Legal Weights for Darts

Steel-tip darts can weigh up to 50 grams, though you will have a very difficult time locating very many varieties above 30 grams. Most people throw darts that weigh between 20-25 grams.

Soft-tip darts are a different story, you will need to check with your local leagues for the weight requirements. At the time of this posting, 16 grams darts seem to be a safe bet no matter where you are throwing. You can get a heavier soft-tip dart, but some leagues and tournaments may ban them due to the construction or restraints of the machines that are being used. An opponent can challenge the weight of your dart if they feel it is too heavy.

If you're throwing soft-tip darts, go to the 14-16 gram varieties to play it safe. If you're just starting in steel-tip darts and do not have the ability to try out different weights to see what you like, I would start off with a 21-22 gram dart.

Different Styles of Dart Barrels

Below are some pictures of different dart barrels. These are only a few of the thousands of different styles you can find out here.

Video Games

This video is about darts games.

The Mechanics of Throwing

The second thing you need to be aware of is something that everyone has overlooked, and that is "pivot ability".

Hold a dart in your hand, sideways, pointing it to your left, if you're a "righty" and to your right, if you're a "lefty." Slowly, and repeatedly, make the arm motion as if you are going to throw the dart. Watch your thumb nail! As your hand comes forward, notice that the thumb is pivoting on the barrel's surface as the dart barrel is staying relatively horizontal.

This is imperative for consistent throwing because if your grip was too good, the dart wouldn't come off your fingers naturally due to it sticking to your skin, and if the surface was too slick, the dart would also come off your fingers in an even more uncontrollable manner. 

Brass Darts

Brass is a soft alloy (copper & zinc) which makes it easy to for manufacturers to shape and work with, so brass darts are in various shapes and types.

How to test darts forward grip

Take the dart that you want to test and put in your throwing hand. It doesn't need to have a flight on it. Just to simulate the situation of when you throw a dart, hold it as if you were actually going to throw it, and grip it in the exact same manner and with the same finger pressure you would if you again, were going to throw it. Next, take the dart in that frozen position in you hand, and hold the point down against a flat surface, like a table or even a wall. Now, with the same effort that you would use when you would throw a dart, and then attempt to penetrate the dart into that flat surface, much the same way you would press a thumbtack.

You need to pay attention to the feel of what happens to your fingers. One of two things is going to happen. The worse thing is that your fingers are going to slip and move towards the front of your dart. If this happens, this is bad. If the dart slips here, then it is not going to give you the control you need when you are projecting it at your target! Conversely, if your fingers don't slip, then the barrel has passed the test.

Darts Grip

The most important feature of a dart that determines quality and worth is the barrel's grip, a close second, is the flight. The most important feature of a dart that determines quality and worth is the barrel's grip, a close second, is the flight. If you have the best grip, you are going to get three things: control, consistency and accuracy. If you don't have the proper grip, then those three items go right out the window no matter how much knowledge you have and practice you perform.