of the PDC Series are unsure how many grams the darts should have for the proper weight. It’s interesting to see that Phil Taylor throws the heaviest weight in the league and so has the most powerful throw in the championships.
Wrapping It Up
There is no such thing as a wrong answer when it comes to picking the weight and style of your darts. Typically, after your first year of throwing, you will change darts, so don’t spend too much money until you have a better understanding of which dart matches your style.
In the end, it’s all about what makes you feel most at ease while waiting in line. Choosing the proper weight for your darts, be it soft tip or steel tip darts, is a process that every dart player goes through. Only you know what is good for you and your game.
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