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In addition to the barrel and the flight, there is a third component of the dart that is crucial to your success . We are talking about the so-called dart shaft.
The shaft forms the connection between the barrel and flight and contributes to the stability of the dart's trajectory . Like the flights, the dart shafts are wearing parts and are available in different lengths and materials .
Therefore, you can experiment with different variations to find the perfect dart for you. Shafts are usually made from aluminum or plastic .
In this article we would like to give you a little insight into what types of dart shafts there are and also help you find the right shaft for you.
Dart shafts and the material question
Basically you can purchase the shaft in two different materials . Either you choose a model made of aluminum or you choose dart shafts made of plastic or nylon .
But what difference does the material really make? In fact, the aluminum shaft has a different shape than the nylon product. While the nylon shaft is usually slightly thicker , the aluminum shaft has its typically slim shape .
Both products have their advantages. Dart shafts made of plastic have the great advantage that the shaft is not ruined so quickly in a so-called Robin Hood throw .
With aluminum shafts , one of the crowns often breaks out when an arrow lands in the shaft. This means the flight no longer holds and the shaft has to be completely replaced.
The service life tends to be longer for the plastic model. However, the plastic shaft has the disadvantage that the flights often fall off very easily. It is possible to provide the necessary hold with a hole punch and a small aluminum ring .
However, additional dart accessories are required for this project. Most of the stars in the PDC now play with plastic shafts . However, there is no specific reason for this, as the flight behavior is only minimally influenced by the material.
Differences from the dart shaft also in length
There are now dart shafts in a number of different lengths . Whether short or long, there is something for everyone. The effects of the respective shaft should not be neglected here.
If you try three or four different lengths of shafts with your darts, you'll quickly feel the impact .
An important piece of information here: there are no differences in the weight of the shafts depending on the material selected.
But back to the effects of length. Basically the difference lies in the trajectory of the dart. First of all, it depends on how long your barrel is and where the center of gravity is.
In addition, of course, there is your individual throwing position . As a rule, the following happens: With a long shaft, the darts are often odd and pointing downwards in the board. Depending on your throwing style, this is absolutely desirable.
The situation is completely different with a short shaft. Here the darts are often very horizontal in the boardphile , such as with the old master Phil Taylor.
He placed his subsequent darts on top of the first rather than “subduing” them. This is exactly where everyone has to find out for themselves which length of shaft best suits their own throwing style .
Good dart shafts are a question of quality
As with all dart accessories, there are also shafts in different price ranges . This is not surprising at first.
However, it is important to know that these price differences can have a major impact . Cheap dart shafts often have the problem that they are not all completely straight. This can of course be disastrous for a dart player who repeats the same movement over and over again.
A slight bow in the shafts, which can be caused by poor workmanship, causes the arrow to fly differently .
Sometimes it's not that easy to tell whether a shaft is odd. In the long run, this can lead to a player not understanding why the arrow no longer flies as usual and often misses the target.
There are also unusual models on the market
In addition to the ordinary models, there are also a few unusual models that are often found among professional players . The best example is Phil Taylor's shaft back when it was still sponsored by the Unicorn company.
The shaft had a narrow, milled cavity . The flight was then pushed into this cavity. The flight was not on the shaft, but was inserted into it. To date, Phil Taylor was the only player who could successfully play this type of shaft.
The spin shaft is also a little more unusual. This has not yet been able to gain widespread acceptance either. With the spinning shaft, the end to which the flight is attached rotates.
This avoids frequent bounces , which occur more often with fixed flights. The rotation is intended to “turn out of the way” and provide space in the event of an impact from a following arrow.
The price for a set of dart shafts
In terms of price, the dart shafts are one of the cheaper dart accessories . As a rule, you pay between one and five euros for a set of shafts.
However, the aluminum models are usually a little more expensive than the plastic product. The reason lies in the material itself, as plastic is generally much cheaper than aluminum.
Dart shafts for beginners
If you are a complete beginner, you should try out these types of shafts at the beginning:
- Long shaft, 55mm
- Medium shaft, 48mm
- Intermediate shaft, 41mm
- Short shaft, 36mm
- Extra short shaft, 26 mm (not suitable for beginners!)
These four models are also played most frequently by professionals . Whether you want to use a plastic shaft or an aluminum product is up to you.
Overall, you should try out all lengths to find out whether your throw can be improved a bit. Sometimes it happens that the litter is not yet fully developed and you haven't tried enough variants so far.
So it's quite possible that the shaft for your best throw is still hidden.
In the end: Just try it out, this is the only way you can find the perfect dart shafts.
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