When it comes to darts, players are always faced with the question of which dart weight is best for achieving top performance .
And the answers to this question are just as different as the weights of the dart professionals. There is no general answer as to what weight of dart will guarantee you success.
Every player has their own individual preferences when it comes to playing darts and adapts the dart accordingly to their own needs .
In this blog post we would like to go into more detail about how the dart is made up and what you need to pay attention to when it comes to the total weight.
How does dart weight affect my game?
The steel dart weight obviously affects your game in the bull's eye. Darts with a weight of between 23 and 25 grams are suitable for beginners . This weight is great for getting started.
The game, especially for beginners, can be very tiring if the steel dart weight or e-dart weight is too high.
If you are more of an old hand , you can also use arrows weighing 26 or 27 grams .
Tip: The advantage here is that the dart tip penetrates deeper into the board. But ricochet can also be minimized with heavier darts. However, you also need more force when throwing.
The weight is made up of different parts, i.e. the dart structure , which we will discuss later.
Official regulations: How heavy can a dart be?
Many people ask themselves how heavy a dart can be. However, a distinction must be made as to whether it is a soft dart or a steel dart . There are big differences here, which we will explain below.
Soft darts
E-darts are played with soft darts. All e-darts here have a weight of 21 grams . This limit must not be exceeded .
This is mainly due to the machines, which are protected by this weight, among other things, so that they do not break so quickly.
Steel darts
The steel dart weight is not specified and there is a limit to the steel dart weight from 50 grams .
But please, who uses darts weighing 50 grams? As a rule, darts that are heavier than 28 grams are rarely used on the Proficiruit.
Are heavy or light darts better?
This depends entirely on the player and is individual . Dart players who make throwing movements with little backswing are actually better off with light darts .
This is because you can accelerate the darts without much effort. However, if you have a powerful throw , i.e. a larger amplitude, it is better to choose a heavier dart .
However, it depends on your personal preferences and the question is not necessarily which darts are best for beginners .
How do you weigh darts correctly?
The steel dart weight or the e-dart weight is made up of different parts , as mentioned above.
With soft darts, the barrel, tip , shaft and flight have a total weight . With steel darts, however, there is no total weight, only the barrel weight.
The dart can easily weigh 25.5 grams . However, if your barrel weighs 24 grams, on paper you are always playing with a steel dart weighing 24 grams. The dart barrel shape is also important here.
How heavy are the individual components of the dart?
In this chapter, let's start with the flight. The flight only has a marginal weight because it is mostly made of plastic and only serves to stabilize the dart during flight.
The weight is ultimately limited to around 0.5-1 gram of the total weight - i.e. only a fraction.
Let's move on to the next part of the dart - the shaft. The weight of the shaft of the dart often depends on several factors .
Namely, on the one hand, the length of the shaft and, on the other hand, the material . Here, for example, a plastic shaft is significantly lighter than one made of aluminum or even carbon.
Depending on whether a short, medium-length or long shaft is used for throwing, the weight can fluctuate slightly . Overall, the weight should not exceed 2 grams .
The main part of the dart is the barrel . The barrel plays a crucial role in determining the weight of the dart.
Infobox: The weight of the barrel is usually between 14 and 26 grams, depending on the players' preferences.
Here, too, there are different materials and various lengths, which ultimately have a decisive influence on the weight. Equally important is the shape, which should suit the player's throwing style.
Last but not least, there is still the top. While this is only almost 0.3 grams for a soft dart, a tip for a steel dart often weighs twice as much.
Ultimately, an arrow consists of the following components, for example . For example, if a player plays a dart that weighs 25 grams, it consists of:
- 0.5 gram tip
- 23 gram barrels
- 1 gram shank
- 0.5 grams flight
Attention: This is an example. Depending on the material, length, weight and shape of the materials, the individual values for a dart weighing 25 grams can of course vary.
Which dart weight is suitable for beginners?
There is no such thing as the perfect dart weight . Nevertheless, some recommendations can be made - especially for beginners in this sport.
It is now widely known that a complete beginner should initially use heavier arrows - that is, arrows that weigh around 23 grams or a little more.
The reason is that heavy arrows initially lie much better and more stable in the air . The main advantage of this is that newcomers to darts can initially concentrate on acquiring a clean throwing style.
While the weight should be higher for adults, the exact opposite applies to children. More and more children think darts are cool and want to emulate their parents.
It is obvious that parents are wondering what weight is suitable for children to buy their first dart. Here too, of course, the little ones should first start with a lighter e-dart weight .
However, the dwarves should avoid steel darts at the beginning . Because the dart weight for beginners and children is crucial to how long they can enjoy it.
Infobox: A heavy arrow quickly paralyzes the arm and is tiring. Light arrows, on the other hand, fly easier and it's more fun if you hit the automatic board more often.
Over time , it eventually makes sense to reduce the weight . However, this should only be the case when you are completely sure that you have sufficiently trained and internalized your own throwing style.
Of course, exceptions prove the rule here too, so it's quite possible that you have such great talent that you can handle light darts straight away.
How heavy are the darts used by professionals?
Of course, many players wonder how heavy the darts used by professionals are. This is also different and very individual, as everyone has their own throwing style.
How many grams does Michael Smith play?
Michale Smith uses arrows with a steel dart weight of 22 grams . He is only just under the weight of van Gerwen and Anderson.
How many grams does van Gerwen play?
Michael von Gerwen only uses darts that weigh around 23 grams .
How many grams does Gary Anderson play?
Like van Gerwen, Gary Anderson only uses arrows that weigh around 23 grams . This shows both of them not listening to what is given and resorting to easy darts after a while.
Which professional has the lightest darts?
Stephen Bunting certainly uses the lightest darts. He plays his rounds with just 12 grams and is successful with it.
However, it must also be said that it is particularly strenuous and energy-consuming to throw such light arrows at the board for a long time.
How can I increase the dart weight?
The steel dart weight can be increased on the barrel . There are weights to insert into the screw channel. Depending on the space, you can add weight to the back of the barrel and thus increase the dart weight.
Conclusion
The entire composition is important for the dart weight. Overall, there is no general recommendation as to what weight a dart player should use.
This makes it all the more important to take a close look at the composition . Two dart sets that weigh, for example, 23 grams can differ in many ways.
Be it the shape of the barrel , the dart shaft length or other components. This makes it clear that weight is an important factor, but not a killer argument.
So next time, pay particular attention to which combination of parts will give you the best results on the dartboard .
A little tip at the end: If possible, use darts where you can exchange the tip so that the darts are suitable for both an electronic dartboard and a steel dartboard. This will definitely make it easier for you next time to switch to the other type of dartboard without having to completely replace the arrows.
Ready to upgrade your darts game? Discover everything you need to know about the best dart equipment and how it can improve your accuracy:
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