The dart barrel is the heart of the entire dart. If you take a closer look at the market, it becomes clear that new dart barrels can be found on the market every few days. Not without reason, because the number of darts players is constantly growing. For this reason, manufacturers are vying for the players' favor with new innovations and manufacturing processes for dart barrels. When it comes to dart barrels, many factors are important and until you are sure that you have made the right choice, we recommend that you try out different dart barrels. In addition to the subjective feeling, we would like to explain what you should pay attention to.
Dart barrels for beginners
It is relatively difficult for a beginner to even get an idea of all the alternatives. You usually purchase a dartboard and a dart set - done. This dart set does not have to be the best for your own throwing style. However, there is a basic rule that you should keep in mind as a beginner . Starts with a relatively heavy barrel! As a beginner, it makes sense to start with darts from 22g and up. The reason is that heavy barrels are much more stable in the air than lighter barrels. Especially at the beginning of your darts career, you fine-tune your throwing style every day, so a stable throw is the be-all and end-all. If you haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet, light dart barrels will be much more restless in the air, especially at the beginning. Over time, it is common for many players to lower the weight of the barrels slightly.
The success factors: shape, length, weight, grip and workmanship
In order to find the right barrel, it is not enough to just look at the weight. In total, there are five crucial success factors until you can really talk about the perfect dart barrel for you. Before we go into the individual components in more detail, it is important to briefly list these details:
- Weight
- length
- shape
- Grip
- processing
All of these factors must be coordinated in order to play successfully. Even if just one characteristic doesn't apply to your individual throwing style, this can set you back enormously in your own level. For example, what's the point of having the best barrel if you can't handle the shape and the dart feels uncomfortable in your hand?
The weight of the dart barrel – the cornerstone
The weight of the barrel serves as the cornerstone. The weight ultimately determines how stable the arrow is in the air and where the darts hit the board. For example, if you notice over time that the dart repeatedly hits two centimeters below the triple 20, then you should try playing the same dart barrel with one or two grams less weight. Conversely, it can also be said that if the dispersion on the board is too large, you should increase the number of grams slightly in order to stabilize the throw. But everyone has to gain their own experience here and ideally try out both very light and very heavy darts. This is the only way you can find out what really suits you.
Players with heavy darts often complain that it becomes tiring to throw the darts over time. However, the same also applies to darts that are too light and you have to use a lot of force because a hard throw is necessary. A healthy mediocrity is the solution - at least as a rule. When it comes to steel darts, we recommend that you start with a few dart barrels weighing between 21 and 24 grams .
The length of the dart barrel – no general recommendation is possible
The length of the dart barrel is not a real quality feature, but is nevertheless extremely important for the feeling when throwing. The following recommendation can be derived for beginners: Longer barrels are usually a little more stable in the air than shorter dart barrels. For this reason, it makes sense to start with longer dart barrels as a beginner. We can also give you some further information. Long barrels are usually played with shorter shafts by experienced dart players. In general, you'll quickly notice whether you're more comfortable with short or long darts. It is therefore entirely possible to make the selection of the barrel dependent on this feeling.
The shape of the dart barrel – teardrop, cylinder, wavy or torpedo shape
We ourselves felt at the beginning of our darts career that form was crucial to success. There are a total of four basic barrel shapes: the teardrop shape, the cylindrical shape, wavy dart barrels or the torpedo shape . The center of gravity of the dart barrels is always at a different point due to their shape. The best way to find the right shape is to take a dart (no matter what shape) in your hand and look closely at where you grab it. For example, if you grab the dart barrel far forward, the teardrop shape is recommended. We would recommend a straight barrel if you handle the barrel in the middle or at the back. Our own experience shows that the shape of the barrel often has an even greater influence than the weight of the barrel.
The grip – smooth or ridged?
The grip or rather the grip level is the fourth component for a suitable dart barrel . Players often complain about two situations. Hence the first situation: The players get stuck on the barrel when throwing. The second situation: The dart keeps slipping out of the player's hand when thrown. There are two reasons for this. Sometimes the grip is too low and sometimes too high. After a few throws you will notice relatively quickly whether you need a dart with a high grip level or an almost smooth dart barrel. As a result, you shouldn't underestimate the grip, otherwise you'll probably never reach your top level and miss out on potential.
The processing – Tungsten is the magic word!
Regardless of whether it is a steel dart barrel or a soft dart barrel: there must be enough space to transport three darts into the narrow triple 20 segment. With barrels that are too wide it is almost impossible. Particularly cheap models on the market often have a small proportion of so-called tungsten (tungsten in German) or are made of brass. Tungsten has a particularly high density and therefore enables the production of heavy yet narrow dart barrels. If the tungsten content of a dart barrel is too low, you will find it relatively difficult to hit a narrow triple or double segment three times. There is usually simply not enough space for the last dart. This is exactly why you should pay attention to the packaging, because the proportion of tungsten material is usually on it. Therefore, a good dart barrel should have at least 80% tungsten.
Ready to upgrade your darts game? Discover everything you need to know about the best dart equipment and how it can improve your accuracy:
- Darts for beginners : Find out tips for buying darts now! We will help you buy darts in the dart shop and advise you - read on now!
- Find out more about various dart accessories such as dart boards, dart surrounds, darts, flight protectors, dart crowns and flight punches.
